We are heartbroken over the unexpected passing of longtime Strawberrian Bix Beeman. Bix was an integral part of Strawberry for more than 40 years, and he will be deeply and dearly missed.
Leonard “Bix” Beeman joined Strawberry in 1985 as a member of the inaugural crew of Hog Ranch Radio with Thom O’hair. He took on various roles over the course of his time with Strawberry, most notably as a longtime member of the Hog Ranch Radio and the emcee of the Sunday Revival. He joined the Strawberry Office staff in 2017 as General Manager before eventually transitioning to database developer and booking manager.
Bix’s storied career with Strawberry was remarkable not only because of his passion for music, free-form radio, and our community, but also because of his fierce dedication to The Strawberry Way. Bix’s love for Strawberry and the Strawberry family was immense. This is a loss for our community that will be felt both at the festival and beyond, and we will all miss hearing Bix’s warm voice float across the airwaves. Our hearts go out to his friends, family, and loved ones as we mourn one of Strawberry’s best.
We will leave you with the words of Bix himself:
“The Strawberry Way is also a shorthand for our festival ethos: the shared responsibility that comes from camping out with family and friends, and the persistence of a culture that comes from working together, learning the hard stuff, and listening—really listening.”
