John Wicks, the lead singer and songwriter for The Records, left this world on Sunday, October 7 2018. It’s hard to accept.

Fans around the world know him from those incredible songs, three and a half minute slices of pure pop glory. No one was more adept at writing a great pop hook than John. Those who knew him well knew John as the consummate professional, always prepared and dedicated to two things – his music and his friends.

If you were around him, you couldn’t help but come away with something new from the incredible stories he shared or his wickedly funny sense of humor. He showed us what it means to care deeply and give everything to whatever it is we do, whether it be creating art or cleaning the pool. John never half-assed anything. All those charity performances he did, right up until this past spring, really mattered to him. But more than anything, he taught all of us how to fight the good fight. And when it came down to his final battle, he proved to be one tough son of a bitch.

John once shared a story with me from his teenage years. He used to visit a local music shop where Mickey Jupp worked behind the counter. John would stop by frequently, so Mickey had a nickname for him. “Hey, Pop Star!”. I imagine that when John left this life, he heard a similar greeting upon his arrival at the most incredible music shop of all.

He asked me to “keep the flag flying” in his absence and I intend to do exactly as he requested. Moving forward, I hope that this website will serve as a place where we can share stories and memories of John. He left behind a lot of new music as well as those Records classics we all know and love. Perhaps a few of these new songs will see the light of day in one form or another. We’ll see.

I keep telling myself that this isn’t the end. Every time we listen to “Starry Eyes” or dedicate ourselves to being the best we can be, we celebrate John’s life.

Rock on, Johnny Wicked.