![<-- A photograph of Kim McLagan with a vase of flowers at the memorial service for her at the rock garden in Zilker Park on Tuesday night.]( "<-- A photograph of Kim McLagan with a vase of flowers at the memorial service for her at the rock garden in Zilker Park on Tuesday night.")
<-- A photograph of Kim McLagan with a vase of flowers at the memorial service for her at the rock garden in Zilker Park on Tuesday night.
Laughter, tears at memorial for wife of musician Ian McLagan
By Joe Gross
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Hundreds turned out at the Zilker Park Rock Garden on Tuesday evening to celebrate the life of Kim McLagan, wife of Austin musician and former Faces keyboard player Ian McLagan.
Kim McLagan was killed Aug. 2 in a traffic collision at Taylor Lane and FM 969 in eastern Travis County. McLagan was driving a 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser south on Taylor when she apparently ran a stop sign at the intersection. She was hit by a 2000 Freightline dump truck that was heading west.
Ian McLagan said his late wife, a former model once married to Who drummer Keith Moon, would be overwhelmed by the outpouring of emotion he has received over the past week, from the Internet guest book at Legacy.com that contains more than 600 entries to those assembled at the memorial service.
"She would be embarrassed by all this fuss," McLagan said, wiping away the occasional tear and talking to a crowd that included Austin musicians such as Charlie Sexton and Double Trouble drummer Chris Layton.
KGSR Music Director Jody Denberg, a close friend of the McLagans, opened the service by paying tribute to Kim McLagan's curative spirit and internationally known beauty.
"She helped everything and everyone around her heal," Denberg said.
Born Patsy Kerrigan in 1948, Kim McLagan rose to fame as a model in 1960s London. Ian McLagan spoke at length about his former wife, telling stories of their long friendship before their courtship and often eliciting laughter from the crowd.
"She was just lovely to be around," he said. "She was just such great company."
Despite McLagan's stormy marriage to Moon, they had one daughter, Mandy Moon. She also spoke at the service.
"She was always beautiful, but she really did blossom here in Austin," Moon said, fighting back tears.
McLagan and Kerrigan were married in 1978, shortly after Keith Moon's death. After living in Los Angeles for years, the couple moved to Central Texas in 1994.
"We came to the best place in the U.S.," McLagan said. "Kim loved Austin. We lived in L.A. for 16 years and never planted anything," referring to the McLagan's Bastrop home, which was known by friends for its lush greenery.
McLagan expressed sympathy for the driver of the truck involved in the accident.
"It's terribly sad the way she died and I feel for the poor truck driver," McLagan said. "But Kim is fine. I know she is."
"We need to have a big old hug," McLagan said to the crowd. "Thank you so much."
A few remarks later, the hugging began.
http://www.austin360.com/music/content/music/stories/2006/08/9memorial.html
