Vincent Irizarry, who played David on Young and the Restless and Deimos on Days of our Lives, can relate to what Meryl Streep once said at the Golden Globe Awards about taking “your broken heart, make it into art.” The soap hopper, best known to fans for his turn as Lujack on Guiding Light, is sharing a personal story about a family loss.
Turning Tragedy into Art
“”Some of you may remember when I posted several years back about the tragic end to my cousin, Lauren, who took her own life during the peak of Covid, July 2022, in Brooklyn, NY,” Irizarry began his social media post.
“The lasting impact she had as an active member of her Bushwick community was so deeply felt in her absence by those who loved her & celebrated life with her,” Irizarry continues, “that an internationally recognized artist & muralist, Nicole Salgar, @nmsalgar, endeavored to memorialize her artistically on several stunning murals: one on the streets of Bushwick, another at Old Stanley’s Bar, where she was the Mgr/Bartender for 8yrs, & lastly, in NOLA, the enchanted city she loved dearly, beside the New Orleans Healing Center, a treatment center for those who suffer with mental illness, & other needs within their community.
“I’m posting this because I’d like to share something with all of you regarding my exceptionally talented and beloved Uncle Johnny, @johnirizarrymusic, father to Lauren, who has been like a 3rd brother to me & who holds a significant place in my life’s love & appreciation for music from my earliest years as he has been a lifelong student of guitar and bass, (he was the person who taught me how to play 40 Beatles songs on the bass within 2 weeks when I was cast as Paul McCartney in the Off-Broadway play Lennon, back in 1982, when I never played bass a day in my life! Another story… : ). He was one of several people in my life who inspired me at the age of 11 to learn an instrument as well.
“Back to the point of this post,” the actor says. “My Uncle Johnny did what artists are compelled with a yearning to do by using their gifts to process the insurmountable grief & create something enduring & lovingly beautiful in memory of his forever beloved daughter. He has recorded an album called ‘This Girl,’ entirely inspired by the precious moments they were blessed to share throughout her terribly short life together. The album is an absolutely beautiful tribute to Lauren, also affectionately known to many of her loving friends as Izzy, @izzy_sixx .
“‘THIS GIRL’ CAN BE ENJOYED EVERYWHERE YOU STREAM AND CAN BE UPLOADED OR PURCHASED AS A CD OR VINYL BY FOLLOWING THE LINK IN MY BIO.”
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