Michael Piper

It is with heavy hearts and great sorrow that we must report the passing of our good friend, and member of our family, Michael Piper.

Many of you are familiar with Michael by way of his vinyl business, and particularly his role in producing and selling PT vinyl. If you ever bought vinyl at a PT show, or from his store, chances are you found it less a business transaction, and more like a reminiscence with a dear friend about music, because music was what Michael’s life was all about. Maybe he told you about seeing Yes or Genesis on their first US tours back in the early 70s, or how he hadn’t seen that rare vinyl you were looking for in 20 years, but that he would dedicate himself to finding it for you -- and most of the time he did. And even after expending countless hours and resources in finding it, he would still sell it to you for less than he could have charged, because he was all about making other people happy, almost always at his own financial and personal expense (although he never viewed it that way). If you didn’t have the cash on hand, Michael would famously say, “Don’t worry, we’ll deal with it later.”

A lifetime of passion for music culminated in his dedication to Porcupine Tree. He was instrumental in assisting the band on its first US tours, selling merch, and getting the word out to anyone who would listen. He would undertake tasks and errands that no one else would do, from trying to find a local music store to get a set of guitar strings at the last minute, to picking up a spare amp, or even getting the band lunch when everyone else was too busy. Notwithstanding his legendary ability to get lost – an errand 2 blocks from a venue would often turn into an hours-long adventure of directional mishaps, to say nothing of his complete inability to get off any highway at the correct exit – Michael would volunteer to do anything that would help the band, no matter how mundane or non- “rock and roll” the task was. He always put the needs of others above his own.

In recent years, as Michael’s ailments began to get the best of him, he worked less directly with the band, but no less passionately on those occasions when he did. Nothing made him happier than standing at the merch stand, talking to fans interested in vinyl, whether they bought something from him or not. And he made every PT show that he could, driving ridiculously long hours in his horrible old Subaru, or taking the most excruciatingly inconvenient and multiple-connection flights, anything to see and hang out with the band. For us, there was always something reassuring about knowing Michael was at a particular show, no matter what else may have gone wrong, his constancy and unwavering dedication always mattered to us.

Michael spent the last hours of his life in the hospital, surrounded by friends and family. We made certain that there was music in his room, and even though he couldn’t speak and was otherwise unresponsive, his family reported that when they put PT music on for him, he seemed at peace, and was more responsive than he had been in weeks. That is both heartbreaking and humbling to us, but we know that Michael would have wanted to be listening to music to the very end, because that’s what his whole life was about.

As a tribute to Michael, we would ask that anyone that had any interaction with him over the years post their recollections on the PT forum, so that his friends and family can see how beloved he was by all that were lucky enough to know him. And we know that if Michael knew that we were all mourning his passing, and overcome with sadness, he would say, “Don’t worry, we’ll deal with it later.”

We were privileged to have Michael in our lives, and we will miss him terribly.

-Andy Leff, Porcupine Tree Manager.