In December of 1982, I went to a small club to see a band I heard was pretty good. They were more than that- they were great. They were called the Roches. Three sisters (Maggie, Terre and Suzzy) with impeccable harmonies, great songs and a great sense of humor. That year, in the year end issue of the Reader, I wrote my top ten list, listing the Roches as #1. I went to see them every time they came to town, and they kept getting better and better. But fame always seemed to elude them. It didn’t seem to matter to them- they liked the pure joy of making music.
Throughout the 1980s, The Roches continued to release their music to small audiences, little or no air play, and only modest record sales.
On January 21, 2017, Maggie Roche died of cancer at the age of 65.