This Fan of the Month page is dedicated to the memory of Jukes fan Bill Nayden, who was nominated by his friend, Marty McCaffrey:

Its four years now since Bill's death. The news caught up with me two years ago. I couldn't believe it at first. None of us was old enough to die. And if it had to be one of us it certainly wouldn't be Bill. I had heard Bill married his college sweetheart Donna, had become a successful businessman, they had a growing family and all were doing well living in Weston, CT. Weston was not far from our old school, Stamford Catholic High School (now Trinity High School), and our old stomping grounds in Stamford, CT. All that news had been true. Sadly it turned out that news of Bill's untimely death was also accurate. Bill was 43 at the time.

News of Bill's death brought back vivid recollections of a good friend who touched many people's lives…more about that in a minute. It also got me to thinking very hard about the old gang. I'd lost touch with most after college. After hearing of Bill's death I tried to track some of the guys down but was unsuccessful. About 8 weeks ago, though, I received a call from Pat, who I had not seen in 20 years. Rob (one of Bill's closest friends), Bill's family and some of Bill's co-workers were organizing a memorial for Bill. A scholarship fund was being established at Trinity Catholic (William Nayden Scholarship Fund) and a number of events were being planned for September 27th to inaugurate the fund. In the days that have followed, this long separated band of brothers has begun to reunite.

Back to memories of Bill: Bill was a bright, fun loving, hockey playing type who had the ability to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable. It always seemed with Bill around that there were no strangers, only friends who had not yet met. Bill was also always on the cutting edge as far as great music, due in no small fact to the musical taste of his older brothers and their friends. He introduced our group to an irresistible, outrageous blues/rock/soul sound that spoke to many of us. Bill was a Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes disciple and we were his converts. Bill has likely spawned a thousand Southside fans, perhaps more, over the years. Bill, his brother and a couple friends took me to my first concert, a Southside concert, on a hot summer night at the Wolman Rink in Central Park in 1977. It was a night that will live in infamy. Thanks to Bill we left high school with The Fever, went through college chasing Love on the Wrong Side Of Town, closed out all parties with the required anthem of I Don't Wanna Go Home, and went off to grad school and the adult world wanting everything. The love affair with the South has continued for many of us. Thank you Bill for memories and a gift I will always have and always be grateful for.

So the gang sort of broke up and lost touch. There were intermittent contacts in the city, Connecticut, Jersey and other places over the years but many of us scattered. Turns out that Bill died unexpectedly from a heart attack one morning. Said goodbye to Donna and headed off the gym. He never came home. Bill was in great shape, had no pre-existing health problems, and was a very successful business executive. Most importantly he was the rarest of commodities in this day, an exemplary, loving husband and a model father. He was forty three. He left behind an incredible wife and four beautiful children, as well as too numerous to count devastated family members and friends.

On September 27th the gang reunites in Bill's memory for a great cause. It is bittersweet for us, but I have no doubt Bill is smiling as he looks down and sees that his old high school friends are together again because of him. As Pat and I first talked about Bill and the Memorial, music immediately popped into my head. It was "Got to Get You Off of My Mind", with Bill playing Southside at a party, certain he was ready for prime time with the Jukes. "Billy, study harder or practice hockey more." Last time I saw Bill, years ago, was at a party in his dorm room at Fairfield University. Southside was blaring, the party was rocking and Bill was master of ceremonies. All was as we had come to expect it to be. I suspect it will be the same September 27th, though Bill will be directing events from a very different position. Amazing how some things don't change

Southside was a big part of Bill and Donna's life together, and it only seemed natural that somehow Southside would be a part of events on the 27th. When I heard of the Memorial and started thinking about Bill and Southside, I pulled up the Southside website. Amazingly, or perhaps not, Southside is playing the night of the 27th in Ridgefield, not too far from Stamford, CT. We will be holding a silent auction that night to give the Nayden Scholarship Fund the kick off it deserves, and likely will not make it to Ridgefield that night. We plan to establish a long lasting tribute that will celebrate Bill, but it is comforting, that Southside not be too far away from the Memorial for the man who was the King of Jukes fans.

Bill enriched our lives in so many ways, he left us all with a wealth of memories that sadly will have to do for this lifetime. Southside and the Jukes are one of those treasures. As it should be, they (with a little help from Stevie Van Zandt) have given us the anthem for September 27th:

It's been a long time since we laughed together
It's been a long time since we cried
Raise your glass for the comrades we've lost
My friend it's been a long, long time

Thanks guys.

Marty