Justin Hilbun (1979-2009)

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By Jason Andreasen

On Sunday, May 31, we all lost something.

Around the time the sun set, Justin Hilbun was involved in a single-vehicle wreck on I-57 just outside of Mt. Vernon, Ill. According to Illinois' WJBD, Hilbun was traveling in the back seat of an extended-cab pickup and was ejected from the vehicle following the driver's attempt to avoid something in the road. Hilbun was pronounced dead due to severe head injuries.

In a city like Baton Rouge, where our artistic and musical efforts are - fairly or unfairly - constantly being compared to those elsewhere, we are often so consumed by our critiques that our focus on the forest causes us to lose sight of the trees.

In this forest, Hilbun was an oak.

In recent years, there was no one person who meant more to our area's music than Justin Hilbun. He played countless instruments with only slightly fewer bands, some of which became some of the most beloved in Baton Rouge (The WayHigh Men, Elsah, Poor Harvey) due in no small part to his presence in them. His musical talents were surpassed only by his drive to improve and his desire to be involved with projects he truly loved.

"He had a serious work ethic. He really wasn't a guitar player at first, but when he decided he wanted to front a band, he took it upon himself to become a great guitarist and a great singer," explained Glenn Harris, who played with Hilbun in The WayHigh Men, Elsah and Hilbun and the Homewreckers. "If there was something he wanted to master, he'd just go and pound it out. He was serious about doing it and getting it done right. He wanted to be a professional musician, which he finally became in the last year and a half."

"He was so good at everything," recalled Polly Pry bandmate Anna Byars. "He was always involved in really good projects and started things up that he thought were good. As a musician, I have to respect that he continually aligned himself with quality musical projects."

The range that Hilbun displayed with his various projects was part of what made his contributions to our area so great. From the hard rock of Judge Genius to the metal/rockabilly of The WayHigh Men, to the alt-country of Hilbun and the Homewreckers, he pursued things with a passion and a purpose that permeated every chord and every word.

"He would have been in a blues band if you gave it time. Then he would've been in a death metal band," joked Sam Terito, owner of North Gate Tavern and former Judge Genius bandmate, who had been friends with Hilbun since high school. "It's this diverse thing that not a whole lot of people get a hold on and it's crazy that this guy would just keep knocking on the door. You'd never know where he was going to be."

As Casey McAllister of The New Orleans Bingo! Show, who had been working with Hilbun on some material explained, "He reminded me why I started doing this because it was lots of fun. A lot of us forget that in doing it and I don't think he ever did. I think every project in town was better with him being part of the scene and I really can't say that about anyone else to the same degree."

In addition to his work on stage, Hilbun worked as a sound engineer and helped many not only learn the trade but to record their own work. In less than 30 years, Hilbun lived more than most who are granted exponentially more time. The legacy he leaves behind extends far beyond the reach of any amplifier. While listening to any music he was involved with would evidence his talents, it was Hilbun's gift of humanity that will sustain longer.

"Hilbun's dad passed away about two years ago, and when that happened, that dude hit a new plateau of living," said Terito. "He decided he was going to start traveling the world and playing music. It was something that was eye opening to everyone who was watching him do it. He got his passport and he was ready to stamp every fucking page in that thing."

"He worked with a charity organization out of New Orleans that taught Chinese medicine, basically, to poor, handicapped and blind people in Vietnam and Cambodia," explained Harris. "He's got a natural gift for being outgoing; just a real positive person. He was the most ethical person I've ever been that close to. If you met him one time, he was your friend."

As friend and writer Samantha Morgan put it, "Over the years, I have had the pleasure of knowing his dedication to music, but also his dedication to people. He was one of those guys who would take the breath out of a room, but then kindly remind you to breathe because he would hate for you to pass out. Meaning, it wasn't all about him and he knew that better than anyone."

Services were held on June 5 and included performances from a number of musicians Hilbun had worked with. As one internet post lovingly joked following the memorial, "I hope that my funeral involves that much profanity, honestly."

His body was scheduled to be cremated and his ashes spread in New Orleans, a city he came to love since recently moving there, during a second line funeral.

The impact that Justin Hilbun had on southern Louisiana, its music and its musicians runs deep and did not die with him. It can not. Nor will the imprint that Hilbun left on those he came across in far away lands be forgotten. Indeed, we all lost something on May 31, for our community and our world are less without him than they were with him. Yet, they are worlds better than the day before Justin arrived.

"He'll be behind every note that I play from now on," said McAllister.

WayHigh Men bandmate, Michael Talley, expressed simply the thoughts of many: "I love him."

Originally Published: Issue 803 - June 10, 2009

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