Aspen, CO 11-27-2010

[Ryan]

For any fans who were at the Aspen show. . .


There was a person possibly in attendance at the Aspen show (George Aldrich), and he went missing right after the concert and has not been heard from for the past week. After the Blind Melon concert he went to a bar with friends, and after leaving the bar, he boarded the wrong bus.

His sister posted a message on the Blind Melon Forum facebook page with his photo asking anyone who might have seen him at the show or possibly afterwards at the bar, to please contact the Aspen Police Department with any information.


www.facebook.com/pages/Find-George-Aldrich/171688642854493





www.snowmasssun.com/article/20101207/FRONTPAGE/101209981/1064&ParentProfile=1039






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[chickie]

Thanks for posting, Ryan. My heart is breaking for this family. I'm praying for answers and that they find him.

[Karen]

This is so sad. I hope that he is ok.

[kibbytap03]

Oh my that is so sad. I hope he's found and is ok.

[breck20]

My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family for his safe return.

[Ryan]

Unfortunately, the search and rescue teams have called-off their search after 2 weeks. If anyone has any information, please contact the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office or the Aspen Police Department.

[Ryan]

Not sure how to say this. . . they believe that they have found the body of George Aldrich near a bus stop where he was last seen. It is not 100% confirmed, but all of the evidence would point to it being him.

www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=169640&catid=339

my thoughts and prayers go out to his family & friends. . .

[melonwheels]

Wow... man , I cant understand this. This is just too much.

[Just Dave]

Dec 13, 2010 23:52:50 GMT -5 Ryan said:

Not sure how to say this. . . they believe that they have found the body of George Aldrich near a bus stop where he was last seen. It is not 100% confirmed, but all of the evidence would point to it being him.

www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=169640&catid=339

my thoughts and prayers go out to his family & friends. . .

sad.

[allthatineeded]

It is sad.
When my time to go comes I hope it's just after a melon show, I would consider that going out on a high note.
R.I.P. George

[pizzacrime]

Just wanted to say how tragic of a loss it must be to George's family and friends, to lose someone who, after some investigation online, sounded like such a free-spirited person that left home to go thousands of miles away to Aspen - to live, work, and play amongst other like-minded individuals. He took a chance and went abroad, to see new places, do new things, meet new people, and live simply for a time before focusing intently on a career.

He operated a snow lift for work, and probably hung out with alot of other ski area workers with whom he shared an apartment with. I have no doubt that he was having fun and partying in his free time like any young man should just before embarking on a lifetime of learning, training, working and succeeding in the career field of his choice. Taking some time out to discover and fine-tune those essential social skills with friends, future colleagues, and members of the opposite sex.

He wasn't just some vagrant who went halfway across the country to score all the free weed he could because he had no direction in life. On the contrary - he was a college graduate, majoring in business at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI (I think - there's a branch in Denver too though), and "He loved marketing, but snowboarding was his first passion" says his sister. His dream was to become a snowboarding instructor.

He had his degree, and he had experience in the field of his studies. He would have succeeded in marketing - and he would ALWAYS have that in his back pocket to fall back on if his dream job didn't pan-out. The point is -- that he went for it. He had everything all set up for a guaranteed comfortable life, then went for the gusto of a "dream job". The American dream, doing what you love to do for work, so it doesn't SEEM like work. I really like the fact that he made sure he had other skills first. What I am saying is -- George seemed to have his head screwed on RIGHT.

I say this, because I am not too happy with the local papers that focused on the fact that he was three times the local limit on blood alcohol content - for DRIVING. A fact repeated over and over again in these articles.. But he wasn't driving, he was walking. "Three times" whatever whatever. Just sensationalism.......He was walking. He was buzzed. He fell. It was dark, he was cold, and most likely not familiar with the foot path along the bridge he fell off of. Blood alcohol content had very little to do with it, in my opinion. And it's not illegal to be three times over the DRIVING B.A.C. limit, while walking.

So why even print it? Why try to make him look like some kind of irresponsible person - this man met his responsibilities head-on! In my eyes it was a very rude thing to do to his family, to print this shit, while they were just flying into Aspen to reclaim his body. To tout a standard of limitations for driving, and slap the excess of that limitation onto something OTHER than driving is a crude, cheap, insensitive and lazy way to grab people's attention. Shame on the press, and my sympathies HUGELY to George Aldrich's family & friends for this slander by the local Aspen press. Instead of celebrating his accomplishments in life - as his family was freshly mourning his death - they concentrated solely on a possible oversight in his judgment while holding it up to the light of an incompatible standard. Fuck the press and it's negatively focused sensationalism.

But I'm focusing too much on the negative......Let's not forget, George saw Blind Melon that night. LUCKY HIM!! He got that one last show is, God bless him. From all reports, Aspen was Rockin' all over that night. Fireworks, free Blind Melon concert, parties everywhere. I dont' know what the occasion was that night, but I know George caught the show, went to a bar with some friends and had him some FUN.

George died that night after having a blast of a time. A college grad pursuing his dream, while partaking in Aspen's laid-back atmosphere of snowboarding, Rock and Roll, Fireworks, friends, and laughter. He went out in style - albeit way too early in life. At least he was where he WANTED to be. He was able to pick his own path in life, because he did the hard work years before to deserve that chance to pick it.

Being a Blind Melon fan myself, I feel like I SORT of identify with him in ways, he even looked like a cool, laid-back Rocker. Which is why it absolutely breaks my heart to hear the news about his death. There never usually seems to be many people in the news these days that I can identify with, but from what I have read and seen about him - George was a dude I could identify with. He had that explorer spirit, like I do - except he actually WENT to go find is happiness! I have not yet. I think I shall take upon his example and drag my ass from this poor excuse of a life............Times a wastin'.........THANKS GEORGE, R.I.P

All comments welcome, PLEASE.

[Meredith]

What a beautiful post, thank you.

[JJJENNNNN]

Dec 23, 2010 1:57:05 GMT -5 pizzacrime said:

Just wanted to say how tragic of a loss it must be to George's family and friends, to lose someone who, after some investigation online, sounded like such a free-spirited person that left home to go thousands of miles away to Aspen - to live, work, and play amongst other like-minded individuals. He took a chance and went abroad, to see new places, do new things, meet new people, and live simply for a time before focusing intently on a career.

He operated a snow lift for work, and probably hung out with alot of other ski area workers with whom he shared an apartment with. I have no doubt that he was having fun and partying in his free time like any young man should just before embarking on a lifetime of learning, training, working and succeeding in the career field of his choice. Taking some time out to discover and fine-tune those essential social skills with friends, future colleagues, and members of the opposite sex.

He wasn't just some vagrant who went halfway across the country to score all the free weed he could because he had no direction in life. On the contrary - he was a college graduate, majoring in business at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI (I think - there's a branch in Denver too though), and "He loved marketing, but snowboarding was his first passion" says his sister. His dream was to become a snowboarding instructor.

He had his degree, and he had experience in the field of his studies. He would have succeeded in marketing - and he would ALWAYS have that in his back pocket to fall back on if his dream job didn't pan-out. The point is -- that he went for it. He had everything all set up for a guaranteed comfortable life, then went for the gusto of a "dream job". The American dream, doing what you love to do for work, so it doesn't SEEM like work. I really like the fact that he made sure he had other skills first. What I am saying is -- George seemed to have his head screwed on RIGHT.

I say this, because I am not too happy with the local papers that focused on the fact that he was three times the local limit on blood alcohol content - for DRIVING. A fact repeated over and over again in these articles.. But he wasn't driving, he was walking. "Three times" whatever whatever. Just sensationalism.......He was walking. He was buzzed. He fell. It was dark, he was cold, and most likely not familiar with the foot path along the bridge he fell off of. Blood alcohol content had very little to do with it, in my opinion. And it's not illegal to be three times over the DRIVING B.A.C. limit, while walking.

So why even print it? Why try to make him look like some kind of irresponsible person - this man met his responsibilities head-on! In my eyes it was a very rude thing to do to his family, to print this shit, while they were just flying into Aspen to reclaim his body. To tout a standard of limitations for driving, and slap the excess of that limitation onto something OTHER than driving is a crude, cheap, insensitive and lazy way to grab people's attention. Shame on the press, and my sympathies HUGELY to George Aldrich's family & friends for this slander by the local Aspen press. Instead of celebrating his accomplishments in life - as his family was freshly mourning his death - they concentrated solely on a possible oversight in his judgment while holding it up to the light of an incompatible standard. Fuck the press and it's negatively focused sensationalism.

But I'm focusing too much on the negative......Let's not forget, George saw Blind Melon that night. LUCKY HIM!! He got that one last show is, God bless him. From all reports, Aspen was Rockin' all over that night. Fireworks, free Blind Melon concert, parties everywhere. I dont' know what the occasion was that night, but I know George caught the show, went to a bar with some friends and had him some FUN.

George died that night after having a blast of a time. A college grad pursuing his dream, while partaking in Aspen's laid-back atmosphere of snowboarding, Rock and Roll, Fireworks, friends, and laughter. He went out in style - albeit way too early in life. At least he was where he WANTED to be. He was able to pick his own path in life, because he did the hard work years before to deserve that chance to pick it.

Being a Blind Melon fan myself, I feel like I SORT of identify with him in ways, he even looked like a cool, laid-back Rocker. Which is why it absolutely breaks my heart to hear the news about his death. There never usually seems to be many people in the news these days that I can identify with, but from what I have read and seen about him - George was a dude I could identify with. He had that explorer spirit, like I do - except he actually WENT to go find is happiness! I have not yet. I think I shall take upon his example and drag my ass from this poor excuse of a life............Times a wastin'.........THANKS GEORGE, R.I.P

All comments welcome, PLEASE.

How good of you to say all this and give him the homage I'm sure he deserves.  If anything he set a responsible example by taking the bus that night.  Accidents happen, especially when it's icy & cold out, and in a terrain of mountains/valleys.  "Why even print it?" is absolutely right.  It's like the Dateline story I watched a couple weeks back about the West Mesa murders.  It was a really good recount up until the very end when the guy asks the investigator lady who had been working on the case if she thinks the outcome would've been different had the girls been white, blonde, & pretty.  It's like "really?", that had nothing to do with anything.  The question was completely unwarranted and only thrown in there to add some unneeded extra controversy to an already inconceivable and heartbreaking story.  There was no need to go there.  News people make me sick.

I wish I had the guts George had to throw caution to the wind, pack up, and take a chance doing something awesome with his life.  Good call:  I too should take his example.

[Bam~Melon]

Dec 23, 2010 1:57:05 GMT -5 pizzacrime said:

Just wanted to say how tragic of a loss it must be to George's family and friends, to lose someone who, after some investigation online, sounded like such a free-spirited person that left home to go thousands of miles away to Aspen - to live, work, and play amongst other like-minded individuals. .........He had that explorer spirit, like I do - except he actually WENT to go find is happiness! I have not yet. I think I shall take upon his example and drag my ass from this poor excuse of a life............Times a wastin'.........THANKS GEORGE, R.I.P

All comments welcome, PLEASE.

#sHa_thumbsup3#