SFist was saddened to hear that Corie Woods, the author of this week's SFist Memoirs article paying tribute to the late Warren Hellman and his Hardly Strictly Bluegrass legacy, passed away suddenly on Wednesday. She was 34. Born and raised in the East Bay, Corie was a huge part of the Bay Area music community now reeling from the loss.
Here are a few words from Corie's best friend, Emily Hirsch (pictured above):
I will always remember the fun times we had there [at Hardly Strictly], even when it was foggy and freezing. As you can see in the photo we look weathered but happy. Corie loved staking out a place and bringing lots of treats to eat all day while we listened to the music. She was friends with so many people that we would constantly run into people she knew who I couldn't ever keep track of. She was truly in her element there, surrounded by good music and lots of friends.
An audio recording of Corie's full interview with SFist, which was recorded on Tuesday night at Whiskey Thieves, can be downloaded here.
To the many folks who knew her, Sunday's concert will be both a tribute to Corie and her beloved Warren Hellman.
Update: The cause of death has not been determined. The autopsy results will reportedly take two to three months.