Today Kansas City mourns the passing of not only African-American signer icon Aretha Franklin but also a legend in local media: Craig Glazer.
Craig Glazer was a contributing writer to Tony's Kansas City for years and wrote some of the most controversial and inspiring posts ever published on this blog.
Craig was diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year and passed last night after his last remaining brother died only weeks ago.
We mourn his passing but also remember a quick lesson he taught this blog community . . .
Craig didn't often pay much attention to comment haters but we he did, he usually found them funny and took joy in calling them out, busting them on constant misstatements and reminding haters that they were obsessed with him, not the other way around.
Craig Glazer pioneered sharing far too much about his personal life before the selfie social media era. He was more than just a comedy club owner, he used his talent for captivating audiences as a pundit, social critic, low-key activist for Westport and mentor to a lot of performers hoping to break into the entertainment industry.
More than that, he was Kansas City's original comeback story. Neither a stint in jail nor repeated business reboots seemed to impact his efforts to keep trying and trying again . . .
Important to today's conversation . . . In an era when there's a constant effort to "deplatform" political opponents, Craig Glazer reveled in a vibrant discourse and enjoyed debating all manner of haters, critics and trolls rather than seeking to limit their access.
In the comments that will follow, there will be some nasty things written about Craig Glazer and that's to be expected. Most people who would seek to tarnish his legacy never knew him, but some did. What's important is that no one can dispute Mr. Glazer's self-awareness, keen insight and commitment to championing his ideals.
