Wednesday, May 14, 2025
I just found out about the death of a friend. Unfortunately his family just not have had access to his cell phone information, otherwise they would have called and notified his friends of his passing. Here is a text I sent to his phone:
Hello, I am hoping that a family member still has his phone and might be kind enough to check messages. However since his closest friends were not notified of his death, I am thinking maybe kindness is not in play here. If you do read this, I want you to know that Ben, despite his addictions and antics in this lifetime, was a true friend and a loving, funny, articulate, and caring man who loved music beyond measure. He saved my life once or twice as well back in the early 2000's. He loved me and I loved him like a brother. I was going through my own family emergency at the time of his death (my youngest daughter fell down concrete stairs at college and had brain surgery for a subdural hematoma and trauma aneurysm and we went through a difficult time. )
I know he was a pain in the ass sometimes and was the black sheep of his family, but please know that he found his soul family out in the music world and I will always cherish my time with him. I was actually reaching out to tell him I planned to come to take him to the beach next week or the week after. When I could not reach him, I decided to google his name and found the obituary, or lack thereof. Should you decide on a memorial service to be held at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, please notify me at angelpamwest@gmail.com so I can make the arrangements and invite his friends.
Ben Jammin is a legend in the Jersey Shore music scene. I’m sorry for your loss.
Pamela West, Angel Pam West.
