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David Case Tanner, Musician
"ROCK & ROLL PIANIST - 20 YEARS EXP
A few weeks before his death, Tanner called a friend to ask technical details on playing the bassoon. The friend started laughing when Tanner explained, "I have a student who wants to learn it and I know I can keep ahead of him." How good was he? The most repeated story was that Tanner was good enough for the Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra. Sinatra was playing in Tulsa several years ago and stopped at the Adams Mark Hotel for a drink after his big show. Tanner was playing the piano and together, they had fun for about three hours. Frank Sinatra and David Tanner simply enjoying music. Tanner had played professionally with national acts such as B.B. King, Delbert McClinton, and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. He had played with local bands such as Thunder & Lightning, the Tiptones, the Zigs, Larry Arnett and a host of other established and hope-to-be musicians. The memorial service was held at Moore's Southlawn Chapel Friday, December 13, 1996 and David Tanner would have enjoyed the fact that his last performance played to a standing room only crowd. Spencer Sutton was on the piano and Debbie Campbell sang with the voice of an angel -- as usual. Most of the best known Tulsa musicians were in attendance as well as some of Tanner's high school teachers and friends of the family. His father, John J. Tanner is a well known Tulsa attorney and several members of the bar, including Judge Clifford Hopper attended the service. It is not all that unique in Tulsa to see attorneys and musicians in the same pew and speaks of why Tulsa has long produced some of America's finest talent. Tulsa is and has long been, an upper middle class town. Many parents have given their children the music lessons, bought the instruments, and suffered through the learning curves. Tulsa has a nationally known ballet company, opera, several theater companies and the only continuing symphony orchestra in Oklahoma. It is an environment that fosters talent, but not necessarily local respect. In fact, the music scene rap on Tulsa is that it is a great place to be from, but to make a living in music you have to leave. David Tanner's parents would have preferred for him to have a "real job." Any one of the established professions would have been fine in their eyes. Later, after some fame they came to accept his choice of a musician's life. Close friends have said that Tanner was glad that he had reconciled all the old differences with his father. One Tulsa music writer alluded to "lifestyle choices" in a piece about musicians, including Tanner, who will be greatly missed. It was a factually wrong reference and has generated several ugly rumors. Tanner had certainly lived through the national music scene of the 80s, but he had long set wild times aside. It was discovered about a year ago that he had diabetes and, as a result, Tanner had become actively engaged in maintaining his own good health. The Sunday before his death, Tanner stopped by Larry Arnett's house. He had taken his daughter, Marjorie, to get her Santa picture and he was the picture of a proud father. He showed everyone at the house that evening the photograph (repeatedly -- the same picture). Marjorie was having a great time and even demonstrated how she had learned to dance. She is a little doll and you could see how she loved her father and how much he loved her. After the memorial service many gathered again at the Arnett's. Video of Tanner on stage played as the crowd talked of how they would miss his talent and his friendship. He was a good father, a good friend and a world-class player -- he would want you to know those things of his life in that order.
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