His eyes always had that famous Jack Nicholson look, but his heart was always kind, soft and giving - despite his lack of "stuff" to give.
It was during this haircut that I learned more about Lamont Randolph Lindsey than I ever imagined. He talked about how he was struck by a car when he was younger and how it left him in pain during much of his adult life. I learned that he was a very soft spoken and a kind individual who I doubt had a mean streak in him. He talked about some of his mental illnesses while under the bridge as the scissors quietly cut through his long and dirty strands of brown hair.
His love for music was obvious as he sang throughout some of his haircut. That music was his getaway in life, I believe.
He could name every Black Sabbath album, every Ozzy Osborne song and told me about his large collection of music that he lost somewhere in between apartments and homelessness over the years. Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd… he knew his songs and artist by heart.
Today, he is only about 35-years old, but it was always like a young boy was trapped inside of him and that was whom I always saw. A young, non-complicated soul who loved both his mother and his music.
For years I would see Lamont quietly walk in his unusual upright stance behind his mother Loretta Lindsay who was always in front of him in her wheelchair. The two would easily cover 10 miles in a day throughout Murfreesboro several years ago. Now, not so much.
I recently gave Lamont a walker as his legs have gotten weaker as time has gone on. He appreciated it very much.
Nearly every time I saw him he asked, “How’s your dad? I love ole’ Bart.” I would always tell him that he is doing good and he would always reply, “I grew up listening to him on the radio every morning.”
Lamont had a massive stroke on Friday while under the bridge in which he calls home today. His friends quickly called for help and he was rushed away in an ambulance.He later passed away on Sunday (9/27/15).
American writer and Mental Health Advocate Andy Behrman once stated, “The guilt I felt for having a mental illness was horrible. I prayed for a broken bone that would heal in six weeks. But that never happened. I was cursed with an illness that nobody could see and nobody knew much about.”
Lamont Randolph Lindsey quietly passed away on Sunday (9/27/15) at 3:15 pm. His organs were donated to save the lives of others in Tennessee.