Linda Ronstadt, who even did a duet with Aaron Neville.

Two duets, in fact. Also "All My Life".

Clearly the next thread title needs to be Bureaucracy 4: I love this thread SO MUCH

Has anyone emailed Kimi directly and asked for more information?

Yes, I emailed with Kimi back/forth earlier this week. I’d had enjoyable emails back/forth with Gus over the years, and did a reply to one of them with a personal note to Kimi, to which she replied.

Her reply to my personal message to her was short but sweet (genuinely), but she was also angry and upset regarding things being said about Gus at Buffistas. I didn't entirely understand it at the time, because I’d been reading/checking Natter/Bitches only, and there was hardly anything in either about Gus. I hadn't yet been tipped to discussions in this thread. She must’ve been reading here, is my guess.

To paraphrase, she said people can donate in his memory or not, because it needs doing, but it doesn’t have to do with him or her. She won’t be forthcoming with proof of his existence, or death, or not. It was a little ruder, but that’s the gist. I hope she is reading here still and changes her mind.

Again, before I’d read anything here, I emailed back asking for a link to an obit. I did the sleuthy Google thing on Guy yonks ago, when he was maybe going to come to the Bay Area to visit and fly kites en route to somewhere else. Of course there was nothing then, as there is not now. It didn’t matter that much to me. I enjoyed him for what he was: fun, smart, witty, goofy, interesting, entertaining, and always kind & friendly to me. It was perverse that alone of all the Buffistas engaged in conversation, he avoided F2F contacts, but oh well. Which I told Kimi and asked for am obit link, because, well, if he was protecting a real name, if he’s dead, surely it doesn’t matter any more. I really would like to have resolution in my own mind. I’d like to tie up the ends, kind of like wanting to know who Deep Throat really was for decades. We know that now, so maybe some day, we’ll know about Gus. I can hope. Maybe it’ll just take some time. It doesn’t have to happen now, this week.

She hasn’t replied. I don’t expect to hear from her again, but you never know. Certainly I’d welcome it, as I’m sure we all would.

Whether he’s real and a human body died somewhere, or he (or she) was someone making it all up doesn’t really matter to me. In either instance, the person I knew as Gus is gone in that particular form. I really liked and cared for the person behind Gus’ words, and I have shed tears for the loss and shall mourn his or her passing.

Thank you for the info Java Cat. I like the Deep Throat comparison. Knowing what happened one day would be good.

I'm sorry that Kimi, whoever she is, feels that way. I find the fact the she has apparently found her way to Bureaucracy highly unlikely for someone unfamilar with the board, and I'm sad to say that that nasty a response makes me more skeptical rather than less. But I'm going to try to let this go now. It's hurting me too much to continue to wrestle with at this point.

Thank you for asking, Java.

Yes, thank you for asking, Java.

Thank you, Java.

I really liked and cared for the person behind Gus’ words, and I have shed tears for the loss and shall mourn his or her passing.

That's my feeling as well.

Java, thanks for having what was probably an uncomfortable and awkward email conversation with kimi. Everyone here will have to draw their own conclusions and I'm sorry this issue has put a shadow over the memories of so many buffistas.