Alex Holland is gone, but not forgotten.

Recently a friend of mine, a talented singer songwriter and musician by the name of Alex Holland, passed away after taking his own life at London Bridge. Naturally everyone that knew him or even knew of him was torn to pieces by this horrific news! It seems however that this was not the first attempt, and I was reminded of a time when he arrived at a gig we put on together called Chemistry in Brixton, wearing wristbands, often worn after failed suicide attempts.

As I talk to all those who know him, the frequent question that comes up seems to be simply 'why would someone with some much talent, promise and gifting want to end his own life?' Of course to the average onlooker, who sees the gift first, never realises that the soul carrying it may be possibly burdened underneath it? I look back into history and recall so many other super talents who either suffered from manic depression or some other kind of condition, and either tried to end their own lives or similar.
Donny Hathaway who jumped out of a window after carefully removing the frame from an apartment, and Elvis Presley, who was found with over 10 different pills at the time of his death, are just two of many people who decided that it was all too much.

I think it will be impossible to truly understand what it must be like to suffer from this terrible illness, which is driven by a chemical imbalance in the brain. We simply can't logically fathom what it must feel like, unless we have gone through a similar bout of trauma ourselves. The closest I can get to trying, is to imagine the dull ache and harsh reality of a broken heart, occuring in constant intervals, frequently.. Now that is something I wouldn't want to have live with personally!

Whatever the reason, and whatever the cause, this loss is too huge for any sain to justify, and I and countless others will always believe that what we shared with the beautiful man in Alex Holland, was too precious to now suddenly imagine as a thing of the past never to be repeated. He was loved in life, and will be adored in death.

Thank you Alex, for the wonderfull things you chose to share with us, and the internal suffering you overcame to do so! Though we may 'Keep on keeping on' you will never be 'put to the back of our minds'.

R.I.P My friend.