Gil Friesen memorial

SEND-OFF FOR UNCLE GIL: A celebration of the life of Gil Friesen will be held tonight at UCLA’s Royce Hall, and members of the A&M family, staffers and artists alike, are expected to turn out in large numbers for the memorial program. The event has occasioned a wave of nostalgia on the label’s Facebook page, A&M Records Staff and Artists Group. “A&M was one of a kind,” artist rtelations legend Bob Garcia mused recently. “The closest: WB. But even WB acceded to our individualism and IDENTITY. We were private and WB was public. Chasm galore at the time. Too Past never will come again. I can revel in the past, but will never, ever relive it.” And check out this vintage photo, posted by Jim Guerinot. It’s fitting that this love fest goes down immediately after Gil’s final project, the documentary feature Twenty Feet From Stardom, wowed audiences at Sundance. (1/30a)