Those of you who follow my Twitter feed have probably noticed a few messages today regarding the obscenely tragic death of publicist Ronni Chasen.

During my grad school years Ronni hired me to write official composer bios for her firm. At the same time she boosted my budding music journalism career by arranging high-profile composer interviews ... including my very first chat with Howard Shore. She was tough, but wonderfully supportive. She was even one of the very first to read the Music of LOTR book, and offered me her very meaningful encouragement. She was someone I worked with on a semi-regular basis, and in fact, we were due to speak later this week.

Ronni rubbed elbows with the true showbiz elite, but she still made time for small-potato writers like me. She called in person, answered her own emails, and made you feel like you were part of something that mattered.  She was a wonderfully eccentric character -- a real throwback to the moxie and genuineness of Hollywood of old. I have quite the catalogue of Ronni anecdotes, as did almost anyone who worked with her, but somehow I'm not much in a regaling mood tonight.

She will be missed.