"Tom was an extraordinary person; kind, charismatic and so very talented. As a teenager, I was blown away by a real rock star whod sprung up in Morgantown. I saw him last performing in 2013 and he hadnt lost anything. Looking young and vital on stage, his guitar work and vocals just as powerful as ever. A huge loss. My condolences to all who knew and loved him."
In loving memory of
Thomas A. Moore
August 2, 1961 - December 5, 2018
Thomas A. Moore, 57, passed away peacefully from an illness at his residence on Wednesday, December 5, 2018.
Tom was born August 2, 1961, in Abilene, Texas. He and his parents, the late Charlene Gray Moore and the late L. Ted Moore, moved to Morgantown in 1976 when his father was hired as a faculty member in the Department of Industrial Engineering at West Virginia University. Even though Tom was the last surviving member of his immediate family, he was a musician, foremost, whose beloved bandmates became his adopted family. He is survived by many friends, Chicos Bail Bonds softball players, and musicians who admired his talent, humor and quick wit.
When Tom was a student at Morgantown High School, and, following high school, he played in bands including Eddie Haskell, The Excuses, Human Remains and Organic Panic. After graduating from MHS, Tom attended WVU, where he studied engineering, and worked at Maxwells restaurant in downtown Morgantown.
Many who knew of Tom in the 1980s would credit him as being a pioneer of the local underground music scene in Morgantown. In 1983, Tom and his friend Sei Petersen formed alternative rock band Velez Manifesto, and soon added James Matterer (Jimmy X), and Scott Fetty. Velez Manifesto attracted a large following in Morgantown, playing to packed crowds at The Underground Railroad at 123 Pleasant Street and generating airtime of its music on local college radio station U92. The band and its followers had high hopes for the possibility of Velez Manifesto becoming signed to a major recording label when one of its songs, Dark Clouds, was included on a compilation album of alternative rock by Epic Records (now Sony) called Epic Presents the Unsigned -- Vol. II in 1987. Despite the local Morgantown music community holding its collective breath for Velez Manifesto to amass widespread recognition, Velez Manifesto remained unsigned.
Tom spent the next 20 years in Baltimore, working as a computer coder at a book bindery and playing in and creating music in Vivid Low Sky, Plow, and Headless with Baltimore and Morgantown musicians Shirle Hale Koslowski, David Koslowski, Sei Petersen, Miyuki Furtado, Laura Trussell, Mark Bell and Chris Ciattei, among others. Vivid Low Sky produced two albums, Music for Movies Unmade in 2000, and its second album called simply II in 2018, while Plow released albums entitled Plow in 1993, Ice Cream Flares and Rocket Sounds in 1996 and Ocean Days in 2018.
In December 2018, Tom was finalizing his third album with his Morgantown band Jet Set Vapour Trails, including Jeffrey Goodwin on drums and Jarrod Ott on bass guitar. The album will be finished and released in Toms honor.
Tom was a gifted artist, guitarist and singer-songwriter and cherished friend. As a painter, sketch artist and songwriter, he designed many of his bands album cover artwork. His overall work always seemed to arrive at the seemingly unattainable, delicate intersection of enigma and poignancy.
Toms grandfather, Winston Slim Willet Moore, was also an accomplished songwriter and disc jockey. Slim Willet wrote and published a country western song in 1952 called, Dont Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes, which was covered by many artists, including K.D. Lang, Boxcar Willie, Perry Como and Skeets McDonald.
A celebration of Toms life will be held at Ottobar in Baltimore on Thursday, December 27. A memorial concert will be held at 123 Pleasant Street in Morgantown on Friday, January 18. Please honor the life of Tom Moore by listening to his music and sharing it with others. See https://plow2.bandcamp.com , http://vividlowsky.bandcamp.com , https://jetsetvapourtrails.bandcamp.com , and https://m.soundcloud.com/velezmanifesto .
Smith Funeral Cremation Care of Morgantown has providedguidance with cremation services.
Condolences may be offered at www.smithfcc.com.
Tributes
"Tom was a kind and loving man. He always had a smile for me. He played music like it was nobodys business. And that means GREAT music. I saw things Tom did with a guitar that awed me. You could see his love for music when he was on the stage playing with his friends. He knew how to make an audience love the show, and in turn, love him as well.A few times he would come to mid stage where the steps were when playing at 123 Pleasant Street. He would lean down and act silly all while still playing with his band, never missing a beat.He loved his friends sincerely. I learned that right away, although I dont remember our first meeting. Its like he has always been there. I saw him several weeks back and he hugged me and said how glad he was to see me. I am so happy for that day because it is a wonderful memory of him. It was the last time I saw him before he died. I read that there was no known family and if you knew of any to come forward. Well, I know his family. Go to 123 Pleasant Street and you will find them. His band members, his followers, his groupies, his audience, every person that went to hear him play and every person he met along the way...that is his family. His best friends know who they are. They are is brothers and sisters. Me? I was Mama B, also his family. No other person on earth can compare to Thomas Moore. I have shed a lot of tears for this loss. It is a great one. But now he will join family in the greatest way. He will be welcomed with open arms in a special and loving place where he will continue to shine. There is no doubt in my mind of that. With loving friendship always, Cheryl Ann BakerMama B"