My darling Simone

 

We first met through my website deep grooves music.  You reached out to me and asked about what kit you would need to make deep house music. We ended up arranging to meet, in a pub called the Page in Victoria. Like a blind date 😉 We had a good old chat about music, particularly Lisa Shaw! Amongst other things. And a friendship was born. This must have been around 2000 or so.

 

Over the years I met loads of your friends and you met loads of mine. We were regular fixtures at each other’s house parties and I would come to your Push nights and your DJ sessions. Loved how you mixed up the house with soul and RnB.

 

We’d also meet out for dinner now and then and swap stories of life and romance trials and tribulations 😉

 

You helped me move into my Acre Lane flat including carrying tons of stuff up five flights of stairs! I remember going to IKEA with you and your niece Nicole, who can’t have been more then 2 or 3 at the time. Maybe that was when you moved into your old Kent road place in “central london” 🙂 which I mocked you for at the time but actually it is pretty central!! When I was in peckham and we were neighbours you’d come over and we’d sing and dance along to classics from Mary j Blige and of course Mica and the like.

 

Probably one of our funniest collective memories together was in the acre lane flat. I’d bought some handheld percussion instruments from Lambeth country show that weekend and you came over with your friend Collette and started making impromptu  “sweet African music” whilst dancing around the living room in tears of laughter! My belly ached so much. We laughed about that for years after.

 

I was in Greenwich park just a few days before you passed which made me think of you because you used to run there. And I thought respect Simone, there are some serious hills here!! I always entertained this idea that maybe you’d come back from New York and we’d hang out again. Even go running together in Greenwich park. I’ll think of you often when I’m there.

 

You achieved your long-held dream of moving to the states and achieved great things over there, just as you did here with I’m Possible. Your legacy lives on in all the people you touched.

 

I love you Simone and will miss your brightness, your ambition and your vulnerability and acceptance. I genuinely could tell you anything and there are few people I can say that about. You’d always have some sage advice from a different perspective.

 

I cried so hard when I heard the news of your passing, and I don’t cry. Even writing this I’m in tears again. You meant more to me than I ever realised and hope that wherever you are now you’ll know that.

 

Miss you like crazy knowing we won’t meet again in this life. You’re a spiritual girl though so maybe we will in some way. I know your smile and energy will live on in my heart forever.

 

Love you, Chris (aka Chrissy Wissy) xxx