Tribute to The Great Bird

Last summer, at the Creation Grand Slam convention in Pasadena, there was a tribute to Gene Roddenberry. I was asked to speak at the tribute, and I eagerly agreed. However, the tribute was going to conflict with a show that I was in at the ACME, so I couldn’t be at the tribute.
By the way, can I please say “tribute” again?
Tribute. Tribute. Tribute.
Well, I was very torn. I really wanted to be there to honor him, but I couldn’t back out of the sketch show at the last minute. So, I asked my friend Richard, who was putting together the event (notice I didn’t say “Tribute?”) if I could write something down, and have it read on my behalf. He agreed, and I was able to be in two places at once. Sort of.
Earlier today, Anne and I were cleaning and organizing stuff in our house, and I found what I’d written, dropped behind a dresser, on a folded up sheet of yellow legal paper.
I’d like to share it with you all today.

“Gene Roddenberry’s office door was always open to me, regardless of who was already there.
He always made me feel important, like he was proud of the work I was doing, and that he was glad to have me as part of his great creation.
When we were shooting TNG, I had no idea that he had named Wesley after himself. I’m glad, because at the time, the sense of responsibility would have paralyzed me.
However, knowing that now, the sense of honor and pride is overwhelming, and hope that, somewhere, Gene is still proud of all of us.
Gene was an anachronism in Hollywood. He was a warm, caring, profoundly creative man who never compromised his vision.
I am proud to be part of his legacy, and it is an honor to remember him tonight.”

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75 thoughts on “Tribute to The Great Bird”

Wil-
If ever there was a tribute that paid tribute to a great man, it was your tribute. I felt honored to share in your tribute to a man that deserved such a fitting tribute. I remember this one tribute where I tribute the tribute from the tribute, but then the tribute was too tribute so I forgot all about the tribute. Then, after listening to another tribute on NPR, I remembered to tribute the tribute into the back of the tribute.
Oh, in case I forgot to mention it earlier, nice tribute…

And I have to agree with Spudnuts…
The Great Bird of the Galaxy is not a COOL nickname for such a great man…
What about:
Mean Gene Roddenberry
Clean Gene Roddenberry
Gene “the Machine” Roddenberry
Gene “don’t fuck with the bean” Roddenberry
Gene “I created Star Trek; so fuck you!” Roddenberry
Gene-o Nutrino
Fuck.
I guess “The Great Bird…” is pretty cool. Forgive me for even trying…
Thank you, Gene, for what you gave us all…
And thank you, Wil, for sharing your memory with us all…

Standing in the blackened night with head held high and eyes lifted up to the stars,a soft wisper passes through my lips…tibute,yes…tribute

t r i b u t e ! ! !

Wil, you are quite a guy. Sure, you did not have that desired opportunity to speak at Gene’s tribute, but so many know of your honor and respect for him, and they share it as well. Gene knows. A man of wonders, He was.

The time and place Gene created is not real and will probably not be real. But he envisioned a time of hope and equality that will live forever. He gave us charaters in fiction with character and personal dignity. He created a time and place to which the best hopes of humanity may aspire. Two thousand years ago he would have been a prophet, two hundred years ago he would have been a philosopher. He gave us a benchmark for which to strive. I hope he was right.

Well said, Dave. 🙂

i have to agree with tanyak’s post; while i mostly get freaked out when the general populous takes a famous person’s death as a chance to fall prey to celebrity worship, to “grieve” and show how cool they are that they loved said person… some of those famous people actually do mean a lot to some of us. it’s hard to put into words. i guess it’s like saying you miss the possibilies their life created. you miss something good.
i never got to know mr. roddenberry, but i did grow up watching TNG and i do miss that. i also thought it was cool there was a kid on that show… even though that kid was older than me, it made me feel included. i like that.

that is lovely.

If I recall correctly, Gene’s office door was open especially for women. And not be forgotten should be his marvelous ease of claiming the works of others as his own.

Is it just me, or has Wil’s involvement with this site been slim pickin’s lately? Oh well, maybe the novelty has worn off. Then again, there ARE more important things in life than constantly updated the blog, and if he’s doing them, more power to him! We love you Wil!

I Am Steve said:
>> Gene “I created Star Trek; so fuck you!” Roddenberry
That one gets my vote.

wil is cool

I think wil is cool because of AVON 3 Day Breast Cancer walk-a-thon he is taking part in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and star trek is cool too

Roddenberry;
the man,
the legend,
giving us all the “Great Bird” from wherever he is now I’m sure. He is a shining example of what can happen when you follow your dreams, and realize that hard work and dedication get things done (not the government), and that the door of infinite possibilities is before all of us but only some have the courage to open it and step beyond.
Reflect for a moment what your life would be like without this one man. Do you like his vision of the future? Do you want to see it come true? Then get the fuck out there and make it happen. Don’t let anything stand in your way, but please respect others while in the process. Nobody wants to have their privite parts stepped on. (Well almost nobody. There are some strange individuals out there.)
So inclosing I leave you all with this Latin phrase:
ETU BI RT
which translate rouphly as: The bird of largeness has passed over, but no droppings fell in your cereal so stop you whining and get the fuck out there and make the planet a better place!
Of course that is only one translation.
And I didn’t say tri…

Wil: Check this out! Very funny!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1751763303&r=0&t=0&showTutorial=0&ed=0&indexURL=0&rd=1

As I read Wil’s updates, I’m often taken with the notion that he should write a book about his experience in the world of trek (practically every actor in TOS has). Wil could also include biographical info as well to add substance.
IHMO, the book should be something bewteen Leonard Nimoy’s “I am not Spock” and “I am Spock”. Wil could acknowledge his positive Trek experience, the problems that have resulted from it, and how he has dealt with it all.
I think it’s a spiffy idea, and I would read such a book. Does anyone know how to bring to Wil’s attention? Maybe an online petition?
Wil, if you’re reading this, I get credit for the idea and half the proceeds. 😉
Phil

Hey again, I wanted to add something else. I have recently started reading a book called Star Trek Memories, by William Shatner. What is awesome about this book is the perspective you recieve on multiple topics from someone who lived through them, one of those topics being Gene Roddenberry.
Unfortunately many people do not know about, nor understand the hell that he went through in all of his life, not just the struggles with his perfectionist nature in creation of all of his scripts, including Star Trek.People aren’t really told about major aspects of turmoil that arose during the attempted production of Star Trek, as well as his other works.Dispite all the bumps in the road, the inertia of his love and admiration for science fiction and his dsire to create an image of futuristic hope have well succeeded in reaching so many people, impacting their very existence in a profound way. Some people chose to take a closer look as The Great Bird of the Galaxy spread his wings and flew, others didn’t.

Okay I’m blond, I never knew he was known as the Great Bird, now it makes sence why a friend used that as thier handle. GB of the G (Great bird of the Galaxy), never knew, duh okay I’m back on track and running full force, hopefully I don’t hit something head on, which I know I will, Great tribute, wish I had been there to hear it! He was a great man, Rock on Gene!
Wanta know something strange? My father used to watched all of the Star Trek shows and I mean all everyday, twice a day sometimes three times a day, and when he died just last year, I can’t even sit threw the opening of the new show “Enterprise” with out tearing up at the song, You would have to know me, to know why. My father loved those shows, he was the all time fan if you want to call him that. Not a trekkie mind you, but would put money aside to go see it in the movie theater when they came out on big screne, (those where the only movies we were ever aloud to go see.)He saw at least one of the new shows before he died, that’s why I can’t watch it, One day I’ll be able too, God I miss my dad, can you tell?
okay nuff said about that, I’m getting misty eye’d. Sorry I brought you down…Death sucks…so permanent grrrr. okay I’m going now…
Later!

okay not only did I go off topic but I brought you down, maybe.
Sorry won’t happen again, my bad!

Very nicely put, Wil.

word to tye…i teared up the first time i heard the “enterprise” theme too…i know it’s sounds corny…but it really has been a long road, gettin’ from there to here!…d. burr

From my p.o.v., Gene was a large man, and not just physically, although he was that: he had large flaws and large virtues, too. That’s what was special about him, that he was large…large of passion, large of vision, large of generosity, large of spite, large of appetites, large of accomplishments, large of self-doubt. I had the extreme pleasure to be a guest at a wedding at a private home where he gave away the bride, and was able to spend a fair amount of time talking with him and even more just observing him interacting with the other guests. I thought I had known what charm and charisma were, but until then I hadn’t. Those who loved him *loved* him, those who hated him *hated* him. And together in collaboration with all the other writers, producers, actors, and crew of STAR TREK, he changed the world. When history has forgotten all the tumult of the 20th century, for good or ill, it will still remember Gene Roddenberry.