- Kirk Reeves
Several friends of beloved Portlander Kirk Reeves tell the Mercury that he has died. Many Portlanders know Reeves, 56, as “that guy who plays trumpet on the Hawthorne Bridge”, but Workin’ Kirk played gigs around town and had a public access channel TV show after moving here from Boston in the early nineties.
The man was a cheerful Portland institution. Since at least 2007, Reeves has often occupied a chunk of sidewalk on the west end of the Hawthorne Bridge, wearing a Mickey Mouse hat, white suit, and entertaining commuters with constant trumpeting.
A Street Roots profile of Reeves summed up his presence in the city:
Even if you don’t know him, you know him. He of the white tuxedo, the Mickey Mouse hat, planted next to a pull cart full of toys and gadgets that defy graceful description — and a cornet, the top prop in his menagerie, a mere sampling of what he has at home. In a flourish, Reeves pops open a large expandable ball, swings it around in a circle or two, and then collapses it back to the size of a soccer ball. It’s a signature move. The wow-them-in-10-seconds opener to an act that includes a 4-second puppet show for the kids, a miniature magic trick and an optional three-toss juggle finale. All of this squeezed in between the on-ramp serenade he gives drivers as they creep into Hawthorne’s rush-hour traffic.
The cause of Reeve’s death is unconfirmed, but he had posted on his Twitter feed last year that he was sick and in the hospital. The medical examiner’s office could not comment on Reeves—in all cases, death notices are not made public until someone in the family can be contacted.
RIP Kirk Reeves
I’ll miss seeing you around town. You were a very unique individual.
🙁
I made a Facebook page in memory of Kirk where folks can share memories and pics.
https://www.facebook.com/WorkingKirkReeves
Goodbye Mr. Reeves. You will be sorely missed.
I loved Kirk and his take on “When the Saints go Marching In”.
The thunder over PDX will now likely sound of trumpets.
God bless.
A number of articles about him quoted him as saying that he had lapsed into a couple of diabetic comas. Those are serious, and can definitely kill you. They also indicate he was in poor control of his blood sugar, which can lead to all kinds of other problems–kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke, etc. RIP, Kirk.
What they’ll tell his family is that he died of a self-inflicted gunshot.
This is such sad news 🙁
You always made me smile as I drove my Radio Cab around downtown. RIP.
this sucks.
Someone HAS to throw a funeral/dance party on the Hawthorne bridge for him…
A memorial page has been put together for Kirk:
http://kirkreeves.com/
He shows up at about 2:10 in this video from 2005. http://youtu.be/aWPuAxpCyqw
RIP Kirk.
I’ve been a big fan since I first saw him in September of 2005 within a week of moving here from Alaska.
This is truly a sad thing to be seeing today.
Sleep well my friend. We’ll all be meeting back up with ya someday and will get to enjoy your presence again.
<3
I always said Hi! or gave him a wave on my Hawthorne Bridge commutes.
I love his smile and energy… Hawthorne Bridge will never be the same 🙁
Nothing but smiles when you had the pleasure of crossing paths with Mr. Reeves in Downtown Portland. Thank you ……. ❤ ……. from the bottom of ours hearts. Every smile counts. 🙂
Seeing Kirk always brightened up my day. He was one of those people who loved to make others smile. He will be missed.
This is so sad… he was such a staple for daily commuters. I think we should start a fund to put a permanent statue of him in that very spot.
He will be missed. The Hawthorne Bridge won’t be the same without him.
Always brought a smile to my face while waiting in that horrific queue to cross the Hawthorne. Rain or shine, he was there. Rest easy Mr. Reeves — I will miss your trumpets, puppets and smiles.
This made me cry! My nanny girls and I drove by him quite often heading down the hawthorne bridge in our car. I always rolled down my windows and my girls squealed with delight when Kirk would sing and show us his awesome toys. He will surely be missed.
who will play Taps for our boy?!
You were a joy to here and always brighten my day when i saw you GOD BLESS
from a police update about an hour ago:
Thanks to a tip from the public, the Oregon State Medical Examiner was able to locate Kirk’s sister and notify her of his death.
Sadly, Kirk was discovered at Bybee Lake in North Portland on Sunday, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Help is available for community members struggling from a mental health crisis and/or suicidal thoughts. Suicide is preventable.
Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare has an urgent walk-in clinic, open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., 7 days a week. Payment is not necessary.
He will be missed. I remember him playing “Somewhere over the rainbow” and it made so much sense.
Love you Workin’ Kirk! Never got a chance to call you tho I saw you on the bus that day and you gave me your number. We’ll talk someday when we’re both done with these bodies!
Rest well, watch over us, continue playing your cheerful songs!
His soul will live forever as a part of Portland. Seeing him always lightened my mood when things were rough. Good bye old friend, we love you-
How did he die?
People treated him badly when he performed on the streets. I know what’s it’s like, I”m a Portland street performer. People can be mean, even tho we give a service and make smiles. I hope that Kirk Reeves Day (Nov. 18th) will change the thinking towards street performers. Bucket Love (the new sound of Portland, street musician)