When Rush's latest documentary
Time Stand Still was released, many fans were introduced to superfan Ray Wawrzyniak for the first time. He brought a sincerity to the film when he gave us an enthusiastic tour of his Rush collection. Wawrzyniak is the subject of a new interview with metal-rules.com where he takes us in depth into his Rush collection.
Check it out here.
- Thanks Ray for the headsup!
As this Ray Wawrzyniak individual has had recent exposure, given his participation in the liner notes for the Permanent Waves 40th anniversary edition, as well as other releases, and by having appeared in the Time Stand Still documentary, I would like to share my personal experience with him many years ago.
ReplyDeleteI contacted Ray back in the early 90’s through a pen-pal mailing list for members of the Rush Backstage Club. Back then, he sent me a list of his Rush memorabilia, including many rare live recordings, which were very difficult to get back in those days, asking if I might have any of my own that I could offer for exchange. I did not have any that I could share but I offered that I could send Rush albums printed in Mexico, which is my home country, as this could be interesting items that could contribute to his list of rare memorabilia.
Ray accepted to receive the albums and offered in exchange to sign me up as a life-time subscriber of his ‘The Spirit of Rush’ fanzine, and to provide me with copies of 5 of his rare live recordings. I agreed to the offered deal and proceeded to courier him all the 4 brand new, locally issued, LP Rush albums that were available in Mexico at the time, along with my selection of the 5 recordings from his list for him to send back.
I never heard back from Ray, even after multiple letters that I mailed asking him to confirm that he received the albums (I did not have a phone number for him and this was way before the internet days). I never received the recordings that he offered nor the fanzine. I had been scammed.
This was a very frustrating experience for me back then, as a young teenager, having spent part of my limited savings to pay for the albums and the courier, with the illusion of owning rare Rush recordings, which I had never heard any before at the time, and to be signed up to receive the fanzine. I could not believe that I had been scammed by a Rush fan!
I wonder how many other Rush fans Ray cheated to build his memorabilia collection that he now brags so much about.
“It’s really just a question of your honesty”
I have kept Ray’s letter until this day, where he is offering the deal that would just cheat me into his trap. I am posting it here, along with this story, for the Rush community to learn my personal sad experience with this individual. I believe that it is an honest way for me to express my frustration from that unfortunate experience, some 30 years ago.
Manuel
https://ibb.co/Z89tCcj