Very sad news, and I feel lucky that I got to see the Penetrators play a couple of times in the past months. They were the first surf band I ever heard (back in mid 90's), are responsible for me getting into instro rock in the first place, and they helped me sneak into the Chukker in Tuscaloosa, AL at least once or twice.

Thanks for the great music and great shows, Spanky!

The Killer Filler Boys and I were wondering if there was anything we could do beyond offering condolences. Is there someplace we could make a donation on his behalf?

--Crispy

My condolences to friends and family of Spanky. He will always be in our hearts. I feel fortunate having met him. I've been honoring him playing the Declassified video - a wonderful document that I'm sure Spanky was proud of.

bIG wAvE Dave

Hello surfguitar101.com members. My name is Nathan. This is my first post here and I cannot remember how I found out about this great site just a few days ago.

Brian (Spanky) was my 1st cousin. His mother and my mother are sisters.
Where do I begin?
Brian was four years older than me. Scott (Rip Thrillby, Spankys brother) was eight years older than me.
Brian is one of my greatest heroes.
He taught me so much about playing guitar, reading and writing tablature, and different playing styles.
I am 34 years old now and when I was 15 years old I bought my first guitar which was a gut string classical. That damn guitar was a bitch to learn to play on and when I picked up and played Brians' Rickenbacker I felt like I was in heaven.
Brian would come and spend a few weeks of the summer at our grandmothers house. During that time I would spend the weekends with Grandma, Grandpa, and Brian. I absolutely loved every day I spent with him during those summers. He would introduce me to new and obscure music everyday.
Brians' early influences in music were The Beetles, REM, The Feelies, The Pixies, Camper Van Beethoven, The Replacements, Rush, U2, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Connells and others that I cannot remember.

Brians' passing has for sure tested my religious beliefs. His pastors' speech at the funeral helped me to come to grips with what was truly in my heart about the after life.

If any of you know what I am talking about the headstone of Rips grave is the coolest one I have ever seen! I hear it was designed by the members of the Penetrators. It's the coolest headstone in the coolest graveyard I have ever been to!

I could go on and on about Brian but I think I have gotten my point across.

Nathan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsqS7yMbbyw

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
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"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

My name is Bill Cobb. I was friend, fellow musician, and room-mate to Spanky and Rip from 1986 to 1992. It was with our band Flexible Flyer, later Flywheel, that Spanky first stepped onstage. I was part of the deep undercover origins of the Penetrators. If you are a hard-core Penetrators fan you may have seen me onscreen as Adonys The Cosmic One.
I mostly fell out of touch with those guys when I felt the time had come for me to move to Florida so I could surf more and I wanted to do my own thing.
I didn't know Spanky had passed on until my resurgent interest in surf music led me to this forum.
I just want to say that those guys are the real deal and always were. Their love of music and of the surf music vibe was pure and from the heart. They always had a great sense of humor and a true spirit to adventure.
I KNOW that they are playing music now in the great beyond.
They played music, and lived life, full bore. Accelerator pedal all the way down.
I think we can honor them and their memory by doing the same.

I don't think I'll ever tire of saying this:

I owe the last ten or so years of my life to those guys, Rip, Spanky,Trace and Sticks. Had I not crossed paths with them. I never would have had this wonderful ride on this amazing wave we call Surf Music. All these great people, all this great music..................

Loosing family members is the hardest loss of all. We are all one amazing family, and thanks to The Penetrators, I found my way into the fold.

Eddie Katcher
2010
ATToSAR!

Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?

came upon a nice shot of Spanky I shot in Clarkston Ga.

Unsteady Freddie

http://www.facebook.com/unsteady.freddie

Four years ago today. Time to raise another glass. Cheers, Spanky!

Jet
038

Thanks Brian for that reminder. It is 11:55 PM here in Big A and I am going to run get a cold one to toast those guys...........

Sorry, no PBR for Ed but a cold one, Mmmmmmmmmm.

We had the bullhorn and a metalic blue MIM Strat down front stage center at Instro Summit. Look for them in the pix.

ed

Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?