RIP Dave Bailey

[Kevin Savage]

Dave Bailey was one of the more interesting personalities I have ever known in this business. He was very funny and had a golden tongue. He could talk his way into about anything and everything. He probably should have been a standup comic- but who knows why we all end up doing what we do for a living...

I met him in the 1990's at a Tri Star Show in San Francisco. He approached my booth- introduced himself- said he wanted to get to know me- and within an hour, we were buying a deal together. ( I recall calling my wife from that show- and telling her that I wasn't really sure what happened there...) He was like "raw material that needed some refining"- who initially really didn't know the stuff-and had very little formal education (He would often say "I ain't much for book learnin"...). Dave DID have a ton of street smarts- a keen memory- and could read people and situations- and ultimately could get business done. I have only ever taught 4 people how to write a check( I have 3 kids)- and Dave was the other one(that was after we got him a checkbook...). In the early days- He needed mentoring- and there were a few of us that kind of took him under our wing- and traded industry knowledge for lots of laughs- and some profits.

We did a lot of business in the 1990's until about 2010. He only lived about an hour from my home base - and he always said I was good at figuring the deals- and he was very good at negotiating. He would throw odd things in on deals to get them done (like pizzas, tickets to games, and even jewelry....).
Some of the stories are legendary.....

Unfortunately his poor health got the best of him over the last 10 years or so- and made it difficult to conduct business. Ultimately- this led to his untimely death yesterday.

Dave was a true friend, absolutely hilarious, and underneath all of his brash comedic personality - a guy who had a good heart - and a gentle soul. I will always remember him as a talented guy who achieved a great deal- and made this world a funnier place for anyone he met.

Rest in Peace Big Guy,

Kevin Savage