Craig Van Tilbury
Craig Van Tilbury | |
|---|---|
 Craig Van Tilbury (Crystal River, FL, 2010) | |
| Background information | |
| Born | July 30, 1957 Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
| Died | August 13, 2010 (aged 53) Tampa, Florida |
| Genres | Blues, Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Chess Player |
| Instrument | Guitar |
| Years active | 1977–2010 |
Craig Van Tilbury (July 30, 1957 – August 13, 2010) was an American guitarist and FIDE Chess Master, known musically for his touring and guest work with artists such as Steve Winwood, Barry Gibb, Joey Dee and the Starliters, The Young Rascals, and The Shirelles. He was a founder of the St. Croix band, Green Flash[1] and had played or substituted in several Tampa Bay area bands. He is best known in the world of chess for having played in 10 Chess Olympiads.[2]
Biography
Van Tilbury was born on July 30, 1957 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Jack and Constance Van Tilbury.[3] The family later moved to Arlington, VA near Washington, D.C.. He developed an interest in rock and blues music at an early age and was inspired by guitarists such as Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.[4]
In 1978, Van Tilbury moved to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands to establish residency and play chess competitively.[5] He won a gold medal for the best individual score on Board 1 in the 1984 Olympiad in Thessaloniki, Greece. In 1977 he won the Washington, D.C., Open and also the Jamaican Open in 1981.[2] In recent years he played top board for the British Virgin Islands.
Van Tilbury had a daughter Annabelle with long-time girlfriend and singer Annie Waddey in 2009.
He also had a photograph that he took published in National Geographic in the 80's, more info to follow.
He was best remembered by his oldest niece for teaching her and her children how to play chess, his Donald Duck impressions, and his pep talks whenever she was going through a rough patch. She said that "he always made me feel like he really cared. You don't get that from many people".
References
- ^ Kossler, Bill (2010-09-07). "Founder of St. Croix's Famed Green Flash Passes Away". Stcroixsource.com. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
- ^ a b Loeb, Dylan (2010-08-18). "Craig Van Tilbury, Chess Master and Rock Musician, Is Dead - NYTimes.com". Gambit.blogs.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
- ^ "Funeral Homes Tampa | Florida Mortuary Obituary for Craig L Van Tilbury". Floridamortuary.net. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
- ^ Andrew Meacham. "Craig Van Tilbury was a master of two minds, for chess and music - Tampa Bay Times". Tampabay.com. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
- ^ "The chess games of Craig Van Tilbury". Chessgames.com. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
External links
- Chess Olympiad record of Craig Van Tilbury at olimpbase.org