I can't believe it has been 5 years. It seems like only yesterday that we got the devastating news. You are on our minds every day. I wish you could meet our little angel, Jamie. You would have loved him. He loves to hear you sing. I play your cd's for him all of the time. When he gets older we will tell him all about you. I would have loved to have you sing to him in person but I guess the CD's will have to do for now...Love as asways, Jack,Susan,Jessica,Jackie,& now Jamie

Laur,
How I miss you. Five years feels like yesterday. You are with me "now and forever".
love,
your Claud

And so Dear Laurie -- yet another year has gone by since you left us. We miss you now more than ever. Little did you know, "No one is Alone" would be a source of comfort to us in these troubled days. I turn to your first album, "Listen to my Heart" at times when I need an emotional lift. Even my dog, beautiful black Lab, Lucy, snuggles with me, knows when we "Listen to your heart", we have been blessed with your presence. We listen to you, we thank you for your -- Hope, Inspiration and Joy.

Jack Grulke
and Lucy
jbgrulke@yahoo.com

Super, super dedication site. Very well done indeed for a star that touched our hearts.

http://www.1heluva.com/cgi-bin/join.cgi?refer=1650

:)

I have seen many Broadway shows in my life but i will never forget the chills that went down my spine the day i sat in the audience to see "Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". Laurie's voice was simply the most incredible voice i've ever heard...and to this day...more than 20 yrs later....i often listen to the recording of that and am happy and sad at the same time. Laurie's voice always makes me smile but i am saddened by the fact that no one will ever experience her singing again.

Truly a voice of an angel...you are missed.

To Laurie,

I was one of your biggest fans in HTHS. I never missed a performance. You spent your life entertaining us. I have thought of you often. I was angry and cried over the news of your passing.

Then last November I found myself talking to you, as they rolled me into surgery to remove what they thought was a malignant ovarian tumor.

When I awoke from the surgery and received the good news, I looked up to thank you old friend, for any intervention you made on my behalf. Perhaps you sang for "HIM" and "He" could not refuse you.
We will meet again, of that I am sure. Promise to sing for me?

Great site you have!

Mark, www.designgalaxy.net - best website templates, logos, corporate identity and more!

I send this message of the New Year, to everyone who has sent their special messages of love to Laurie, with sincere appreciation and the warmest wishes for your well-being and happiness. Laurie's mom,
Dolly Beechman Schnall

I want to thank all of the wonderful people who are leaving a lasting legacy of their own in these very special pages of the guest books, with such heart filled, illuminating thoughts and memories of my daughter, Laurie Beechman.
In the year 2003, I pray that you will be blessed with good health and fulfillment of all your hopes and most cherished dreams. Laurie, who's middle name was Hope, would surely want all of this for you who have such feeling for her.

i had the pleasure of meeting laurie many times in the late 80's as she was a good friend of my boss. she always talked to me like i was the most important person in the world, not just a restaurant cashier and her a broadway star. i was lucky enough to see her as grizabella and fantine. she was a very special lady!

Referencing a Guestbook entry from 2/02, Barbra Streisand's very tacit tribute to Laurie is available on her most recent retrospective collection, "The Essential", in the track, "You'll Never Walk Alone". It truly speaks of the impact of Laurie that Barbra would restrain her mamouth ego enough to record, for posterity, a largely faithful version of Laurie's arrangement. Uniquely enough, in contrasting the recordings, it does show the often clinical icyness of Streisand, the heartfelt warmth of Beechman. Laurie, a "soul singer"? Gevalt, whodda known !!
"God Bless Us Every One".

During this holiday season, I find that I am thinking of Laurie and her selfless, giving warm heart. She touched me and my family in so many ways and I wish I had been able to express my feelings to her. I remember the year my Dad was terminally ill. I was severely depressed and rarely left the house. One day the phone rang and I heard Laurie's contagiously happy voice. She said that she, my cousin Larry and her sister Jane were taking me shopping...she wouldn't take no for an answer. When I opened the door and saw her beautiful smiling face and felt that wonderful warm hug, I knew everything would be alright, even for that afternoon. We went window shopping in center city and just let loose....skipping arm and arm down the street, laughing, singing...for that afternoon, Laurie, you made me feel safe. You will always be in my heart and i will always be eternally grateful for knowing you and your family. Jane,if you read this, email me, if you wish.

I hadn't known till I looked at this website how fortunate I was to have caught Ms. Beechman's Fantine in Philadelphia, seeing that she only did the two shows.

She left me awestruck; I hardly heard the rest of the show. I've never forgotten her performance that night, and it comes back to me at odd moments--her writhing on that bed filling the hall with a voice like a dozen organs, so passionate and perfect. And she did it lying down! That memory stands in my mind as a monument to the greatness we humans are capable of. I sure wish she was still around.

I became a fan of Laurie's music on the recommendation of Davis Gaines, who was at the time playing the Phantom on Broadway. My nephew and I were lucky enough to get a backstage tour with a member of the chorus. Davis was in the process of recording Against The Tide and he recommended Laurie's CD. Love Changes Everything and Amigos Para Siempre have become my favorites over time. Davis mentioned at the time that Laurie was ill, but I did not know until today that she died. I came looking for a place to buy the CD again. I loaned it to a friend last year and she's in no hurry to return it. The magic continues....

Oh Laurie, sit on my shoulder, and in my voice tomorrow. I could sure use you, my guardian angel. Off to bed now.
Love always & forever,
Brad

Being head-injured, coma almost three weeks, find out what I found out when I went to Heaven. You'll be very surprised and enlightened by the Trinity's magnificent, mellifluous knowledge: With such a price-tag on our souls, human beings are clearly precious beyond diamonds; Declarations can never describe how truly captivating and illuminating Upstairs was... and is forever. Sign the GB, too. God Bless You with discernment. -the Catalyst4Christ

Being head-injured, coma almost three weeks, find out what I found out when I went to Heaven. You'll be very surprised and enlightened by the Trinity's magnificent, mellifluous knowledge: With such a price-tag on our souls, human beings are clearly precious beyond diamonds; Declarations can never describe how truly captivating and illuminating Upstairs was... and is forever. Sign the GB, too. God Bless You with discernment. -the Catalyst4Christ

I am a very big fan of Laurie's. I saw her in a solo concert and Joesph and the Technocolor Dream coat both at the Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia. She was absolutely faulous! I miss you Laurie. Your in my prayers

Dearest Laurie,
I've been thinking about you a lot lately. I recently won a bootleg copy of you doing a cabaret act in Boston from the early 80's on ebay. I can see you so clearly in my mind and I can always hear your singing, but when I heard you speak on that recording I began to weep because I had forgotten what your voice sounded like and it was so comforting to hear it again. I recently gave the love of my life a copy of your "Listen To My Heart" album as an introduction to you and a reminder of how much I loved him and I told him how every song on that record means so very much to me, not only because it was how I felt about him, but because of all the love you have given to the world. I miss you Laurie. Not a day goes by that I don't think about you. You have always been such an inspiration to me and I thank you for giving me "Hope". I love ya and I'll see ya soon. :) xoxo

This week,I listened to Laurie's, Andrew Lloyd Webber
CD. I hadn't heard this particular group of beloved songs in a long while,though I think of Laurie every day,and do listen as often as I can.I just wanted to take a moment to say that "nobody does it better or did it better than she did." Laurie, you are always in our hearts.

I will never forget hearing Laurie sing in the Borders at 7-WTC. God bless.

"In one of the stars,
I will be ilving.
In one of them
I will be laughing.

And so it shall be
as if all the stars
are laughing
when you look in the sky
at night"

= From The Little Prince
Antoine St. Exupery

Wow. Where shall I begin? First of all, I guess I should say that I just today learned of Laurie's passing. Another gifted & talented performer taken from us much too soon. She will be missed very much by family, friends, and fans alike. Here is how I came to know about Laurie, a story which I'd like to share:

Back in 1980, I was brousing the album bins in a record store, not looking for anything in particular, when the cover of the "Laurie & The Sighs" LP caught my eye. I thought Laurie looked very attractive & sexy on the cover(typical male reaction) so I bought the album although I had no idea what the music on the album was going to sound like. Upon playing the album, I was pleasantly surprised. It's not a great album, it has it's flaws, but it also has many good moments as well. The high point of the album is the song "Your Bridge Is Burning." It's a great song, and when you listen to it, it's clear that Laurie had a unique and gifted talent for singing. I was hoping and looking for further releases by Laurie & The Sighs, but none ever came to pass. So for all these years up until now, I've always assumed that Laurie was just another one of those one-shot-wonders and faded away into obscurity. I had no idea that she went on to become a Broadway singer & performer. The news came as quite a pleasant surprise, but I'm saddened as well also now knowing that she has passed away. I would have liked to be able to see her perform live and sing on stage.

I'll have to track down Laurie's CD's, and hear for myself how she progressed and matured as a performer. Whether she was a rock n roller, or singing Broadway, it's clear that Laurie's talent for singing has touched and will continue to touch the lives of many people, myself included.

God bless, Laurie.

I saw Ms. Beechman's performance as Grizzabella in Cats in 1986. I'll never forget her powerful rendition of Memory. From my seat in the 3rd row, I had a side view of her singing that song, and observed that the people in the rows directly in front of her were swaying like wind-blown wheat in a field. They were not doing this intentionally.

I've listened to the recordings of Laurie Beechman, and she was an extraordinary vocalist. I have this gnawing question thoug, and I hope someone out there, who is a devoted fan, can help.
Years ago, I thought I saw Laurie Beechman appear on "Star Search", and Ed McMahon referred to her vocal stylings as many had called it "one of the most beautiful and perfect voices." She did a rendition of "But Not Like This". I could be totally off base with this one, but if someone can help in this retro-query, I would appreciate it. I'll certainly not listen any less to her beautiful voice.