Glenn Gray Eulogy
My name is Corinne Lillo and I would like to thank everyone for coming out to this special service tonight, remembering the life of Glenn William Gray. Glenn was very much loved and will be very much missed.
Glenn embraced life – He had a life well lived.
I looked up the definition of a life well lived and this is what it says:
– the person reflects integrity
– reflects authenticity and true self
– reflects contribution
– they leave the world a better place
– they have deep long lasting relationships
– and have a faith in God
Glenn’s life checks all of this list.
Glenn was born September 6, 1956 into a family of high achievers. Glenn’s Dad (who was also named Glenn) was an avid sportsman excelling in golf and curling. His team won the Alberta Brier in 1954. Glenn Sr was inducted into the Alberta Golf Hall of Fame and the City of Edmonton Sports Hall of Fame. Glenn’s Mom Norma had a love of dancing and golf. She became a teacher later in life and pursued many interests including learning to speak German and Spanish. Glenn’s sister Sharron was an avid horse woman and was part of Canada’s Equestrian Team. This team won the Olympics the year prior to Sharron joining the team. Glenn’s brother Brent was a professional drummer and golf pro. The pursuit of excellence was in the Gray family DNA.
Gray Family 1966
L-R: Sharron, Glenn, Glenn Sr, Brent, Norma
Glenn with his very first electric guitar and amp in 1969
Glenn playing his new guitar for his sister Sharron 1969
The beginning! Glenn and his first electric guitar 1969
Glenn wanted a real guitar. He was 12 years old when Glenn and his Dad came to our music store Lillo’s Music. My Dad Vic Lillo was very enthusiastic and encouraging and put a guitar in Glenn’s hands. That was it! Glenn and his Dad left the shop with an electric guitar and amp and Glenn was signed up for guitar lessons. This was the beginning of a life long bond with Lillo’s Music. Glenn as a student, later as a teacher and staff member as well as a long time customer and friend. Glenn did many more deals with my Dad in the office “Hey! Hey! Hey! For Sure! For Sure! Give the World a Spin!” Shaking hands at the end of every deal! Glenn bought many great guitars and instruments from my Dad!
When Glenn put his mind to something he did it! He loved the guitar. He practiced. Hour after hour. Day after Day. Month after Month. Year after Year. Glenn was determined to master the guitar –he had a great ear for music. When he was in high school he would skip classes and go back home to put on his favorite records. He spent hours working out BB King and Albert King riffs. Glenn also was influenced by the guitar styles of Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple) and Jimi Hendrix. Whether playing with friends or by himself he pushed hard to achieve perfection continually raising the bar for himself and for those around him.
Glenn Gray 1973 in the Solar Queen Band
After high school Glenn went on to study bass guitar at Grant McEwan College. At that time Glenn was the chief songwriter for a progressive rock band called “Destiny”
The Lillo Family Band 1975
Back Row L-R: Corinne Lillo, Doreen Lillo, Vic Dean Lillo
Front Row L-R: Danielle Lillo, Vic Lillo Sr, Les Lillo
This is the time that I got to know Glenn. I was 17. We had a family band “The Vic Lillo Combo”. My Dad played saxophone, my Mom played keyboards, my brother Vic played trumpet and percussion, my brother Les played drums and I played guitar. Our band played every weekend for parties, dances, weddings and special events. My brother Vic who was 14 and my brother Les who was 12 & I also had our own band called “The Lillo’s” We played a lot of Klondike Days events, special shows and concerts and telethons. My sister Danielle who was 6 years old was the special guest for some of our shows. My Dad had set up a recording studio in the basement for us. I had written many original songs and we needed a bass player on our recordings. My Dad hired Glenn to come work with my brothers and I on our project. Glenn was only 20 years old at the time. He was a great musician and arranger. He arranged our songs and spent hours, days, weeks and months working with us. He played guitar, bass and sang in beautiful harmony.
Glenn Gray 1977 in the Lillo’s Studio
Glenn Gray 1978 in the Lillo’s Studio
This was the beginning of a life long friendship with Glenn and my family and it was also the beginning of my life long love and romance with Glenn. I looked forward to seeing Glenn, working on music with him and spending time with him, gazing into his beautiful eyes and hearing his voice. Glenn introduced my brothers and I to great music – Yes, Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant, Renaissance, Steely Dan and more.
Corinne Lillo & Glenn Gray 1981
Glenn Gray & Corinne Lillo 1984
Glenn & I played a lot of music together. We played in our family band, The Lillo’s, Morning Glory, an original progressive rock band that we formed with friends Clint Tobiasson and Bill Mathew called Paragon that later became 1812 with drummer Doug Nahrebeski, an original progressive rock band with Alan Burant, Scott Arrison and Ian Whitman called Occam’s Razor. Glenn played with me for several years at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in The Gospel Jamboree, I would sometimes fill in on keyboards for Glenn with his group Glenn Gray and the Blues Cowboys. We did a lot of recording over the years and played at many special events and private functions. Glenn had charted out a T-Bone Walker tribute and during Covid we had many great hours rehearsing the T-Bone Walker songs. There is something very special about making music together – Music is a special language – it is an amazing connection.
Paragon 1982
L-R: Bill Matthew, Corinne Lillo, Glenn Gray, Clint Tobiasson
Occams Razor 1999
L-R: Alan Burant, Corinne Lillo, Scott Arrison, Ian Whitman, Glenn Gray
Glenn Gray Band
L-R: Corinne Lillo- keys, Kim Gryba – drums, Glenn Gray – guitar/vocals,
Chris Zakrewski – saxophone (Chris is directly behind Glenn in this photo), Don Sellar – bass
Glenn played in many other bands and worked with many other musicians over his lifetime. He played all styles of guitar – rock and roll, classic rock, country, progressive, old time, ragtime, bluegrass, gospel, blues, jazz and more. Music brought Glenn great joy and he had a great time performing for people. Glenn toured throughout Western Canada, the NWT and into the United States. He recorded with many great bands on their projects as well as his own projects.
Glenn was a life long learner. He graduated from the University of Alberta with a double major in music education and English. He also received a BA in Harmony and Theory. In 1990 he studied guitar at the world renowned Musician’s Institute (MI) Guitar Institute of Technology in Hollywood, California. Glenn graduated achieving honours with distinction and was recognized as one of the top 7 students in the school that year. My cousin Gregg and I had the great pleasure of listening to Glenn there during one his performances.
Glenn had mastered most styles of guitar and his next great challenge was to master the Chet Atkins fingerstyle technique. Glenn played with a flat pick most of his life. Growth involves change. Glenn eventually came to prefer using a thumb pick and even caused a permanent bend in his pinky finger from bracing it on the guitar body.
In 2016 Glenn put on a solo concert at La Cite Theatre featuring fingerstyle arrangements of some of his favorite songs as well as original compositions. Glenn called his music “Rag and Roll”. Glenn’s friend Shawn Acorn set up his website and started uploading many videos showcasing Glenn’s musical talent including this special concert at La Cite.
Glenn taught a great many students over a span 50 years of teaching at Lillo’s Music. He was very generous with his time and knowledge. He taught guitar and bass as well as many other instruments and group ensemble classes. He would introduce some of his students to live playing by bringing them to jams. Several musicians credit Glenn for giving them their start playing live. Some of Glenn’s longest and closest friendships are with people that were once his students. Chris Thompson who is here today is a life long friend who was a student of Glenn’s when he was 14 years old. Martin Collins was a longtime student who became a roomate, manager and jam mate as well as great friend to Glenn. Glenn’s student Marc Cassiede from France inspired Glenn to learn French. Glenn took French lessons weekly and when Marc moved back to Europe he continued lessons online. Drummer Scotty Arrison took composition classes from Glenn and played in several bands with Glenn. Glenn had many other long time friendships that developed through a special connection in music.
Glenn was a scholar – he loved to read books on philosophy, religion and history. He started writing books in 2018 and published 7 books on a variety of topics which included the Bible & Religion, English Expressions and Gray’s Handbook of Harmony. Glenn recorded 5 solo guitar albums which showcased his songwriting and fingerstyle techniques. During Covid Glenn videoed several fingerpicking songs in a video series that he called “Up from the Basement” Some of Glenn’s life work can be seen on his website and youtube channel.
www.glenngraymusic.com
Glenn joined the Levites worship team here at Impact Church in 2022 playing electric guitar. He was faithful and active in the music ministry. He even started learning Swahili and was planning a trip to Tanzania donating money towards a children’s charity in Kigoma.
Glenn was faithful and loyal. He was a private man but still found time for friends, talking to neighbours, walking the dogs, feeding feral cats, joking with kids and helping friends in need. He was kind and generous. In recent years he was a regular performer at several of the nursing homes in and around Edmonton sharing his great gift of music. Glenn had many more plans in 2024 – he was planning to record an electric blues album, he was honing up his jazz skills preparing to play with two world class jazz musicians who recently arrived here from the Ukraine, he was planning to do more teaching, writing, gigging, touring and much more.
Glenn truly did have a life well lived. It was full of love, music and contribution. When Glenn recently discovered that he had a fast moving terminal cancer he continued to embrace life. We prayed daily “This is the day the Lord has made, Let us rejoice and be glad in it” Glenn was determined to make every day the best day! He even started to eat some healthy salads and drink some of the special health drinks and food that my nephew Harrison made for him.
Glenn’s legacy continues in the lives he touched and the works he left behind for us. His greatest wish was that people would love one another and find purpose and fulfilment in life.
Thank you Glenn for everything you did and for continuing to inspire people. You have now joined your loved ones that have gone before. You are playing beautiful music at the great gig in the sky walking in the Sunshine of Jesus’ Love. You are loved, you are appreciated and you will be missed. This is not goodbye – we will meet again Glenn. I love you.
Corinne Lillo & Glenn Gray – December 2020
