The talented singer-songwriter with the tortured soulful voice was supposed to be among a handful of regional artists to perform two shows at the nonprofit’s anniversary fundraiser last month. It was a stage he had occupied many times before and where I had seen him do his annual Christmas show and other gigs a few of those times. He often wore his old brown leather jacket as he attacked the strings of his guitar. His jeans had holes worn through at the knees, not as a fashion statement but as a testament to the hard times he had survived.
When it was announced he would play at the benefit on Sunday, March 3, however, I was surprised and a bit skeptical. I knew that he had been having some serious health problems and a few days before the show he was hospitalized.
The last time I saw him on the White Horse stage on December 2022 he had a portable oxygen generator by the side of his chair and a breathing tube going to his nose. That didn’t keep him from giving his usual intense performance but it was concerning. (I previously wrote about the iconic musician in a June 2017 blog.)
During the pandemic and as his medical problems got worse he started doing “shed shows” that were video streamed from his house. He kept up his sense of humor throughout it all, often promoting pineapple juice as an elixir for good health.
The last streaming performance he did from his living room couch because he was unable to get to the shed. His last public performance was at the AVL Fest in downtown Asheville in August of last year.
Malcolm never made it to the stage of the White Horse last month. The North Carolina native died on March 9 at the age of 68.
Jared Tyler, who became a friend and collaborator of Holcombe, said when he first heard a Holcombe recording he was dumbfounded. He aptly described the music as “The purest and most honest tone I’d ever heard.”
That’s probably not the type of sound the popular music industry is seeking today, but it’s a legacy the Malcolm Holcombe left behind. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to hear it and enjoy it. Thank you, Malcolm and rest in peace.