WEFT Will Miss Chef Ra
WEFT's own Chef Ra passed away early morning, on Tuesday, December 26th, 2006. The following Thursday night, from 8-10PM, WEFT held a tribute to Chef Ra during his long-standing "Roots, Rock, Reggae" inviting listeners and friends to come down to the station or call in to share their stories and memories of one of Champaign-Urbana's radio legends. WEFT sends our condolences to Ra's family and friends.
More about Chef Ra:
- Chef Ra photos from the WEFT archives
- 'Chef Ra' enjoyed the high life, Paul Wood, The News-Gazette
- RIP James 'Chef Ra' Wilson - from High Times
- July 2005 article in the Buzz
- Interview with Steve Hager
- About Chef Ra's cooking
- Chef Ra's Recipes in High Times
Friends and Colleagues Remember Chef Ra
- Rasta Man is Gone, Ed Hadley
- Remembering Ra, Jeff Machota
- My two cents on Ra, Mick Woolf
- Chef Ra had many identities!, Jonathan Pines
Goodbye my friend....
I lost track of how many times I sat and started to write this,I think this time I can make it through.
I first met Chef Ra in the late 70's.I was a high school kid at the time.At that time he was still known as Rasta James around town.
I have never seen anyone that could light up a room like him,I will dearly miss the days of hearing the biggest teddy bear I have ever known exclaim "Hey Dreadlocks!" when we would meet.
I have not lived in Champaign/Urbana for about 7 years now,however I only live a couple of hours away and so enjoyed the fact that almost every time I would visit I seemed to run into Ra.The times we spent were some of the best of my life.From enjoying a day in the park to nights hanging out in all those smokey alleys in C/U.
I plan some day to return to C/U and I know I will be coming back to the richest cities in the world...because it is filled with people who loved and were loved by Ra.
As I sat at the memorial for Ra last Saturday I looked around and knew that I was in the middle of the largest chunk of group love I had ever seen...And I thought to myself how amazing the diversity of the group was,and I knew then that this was the best legacy a person can leave behind....
I don't consider myself a great writer so if you are still reading this I thank you for indulging me in my ramblings.I miss Ra so much,I think I will forever be looking at the door at any bar I am in in C/U waiting for him to roll in,and I now from now on when I see a yellow taxi running around town it will always bring a slight tear to my eye....
Till we meet again my brother,Jah Bless
RastaMike Redenbaugh