This Dad’s Speech About His Rock Star Son Will Make You Laugh, Cry, And Hug Your Dad

As a big fan of the band Phish, I’ll take any opportunity I can get to post about them. This is one of those opportunities that deserves to be known to a bigger audience outside the Phish community, so here it goes…

On Thursday night Jon Fishman, the beloved drummer for the band Phish, was honored with a SAMMY award at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse, New York. The SAMMY is an accomplishment award for musicians from the Syracuse-area, where Fishman is originally from. His father, Dr. Len Fishman, presented his son with the Lifetime Achievement Award, giving one of the most heartwarming speeches about a rock star you’ll ever watch, including this money shot wisdom, via Syracuse.com:

“You’ve got to love your work. If you wake up in the morning and you like going to work, that’s as good as it gets.”

Damn straight it is, Dr. Len. Fishman, for those who don’t know, is a pretty eccentric dude. He was once called “a jester, a happy-go-lucky hobbit of a fellow” by the Boston Globe in 1995 and it remains a fitting description. Here are some of the highlights from his dad’s speech:

-Pointing out how much his son’s band sucked in high school.
-Discussing how his son has an unusual way of playing an Electrolux vacuum: “He would put that in his mouth, turn on that thing. And it was like he farted. That’s about the way that sound was.”
-Talking about how his plans of becoming an engineer at the University of Vermont were sidelined for being in a rock’n roll band.
-Making fun of Jon for wearing his signature muumuu donut hole dress:

Watch the speech and hug your dad, Bros. He’s the only one you’ll ever get.

And long live Jon (and Dr. Len!) Fishman:


Brandon Wenerd is BroBible's publisher, writing on this site since 2009. He writes about sports, music, men's fashion, outdoor gear, traveling, skiing, and epic adventures. Based in Los Angeles, he also enjoys interviewing athletes and entertainers. Proud Penn State alum, former New Yorker. Email: brandon@brobible.com