Josie

Josie Jones had an effect on people. She wasn’t trying to have an effect on them, it just sort of happened because of who she naturally was. You didn’t need to spend very long in her company to be affected. There were her many, many traits; among them razor-sharp wit, flawless style, deep compassion, and generosity of spirit. She was charismatic, funny, interesting, and always slightly surreal. I cannot say that I knew her the best, or the longest, and I can only guess at the size of the loss those who did must be feeling. All I can say is that the world seemed better after I discovered Josie was in it. Significantly better. We don’t meet too many people like that in a lifetime. People who cut straight through the bullshit, with love.

Josie told me my guitar playing reminded her of Will Sergeant. She didn’t know that as a teenager the Bunnymen were my favourite band and one of the main reasons I pursued a life in music, or that I’d spent a lifetime trying to emulate Will Sergeant, that I even own a black and maple Telecaster called “Will”, or that I have never ever been on a motorbike because that’s how we lost Pete de Freitas. So, thank you Josie, for paying me the only compliment I’ve ever really wanted.

Dear Josie, I wish you hadn’t died.
I wish we’d had more time to hang out.
I wish we’d started our petition to have Roger Moore reinstated as a geriatric James Bond.

Jude x