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Willie Garson was a regular at EC's shows in Los Angeles and coined the phrase "Sweet Elvis Costello!" in an episode of White Collar. He can be seen in this video after he spun the wheel at the Revolver Tour in New York.Elvis Costello wrote:The passing of my dear friend, Willie Garson its as yet impossible to reason, given his love, his embrace and his appetite for life, for music, for acting, poker, New Orleans, the magnificence that is Tom Jones and for the company of friends around a table filled of conversation, flavour, gossip and laughter. The many admirers and fans of his acting will not be surprised that the wit and verve that he brought to the characters he portrayed, was only part of the puzzle.
Willie was splendid company not in that frivolous way in which time can be squandered. I think of him in the present tense, a joyful, opinionated man, sometimes exasperated at the stupidity, viciousness and vanities of life and what passes for leadership in politics and business. Then there was his love and care, for his friends and his family, most of all his son, Nathen, a young man for whom, Diana and I hold the most tender and consoling thoughts, this evening.
I have the most wonderful photograph from the day that I first introduced my younger sons, Dexter and Frank to Willie, when just toddling. They are teenagers now, so I would not embarrass them by reprinting it here. You will have to take my word for the delight in Willie’s face; somewhere between that of a man regarding a magician presenting a trick and that which might be read as, “Oh boy, there’s gonna be some trouble here”.
When Willie first confided in me about his illness and the rigor of proposed treatments, I sent him a framed, autographed photo of Sammy Davis Jr., one of his favorite entertainers. The singer was sporting the style of horn-rim glasses that both Willie and I have favoured all these years, although I would say Sammy probably carried them off with more élan.
I hoped that Sammy's exuberant flourish in the photograph would act as a good luck charm and tonic to Willie’s spirits. I believed with all my heart that my friend would be the exception who disproved the rule, as he gathered his strength and weathered the brief elations, the crushing disappointments, the crazy energy, determination, fatalism and the rage that are all part of any prolonged resistance against mortal illness.
There is a lot of pious nonsense spoken about courage in art and show business. I’ve always claimed that “courage” was better used to describe an innocent soul facing a firing squad but I would revise that melodramatic example to take in anyone having to parcel out their dwindling energies to leave this place with all the grace, good humour and gratitude that the indignities and insults of failing health allow and this was the last of Willie’s achievements.
Goodnight, my friend. I raise a chaste glass to you and one day I shall finally master the rules of this card game as you have done. Keep a place for me by the bandstand.
With love and condolences, to Nathen, Jerry, John and all Willie’s many loving friends and colleagues. E.C., Diana, Dexter and Frank