Obituary

Karl Marinko

Karl Marinko, soulful keyboardist for the popular local band The Pulsators, died Thursday of a blood infection, his family said. He was 46.

Marinko, who played the classic Hammond B3 organ, lived for his music and brought a "quiet peacefulness" to the legendary Sonoma County blues and R&B group.

"He brought a lot of soul to the band," said Pulsators founder Johnny Campbell. "He was a very gentle person. I don't think I ever heard him raise his voice or yell. He played his music that way, too."

Marinko, who joined The Pulsators about a decade ago, spent many late nights with the band, playing countless festivals, nightclubs and private events in the Bay Area and beyond. He was an easygoing musician who was always eager to play new material, said Campbell.

He had a deep appreciation for the blues and funk sounds of New Orleans. One of his influences was keyboardist Art Neville, one of the Neville Brothers and founder of The Meters, the trail-blazing New Orleans funk group.

Over the years, Neville and The Pulsators often collaborated and played numerous shows together. "Art called (Friday) to show his condolences," said Campbell.

Marinko was born in San Francisco and grew up in Marin County. He started playing the piano at a young age and he joined his first band when he was 13.

"He just loved music from the time he was a baby," said Marinko's mother Lucille Marinko of Sonoma. "We would play records for him and when the music would stop he looked around, wondering, 'Where's the music, where's the sound?' "

His sister, Vicki Marinko of Tiburon, shared a love of music with Marinko and described him as "having a lot of heart."

"We both played music, we had that bond together," she said. "I'm a singer and we were always thinking of getting together to play some tunes, but we never ended up having the time to do it."

Marinko lived in Oregon for a time, playing keyboards and learning a variety of music styles, including blues, zydeco and R&B. Aside from Neville, Marinko was heavily influenced by classic blues and jazz musicians such as Jimmy Smith and Joey DeFrancesco.

His father, the late Wallace L. Marinko, a jazz piano and organ player, also was a big influence. When his father suffered a stroke in 1998, Marinko lived with him for three years to care for him.

"He was a wonderful loving person with a wonderful smile," said his mother.

When not playing with The Pulsators, Marinko played with the band Fiasco and Soul Surgeons. He also hosted a popular jam session Monday nights at Black Cat Bar & Cafe in Penngrove.

The Pulsators were scheduled to play a gig at the Healdsburg Bar and Grill on Saturday but canceled the show to honor Marinko and his family.

"We'd probably be up there crying anyway," said Campbell.

In addition to his mother and sister, Marinko is survived by aunts and cousins

A memorial celebration of his life will be held Oct. 7 from 3-8 p.m. at the Tradewinds, 8210 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati. Marinko will be cremated and his ashes scattered near the Golden Gate Bridge, where his father's ashes were dispersed.

-- Martin Espinoza