(Bart Mendoza remembers a friend and dedicated member of San Diego’s mod community, who passed away at age 44.)
The ’80s?
I couldn’t imagine them without Scott Harper. His passing last week is another devastating blow to the San Diego community and yet another reminder how short and unfair life can be.
Scott was such a part of my life for most of the ’80s, he was like a brother. Adventures were legion, he rarely missed a Manual Scan show and was instrumental in helping with the New Sounds festivals.
My fondest memories, apart from some nights spent in discourse over a few drinks, is the way he always pitched in to help with crises big and small. At events, whenever there was static, or a question about something being done, he’d always be the first to jump in and say, “I’ll do it.” Worth his weight in gold.
It would be some understatement to say he was a huge music fan, with favorites in all genres, though mod-related tunes were a clear favorite. He had a fanzine, Voxxed In, and had a profile included in British modzine, In the Crowd. He was an integral part of the Risk’s San Diego stay. Tip of the iceberg, really.
Bottom line Scott was an integral part of what we called “the scene” back then, and though communication later on was more sporadic, he was always someone I considered a good friend. He’ll be missed.
— Bart Mendoza
More from Bart Mendoza:
Thinking of Scott this week has brought me back to a fantastic time of my life. It seems a part of my adolesence died with Scott. A high school friend of mine, we were two of only about 4 or 5 mods in Coronado. Against the world, we faced down angry high school football players (all while Scott tried to explain that we weren’t punks, we were mods!), and would scream at the top of our lungs, “I hope I die before I get old”, knowing full well we would neither die, nor grow old.
I guess we were mortal after all….
Goodbye and Godspeed, Scott!
Here’s a memorial from Surf Cup Soccer, for whom Scott volunteered PR duties before relocating to Georgia.
… And here’s a nice piece about Scott Harper and Voxed In on the Mod Male blog.
So sad to lose Scott. I was one of the original Coronado mods and I remember Scott was so excited to catch occasional rides on my scooter, and how ecstatic he was when he finally got one of his own. He had such great enthusiasm for the music, the culture, the style, and the local scene. I lost touch with him for close to thirty years until we reconnected on FaceBook….And he was still the same sweet, good natured guy I remembered from all those years ago…Still loving the music and sporting his Bruce Foxton-style shoes. The world is now a colder place without his warm presence. Rest in peace, Scott.