On Friday January 8th our Daddy passed on.
Simon Goss was the creator and owner of Wah Wah 45s, our inspiration, brother and our friend.
After a short and hard fought battle against cancer the big man that we all loved and looked up to left us peacefully on Friday morning. He’s left a massive hole in our lives, but also the strength to carry on and keep his beautiful spirit alive in our music.
We shall miss his uniquely eclectic DJ sets (noone could mix up Ray Charles and drum’n’bass quite like ‘The Daddy’ ), his wonderful sense of humour (part Tommy Cooper, part Eric and Ernie), his belief in new music and young artists, his long and amusing stories, his detailed knowledge of obscure jazz and soul records, his obsession with standing up for the little man against the corporate hordes, and more than anything else his elegance and enigmatic persona. He was, in truth, a real gentleman.
We shall also miss his flat caps hitting us in the head every time he cornered us for a word in our ear.
Rest easy Daddy Goss. Wah Wah will always love you and miss you.
Dom and Adam.
Love untold going out to Patti, Chris, Tom, Joe and all the Wah Wah family at this time.
51 thoughts on “Rest easy Daddy Goss”
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I didn’t get to tell him, so I’m gonna tell you. Si Goss helped changed my life. Not in a ‘Dr Miracles Hair Growth Formula’ kind of way, but in an ‘Im ACE and I am going to believe in what you do’ kind of way. The kind of way that actually makes you yourself believe in what you do. Subtle and understated but as strong as an Ox. That’s how I will always see Simon. What a dude. xx
Whenever we parted I always wished that we had just a little more time together – just to tell one more story or have one last laugh. If I had just one more chance…ohh the stories we would tell. I do hope there is a flipside so that we get that chance.
Much Love.
Much respect and sympathy from the Beyondjazz crew!
Big love to you all in this sad time…
Sad sad news. A true gent. My sympathies to the loved ones he leaves behind. Rest in peace.
I knew the man for thirty odd years. We would talk occasionally or exchange an email and promise each other we would get together ‘next year’ or ‘next spring’ but somehow our schedules never quite managed to overlap. Now my friend has gone and somehow the world feels a poorer place because we will never schedule that drink. If there is another place beyond the curtain that we call existence then I am sure there is great music, a great party taking place with the Almighties own house DJ! RIP Simon.
Sir Simon G ..
never ´ll forget your positive vibes down in Budva @ the Tudo belza festival;
R.I.P.
Tom
Dom and Wah Wah 45s, hard to find the right words, but from myself, Rob Luis and all here at Tru Thoughts, we send you all our love and thoughts at this sad time. Simon will be missed by us here and we send our love to his family and friends. Big love, Paul
Much love, respect and sympathy from vienna!
R.I.P. Simon
Juergen
Simon was a genuine, warm, smart & funny guy. A very proud father. A real gentleman. He will be sorely missed. Our sincerest sympathy to his family and loved ones.
Big Respect from Italy! The Irma family
im so sorry to hear this
i did not know Simon other than meeting him at Cargo once
my love goes out to Dom and all Simon’s friends and family..
rest in peace
bazis
a massive loss and devastating to those close to him. He was a true gentleman, dedicated to his family and his music, a real inspiration. Goodbye sir x
From all at the Jazz Cafe, many years of Wah Wah past!!! Rest in peace Simon. Our sympathy too goes out to his family, colleagues and friends.
I am truly stunned.
Stunned at losing a person who not only was an absolute pleasure to work with over the last nine years, but stunned at the fact he has gone from this life to the next at such an early age.
I never had the chance to say farewell to you Simon, and I hope you can forgive me for that but I will always remember you, at the Jazz Cafe to Catch to Herbal and Vibe Bar and the Hoxton Hotel having the best of times and cracking on some absolute blinding tunes.
I do actually recall the first time we met ten years ago and thinking you knew your stuff. I’ll have you on my team when we meet next for sure.
Stay safe and all my love always.
XXXXXXXXXX
A true Gentleman has passed away. You don’t get the chance to meet persons like Simon very often. You will be missed at our HiFi nights Simon. The thoughts goes to Chris, Dom, the boys and the rest of the family in these sad times.
Kai
Very, very sad news, a lovely man, a real smiler and will be sorely missed, lots of love and big hugs for familia Goss – Chris, Dom et al.
Indeed, rest easy.
I met Si a few times while playing with Scrimshire. Although I didn’t know him as well as some, he was always up for a chat, a laugh and a piss-take, even when the music was blaring and you could hardly hear each other!
I will remember him mostly through friends who knew him better, and the stories they tell. My thoughts are with you all, the Wah Wah family.
Bless Si Goss
I feel with you with all of my heart.
All the love goes out to Simon and his family and friends.
Really sorry to hear this news. Rest In Peace Simon. love to all wah wah crew and his family at this time.
simon was a super cool dude. met him at numerous wahwah, mouseorgan, hospital nights, as well as selling him the odd tune at if, over the years. he always had time to talk and spread positive vibes about music and life in general.
big thankyou to him for inventing wahwah45s in the first place. lot of musicians like myself made friends and found a home there. long may his legacy continue! love to all his family
Absolute shocker !!! We lost a truly modest & honest soul, never had the chance to know him well but his knowledge of music (and da industry!!) was deeeeeep… Sincere condolence to his family & friends… Life is precious … Daddy Goss RIP. 1 x
Simon was a top bloke and very amiable. He was softly spoken and very genuine in his thoughts, ideas and belief in ‘our’ music.
I also know that he was an ispiration to a great many people, including myself and his family can take great comfort in the knowledge that he was a much loved figure within our scene.
To me and countless others he will always be the cool cat in the flat cap (daddy Goose)!!!
Love to all of Simon’s family and friends !!xx
WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS MY SORROW. SIMON’S MUSIC AND HIS SPIRIT REMAIN IN CASPER. REST EASY MY FRIEND.
Have known Simon over quite a few years – firstly via a job up in Stamford Hill in the 90s and then cos I worked with Patti – bumped into him at various music events with Rich moth, MOTIV and wahwah around London.
Always very warm and engaging when drawing you in for a chat about this and that
will be sadly missed by many
We were so shocked and upset when we heard the news. Whenever you think about Simon, his peace, depth, family pride and gentile resonate with every thought of him. Ones heart is filled with love,as it should be, for life. A truely beautiful person.
Sorry we cant be there tomorrow to say this, but our hearts and thoughts are with you all.
Sarah, Tim, and the Boys
xxxxx
What a loss…
The Simon I knew was a genuine, kind and softly spoken man, proud dad and, to me, a supportive label boss.
He would always make sure I knew I had a place to crash when visiting London and would always speak proudly of his family. I’ll miss his funny stories and heartfelt passion for music and I will never forget that he and Dom offered me my first break in the biz. I love you both.
I’ll be thinking about Simon tomorrow and raising my glass to him!
Rest in peace Mr Goss.
Jamie x
I`m sad and so sorry to hear that Simon has left us. We will miss you, your good smile, your huge friendly hart and honest solid advices. Thanks for believing and giving us, up north the possibility to release stuff on wahwah and wahwahmoose as well as showing and teaching us the right side of jass.
So sorry I cant be there tomorrow to say goodbye, Simon, but my heart and mind will be there with you, with Chris, Dom, Patti and family.
Rest in peace, Daddy Goss
Lots of love, respect and the deepest sympathy
Kjærlighet fra Espen, Nhu, Mui & Tiger XXXXXX
Simon, thanks for the great times and helping me believe in our music, your encouragement keeps us pushing! RIP.
Love to Dom, Adam and all the Wah Wah family!
Chris xxx
A true don, gentle giant and all around fantastic guy has left us.
Big love to the Goss and Wah Wah 45s family.
RIP Simon
What a terrible loss to those that knew him and love him. A real genuine and sincere guy, a beautiful human being. He always left you with a smile. And that is exactly how I will remember him.
my deepest condolances to the goss family and to dom and adam….rest in peace simon.
Thank you Simon for opportunities, inspiration, friendship and good times. We will always love you and miss you!
Our deepest love and sympathy to Chris, Dom Patti and the boys.
Snorre, Silje & Agnes
Hi Si,
It was a pleasure to know you if only for a short period of time at your last employment. We said our final Goodbye today your service was amazing and your family done you proud they were so solid you would have been so pleased since you always spoke so highly of your wife and your sons as well as wah wah 45 at work, they showed just how much they thought of you today.
I don’t understand how they will carry on without you I couldn’t imagine the pain and the heartache that they are feeling right now.
You will be sadly missed thank you for all your support at work.
You were trully amazing.
Condolences to Patti and the boys as well as your family and the wah wah 45’s
Annmarie Nero
x
Simon, I want to thank you for so many things. The Wah Wah residency at the Albany for starters. For me that was a soul Mecca, and those sessions shaped the way I started DJing and to this day I always know that selection is WAY more important than how well you mix! Also I fell in love with my wife Ai at those sessions – in fact we first held hands after one memorable night when you quite justifiably threatened to beat the moody bar owner to a pulp. A not so gentle giant on that occasion! To then have you and Chris DJ all night at our wedding celebration was a massive honour. At the Jazz Cafe I was on the dancefloor after a Terry Callier gig and you dropped ‘the world is a ghetto’ by George Benson and I had the kind of road to damascus experience normally reserved for teenagers. A formative moment for me. The list goes on, but as been said so many times, you were a true gentleman (when sober) and a true selecta. To paraphrase Webster Lewis, you went on a journey, you went all the way, you’ve gone home. Big big love.
So sad to see you leave this sinful place.You made an impact,thanks for the Wah Wah CD you gave me my litle girls could not believe I used to listen to such soulful sounds.You will not be forgeotten.Respect.
Gutted, gutted, gutted. Dunno what to say mate – yours and the fam’s pain must be as deep as it gets – Simon dee-jayed at our wedding in 2001 and made the night a special one – can honsetly say he was one of the gentlest, warmest fellas I’ve ever met…words mean nowt in these circumstances but “THIS MAN WAS A PRINCE”
One Love…Mark Rez
XXX
It was a truly remarkable occasion yesterday for a truly remarkable man. I’ve been fortunate and privileged enough to have known Simon for most of my life, since I was about six years old in fact. The brothers Goss strode into St Edwards C Of E and were immediately the stars of the Art Room. Simon like Chris was one of if not the most amazing naturally gifted artist I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, he drew Star Wars Stormtroopers like Leonardo Da Vinci! Everyone at school thought the Goss brothers were so damn cool and I wanted to be just as cool as them, so began my life in art, 33 years later I’m still trying to be as brilliant and as cool as Simon & Chris and falling way way short. I looked up to Simon, literally, he was tall man, but spiritually too, he always inspired me when I talked to him because he always ALWAYS had time for you, he was a passionate and compassionate man like I’ve never known, I admired him greatly and I keep reading back our iphone text conversations about the Hammers winning (granted our conversations weren’t that frequent) but when we did win, the chats we had were thrilling. He 100% inspired me to be an artist and he inspired me and continues to inspire me to be a better man. Still in denial, still think I’m gonna see him again, will always miss him deeply. gentle shoulder charge love you mate. Jamie x
I shall always feel priviledged to have attented the funeral and honoured to be invited by the Goss family to the gathering that followed. It was a beautiful evening. My favourite DJ has passed away but he left a few CDs for one final set. We all had a great time, but I was not alone in being overcome by frequent moments when my heart felt like lead and my body sighed as I remembered why I was there. Simon would have had a great time too. He would have loved the entertainment his two gifted children, young men, and their wonderful friends provided us all, an inspiring legacy. The world is all the more beautiful because of you Simon. Goodnight X
I’m still in shock from this news. From my first dj gig with Simon in Stratford over ten years ago, through our dj adventures with Motiv at the Eye then Clockwork, the Jazz Cafe and Cargo over the years that followed Simon was always fun to know and work with, generous, warm and kind, a great source of knowledge about the music and, of course, he never failed to pull killer tune after killer tune out of the bag…
Simon’s funeral this week was testimony to the respect, warmth and affection in which he was held by so many. At the service both floors of the church were completely packed with standing room only and we shed many tears as we listened to deeply emotional tributes from Patti, and Simon’s brother Chris amongst others. Fittingly the service was a soulful celebration as Simon surely would have wanted it, from the moving rendition of Son Of a Preacher Man played live by family members to bursts of classic SG tunes like Amen Brother by the Winstons that punctuated the service.
Thanks for the music and your friendship Simon. You will be truly and sorely missed.
With love and deepest sympathy to Patti, the boys, and the Wah Wah family.
from rich (dj moth) and the Motiv crew
x
When the time comes for a loved one to move on, what can help deal with the loss is the awareness that what we have shared is with me even now and that our connection is an eternal one. It is vital to realise that even now my thoughts and feelings still reach them. Therefore, if I choose to have good wishes and pure feelings, as opposed to feelings of sorrow, this will help them on their onward journey. It will be my gift to them.
massive respect to simon and sympathy goes out to all family and wah wah crew.
much love form the unforscene boys
Balanso 2010 started off with alison crocket U R and Cheyenne Come Back To Me…In memory of our man Simon Goss. We ll miss you mate…!
Nebojsa Belgrade
It’s not often in life that you meet someone as cool as Si was who also puts you completely at ease, but he managed to do that effortlessly, I didn’t know him for very long but the man was as warm and welcoming as it gets, and I shall miss him, his hats and ever-presence behind the decks at Wah Wah do’s.
A true gent. Unlike myself 🙂
I used to work with Simon on the Council, in his paying the bills alter ego, and attended many of the Wah Wah parties. I can only reiterate a lot of the kind and very true words that have already been posted by others.
Althuough I haven’t seen Simon in a few years it was on my mind to get in touch and logged onto the Wah Wah site to see if I could find a contact, I obviously won’t get the chance.
This is terrible news and I am actually feeling shocked and somewhat devastated.
Please pass on my love and condolences to his wonderful family, I can only imagine how they are feeling right now.
With much sadness, yours
Gethin
Simon was my boss at my first job when I moved to London from Nottingham a few years ago.He made working in a crazy team enjoyable!! He was such a sweet man, so gentle and softly spoken. I went to a few of his gigs at the Jazz Cafe and had the most fun. He always spoke lovingly about his wife and children. We have lost such a wonderful person.RIP Simon.xx
I had the great pleasure to play with Simon back in the day. It was one of the best sets I ever played and that was down to working with such ‘Giant’ selector as the Daddy Goss. Wah Wah days will never be forgotten in my heart.
All my love goes out to Chris and the whole Goss family at this very difficult time.
Clive
Condolences and sympathy to all his family and friends.
R.I.P. Simon
Bjorn
Forever peace.
How lovely, to read these tributes to such a nice man. You were the same at school, quietly being so talented in the art room while we all looked on in amazement. Thankfully due to Jamie and Chris being such good friends, we were able to catch up a few times over the years on my trips back to the UK. I got to meet your lovely family and got to have a little chat with you about your art one night. I couldnt believe you didn,t paint any more, and you told me “i guess it all comes out in my music now”. Through this website i have come to realise what you meant that night. I used to love listening to Robbie Vincent on Sat morn radio playing his rare groove sounds in our school days and now thanks to Wah Wah 45s i can listen to even better. I only wish i had realised earlier. I hope you are at peace now. I feel so lucky to have known you. Love to all your family. xxxxxxx