Al Martinez: Now he wishes he had called sooner

I waited too long.

For more than a month I have had a note on my desk to call Steve Hall, with one word added, "Interview?"

From his website I knew that he was a talented musician, a banker who gave up a career to pursue what he loved most. I listened to his piano renditions on the Internet, examples of his ability to instill beauty in both religious and secular music, including country western and pop.

The classics also came alive under his gentle touch.

I'm not sure why I waited so long to finally call his house. When you write columns for a living, an inner clock determines when it's time to profile a particular person, or explore a special subject. Variety keeps ongoing essays alive and readable.

After a long delay, my inner clock finally said it was time to write about music, so I called Hall's Woodland Hills home. His wife Robyn answered. As I was explaining what I wanted, she stopped me in mid-sentence. "Your timing is off," she said softly. "My beloved Steve died on March 21st."

I sit here today reflecting on that moment, Hall's music playing quietly in the background from my computer: "Send in the Clowns" and Billy Joel's haunting "Piano Man."

What should I do then in the company of the dead, tell his grieving wife I'm sorry he died, hang up and forget the project? I couldn't do that. One does not so quickly and casually dismiss a life that embraced such compelling tones. I pressed on.

There were tears in Robyn's

voice and sometimes she had to stop speaking to regain her composure, but she went on to say that Hall had died of complications caused by blood clots. He would have been 63 in June. They had been married for 38 years. They have three sons.

Music entwined his life.

Born in L.A., he had played the piano from age 5 and began classical training when he was 18. After graduating from the University of Southern California, he went into management banking, offering his piano compositions on a part-time basis at weddings and private parties.

"He always believed there would be people who would want his music," Robyn said. "It's so beautiful."

It must have played in his head with a continuous message to make it his life. He finally gave up banking, made his first recording and went into the business of selling what he produced, sometimes as a soloist, sometimes backed by other instruments.

His work was received with enthusiasm. The company he created now offers 37 collections, all in sharp contrast to the howling, thumping cacophonies produced by today's rock stars. Two million albums of Hall's compositions have been sold.

He was the consummate music maker, offering elements of his own gentle nature to bring moments of tranquility to those who listened to his melodies. I would have liked to have known him. I wish I hadn't waited.

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Al Martinez writes a column on Mondays and Fridays.

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