One of the things that makes living here so special is that no matter how much the area expands, we are still a close-knit community that comes together when the going gets tough.
Kirk James Memorial
A memorial for Kirk James will be held at 2 p.m. Sept. 21, 2025, at the Sky Ute Event Center in Ignacio.
In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions in James’ name may be directed to https://everloved.com/life-of/kirk-james-durango-co/ or to KSUT Public Radio, www.ksut.org.
In honor of James’ legacy, people are welcome to post photos, memories and stories online at https://everloved.com/life-of/kirk-james-durango-co/ where memories and words of comfort and condolences may be shared with his family.
This feeling of community was exemplified recently when we all woke to the news of the untimely passing of one of our own: Musician, artist and motor enthusiast Kirk James died unexpectedly on Aug. 17. His Kirk James Band was a mainstay, and his work as a pinstriper garnered him renown throughout the region.
A memorial for James will be help at 2 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Sky Ute Event Center in Ignacio.
We initially ran a story of James’ passing, and felt we’d like to give community members a chance to share their memories.
Here’s some of what we received:
I believe I met Kirk in 1985, the year I moved to Durango from Summit County, Colorado, where I had been living with my husband Steve Schultz since 1974. Durango was so civilized and warm and Kirk was an early blessing. He had recently moved to town as well and was very young (21!) but already a talented artist. Kirk agreed to illustrate an early story in the upcoming Durango Magazine, the first issue of which was to come out in May of 1986.
Kirk was remarkable even then for his kindness and warmth and humor. He told me he would help my advertisers with their logos and ad illustrations and artwork and he might have given me then a very impressively illustrated business card! I worked with him for many of the 32 years that I was the owner and publisher of the magazine. It amazed me when I finally realized he was a musician, too, playing blues guitar. Probably at Fahrquart’s. He eventually moved into the second floor office in the Old Gradin Building (777 Main Ave.) where my late husband had had his real estate appraisal business for many years. (Susan Davies is the owner and was our landlord.)
I first met Kirk James before or at the Sunday Nights Jam sessions hosted by Clancey’s Pub of Durango. This was Sept. 1989. Unfortunately, I moved out of Durango 2 months later but returned for visits in the ’90s up to 2006. During a visit to Durango in August 1999, I was fortunate to catch The Kirk James Band performing at a club in Durango called “Scoot n’ Blues.” I kept in touch with Kirk since then, bought one of his CDs. I was deeply saddened to learn of his passing at such a young age.
I probably started regularly going to see his music and got to know him about two, three years, pre-COVID. ... My claim to fame in that realm is that ... I was able to nag him into learning a new song for me that I like to dance to, But I would always try to go to his performances whenever I could. His drummer, Steve Dejka, is a neighbor and a friend, so when I would go see him play, I always would get to sit at the band table, and also, when they’d come down on breaks and get to talk. ... What I’ll miss most about him is I’m a blues fanatic, always have been, and I’m old now, and I can’t handle the snow anymore in the winter. So I’ve started spending the last couple of winters down in Albuquerque with a friend, and (there is) a lot of blues music down there, really good blues players ... so I get exposed to a lot of great blues music. And all the wonderful players they have down there, there’s nobody there that could touch Kirk. He was just flat out the best blues guitar player that I’ve ever known, and I’d rather go see him than go see some really big show.
Kirk was more my father’s friend than mine. He shared the love of music with my dad, and they jammed together for many years. That is how I originally met him, then he married a friend of mine. We didn’t “hang out” or have Sunday Dinners, but we would frequently run into each other and always catch up. He wrote a song titled “Fross” in honor of my dad after his death.
Right now, I am imagining in another universe, my dear father thanking Kirk for the beautiful song, telling him he is there way too soon and nodding to him to pick up his guitar. Wish we could hear it!
For those of us left behind, the Blues just got a little more blue.
For more information, check out James’ website, https://kirkjames.com/music.html, and a memorial website, https://everloved.com/life-of/kirk-james-durango-co/.
katie@durangoherald.com
