When Tommy Turnbull passed away in August 2023, I lamented: the world needs more Tommy Turnbulls, not less. He was the Platonic ideal of the sidecar rider, and just simply an extraordinary storyteller with a kind and generous soul.
I shared garage space with Tommy for a bunch of years, in Todd Evans’ garage on Morton Street. He often was part of my creative process when I tracked down stories as a journalist. He’d listen to me liven up the factual bones of a narrative and he’d invariably be reminded of something particular that was pertinent and super interesting.
Hence, in 2006, when I was busily shaping up a cover feature about Fells Point for City Paper, I decided to drop by the garage with a tape recorder and tap into Tommy’s stream-of-consciousness abundance about Fells Point experiences. Here’s the result: a little more than 45 minutes of Tommy talking while noodling around on his guitar!
(Photo credit: Frank Klein)
Van Smith 