I first met Reggie Bruce while working at a Starbucks on Wilshire blvd. in Los Angeles. It was at the Miracle Mile, just west of La Brea. He'd come in and open up this old laptop and start working, like many patrons, nothing unusual. Except that, every once in a while, he'd blurt out some strange line and get all excited, sometimes laughing out loud. We'd all seen our share of crazies, so we'd just stare at each other and hope this wasn't another one of those. Little did we know, and soon would I find out, that he was a method trained actor--does that mean much in the industry anymore?--and seriously accomplished playwright who'd sold numerous scripts in the film industry. He sold scripts to producers like Fred Pressman, Paramount Pictures, Dr. Dre, Frank Mancuso and many others. He had trained with the legendary Lee Strasburg and, when in our little Starbucks, he was writing in character. He even worked for a while as Mr. Strasburg's driver back in the day.
He would stay until closing, and I'd politely sweep up around his table and make polite small talk as I worked. Once I think I asked him "Watcha workin' on?" He replied "Oh, just a little somethin' for this guy...he keeps having me edit this script, but I don't think it'll really go anywhere." He apparently had a number of people who'd continue to hire him for this type of work. I noticed another thing about Reggie at this time. He would often meet with, and help out, other aspiring writers and actors who were pursuing their dream in the business. He was just that kind of guy, always helping, always lending a hand to others when he could. But then there came the first outburst. Someone would say something or do something that offended Reggie and he'd go into a profanity ridden tirade about intellectual property and how writers get paid and he'd say somthing like "Man! I don't even know if I should work with you anymore! You're gonna say that to me?!" I can't help but laugh a bit, at this writing. The man was never shy. 
This went of for a few weeks, and we became casual aquaintances. Reggie had a lot of great stories about himself and who he'd worked with. Lots of tall tales, but I was skeptical that he was really anyone that accomplished. He tell stories about working with James Woods, Dave Franzoni, Ving Rhames, Loretta Devine...and just about everyone, really.  Then one night someone came up to him as we were getting close to closing. A professional looking woman came up and said, 
"Hello, I just wanted to tell you that I really admire your work!"
Reggie just lit up with a big smile and said,
"Well thank you! Thank you so much and what's your name?"
They went on to talk for a few minutes and Reggie politely excused himself and walked out. I made sure he was gone and asked the woman:
 "Excuse me, I'm sorry but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation and I just wanted to ask, are you in entertainment? And who exatcly was that?" 
She smiled and said "No, I'm not in entertainment, I'm actually an English teacher. I teach english to junior high schoolers, but that's Reggie Bruce. I've read up on him, he's a pretty big deal."
That stuck with me and I decided to try to do a little research myself. 
Reggie continued to come in and work at the store, almost every night, and we'd continue to chat. Sometime later, not long after, he asked me:
"Mark, what do you do?"
"I'm a musician. A bassist and composer."
I'd recently began working with another writer/vocalist at a church I was playing at on Sundays down in Orange County. I'd been recording for years and had hopes of starting a new Christian label, plans that never became a reality.
"Oh really! I'm a musician too! What kind of music do you play?"
"All kinds, really. I trained to play all kinds, I just really love it all. A lot of Contemporary Christian, recently."
Reggie was a self proclaimed atheist, but never did my faith, or our different world views ever become an issue or a hindrance in our friendship. In fact, we seemed to have many of the same values. I loved that Reggie was a staight shooter. He said what he meant and he meant what he said and he'd give it to you straght up. Some call it opinionated, I guess, but I find that kind of thing refreshing. And regarding social discourse we were the same. Always respect others and never tell someone else how to live their life. We all make choices in life, and have to live with the benefits and consequences of those choices, but we're all free to make those choices ourselves. If I have something better to offer to others, they should be able to see it in how I live my life. Straight up, and transparent.
 "Oh really!" Reggie said, "Well I'd like to hear your music sometime! Do you have anything out?"
 "Not much really, maybe one Christmas song, but I have a few songs that haven't been published. I'd love for you to hear them! Let's set up a time, maybe one day when I'm off, we'll just meet here?"
 "Sure man! I'll listen to your stuff!"
We met and he listened to about 3 of my songs, and really liked one in particular. An instrumental version of a Praise/Worship song called "Calling Us Back Again". One of the others, a more electric song where I featured another vocalist, I thought he'd like, for sure, but he didn't particularly like that one.
 "The song is good", he said, "but the singer isn't putting enough into it. He's just singing like he's bored or something."
I was a little surprised because I really liked the singer, and I thought he gave a geat performance. 
 "Look," he said, "My son, David, is a guitar player. He's very good, he's great in fact. He was chosen to play, with his school, Beverly Hills High, at the Playboy Jazz Festival. I've gone to see him play at events and plays at his school, and I can tell you, you could pick up that show and drop it on any big stage in the world, and it would work. Everyone would love it, and you'd get standing ovations and all that stuff. This guy is just not giving the song what it needs!" I thought I knew good singers, but that was the first of many lessons, on the industry, that Reggie would share. 

Not long after that, again while working at Starbucks, Reggie said to me
 "I've got this play, 'The Gleam In Their Eyes' that I want to turn into a musical. I want you to do the music for my play man!"
I naturally jumped at the chance. We'd become friends by that time, but that day would lead to a series of meetings, at me and my wife's little place in K-Town,  that went on weekly for over five years, I think. We finished up "Gleam" and started shopping the music around with some people in his network. Often, when he'd leave he'd shout out "Break These Chains!"--referring to the love duet "Break These Chains" from our script "The Gleam In Their Eyes".
One day, while walking and smoking cigars, Reggie started laughing out loud.
 "What's funny, man?" I said
 "Oh, nothing," he said, "It's just another play I've written, called 'Martha Washington Must Die!' " 
He laughed and looked at me with his wily grin,
 "It's a comedy, a dark comedy, based on actual events."
 "Do you have a script? Can I read it?" I asked. 
 "Nope, it's all up here!" he said, tapping his head.
 "It's all in my head, man!"
 He went on to give me the basic outline of the story, and a basic synopsis. It was about slavery and it's horrors, but it's designed to be a comedy, in the style of the great Mel Brooks. That was just after Donald Trump became president, and we were seeing a whole new wave of bigotry and chaos in our social discourse. At the same time, the Covid-19 pandemic began to wreak havoc, with all its social and political implications. A week or two later I said,
 "Hey man, you know that other play you were talkin' about? I think we should do that one next. I think the time is right for it. People could use some humor, something to laugh about. And somthing that will make them think. Y'know, we can use humor to get away with all kinds o' shit!"
He mulled over it for a few weeks and one day said "Yeah! lets do that next. I've got some ideas for some songs too!"
In all of our projects we had a multi-pronged strategy to include original "Music Inspired By" to work the music angle for the script. Reggie was a good songwriter and rhythm player. He co-scored a film with John Desmore of The Doors, and was a member of the band "The Storm" with Cary Fox and Kim Gardner of the rock band The Birds. However he wasn't a trained musician. I have the music education, ear training and understanding of harmony and orchestration, but, in no way, am I a trained writer. 
I got an idea. 
 "I've got an idea for this scene. How about if, when so-and-so character goes into the church seeking advise, he runs into John Newton, y'know, the clergyman who wrote 'Amazing Grace'? It's the perfect time in history."
 "Sure man, write it up!"
So I wrote up this scene, describing the pictures in my head, and the dialogue. I nervously read it at our weekly meeting. 
 "Now remember, I'm no writer..."
 "Man, I told you! If you can write music and a song, you can write a script!"
 "Ok, ok, ok! Here we go"
So I nervously read out the scene, in voice of the different characters. 
 "Man! Y'know, that was just like reading from a published book. That was great man!"
 "Really? Cool! I don't know, man, I never really saw myself as a writer..."
A week or so later, he said to me,
"Y'know, I want you to take the lead on this one."

As time went by I could see that my friend, my great friend, was declining in his health. I chose not to see it at the time, but noticed that we were working less and less, and just hanging out more and more. Watching football, eating and watching/discussing movies and our scripts. Until one day I noticed that his face was sagging, ever so slightly, on one side. Reg was a heavy drinker, so it wasnt uncommon for him to slure his speach.
 "Hey man, y'know, you might want to get that checked out" I said. 
 Later I found out that he's suffered a mild stroke and refused to go to the doctor. 
Then the day came when he just didn't show up. I left him several messages and contemplated going to his apartment, on the west side, to check on him. That following Tuesday morning I got a call, and a message, from his wife Karen stating that his son David was trying to reach me. My heart sank as I feared somthing was wrong with Reg. I called the number she'd left on the voicemail and his son returned my call. He informed me that his father and my friend, my great friend, had passed away. 
Later I spoke with Karen and she told me he passed quietly while sleeping in his favorite chair at her place. My wife had given us matching bracelets because we were always together and working together. He was wearing his as he slept. 

I remember Reggie saying "I made my peace with God." once when we were having some discussion at my place. We didn't dwell on it, at the time, and moved on with our discussion, but I'm sure God looked down with love and grace, forgave him of any regrets and failures, and took him home in peace. The angry, hard living, script writing, hard drinking left wing progressive black man who I admired so much for his intolerance of hatred and bigotry towards any person, his love and concern for others and for all he'd accomplished at a time when there just wasn't room for black actors to be given good roles of any substance in Hollywood. I'm going to see that wily, mischievous grin, once again, as he contemplates some humorous scenario that would give us all just one more smile.

I have to say that the best thing I learned from my friendship with Reggie was how loving others, unconditionally as our faith requires, and accepting each other without condemnation, and simply being kind, helpful and grateful, can have such a profound and long lasting affect on us. We truley loved each other like brothers and I felt so fortunate to be a part of his life at this particular time in his. 
And I'd tell him,
 "Y'know, brother," I'd say, "I owe you a debt of gratitude. I mean, who am I, really? I'm nobody! Just some bass player working at Starbucks, looking for a good gig. But, in all these years, you were the only accomplished person to ever listen to my music and give me an unbiased and honest critique. And then you asked me to do the music for your play! Yeah, I'll always owe you a debt...of gratitude."
I will always be grateful for that gift of friendship that the good Lord blessed us with!

God speed, my friend!
I'll see you again!