Rest in Peace, Mike Nolan

I was sorry to hear Monday that a good friend of mine, Mike Nolan, passed away over the weekend at the age of 59 from a heart attack.

He had been in the tavern business for many years, starting with Captain Majors in Round Lake, Illinois, and more recently owning Nolan's on Bluff Lake (on the Chain of Lakes) and just this past year, he owned Kokomo's on Grasslake Road.

He was a friend to all and loved telling stories. It was hard to meet him and not like him; he was just that sort of guy.

I met him while deejaying and actually was the entertainment for his first wedding. I then used to deejay outside on his deck at Nolan's on a regular summer basis. We had lost contact after he sold Nolan's, which has since been torn down along with all the property around it and several McMansions have been built.

About a year ago, I was driving down Grasslake Road and thought I'd stop in check out a new place that had just opened at the old Fringe Benefits, another place I used to deejay at quite often. I walked in, and was shocked to see Mike and we resumed our friendship.

He had gutted the place and rebuilt it like an island oasis in the Caribbean and was doing a great business at the time of his death. The newspaper article in Tuesday's Daily Herald mentioned that the very last song he heard was Kokomo and sung by the nurse on duty. Somehow, that was appropriate.

Yesterday, they had a private service, then opened up Kokomo's for a party, that, from what I heard was well-attended. Cars were parked for great distances up and down Grasslake Road.

"Prop Me Up, Beside the Jukebox When I Die," as the old song goes. --RoadDog