Hiya – It’s morning we’re starting to settle into some sorta routine – it’s beginning to seem weirdly normal.

We come in when visiting hours start and spend the day hanging out in the Whanau room & taking turns pestering Chris. It’s like a funny little communal office with cellphones beeping, random discussions, scraps over laptop access and highly dodgy humour. Then we leave at 8ish and head off for a fantastic vege dinner and a couple of glasses of pinot & we debrief over the day’s events – and we talk through how upset we are, and how amazing people can be, and we give each other good-natured shit, and then we wander off and try to sleep – with wildly varying degrees of success. Then we meet up the next day and start again.

However Liesha just came in and told me that Chris is sitting up in a chair today and has written his name! I had a great visit with him and watched him start physio……. still haven’t managed to play him Miles though.

…. and then I come back in from work at 5pm to hear that Chris came down to the Whanau room! He was greeted by our friend Jonathan who decided to entertain Chris with ‘the human chair’ with Stefan (wonder-drummer & Pumice man). This resulted in a (possibly rather predictable) debacle & Jonathan writhing in pain with a broken ankle. Apparently he will be in a wheel chair for weeks and ……  well you’d laugh, as much as Chris did, if you knew Jonathan, who has a reputation for high-jinks.

Roy

Hiya – I’ve just been reading your comments to Chris and he’s enjoying them. They’re a really good thing to read to Chris at the moment – so thanks and keep ‘em coming guys! Everyone here also likes the positive recovery stories which help to keep our spirits high. We’ve had a good day up here so a buoyant mood permeates the Whanau room we have camped in.

I was talking with Chris about a Velvet’s book “Up-Tight”  to which he gave the nod. I tried a bit of JL on him yesterday but got stared down for possibly a) the crap choice of playback medium (cellphone ….. sorry Chris) or b) banal song choice (”Norwegian Wood” …… ok ok), so I’m going to try a Miles Davis Live at the Isle of White 1970 DVD on him in the next wee while.

Chris has had a good healthy vego meal and is sleeping soundly, so we’re about to decamp.

Best to all

Roy

Hi Everyone – It’s been a rough time since Thursday but it’s also been amazing to see all the love and concern pouring in for Chris. Thanks so much for all your kind comments – we’re going to get a mate to read them to Chris soon! Chris is stable this morning but, sorry, we don’t really have any more detail for you today.

We’re having lots of people wanting to help in some way & we thought the best thing to do if you wanna help is to buy a Chris Knox & The Nothing album – there are two y’know, the one with a plethora of ideas shamelessly ripped-off from the Fabs called “Chris Knox and The Nothing”, and “A Warm Gun”, which NZ music journo Grant Smithies described as having Chris’ “trademark mix of tenderness and disgust”. Grant also said that “it’s the sound of somebody that is at the peak of his musical powers, still doing interesting things. It’s got his best singing on it for years. He sings one whole song in falsetto. That’s just marvellous” …… and heck who knows, you may even like ‘em!

You can buy the CDs from Rhythm at Three Lamps on Ponsonby Road in Auckland or from Smoke CDs – good ol’ Peter Baker from Rhythmethod has kindly set things up to maximise the bucks going to Chris & family by foregoing his distribution fee! Whadda guy.

Roy Martyn

Hi everybody,

Welcome to the “Chris Knox had a stroke and everyone wants to know how he is, how the hell are we gonna keep you all updated all at once” blog.

We’ll try to keep this as up to date as we can – in this first post is a statement we sent out to the media this afternoon. You can leave well wishes in the ‘comments’ section below. We love hearing from you.

Cheese,

Chris’s family and friends

15th June 2009
Media statement from Ward-Knox family
Re: Chris Knox

“We have been overwhelmed by the level of support for Chris from around the world since his stroke. We’d like to express our thanks to everyone who has helped or wished us well in the last few days.

“Like many other families who are currently experiencing a similar change to their lives we are learning a great deal about strokes and their long-term effects. We have learned that it is too early to predict the ramifications of a stroke with any degree of accuracy. However, positive anecdotes have been flooding in which fill us all with hope.

“Chris is not in pain and is responsive to family and friends who are very optimistic and focused on Chris’s well being. He enjoyed his vegetable frittata this morning but I suffered the classic Knox withering look when I mentioned beer.

“As the situation becomes clearer to us we will happily inform those who wish to know.

“We have created a site at chrisknox.blogtown.co.nz for this purpose.  We aim to keep this site as current as possible.”

Family contact – Roy Martyn