Remembering Phillip

Remember in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the scene near the end where the mothership lands? There's a guy in a white shirt standing at the keyboard playing the 5 tones.

Well, that guy is Phillip, my dear friend's brother-in-law. He just recently passed away from colon cancer. He was only 56 years old.

He wasn't an actor. He was installing the synthesizer for the movie when Steven Spielberg tapped him to play the part of Jean Claude.

I'd met Phillip a few times when I visited my friend in Annapolis. He was a really cool guy. Next time you get a chance, watch Close Encounters and raise a glass in Phillip's honor. I did this weekend and although it's always been one of my favorite movies, I don't think I'll be able to watch it again without choking up at the end.

Here's the link to the scene on YouTube for those with short attention spans.

And if you're over 50, pleasepleaseplease get your colonoscopy, dammit!