About
About Harry J. Brabec
(1927 – 2005)
Detailed Professional Background
Known Recordings
Musical Training at Morton High
Czech Ancestry
Harry, the Humorist
Harry, the Bibliophile
Friend and Mentor
HARRY BRABEC was a percussionist and virtuoso snare drummer greatly admired by his peers, not only for his talents as a musician, but for his keen sense of humor and gutsy approach to life. (See the BOOK page for more about his life and career, as told by his widow in her memoir, THE DRUMMER DRIVES! Everybody Else Rides.)
The Brabecs’ enduring marriage of nearly 44 years ended with Harry’s death on February 3, 2005, when he “took his drum and beat it” after a difficult decade of ill health. It is Barbara’s hope that he is now drumming his heart out in heaven with all his great percussionist friends (many of whom are being showcased on this website). Harry may be gone, but he lives on in the hearts of everyone who ever knew him, and his beat goes on in Barbara’s memoir and on this website.
About Barbara Brabec
Barbara has been in the writing and publishing business since 1971. She is the author of eight home-business books, two of which—Creative Cash and Homemade Money—quickly became best-sellers immediately upon publication and have long been recognized as classics in their individual fields.
No longer active in the home-business field, Barbara’s focus today is on writing new books unrelated to business while also and helping other authors self-publish with her book manuscript editing and critiquing services.
With the publication of her first memoir—a book she also edited, designed, and typeset for publication—she will certainly inspire others to write and publish their own life stories or memoirs about loved ones. This article on her personal domain, “How to Write a Good Memoir,” offers helpful tips and encouragement.
BARBARA THE MUSICIAN: Prior to becoming a professional writer, Barbara enjoyed a brief career as a solo marimbist. She studied marimba for five years with James Dutton at the American Conservatory of Music and presented several recitals between 1955 and 1959 when she “broke into the business” by offering a musical program for women’s clubs and background music for private parties, wedding receptions, and dinner music for supper clubs.
(For more information, see post, “Barbara’s Brief Career as a Musical Entertainer,” which links to a related PDF document.)
