Grief has a brutal way of ravaging our daily lives. It eclipses every daily action, our most mundane moments never truly belong to us. Losing someone causes us to lose sight of the light at the end of the tunnel. It takes a long time to come to grips with the maddening, uncomfortable reality that stems from losing someone. Dean Martin knew this pain very well.
Recently, author William Keck sits down with Fox News to discuss his new book,'When You Step Upon a Star: Cringeworthy Confessions of a Tabloid Bad Boy.' During the interview, Keck recalls meeting Dean Martin and the somber mood surrounding him after losing his son.
In 1987, Martin's oldest son flies in a military jet for a routine exercise. However, tragedy strikes when the aircraft crashes into the side of a mountain and takes the life of the 35 year old. Keck describes Dean's final years as devastating ever since the passing. "It was like looking at a candle without a flame," he says.
The Death of Dean Martin's Son Leaves The Singer in Shambles
Before the tragedy, Keck lovingly describes Dean Martin as a kind, inviting soul he loves to cover as a reporter. "[Dean] was still the nice man that he seemed to be on television," Keck explains. "He would always greet me when I came over to his table. He would always say, 'I'll be back on that stage one day. You'll see me.' But he was done."
Still, losing his son strips away the warm glow Dean led with for so long. He spends his final days 'waiting to die,' according to singer Paul Anka. Moreover, by that point in his life, Martin isn't trying to heal. Rather, he insists on living out the rest of his days with a broken heart and a defeated spirit. "Everyone who knew Dean Martin would tell you that. And it was [his pal] Rich Little who told me that once he lost his son, that was the end of him. That was a big part of him that died and never recovered," Keck emphasizes.
