Hi everybody,
Welcome to the “Chris Knox had a stroke and everyone wants to know how he is, how the hell are we gonna keep you all updated all at once” blog.
We’ll try to keep this as up to date as we can – in this first post is a statement we sent out to the media this afternoon. You can leave well wishes in the ‘comments’ section below. We love hearing from you.
Cheese,
Chris’s family and friends
15th June 2009
Media statement from Ward-Knox family
Re: Chris Knox
“We have been overwhelmed by the level of support for Chris from around the world since his stroke. We’d like to express our thanks to everyone who has helped or wished us well in the last few days.
“Like many other families who are currently experiencing a similar change to their lives we are learning a great deal about strokes and their long-term effects. We have learned that it is too early to predict the ramifications of a stroke with any degree of accuracy. However, positive anecdotes have been flooding in which fill us all with hope.
“Chris is not in pain and is responsive to family and friends who are very optimistic and focused on Chris’s well being. He enjoyed his vegetable frittata this morning but I suffered the classic Knox withering look when I mentioned beer.
“As the situation becomes clearer to us we will happily inform those who wish to know.
“We have created a site at chrisknox.blogtown.co.nz for this purpose. We aim to keep this site as current as possible.”
Family contact – Roy Martyn
Hi Chris
Like everyone who has posted here, I was stunned to hear of your stroke, but I’m rapt you are now doing so well. I thought of the Turning Brown And Torn In Two video: “Hope. There is always hope. Always.”
I don’t expect you to remember a phone interview I had with you many years ago on the release of Songs Of You And Me. You had always meant something very special to me, ever since the old Toy Love days, so it was exciting and slightly unnerving to finally get to talk to you. That you were so warm and charming made the experience one I will always treasure. I remember how vehemently you rejected that lo-fi tag you’d been lumbered with. “It’s lo-tech!” you said. “There’s nothing ‘low’ about the fidelity!”
To Barbara, John and Leisha, take strength from the love all of us are sending you. To the brains behind the blog, thank you for giving us all somewhere to express our thoughts. And to you, Chris, I look forward to hearing from you again soon, in all your “lo-tech” splendour.
Wishing you all the best Chris and family. Be strong and know that many people are wishing you well for your recovery.
Hi Chris
hope you make a full recovery, my dad has had a couple of strokes, my grandma had 9 and recovery can be a slow process… take it easy, bet you are itching to blurt something out! hopefully your speech will resume sooner rather than later. Good you have your family and friends rallying round.
Keeping online newspaper clippings/blog references for your scrapbook at:
http://theaxemen.wordpress.com/2009/06/15/chris-knox-suffers-stroke-news-thread-from-nz-herald/
Thinking of you
Cheers Steve
Our love and thoughts go out to ward-knox family.
From Sam and Ash.
Kia ora Chris
I have had the please of the ‘odd’ conversation with you in Grey Lynn,on a bus and at various social events. All I can say is this. “your love and Barbara’s for each other is inspirational. I still remember the day that I saw you both walking hand in hand away from the Richmond Rd Vege shop beaming and smiling. That sums it up for, your love and Barbara’s love will come shining through, stronger than ever along with the love of your children. Kia Kaha Chris and Barbara and much aroha to both of you
Wishing you all the best for a speedy recovery, Chris. There are plenty of folks around here thinking about you and your family. Hope to see you back down in Welly before too long.
Arthur
Chris and Barbara — My thoughts are with you and your family and I’m wishing hard for a speedy and full recovery. The world is a better place with you in it, dear Chris. I hope you will let us all know if there’s any way to help you through this time. So much love — Windy.
.
Chris,
Your work and personality have been a huge inspiration to me for ages. I wish you and your family the best as you get through this little thing here. Much respect to you. And many thanks to those doing this blog.
Cheers.
nate
Really shocking news. Wishing you the quickest recovery Chris. Made me think I have to make sure to go to your gigs more often, because I think you’re awesome!
Barbara, Leisha and John – All the best you guys.
Love
Sonya
Chris, Barbara, Leisha and John
Thinking of you all. Best wishes for a very speedy recovery Chris
Pete and team at Western Springs Coll Art Dept
Strength to you, Chris and family.
Hi Chris and Family,
We’re praying for your full recovery. Much respect.
Nothing’s gonna stop you singing.
Love from Dave, Liesje, Grace & Eli.
XXXX
Know that you are surrounded by love, kind thoughts and heartfelt wishes. Get well soon Chris.
Chris, get well soon man, there’s a huge number of people you don’t knwo out here all thinking of you and sending strength. We need you back and creating soon!!
Best wishes to Chris, Barbara, Leisha and John – we are all hoping for a speedy recovery. We are looking forward to hearing more of your fine music.
Hi Chris and Barbara, Liesha and John – Love and care from us all at Auckland Actors. We know that you’ll get through this and look forward to seeing you at concerts and performances again very soon.
Hi ya Chris
guess you’ll be looking through a glass rather darkly now, but chin up ol chap and spin some of those ascerbic thoughts into future rhymes, here’s hoping that light down the tunnel is not a train …whatever faith you keep, keep it flowing strong and all the best to Barbara and the family …hope they’re looking at ya with those great big puppy eyes ….
Chris-You R Kiwi Royal-
Best-all the best 2 you and yours-thanks for so many wonderful times-
Poodles
Kia kaha Chris and family.
damn it. i was listening to The Nothing’s “A Warm Gun” for the first time last night while driving home from a sort-of reunion with my high school band (whose drummer AND guitar player are now stroke-recoverees!) and thinking I should write to Chris as we haven’t spoken for years – i think last was when i sat in with the Tall Dwarfs at Big Day Out in ’99? What a bad way to find out about trying to reconnect.
Good Vibes, Mr Knox. if frittata is a start, you’ll be ok.
and anyway, i was gonna say, The Nothing are great. thanks.
-Jonathan/CVB violinist
Dear Chris and Family,
My thoughts are with you!!! I hope you do better and better every day!!!!
You are a great guy and all my best to you and your family.
Love,
Jonathan Donaldson
(Summ-a-Briz, The Record Room)
Chris – All the best for a speedy recovery mate, your charming and childlike brilliance has been a huge influence in my life.
Also, you’re the only person I’ve ever seen crowd-surf their way through a guitar solo without dropping a note (or a jandal).
My thoughts are with you and your family. Keep the awesome dial cranked to 11.
Toalofa to all the Knoxwardie types,
All my love is with you and the man himself. Very cool to hear you are stirring Chris, a mate of mine has repeatedly commented in situations such as this that you can’t kill a weed!
Had a physio session with Tao at Westmere Physiotherapy this morning and informed him of your situation. Tao told he had the experience of working with a guy years ago, who had been hit by a major stroke, he worked with him every day and literally saw him go from having only the movement of his eyes, to full recovery!!! Get hold of the big dutch fella, he’s just back from a 3 week holiday in Holland, so the fingers are strong and the clogs are odour free!
Kia kaha to all
Bruce
Dear Barbara, Leisha and John
Chris is a legend and I am sure that one day he will be able to bless us with his awesome musical talents again – you cant keep an old Punk-er down!
I am Tibetan Buddhist and have been saying Medicine Buddha mantras for Chris’s health since I heard the news. Teyata om bekanze bekanze maha bekanze radza samongate soha!
cheers, aroha
Harley
a fellow muso and fan
For Chris
love, Ant, Becs & Toby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xes0F36eTJA
ps – Hope you liked the soup. x
Chris Barbara & Kids…We all feel sure that the grinning little dynamo of creative genius that is our Chris will be back on his feet in due course.Our heart felt thoughts of support, healing and love go out to all of you!
dear chris… i have been stalking you for years now… watching you from afar in the audience at your shows… sometimes throwing my cartoons that i had scratched together onstage at you… once at a show in dunedin in the early 90’s, you even put your fingers in my mouth during a song when i was standing up the front… no shit, a genuine high point in my life… i didn’t wash my mouth for ages… finally when i moved to auckland i got to meet you properly for the first time at the kings arms one sunday afternoon when i plucked up the courage to give you all my albums that i have made in my bedroom, inspired by you… all that bullshit about ‘you shouldn’t meet your heroes’ does not apply to you… you are my hero and everything that an artist should be and a truly amazing person in real and artistic life… gush gush gush okay i’ll stop now… get well soon and all our love to you and your family from me, rosko and nicki and wilco and bebe
Chris, you have been in my thoughts ever since I heard the news on Sunday. Memories of those Enemy gigs in Dunedin came back and I still think they were the best ever and I’ve seen a few by now! Get well really soon. Lots of love to you and all the family.
Best wishes, good vibes to you and your family chris!
Hey Chris, my best to you.
I just had a stroke Jan. 18th, 2009. Fortunately, all I loss was sight in my lower left quadrant. This affected my balance and oddly enough, my timing when playing guitar. I was told to give it six months and it’s now been five. I’ve been taking my meds (for cholesteral, and blood pressure along with the asprin)and I’m feeling about 98% back to normaland healthier than ever. Also, I stopped smoking immediately and am walking for 3 to 5 miles a day. Stay positive and active, and in about six months you’re probably going to be in the best health you’ve been in for the past 15 years.
Good luck & health to you.
hey chris! you probably don’t remember me, vicky formerly of autotonic… but you stayed at our apt in hoboken ages ago when you were on tour. i’m in rhode island now, and you are more than welcome to crash here soon as you’re up & around and on tour again. all the best to you for a super speedy recovery. xoxoxo.
feelin’ for ya!
Hi Chris…you’re a great guy, you’re getting better and you’ll be dancing on the table again soon.
Love John and Lauren
Greetings from Wet, Wild, Windy, Wellington Mr Knox Sir, and best wishes from us all here at Radio Active.
No doubt you’ll be back on your jandals in no time doing what you do best.
The world needs more vegetarian White Album fans.
Cheers Big Ears,
Shannon
Heaps of love and best wishes from Mamaku.You have always been an inspiration.
Cheers
Glenn
Hi Chris,
thinking of you and you family,
Chris you have a true punk rock spirit & I doubt this will keep you down for long. All the best for your recovery. I have always appreciated the help you gave to my band when we were getting started & have a long admiration of your adept treatment of the 4 track recorder!
All the best,
Matthew Heine
firstly, been meaning to say since I was (musically) converted at the age of 14 – thanks a lot Chris Knox, it’s all your fault!!
mountains of aroha to you all
love, natasha, dale, tane and ” ”
xxx
Just wanted to say to you and yours:
Continue to keep your pecker up!
Hi Chris,sorry to hear about this,hope it’s not related to our head to head back in 65 at Rosedale,anyway you’ll recover in time and maybe even play another gig at the Civic,all the best.
Hey Barbara
Our thoughts here at Browning Street are with you, Chris and your family. The Browning Street kids–Eruera, McWhannel and Bower–have been talking about it. And it’s all over the Grey Lynn community.
There is probably not a house in Grey Lynn that doesn’t feel for your household right now and that’s not rooting for you. And there’s probably not a single person walking Grey Lynn streets who doesn’t think of you and Chris walking them, in the past and again in the future.
And there are communities all over the world, loving you right now, as if they were only a couple of blocks away. That’s a world hug for you guys. Whenever you want.
All our love to you, Chris, John and Leisha.
From the Browning Street Families
Hey neighbour.
Jean and I heard your news in Washington D.C. Our best wishes to you and Barbara and Leisha and John.
We’re looking forward to the next album with interest.
Arthur, Jean, Jim and Rosie.
Chris, I spent many a cold Dunedin day in 1977 sitting in the lounge at 94 Filleul St listening to various gems from the biggest record collection I had ever seen. I remember the day you paid off your guitar- how could I forget- that was the day our lounge became the birthplace and practice space of The Enemy. You were dynamic & fun & fascinating & infuriating to live with and I loved it. I’m sure nothing’s changed. Always knew you would be famous! With your personality I’m sure your recovery will be speedy.
Love & strength to you and your family
Josie
Having spent the past few weeks learning, arranging and recording a backing track for “Not Given Lightly” to perform at a wedding anniversary party last Saturday night (with discreetly rewritten last verse), I was shocked to learn the next day of Chris’s stroke (in a memorable “Where were you when you heard about…?” moment, I was at the Simon & Garfunkel concert!).
All I can say is pretty much what everyone else is saying. Hang in there, NZ is thinking of you and it all gets better from here.
Oh, and everyone loved the song on Saturday night. So they should, it’s a classic.
Hello Chris!
Nick from over at the Record Room, where I just caught wind of this place where I could give you and your family all my love. We’ll be waiting for you over there man!
Chris! You don’t know me, but I feel like I know you – your music has been a constant soundtrack to my life, from high school in the 80s, listening to the Tall Dwarfs and dreaming of escaping the small town where I grew up, to my university days where I finally got to see you live heaps of wonderful times, then my 30-somethings, when friend after friend had ‘not given lightly’ as their wedding song…I still have a cartoon that you wrote about a big day on the dole being going out to buy a button (still makes me laugh!) and a column about a jandal accident on an escalator…yes, I am a geeky-fan big time…not to mention lots of records…I am thinking about you and your whanau lots and wishing you good, healing energy.
x Helen Lehndorf
Hi Chris,
wishing you a wickedly speedy recovery. Being the dynamo that you are, you’ll be bouncing around your amp again in no time. Strength and aroha to yourself, Barbara and family.
Nicola
your music has inspired me and gotten me through many trials and tribulations over the last 20 years. thank you for bringing so much joy and beauty mixed with just the right amount of irony and sarcasm.
and please keep it up. can’t wait for your next live performance in new york, nashville, paris or zagreb…i am sure i will be around to catch you.
how i love that angelic voice of yours!
lots of love and light to you and your family. hoping for a full recovery xxx
Met Chris in the early 80s after a Toy Love gig in Napier. We bumped into each other the next day; Chris walking to town for breakfast; me returning from a run; he taken aback when I swung alongside, both talking about the show, the Troggs and music. He played the opening gig at a youth venue I was involved with in the 90s. We met in the bar. I was to review the show for the local rag. Chris gave me a hearty Kiwi thump just before he went on stage, saying ‘Make sure that it’s a good one.’ Never any fear it wasn’t. Recognised as a Kiwi at SXSW wearing my Mr Fuzzy T, it’s always Chris overseas musicians ask after. Kiwi music’s main man; our best and most respected. Thanks to whoever set up this site. All the best Chris mate. Knowing you I’m certain the best is yet to come. Love and Peace to you and yours. Gazz