If you grew up as a rock and roll obsessed kid in Lancaster County in the early 1980s, as I did, the Sharks were gods. I had no sense that they were just a local band, because local was all I really knew back then. And when they won the Basement Tapes… well, that just proved that they were better than your average local band, right?

Then they got hosed by Elektra Records and as it turned out the Basement Tapes win wasn’t the start of the big time, it was pretty much the pinnacle. As we’ve said so many times - there’s no justice in rock and roll, and the Sharks could tell you all about it.

Nevertheless, they were a fine local band, and lead singer Sam Rawhauser, nee Lugar, was a big reason. Bassist Shea Quinn grabbed a lot of the spotlight for his mane of ’80s hair and stage moves, but Sam had a solid, heartfelt rock and roll voice, and as I was reminded when I saw one of the reunion shows at the Village two or three years ago, he could play guitar pretty damned well.

As noted a few weeks back, Sam had recently gotten very, very sick - and now, as noted in comments to that post, Sam has died. Thanks to Carla for calling me just now and alerting me to it. No idea on funeral arrangements yet, if anyone’s interested I’ll post them as I get them.

I met Sam twice - once when I wrote a story on the band before the reunion show, and then at the show itself. I’d gotten to know Marko Showers, the keyboard player, who’s a big right-winger but (as is somehow the case with a lot of right-wingers, go figure) I actually get along with pretty well in person, so Marko brought me backstage. And even though they were “just” a local band, it was still a big deal to me. I mean, I idolized these guys as a kid; had all the albums, can still play some of those songs (”You Make Me”; “On My Own,” etc.).

His music meant a lot of things to a lot of local people, me included. He’ll be missed.

Update: Yes indeedy, thanks to colleague CE for sending this one my/your way…

A little update, Sam had a very aggressive form of cancer that can be treated if it’s caught early enough… and it just wasn’t. There’s talk of a benefit concert to help pay down some of the medical bills - I’ll do something on that here and in the print edition when we get details.

Update 2: Illness is expensive, you can help.