John Love was one of my greatest friends and musical partners. I spent one year living in Kent, Ohio, which was John’s one true home in this world. By the time I met him, he had long established himself as an eccentric character in this magical little college kid haven. John wandered around town, making friends by way of his charming and bizarre charisma, finding adventures and misadventures. He was truly unique in a way that cannot be overstated. Every time I would meet up with him, it would be by accident, and usually I would think of him randomly and he would appear moments later. Somehow we met up almost every day just by synchronicity. Music was by far his greatest passion, the only thing he truly cared about, and we created quite a bit of music together. He had an uncanny talent for improvising songs on the spot, lyrics, melody and all. I have never seen anything like it.

John also opened up to me occasionally about his inner world. He kept a very lighthearted exterior to most people and rarely exposed his deep feelings. He told me about struggling with suicide for years, and his deep mental instability, which I believe was the flip side of his incredibly enigmatic nature. He always seemed to be toeing the line between this world and the next. It didn’t help that his few truly close friends had all left Kent by 2024, me included. The times I went back to visit, I could tell he was retreating into himself more and more. When I reflect on it, I wish I hadn’t left and could be a closer friend to him.

On March 1st, 2025, John took his own life. I was shocked and upset, yet somehow it made sense. I don’t think he was meant for this world for too long. In the wake of this I am releasing all of his music that I can scrap together through the John Love Memorial Project.

Message me! Jordan Dougan – jordan.harbor.dougan@gmail.com

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Rest In Peace ~ 4/10/2000 – 3/1/2025