The Ann Arbor News reported yesterday that Ann Arbor legendary street character and blues musician Shakey Jake died Sunday evening.

I’ve written about ol’ Shakey Jake here before.  I was born and raised in Ann Arbor, and living in Ypsilanti now, I still used to see Shakey Jake around town.

Spotting Jake on the streets of downtown Ann Arbor was thrilling.  You’d see him with his old guitar case slung on his back, clean pink suit with matching hat and think, “there’s Shakey Jake!”.  When I got a little older I’d talk to him and ask him how he was doing.  He’d always reply by barking out his catchphrase, “I’m on the move, man, on the move!”.  Or I’d shout to him when I was passing by in the car, “Hey Shakey Jake!”.  He’d smile and wave and say, “On the move baby!”

Shakey Jake was Ann Arbor’s most beloved person.  The city was his family.  He had coffee shops and diners where he’d go everyday and get a free meal.  He’d walk around and everybody knew him, everybody said hello.  He’d play his guitar, badly out of tune or with broken strings, but it didn’t matter.  He was the town celebrity.

I was really, really sad when I read that he died.  I say, Shakey Jake lives!  He’ll be around Ann Arbor - he always said he’d live forever.