Joseph K. McGinty III

A beloved brother, son and devoted friend, Joseph K. McGinty, III was a fearless adventurer, a daring explorer always seeking his next enlightened quest. His curiosity and lust for discovering new places, mastering foreign languages, embracing challenging music, meeting diverse people and living meaningful experiences kept him exploring for forty-three years. He feared nothing but the worldly boundaries he met in his endeavors, the tedium of the mundane that would slow his rise to the summits he touched. In his short life he played with eclectic bands all over Europe; he sailed the waters of Thailand, Malaysia and the Bahamas; he bicycled alone 500 miles of the California coast and he was a champion for his thousands of friends all over the earth. Wild at heart, Joseph often sought communion with nature and was driven to remove himself from the comforts and distractions of modern civilization. His love for the outdoors – its unforgiving, life-testing conditions and hard-fought rewards of pure, stark beauty – was an integral part of his being. His early adolescent summers at Camp Windywood in Pollock; his self-awakening time at La Terre Quest in Mississippi; alpine mountaineering treks at Colorado Outward Bound school; trips to the mountains of West Virginia and Wyoming, the canyons of Utah, and to the ancient, pristine forests of Washington state; and countless other periods in the wilderness connected him back to la Pachamama–the Mother Earth that he revered–and brought him peace. Consequently, Joseph was a vigorous advocate for the defense and preservation of our planet. We ought all dare to be as passionate about our role in caring for this wildly powerful and life-sustaining, but delicate, blue orb. Embracing the mysterious lure of the sea, living on his beloved sailboat for the past few years allowed Joseph to become the Thoreau that family often called him. He was working towards his captain's license and looked forward to taking trips to Cuba, Mexico and beyond. Not many among us possess such courage to step beyond the constraints of conventional society and the bars that hold us back from being true to our passions. Joseph raised his fists against and shattered those bonds on his path to living a true, authentic expression of himself. Many souls have been lifted by Joseph's music, a gift he leaves for us to cherish. We feel deeply fortunate to have recordings of his beautiful, other-worldly performances. He played a range of instruments over the years, from piano, violin, mandolin, guitar, viola, cello and charango to drums, trombone, cimbalom, Irish flute and harmonica. Joe always had an ear for music; he could pick up any instrument and start playing along whenever he wanted. Still, though many master the mechanics of their instruments, only a rare few possess Joe's ability to perform in a way that consistently evoked visceral joy, drew tears and connected his audience with the numinous and divine. Anyone who went to his shows felt this passion. Joe's music will ever guide us toward him, reminding us to live the best versions of ourselves; reminding us to live fully and deeply. His music will play in our hearts and help carry us through these dark, trying days without his physical form yet here beside us in this earthly realm. We feel immensely blessed to have so many of his artist comrades share their moving and heartfelt tributes to him. What a special way to be remembered! His music will provide joyful, bittersweet memories for all of us. But Joseph was so much more than his music. He was a beautiful, generous, loving son, brother and uncle who cared beyond measure for his family and friends. We fear moving into the future without his contagious flame of passion, that fire that drove him to perpetually explore and capture the beauty of this existence and to love us so painfully hard. Sail gently amongst the stars, our most dear, gentle Captain Giuseppe. Our hearts know and will forever remember your blissfully-blinding, joyfully-intoxicating, tumultuously-inspiring light. Our lives – and now, the vastness of the cosmos – stand immeasurably enhanced by the fire of your transcendent light. "A ship then new they built for him … and wings immortal made for him, and laid on him undying doom, to sail the shoreless skies and come behind the Sun and light of Moon." "From Evereven’s lofty hills where softly silver fountains fall his wings him bore, a wandering light, beyond the mighty Mountain Wall. From World’s End then he turned away, and yearned again to find afar his home through shadows journeying, and burning as an island star on high above the mists he came, a distant flame before the Sun, a wonder ere the waking dawn where grey the Norland waters run." “Looking up he saw before him a tall white tower, standing alone on a high ridge. A great desire came over him to climb the tower and see the Sea. He started to struggle up the ridge towards the tower: but suddenly a light came in the sky, and there was a noise of thunder.” “We guessed you’d come ere long down to the water: all paths lead that way.” “Suddenly a shadow, like the shape of great wings, passed across the moon. The figure lifted his arms and a light flashed from the staff that he wielded. A mighty eagle swept down and bore him away.” "I wish it need not have happened in my time." "So do I, … and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." “That night they heard no noises. But either in his dreams or out of them, he could not tell which, [he] heard a sweet singing running in his mind: a song that seemed to come like a pale light behind a grey rain-curtain, and growing stronger to turn the veil all to glass and silver, until at last it was rolled back, and a far green country opened before him under a swift sunrise.” "Beneath the Moon and under star he wandered far from northern strands, bewildered on enchanted ways beyond the days of mortal lands." He that sailed his ship out of the mists of the world into the seas of heaven." "All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; … From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken: The crownless again shall be king." A celebration of Joseph’s life will take place on Sunday, October 9, 2022. A Second Line starting at West End Park will begin at 3 PM with a service to follow at the New Orleans Yacht Club. Donations in Joseph’s name may be made to the Roots of Music in New Orleans at https://therootsofmusic.org/, or by mail to 2624 Burgundy St., New Orleans, LA 70117. RIP Joseph King McGinty, III

Tributes

Joseph K. McGinty III

September 11, 1979 - September 19, 2022