RoseMary Galvez, aka, Rosie G., was captivated by music her entire life. She was blessed with a sultry, velvety voice. She loved to sing but didn't enjoy performing. Instead, she lent her talents to the medium of radio. She worked as on-air talent for WJAZ-FM (Jazz), WNEW-AM (American Standards), WRAT-FM (Modern Rock), NYLatinMix.com (an Internet Salsa/Merengue radio show), VH1 Radio/Rhapsody.com (as Music Programmer for "The Perfect Beat"), and WBLS-FM (both an Urban and a Dance mix show). She was also a voiceover artist for radio and websites, an emcee when an opportunity arose, and even tried her hand at artist management for a time.

I was working at Blue Note Records when I met her. She was a "floater" at our parent company, EMI Records, filling in for admins who were out for one reason or another. We became instant friends. When Blue Note President Bruce Lundvall's assistant, Diane Nixon, was stricken with cancer, Rosie stepped into the role for quite a while, and we got to spend a lot more time together. Later, she spent time at MTV/VH1 too. As a result, she knew everybody. We joked that most people may have six degrees of separation, but she had only one.

Rosie was fierce, funny, and loyal. Devoted to her friends and family, she was there to help, offer a sympathetic ear, or just talk about any number of topics. And she was always ready with a story. She loved to regale her friends about the Saturday night the computer went out when she was on-air. She took matters into her own hands, and for the next few hours cast aside the rulebook, serving up extended plays of classic R&B hits instead of the radio edits that listeners usually heard. Recounting the many people who called in to express their delight, it was clear that no one enjoyed the night more than she did.

Promoting independent artists became her passion. Starting on social media, she would post about musicians mixing jazz with other genres in what became a regular weekly showcase, The Jazz Café. Taking a cue from radio, she added Twofer Tuesday, but with a twist. Instead of two back-to-back songs by one artist, she found two separate indie artists working in different genres. And different genres could mean neo soul and Middle Eastern, or Latin music and hard rock. Maybe hip hop or funk, reggae, country, electronica, folk, or pop.  

At some point in 2018, I told her, "You know, you really should have a website — like a hub to capture all of these artists so they don't disappear as the feed grows." I volunteered to make one for her, creating the design, site copy and profiles for each artist. Rosie also wanted to showcase two Featured Artists each month, of course in different genres. She would find the artists and send me the names. I researched them, wrote the copy, edited photos to accompany the profile, and added them to the site.

After my time in the music business, I had become rather jaded about new music in general. I spent my energy on delving deeper into artists from the past, largely ignoring new releases. Once I was partnering with her, Rosie dragged me back into the present. Eventually, I was eager to do my own thing and developed IndispensableMusic.com, handing off the research and writing duties to her (though I maintained my role as editor and manager of the site). Still wanting to collaborate with her, I suggested that we create another weekly feature, New Music Monday, to be posted on both sites. She would have a say in the artist we showcased. I'd send her three to five of my picks, and she would select the one she liked best. Both of us had eclectic taste and similar aesthetics. I could often guess which one she'd choose.

We carried on this way for a few more years until last summer, when Rosie was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. While undergoing treatment, she found it harder to find the artists and do the writing. As the disease progressed, I took back writing duties for the Jazz Café and found the artists myself, doing my best to fulfill her mandate (though she was gave me permission to go astray from time to time). She still tried to do Twofer Tuesday and the Featured Artists, but she found that  she no long had energy or focus. I revisited some early posts from the archives and made updates to keep her content fresh.

The last time I saw her was on her birthday, April 24. She was tired and weak, but still determined to fight. Sadly, it was a fight she could not win. Cancer stole her from us on May 20th, 2025. I am heartbroken to lose her, one of the best friends I ever had. I am grateful she got me back to writing on a regular basis and rekindling the joy of discovering new music. Words cannot express how deeply this loss is felt by her family, friends, and the music community she was a part of for over three decades.

I felt this void most keenly when writing up the weekly jazz feature, now living on my site as Indispensable Jazz, and the latest New Music Monday. I'm so used to sending her a text like "JC is up" or "NMM is up," letting her know it's ready for her to get out to her socials. It's devastating to do this without her. Yet, I'm determined to carry on her mission. She'll always be an inspiration. And, wherever she may be now, rest assured she's out there getting everyone movin' and groovin'.

Rest in peace, my friend.