It was July of 1997, with Gene’s blessing and personal stamp of approval, Eden Z Films began work on a low-fi indie documentary with no budget and no real time line. Todd & Lorrie Zeller were just a couple of Adam Again fans who happened to be in the right place at the right time, and that was oddly enough, Eugene, Oregon. Zeller and Greg Lawless had become friends, as Lawless had been living in Cottage Grove, Oregon and still resides their today along with fellow artists, Richard Swift and Chris Colbert.

Gene & Greg invited Eden Z to shoot the rehearsals for Cornerstone 97 in Cottage Grove. Gene flew in from Huntington Beach and Jonny Knox flew in from Nashville. With Greg on guitar and a guest appearance from Keith Schieder on bass, the Cottage Grove Community Center had never sounded so alive as it did for a couple of long Oregon summer days as the legendary underground band Adam Again ran through some of their best songs. Many hours of Hi-8 video and B & W Super 8 Movie film was shot, then later that same summer, just after their incredible Cornerstone performance, Eden Z went to the legendary Green Room to document rough songwriting for the new Adam Again record that Gene and the band had been wanting to work on ever since Perfecta….

One more chance to film came in 99 when Gene decided to accompany Mike Knott on a handful of show dates. First stop was Eugene, Oregon with Gene and Greg opening the show performing “Dig” and “Stone,” and Gene backing up his longtime friend Mike Knott on the Rhodes piano. Another show in Portland, Oregon was filmed, that was the last time Gene and Greg performed together as Adam Again before Genes untimely death in 2000.

Of course with Gene’s passing came the need for a different direction for the Worldwide film. Eden Z has collected around fifty interviews with Gene’s friends and comrades. After a few false starts and rough cut edits, the film is still on the shelf due to lack of funding, as well as hurdles in securing licensing for Gene and Adam Again’s music for the film. Since Zeller runs a full time production studio, most hours are spent on projects that pay the bills. That said, Zeller is a huge fan of Adam Again as well as all of Genes music and side bands. This film is a near and dear labor of love. 2009 has opened up new doors of opportunity to complete the film, as well as the involvement of other artists and individuals.

Look for www.adamagain.com to finally launch this season along with updates on the films progress. Thanks for your patience and keeping the music and memory of Gene alive. As you have read from the stories above, I’m sure he would be humbled…

www.myspace.com/edenzfilms
www.myspace.com/adamagain
www.adamagain.com (coming soon)

(continued from part 1)

Gene in Little League Graduation photo

Gene’s first car Senior picture

Early live shots, band and date unknown.

Gene with his brother Todd

Gene’s sister Lisa

Gene practicing, date unknown.

Christmas 1970 (Gene, Todd, & Lisa) Gene in “The Wake” 1971 Baby photo	Newspaper ad for “Cannon” 1972 Baby photo
Various promo shots

(continued in part 2)

Adam Again on the cover of Syndicate magazine, courtesy of Greg Lawless

2) What were some of your proudest moments of your son?
I don’t know that there is one proudest memory I have of Gene, as I was proud of all that he accomplished. I was proud of the job he did as valedictorian of high school. I was proud when he got picked to go to Boy’s Town in Sacramento during his senior year in high school. I was proud when he decided he wanted to be an actor, but also proud when he quit acting to concentrate in his music.

3) Five words you would use to describe Gene?
Loyal, humble, giving, off the charts and humorous. He was loyal to all his band members and all the bands he committed his time to, as well as his family. He was humble, as things like cars, clothes, money, furniture, etc. were never important to him. He was giving, as he gave of himself so much that he never took care of Gene. He was off the charts talented and the world should have enjoyed all of his work, but that wasn’t part of the agenda. He was also very witty and funny and made the family laugh all the time.

4) Where do you think Gene got his musical influence?
Gene was drawn to music probably because he came from a very musical background. His father, and several uncles, sang and played numerous instruments. I also played accordion and dabbled on the drums a bit. There was always music going on in our home and it just came natural to him. I want my son to be remembered for just being him, but also for the lyrics in his music that always told a story of what was going on in his life when he wrote them.

5) What stories do you remember about him growing up?
He was such a good boy that I might have to make something up. He did play little league, and he loved it, but got Brights disease at 8 years old and had to stop for a year. He also was helping his dad work on the engine of his car, some gasoline spilled and there was a spark, and Gene caught on fire. I saw him running from the garage, on fire, and being a mother I just panicked and screamed. Thank God for his Boy Scout training, he knew enough to lay on the ground and roll. He had 3rd degree burns from his knees to his sock line, and he had to have them peeled and peeled for months. I used to ask him if he wanted something to bite on when the doctor’s peeled the top skin off, but he was such a champ, he never cried or complained and he was in a wheelchair for quite some time. Gene never wore shorts after that as he was scarred badly and it bothered him terribly. Gene received many awards such as Boy Scouts, baseball and leadership awards. The one award he passed away before knowing he got was the Dove award… I display that proudly on my mantel. Gene gave his life to his music, he didn’t care about the money, he just wanted to help other bands get started. He was a humble person, you would have enjoyed knowing him.

If you need me to expound more on how much my son meant to me, I can only say that words cannot describe the huge piece of me that is now missing. Gene was a devout Christian, but he did write a lot about why things happen in this world like war, famine, if there really is a God. I am still searching for why He took Gene when he did so much good for mankind. I know there will never be an answer to that question, I have to accept what fate handed me knowing the God has the power to take any one of us at anytime. I only wish it would have been me. Gene was my child that could always make me feel better during the worst of times. I think what I miss most was his gift to light up the room with a smile.

2) What projects were you involved in with him?
1994         Spill     Plankeye          Engineer
1995         Starflyer 59 (Gold)     Starflyer 59          Mixing
1995         Spark     Plankeye          Producer, Mixing
1996         Art Core, Vol. 2: Art of Drum & Bass     Various Artists          Mixing
1996         Commonwealth     Plankeye          Producer, Engineer, Mixing
1996         Strip Cycle     Mike Knott          Engineer
1997         Americana     Starflyer 59          Organ (Hammond), Producer, Vibraphone, Fender Rhodes
1997         Dogfish Jones     L.S.U.          Organ
1997         One and Only     Plankeye          Organ, Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Wurlitzer
1997         Robot Rock     Joy Electric          Producer
1997         Ultra Forever     Fold Zandura          Producer, Engineer, Mixing
1998         Bon Voyage     Bon Voyage          Producer, Mixing
1998         Crackerjack     One Eighty          Keyboards, Producer, Engineer
1998         Fashion Focus     Starflyer 59          Piano, Producer, Fender Rhodes
1998         Happy Christmas: A BEC Holiday Collection  Various Artists  Organ, Producer, Engineer, Farfisa Organ, Mixing
1999         Everybody Makes Mistakes     Starflyer 59          Producer
1999         Fell in Love at 22 [EP]     Starflyer 59          Producer
1999         Gift Horse     The Lost Dogs          Group Member
1999         Here Comes Fanmail [EP]     Fanmail          Keyboards, Engineer
1999         Latest Craze     Fanmail          Keyboards, Producer, Engineer
1999         Lineup     Flight 180          Producer, Mixing
1999         Relocation     Plankeye          Piano, Keyboards, Producer, Engineer
1999         Swing Praise     Various Artists          Arranger, Producer, Engineer, Mixing
1999         Yreka Bakery     Pep Squad          Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, Producer, Mixing
2000         Dust     Sup the Chemist          Engineer, Mixing
2000         Fanmail 2000     Fanmail          Engineer
2000         When the World Sings     Finechina          Engineer
2001         Any Given Day: Passionate Worship for the Soul     Various Artists          Keyboards, Engineer

3) How do you think Gene shaped/impacted the music scene?
Turned the Christian scene upside down with his band, production, and label (Brain Storm).  Legitimized Christian hip hop with groups like SFC.

4) Three words you would use to describe Gene and why?
Genius – amazing producer and song writer
Diplomat – got along with everyone
Quirky – Never knew what he was going to do next

Gene Eugene live, provided by Todd Zeller

2. What projects that you worked on with Gene stand out as the most memorable and why?
I think of all the projects, the ones that stand out are The Lost Dogs projects because The Lost Dogs concept – four guys from alternative bands, and we do this one off, originally just one record – it was Gene’s idea. It was in some ways surprising, unexpected for me, to have built the relationships that we did. Mike Roe is one of my dearest, best friends and that came about through Gene.

3. How do you think Gene impacted the music scene?
I don’t really know how to measure that. I know how he impacted me and I know how he impacted others around me. I think he was a champion. He was a motivator who brought the best out in people. He probably had the same effect on those he worked with that he had on me, which was making me better than I am and raising the bar. I know all of us have been involved with a few dud projects where you’re in there, and you’re getting paid just hacking away at it trying to make something out of it. There was never a project that Gene did, no matter how sort of amateurish, that he didn’t just put all he had into it. So if you drew up a list of projects that Gene did that he could be proud of, it would be most of them. He wasn’t in there making records just for the sake of making records. He really wanted to do something, and say something, about the faith and say something that really had some integrity. I think integrity was Gene’s middle name, and he brought that to every project he ever worked on, so in that regard, I imagine in countless ways he had an impact on the overall scene. In other words, Christian music that was relevant and not just a Jesus mantra of some sort, or something that was trite… but music that was relevant. That was Gene’s forte, being able to stay current, at least sonically, and he also sat on people about things like lyrics. If a lyric bothered him that someone had written, he would have input into that… but never with bullying, it was always respectful and humble.

4. Three words you would use to describe Gene and why?
Hilarious (laughter) would be one. Hilarious in the sense that… Gene didn’t tell jokes, Gene would make little, sort of under the radar remarks that would leave me reeling. For instance, whenever I was in the studio and we would be working on a project, invariably at some point Gene would get this impish grin on his face and he would say, “Oops”. That could mean that he had either failed to punch in something he should have punched in, which was a little problem, or it could have meant that he erased the entire drum track (more laughing). You never knew what “oops” meant.

A barterer… he was on the barter system. This was an old school guy ya know. Financial stuff he just wasn’t great at, and he was juggling a lot of balls in that regard, but Gene would always manage to land on his feet. He would use the barter system… for instance, if you loaned him some money and he couldn’t pay you back, he would bring you in for some studio time or whatever. He had a hundred different ways of handling his business situations, because with the business we’re in you’re always robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Champion would be a third word… champion of others, and that goes back to what I was originally talking about earlier. He brought the best out of you in terms of your own musicianship. He loved good music and loved being with good musicians, and he loved the potential of that relationship. He was always able, in any given situation, to bring out the very best in whoever he was working with. Some people that didn’t even have a lot of talent, he was still able to get things out of them, and do things beyond what they even thought they were probably capable of doing. Part of the sadness of that though… is Gene never slowed down. I know as a friend, and I know other friends, would say “Man, you gotta get away, you gotta eat better, you gotta get more sleep, you gotta take a vacation, you gotta get out of this thing for awhile.” He would say he was going to, but he just wasn’t capable of doing less than a hundred percent. So I think that the studio sort of became his life. It not only brought him joy, but I think it brought him a lot of pain to because he was sort of married to it and just couldn’t keep from going all the way.

5. As a friend how did Gene influence you?
I’ve already touched on it a little bit, but Gene taught me to listen. He taught me to listen to other people, and Gene didn’t have to fake an interest in other people, it was natural to him. He would seek them out, and was outgoing in that regard, where I’m more reclusive and less open to people. I think being in Gene’s company would bring… because of the joy he received from hearing other peoples tales and stories, and his affinity for them, and his genuine interest… that would make you want to experience the same sort of joy, and to open yourself up which is of course what happens… and it takes you outside of yourself, it takes you from the inward to the outward so that you’re not consumed with your own story, your own life, your own problems and your own fears. You’ve expanded yourself to listen to someone else and their tale, whether it’s a tale of woe, a tale of joy or whatever it may be. Just having the ability to listen and bring those stories out of people is something Gene did for me. It expanded my life, and consequently when that happens it affects you as a musician because you are the teller of tales. Gene directly affected me in my songwriting because rather than repeating my story endlessly, I was able to tell other peoples story through song and put myself in their place. His ability to listen to people and observe became sort of a habit for me, and one that I exercise in order to not only become a better person, and a better person to those around me, but also to become a better songwriter.

Adam Again promo shot provided by Todd Zeller

2) What projects were you involved in with him?
I worked on two projects with Gene at the Green Room. The first recording he worked with us on was the second “Clash of Symbols” project (Begging at the Temple Gate Called Beautiful). He did a little engineering and producing. Mark Rodriquez was the main engineer on that project, but Gene would pop his head in, put in his two cents and subbed a couple of times for Mark. Before this time I do not recall ever working a lot with Gene – which is unfortunate – I did hear his name a lot as a quality producer and of course we had basically the same circle of friends. But the first project I really heard him do was the second Swirling Eddies recording. I was impressed by it, but I always thought the snare was too loud, and I would always rib him about it….”Hey Gene, what’s up with that snare?? Do you think you could have made it louder??” He would of course just laugh at me and say, “What are you talking about? It sounds great?”

In 1997 or early 96 I asked Gene to help me with Full Circle – my 3rd solo project. We recorded several songs and mixed a few of them down. I loved working with him, and just remember laughing and laughing with him. All I did was laugh during those sessions. When he died I was devastated. Fortunately, I was able to take the 2 inch tape, transfer it on pro tools and Bobby Hartry and a number of my friends finished it up. The finger prints of Gene are all over that project. I know he would have been proud of it.

3) How do you think Gene shaped and impacted the music scene?
I think Gene helped to bring a certain edge and style to Christian music that was missing. However, I feel that his influence is more subtle and not as direct as some might think – others might feel different. But if you ask any of today’s groups or Christian artists about Gene Eugene, they would probably just give you a blank look. Yet, his influence is there and I can hear it in some of today’s music. Again, I will hear an arrangement or part in a song, and think to myself, “humm, sounds like something Gene would do….I really miss him.”

4) Three words that you would use to describe Gene?
The real thing.

5) As a friend of yours, how did Gene influence you?
I think what I like best about Gene was how he accepted, understood, encouraged and respected me as an artist and a person. To be quite frank, for whatever reason I feel I have been misunderstood and am a bit alienated by more than a few artists that run in Gene’s circle – for whatever reason, maybe it’s my breath. More likely it is because I have a history of being somewhat intense and at times a little difficult, oh well. But with Gene it was always good, no weird vibes, he never made me feel uneasy or tried to intimidate me, most importantly he gave me the benefit of the doubt and never held my faults against me… hence a true friend, I appreciated that in him, more than you could ever know.

A week or so before he died, Gene and I sat and talked for a couple of hours in the kitchen at the Green Room. It was really difficult to get his undivided attention because he always had so much going on and there was always someone stopping by the Green Room. So this was a very unique situation, I feel that time we spent together was a gift from God. It was a special time that I will always treasure. He told me some very nice things about myself that were thoughtful and had a lot of insight. In the end, I think what I loved most about Gene is he could bring out the best in you, both as an artist and a person, and that is a real gift and something that not all people can do…. Like Gene, Bob Hartry also has that ability too. Guys like him and Gene are few and far between. I am a better person for having known Gene, I think about him often, and miss him dearly.

2) What projects did you work on with Gene?
All The Lost Dogs albums before he died… Scenic Routes, Little Red Riding Hood, Green Room Serenade, Gift Horse, and there was the post-humus Live at the Green Room. I also played a little on Michele’s second album One Moment Please.

3) How do you think Gene impacted the music scene?
Gene worked with so many bands, and he gave of himself and his time to all these people. In the studio you become a bands everything, and that’s what he did… and many of these bands were green, but he was always there for them, and it was genuine… he really wanted to be there, he cared about them and their music, and that’s important. A lot of these bands, even if they don’t make it, if they become car salesmen, or whatever, they will remember Gene and what he did for them, what he gave to them and how he was there for them. It didn’t matter how long it took, he gave his best to them.

4) Three words you would use to describe Gene?
It’s not three words, but I came up with this recently. Genius musician, amateur human being and beloved brother. The amateur human being didn’t apply to him when he was in the studio. (laughter)

5) How did Gene influence you?
If there was an influence, it would be a culmination of everything above. For every one band that I produced, Gene produced dozens. He gave of himself on a personal level, and that’s important and what I try to do so also. You give your time and try to become what they need in the studio.

Some funny musings from Mike when talking about Gene were, “Gene was like he was from a different time. It was as if he was one of the Bowery Boys, or the Three Stooges. He should have been a farmer or something because he was a barter guy… like you give him a sack of oats or beans and you barter with him. He was not good at things of this life like money and keeping track of finances. He was intelligent, but not in a book smart way. He was street smart, and could function well in that capacity. He could always spot a mark and he couldn’t wait to get out of the studio and bet on a horse. I was very close to all the people Gene was…”

Gene, Marie McGilvray, and Riki Michele – Photo courtesy of Glenn Holland