Late musician’s friends honor his ‘Legacy’ with album
When Jacob Mann thinks back on his last meeting with Connor Hicks, he recalls how thrilled the singer, songwriter and guitarist was about the new singles he had recorded and mastered.
“He was just excited about all these things that he was going to keep doing better. So, when he passed, it was kind of like, ‘Well, I’ve got this agenda that we just made, so we’re just gonna do that,’ ” said Mann, who was friend and manager to the late Oklahoma musician.
A year after Hicks died in a car accident, his family and friends have joined forces to release an album called “Legacy,” featuring previously unreleased music by the former student at the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma. The album is out on iTunes and Spotify, and physical copies are coming soon.
Hearing the completed album was a little overwhelming, said Hicks’ father, Ronnie Hicks.
“With what they had to work with, I thought it was really a very good job,” he said. “It was probably the thing in my life that gave me the most joy, was seeing him perform and helping him share it. So, it was important to me for as many people to have the opportunity to hear it as possible.”
Connor Hicks, 20, and Jeremy Wallace, 42, died at the scene of an early morning crash Dec. 18, 2017, four miles south of Bowlegs on U.S. 377. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s report, which described foggy conditions, concluded the accident took place shortly after midnight, when Hicks’ vehicle, traveling southbound, crossed left of center and hit Wallace’s vehicle head-on.
Both drivers were Ada-based musicians and members of the Chickasaw Nation. Ronnie Hicks said he knew Wallace and considered him a friend.
The tragedy prompted an outpouring of grief in the state, as both Hicks and Wallace were remembered for their musical talents, as well as their willingness to teach others.
The album
Mann worked with about 20 engineers, producers and musicians to create the “Legacy” album.
“After the wreck, I got with all of our engineers and guys that he had recorded demos with … and we got all of the files together and we all sat down and we kind of listened through them and basically went one by one,” Mann said.
Working with Jaron Nix, of Desperado Sound, Mann said putting together Hicks’ “Legacy” was at turns frustrating and fulfilling, comforting and heartbreaking.
“He was the champion of ‘Everything has to be great, has to be quality, has to be top-notch.’... The mandate for this album was, ‘Would Connor like this?’ ... We basically wanted to use that as a barometer.”
They featured one song, “Happyland,” that didn’t have vocals, opting to put both Hicks’ demo and a rerecorded version of the
bluesy instrumental on “Legacy.” It turned out to be one of Mann’s favorites.
They also included the tracks from Hicks’ 2016 EP “Savior” on “Legacy,” to allow people to hear more of the promising musician’s output. Ronnie Hicks said he was happy to hear early songs like “Let Me Go.”
“More than anything, I’m glad that as many of his friends were able to participate in this process. I think it was good for them to do that,” he said. “I think Connor would be proud.”