Moses Avalon is one of the nation’s leading music-business consultants and artists’-rights advocates and is the author of a top-selling music business reference, Confessions of a Record Producer. More of his articles can be found at www.mosesavalon.com.
I was not really affected by the death of Mr. Steve Jobs until the other day when I got an E-mail from him — about a week after he passed. Well, clearly it could not have been from him — he’s in an important meeting right now, I’m sure — but rather someone at Apple cleaning up his affairs.
As many might know, Steve did not believe in putting many layers between him and his customers. For several years well into his worldwide fame, anyone could E-mail him at steve@apple.com. And for about six years now, that addy and another that led to his inbox have been on my mailing list along with the other 14,000 (+/-) of you all.
It seems he’s carrying this policy of staying in touch, even in the after life.
When I heard that Steve had passed, I had mixed feelings, but they all sort of just washed over me. Many of my favorite musicians have died in the past few years and I mourned them deeply, so the passing of the guy who makes my mobile phone did not really have a significant impact.
Then I got his opt-out notice.
Anyone can opt out of my mailing list at any time. But apparently, Steve had not. He never made his presence known to me, or indicated with a reply that he was reading my missives (sometimes critical of Apple), but apparently he was there, looking over my shoulder for several years.
Now an executive secretary is probably retiring that addy and cleaning out his virtual desk. I know that this is the reality, but in my fantasy, I’d like to think that it is Steve himself saying goodbye to everyone in some weird netherworld way.
I’m not alone. As Apple stock plummets, iPhone sales dip, and the new OS is littered with issues, many are starting to wonder if the success of the company had less to do with its specific proprietary technology and more to do with Steve’s mojo.
Time will tell.
So, to Steve, I want to finally say: safe journey, bodhisattva. And to the rest of us still stuck here on this Earth, I’d like to say this:
Show someone who takes an interest in your work how much you appreciate them. Do it today. Some day it will be too late, and as Joanie once wrote, you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone.
Moses