If you’ve met Keb Darge, you know how big the man’s heart is. You feel his passion for music as well as his passion for life in the first five minutes you’re in his presence. I met Keb Darge some years ago through Andy Smith at Madame JoJo’s in London. That night, I made the mistake of telling Keb I was drinking what he was drinking (which was full pint glasses of Dewars and Coke and a huge mistake on my part), and that night was one of the most fun nights I had at a DJ party ever. I was hurting on a return flight from Heathrow, but it was worth it. The year after our meeting, Keb and his wife Edith relocated from London to the Phillipines, his “island paradise” as he called it. Since our meeting, Keb and I have corresponded through email and occasionally on facebook. Recently, I was finishing up an interview with him for a project next year. He was on a month long European tour, and we were going to do the follow up questions, as I continued to transcribe 4 hours of Keb’s thick Scottish accent with tales of record banter in the meantime. I wanted to tie up some loose ends in the interview because I figured once he went back to the island, it would be more more difficult to finish. That, and I was on a strict deadline. A smaller storm hit the Phillipines, and our correspondence halted. I figured that maybe he had gone back to be with his wife and family. Then, all hell broke loose. Super Typhoon Haiyan tore through the country, and the whole world watched as The Phillipines were being devastated. Since then, no on has heard from Keb or his wife Edith. Although there were a few false reports that he contacted people, as of now there is no official report on him at all. A Google person finder has been created here to assist with information. The information will go right to his brother Gordon and his daughter Mariyo. Keb was last seen in Hernani in the neighborhood of Padang located in the Eastern Samar Province, The Phillipines. If anyone has any information about his whereabouts, please use the following link to pass on information. All his vinyl record accomplishments aside, we’re talking about a great human being here. Let’s hope they find him safe and sound soon.

*****UPDATE 11.18.13

This came in on Keb’s facebook page from his brother Gordon:

Day 10 and it is with unbridled joy in my heart that I can report that Shane Cosgrove has emailed me this morning to bring the news we are all hoping for
“I have just had a text from Edith’s brother telling me Keb and Edith are ok….though Im not sure of the status of anything else . Hang on… a second text states the home is ok too. Cheers Shane.”
He has also changed Keb and Edith’s status on Google People Finder to “I received information that this person lives” and posted the comment “I have just received a text from the brother of Edith confirming her and Keb are ok and survived the impact of the Typhoon, hoping to get more detail very soon.”
Thank you Shane and lady luck.
Words cannot express how happy I am.

More details when we have them. Today was a good day.

Keep Diggin’!