Wayman Tisdale, Bassist, Basketballer, Dies at 44
MAY 18, 2009 TAGS:
Wayman Tisdale’s love of music enveloped his life of basketball. Far before he wowed college recruits as a dominant 6 foot 9 inch forward or led the United States Olympic team in rebounds during their 1984 gold medal run, Tisdale played the bass. And he played it well. Then, after retiring in 1995, he returned to his bass, releasing over 13 albums in a dozen years. Tisdale died of bone cancer on Friday May 15. He was 44.
As a child, Tisdale loved the bassists in his church band. “I thought they were the coolest cats,” he said in a 2007 interview with Ebony magazine. Tisdale’s father, a reverend at the Friendship Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, gave his son a toy guitar. Playing music consumed him. While his brothers would play basketball in the yard, young Wayman would work on his fingering and his swagger.
After an impressive growth spurt during junior high, Tisdale took to basketball. Or, rather it took to him. He was pursued by college recruiter the country over, but chose to stay in his home state and play for the Oklahoma Sooners (certainly, his decision was aided by Oklahoma’s move hiring his uncle as an assistant coach and offering his considerably less gifted brother a scholarship as well).
In 1984, he won the gold medal with the United States Olympic basketball team (then comprised of amateurs). The next year he was chosen second in the N.B.A. draft, forgoing his senior year at Oklahoma, and falling just over a thousand points shy of the all-time college scoring record.
Though never chosen as an all-star as a pro, Tisdale N.B.A. career was nonetheless productive. As a power forward for the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, he played consistently well during his 12-year career.
His position became the title of his first record. Power Forward came out in 1997 two years after Tisdale retired. The double meaning is apparent. After leaving the game, Tisdale thrust himself quickly into jazz/funk outfits. He played his bass in a melodic way, tracing lines with spunky alertness and quick punctuations.
At his size, its hard not the think that Tisdale played the bass because it was one of the few instruments his gargantuan hands could deftly operate.
Whatever his reasons, joy precipitated from his left-handed play.
As a child, Tisdale loved the bassists in his church band. “I thought they were the coolest cats,” he said in a 2007 interview with Ebony magazine. Tisdale’s father, a reverend at the Friendship Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, gave his son a toy guitar. Playing music consumed him. While his brothers would play basketball in the yard, young Wayman would work on his fingering and his swagger.After an impressive growth spurt during junior high, Tisdale took to basketball. Or, rather it took to him. He was pursued by college recruiter the country over, but chose to stay in his home state and play for the Oklahoma Sooners (certainly, his decision was aided by Oklahoma’s move hiring his uncle as an assistant coach and offering his considerably less gifted brother a scholarship as well).
In 1984, he won the gold medal with the United States Olympic basketball team (then comprised of amateurs). The next year he was chosen second in the N.B.A. draft, forgoing his senior year at Oklahoma, and falling just over a thousand points shy of the all-time college scoring record.
Though never chosen as an all-star as a pro, Tisdale N.B.A. career was nonetheless productive. As a power forward for the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, he played consistently well during his 12-year career.
His position became the title of his first record. Power Forward came out in 1997 two years after Tisdale retired. The double meaning is apparent. After leaving the game, Tisdale thrust himself quickly into jazz/funk outfits. He played his bass in a melodic way, tracing lines with spunky alertness and quick punctuations.
At his size, its hard not the think that Tisdale played the bass because it was one of the few instruments his gargantuan hands could deftly operate.
Whatever his reasons, joy precipitated from his left-handed play.
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