Bruce Bergman is being remembered as a talented musician who generously shared his musical skills and was devoted to his family and many friends.

Bergman died last Friday after being diagnosed with Creutzfeld-Jakob disease. Many Yukoners have taken to social media to remember the musician’s work and life.

“When we played together, he just made me better,” Kevin Barr told the Star this week.

He played in a few bands with Bergman after Barr arrived in the territory in the early 1980s. “He was a musician’s musician.”

It was music that first brought a 24-year old Bergman to the Yukon from Vancouver Island in 1978, when he joined Bootjack, the first house band at the Kopper King tavern. Also in the band were his brother Rob on bass and George McConkey on harmonica.

Over the years, Bergman would go on to play in a variety of bands and with his wife, Deb, with whom he performed at Arts in the Park this past summer.

He taught others his guitar skills and released his own music and work as a technician for CBC radio for many years.

Bergman put everything he had into all he did, many have recalled.

As his son Adrian recalled: “Off stage, Dad was so into whatever it was he was doing. Whether it be fixing an amp, teaching guitar or just being the best father.

“Me and (brother) Joel would always have these crazy ideas of building tree forts or making a homemade go-cart and dad would be more excited about it than we were.

“Mom would send him upstairs to put me and Joel to bed and an hour later would come upstairs to see Dad playing LEGO with us. He just was so excitable and truly loved being a father.”

Countless stories and pictures showing Bergman’s sense of humour, generosity and enthusiasm are being shared among his family and friends on a Facebook page entitled Bruce.

Many have recalled the emotion in Bergman’s music.

A student he taught many years ago to play the guitar recalled going to see him last summer after Bergman had a kidney transplant.

He went in unsure what to expect following a number of health issues Bergman had had recently.

Bergman greeted him with a smile. It didn’t take long before the instruments were out and Bergman and his former student were playing House of the Rising Sun “just like he taught me when I learned those first five chords and just like I’ve taught hundreds of kids in the 25 years since.”

It’s one of many stories past students are sharing.

While never one to boast about his own accomplishments, Bergman was proud of the many students he taught over the years.

Adrian noted his dad loved calling him upon hearing about the work of a former student who had just recorded a CD or been recognized in the industry in some way.

Many students continued to have a love for music and playing, with some turning it into a career. One former student went on to win a Grammy award for their work in producing an album.

Both Adrian and Barr pointed to the encouragement Bergman gave other musicians, often calling them up on stage to perform with him.

Loved every band

As Adrian said: “He made everyone sound better, whether he was playing music with them, recording them, teaching them, doing their sound or fixing their equipment. He loved every band me and Joel were in no matter how bad – and most were terrible.

“Music was never about the money for Dad. He would sometimes forget to collect for guitar lessons or not charge for hours he worked on amps.”

His emotional connection with music is what pushed Bergman to write, Adrian said, and that came through in his songs.

Just as his love of music was clear and part of his family life, the love he had for his family was clear to all those who played with him.

Barr recalled many nights performing with Bergman until the early hours of the morning.

After the show was over, when almost everyone in the band would keep partying, Bergman would pack up his gear and head home.

He did that so he could get up in a few short hours and get Adrian and Joel to hockey or whatever other activities they were involved in at the time.

One family friend on Facebook recalled Bergman coaching hockey and the “min concerts” he and Deb would let their sons have in the family’s yard.

Whether he was on-stage or off-stage, Bergman brought his sense of humour and a positive presence.

“He always gave a good time,” Barr said.

As Adrian put it: “He was the same with everyone. Just a gung-ho attitude. The least vindictive person I’d ever known.

“Me and Joel learned so much about how to be a person from him.”