OBSESSIONS & ASPERGER SYNDROME
Bap's lifelong passion was music of course. His focus, dedication and attention to detail both on stage and in the studio were extreme and meticulous. But as he said himself, it wasn't till he gave up alcohol that he realised his basic nature was "very, very obsessive" and some of his favourite "obsessions" are clearly reflected in his music.
Whenever a topic caught Bap's interest he would study it in great depth and find out every bit of information he could until his knowledge was absolutely encyclopedic. We used to joke that Bap would do well on Mastermind answering questions on any of his "obsessions". And when Bap received a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome, in his words " it explained a lot."
Here are a few examples of Bap's "obsessions" :
Whenever a topic caught Bap's interest he would study it in great depth and find out every bit of information he could until his knowledge was absolutely encyclopedic. We used to joke that Bap would do well on Mastermind answering questions on any of his "obsessions". And when Bap received a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome, in his words " it explained a lot."
Here are a few examples of Bap's "obsessions" :
Diamonds
Bap became interested in diamonds while working in a pawn shop in London. This was at a point when he had decided to leave the music business because he found it so stressful. His interest grew to the point where he studied a three year course and became a qualified gemmologist.
This picture was Bap's "favourite" diagram from his diamond studies. He was really good at drawing it ...seriously! (For the uninitiated, it's the covalent molecular bond) |
The Apollo Missions
Ever since Bap was a child, he had been extremely interested in science and space and this interest never left him.
He researched this interest from every possible angle and our shelves were overflowing with books and DVDs about space. I don't think there was a single question he couldn't answer about the Apollo Missions. Bap's "Howl On" album was a concept album about the Space Race and all that he associated with that era of his life. |
Elvis & Hank
As usual Bap's knowledge about his musical heroes was encyclopedic. In his final interview Bap talked about how he greatly admired the songwriting of Hank Williams for its "deep simplicity" and pays homage to Hank in his "Hillbilly Shakespeare" album, while "Lonely Street" is a tribute to Elvis and Hank.
Bap went on to dedicate Lonely Street to Autism NI during the time when he and I were serving a term as co-patrons. |
A big part of understanding Bap involves understanding his Asperger Syndrome and the impact it had on his life, his music and his career.
He chose to keep his diagnosis private and did not talk publicly about it until near the end of his life when, as he wrote in his blog, he wanted to set the record straight. And in his final interview with Ralph McLean it was a relief to him to speak freely and openly about it.
He chose to keep his diagnosis private and did not talk publicly about it until near the end of his life when, as he wrote in his blog, he wanted to set the record straight. And in his final interview with Ralph McLean it was a relief to him to speak freely and openly about it.
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