R.I.P. Justin Murr (Liberty N Justice, Rock N Skull)

[AlphaMale]

R.I.P. Rock N Skull concert promoter and Liberty N Justice founder Justin Murrosted on September 27, 2021 by Olivier

Sleaze Roxx has some very sad news to report as Rock N Skull / Skull Fest concert promoter and Liberty N Justice member Justin Murr has passed away from Covid complications. Back on September 7, 2021, Murr revealed on his Facebook account that he had been admitted to the ICU. The next day, Murr posted the following grim message: “It’s not a pretty picture but it’s real. I’m on a ventilator helping me to breath. Covid is no joke …. Thanks for the concern …..”

The following message was posted on Murr‘s Facebook page from his daughter Torrie earlier today:

“September 27th, 2021.

Everyone knew a different version of my dad. Whether it was through music, work, high school, or if he was just someone you knew from Facebook. Out of every single version my dad was to different people, he saved the best version of himself for his kids. He was my favorite person. I could come to him with anything. I could tell him my deepest secrets, and he would never judge me. He made me belly laugh with his stories. He was genuinely the funniest person I’ve ever met. He was generous. He loved surprising us with things. He had the biggest personality in the room. He was blunt, but in the funniest way. He loved music. He was sensitive and would overthink everything like me. We would talk for hours and just listen to each other. He would always tell me the importance of making memories. He said money comes and goes, but the memories you make last forever. I’m so grateful that I get to have all those memories. He loved being a grandpa to my sweet Rosalie. He loved her so much. She loved him even more. She thought he was SO funny, and she would reach her arms out for him to hold her. He was so excited for Christmas’ with her, he said babies make the holiday more fun. I hate that I have to even talk about him in the past tense. My heart hurts. I don’t want to know a world without my dad in it. He was my everything. If love alone could’ve healed him, he would be home with us. My world became significantly dimmer today.

Dad–

I love you. I hope you know just how loved you are. I hope you know how deeply I will miss you and every single part of you. I should’ve gotten more DECADES with you. You were the best dad. You were better than 10 dads could’ve been to me. Everything Rosalie will learn from me, I got it all from you. After we had all said our goodbyes, the hospital chaplain looked at me and said: “You have a good heart, I can see it all over you.” All I could think of was, “You should’ve seen my dads.” I will never know a heart like yours again. I hope you love heaven. I hope you’re happy. I hope you’re surrounded by love. Everyone I love will know exactly who you are. I will miss you every single second for the rest of my life, until I can see you again. This doesn’t feel real. I love you so much dad. Forever.

–Torrie.

Starting in 2013, Murr ran an annual rock festival called Skull Fest, which later turned into Rock N Skull and ran until 2019. Sleaze Roxx attended Rock N Skull‘s 2016 edition and stated the following at the end of its Day Three Concert Review: “I usually don’t include a section like this in any of my concert reviews but I’ve got to thank a number of people. First and foremost, thank you to Justin Murr for putting on such a great event. It was truly a lot of fun! Could it have been better organized? Sure. Could there have been certain predictable and preventable situations? Absolutely. That being said, and having organized city wide sporting events myself including a tennis tournament lasting about ten days, I can tell you that shit happens –– some predictable and some not, people don’t come through and it always feels like a mad rush at the end to get everything ready. I am pretty sure that Murr isn’t making a whole lot of money on this venture and is doing this in large part because he just loves the music and wants to keep the scene alive. So thank you Justin Murr. Thank you for all your hard work and putting on a really fun and great event!”

In an interview with Sleaze Roxx back in November 2017, Murr was asked what prompted him to start Skull Fest in 2013 to which he replied: “The love of music, my musical project Liberty N Justice stopped selling like it used to, and my pride and love for the biz wouldn’t let me leave. True story — back in 2013, I approached Andrew McNeice about doing a MelodicRockFest but I would help finance it. I’m a little too hard to work with and I’m a control freak and had all these ideas and Andrew was interested. After three weeks of me frustrating him and most likely overwhelming him, he told me he liked John Kivel’s ideas better and was going in that direction. I had made a friend, Arttie Parker, through the internet and he worked at a bar in North Platte, Nebraska [USA]. I pitched him my ideas and he was all for it. Skull Fest was born and even though it was a financial disaster, I had so much fun that weekend that I wanted to try it again in my own hometown.”

Back in 1991, Murr co-founded the Christian hard rock band Liberty N Justice, which released (according to Wikipedia) the following albums: Armed With The Cross (1992), Big Guns (1994), Forever Till The End (1996), Bargain Bin (2000), Welcome To The Revolution (2004), Soundtrack of A Soul (2006), Independence Day (2007), 4-All: The Best of LNJ (2008), Light It Up (2010), Chasing A Cure LP (2011), Hell Is Coming To Breakfast (2012), Before The Revolution:best of lnj the early years (2012), The Cigar Chronicles (2013), 4-All: The Best of LNJ 2 (2013), The Vow” (2014), Life Songs EP (2016), Better Than Maroon 5 EP (2017) and Fiddle While Rome Burns (2021).

Liberty N Justice‘s “Nowhere Man” single (released in 2000):

https://sleazeroxx.com/r-i-p-rock-n-skull-concert-promoter-and-liberty-n-justice-founder-justin-murr/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=r-i-p-rock-n-skull-concert-promoter-and-liberty-n-justice-founder-justin-murr

Edited September 28, 2021 by AlphaMale

[auslander]

Sad news. I have a few LNJ discs and man he could get some big name guests!

[Glen]

Another sad COVID story. 

RIP

[Geoff]

Oh man, that's sad. He was very active for a long time and as noted, sure could pull a guest onto his albums. Sounds like he had all his priorities in place, though. Very sad. Rest in peace. 

[Glen]

been reading a lot of stuff on FB about this guy.

Not sure how much of it is true but sounds like a pretty unsavoury character who screwed quite a few out of money etc 🤔 

[auslander]

14 minutes ago, Glen said:

been reading a lot of stuff on FB about this guy.

Not sure how much of it is true but sounds like a pretty unsavoury character who screwed quite a few out of money etc 🤔 

Maybe not the right time or thread to post unsavoury rumours...?

[Glen]

5 hours ago, auslander said:

Maybe not the right time or thread to post unsavoury rumours...?

whatever. I don't know him from Adam . Was only asking. 

[AlphaMale]

2 hours ago, Glen said:

whatever. I don't know him from Adam . Was only asking. 

 

8 hours ago, Glen said:

been reading a lot of stuff on FB about this guy.

Not sure how much of it is true but sounds like a pretty unsavoury character who screwed quite a few out of money etc 🤔 

Well, there's this:

https://metalsludge.tv/harsh-ted-poley-of-danger-danger-wishes-death-from-covid-on-rock-n-skulls-justin-murr-karma-is-brewing-in-his-lungs-lets-hope-it-wins/

[Dead Planet]

3 hours ago, AlphaMale said:

 

Well, there's this:

https://metalsludge.tv/harsh-ted-poley-of-danger-danger-wishes-death-from-covid-on-rock-n-skulls-justin-murr-karma-is-brewing-in-his-lungs-lets-hope-it-wins/

Covid karma has taken out a few who maybe deserved it but the vast majority did not deserve it and while it is hard sometimes I try not to shit on the dead...