He got out of the burning house with three Yorkshire terriers and a shoe.
Clio rock musician Question Mark had been in his basement that January afternoon, washing his dogs' sweaters, when he smelled the smoke. The fire spread rapidly: By the time he got upstairs, he was on his knees, crawling through the living room and out the door.
Question Mark's home was destroyed in the blaze, and with it went four decades of personal rock archives: guitars, posters, albums, tapes, contracts. Gone was his gold record plaque for "96 Tears," the 1966 garage-rock chestnut recorded with his band the Mysterians, an oldies-radio staple. Three dogs and a parrot perished.
Even the items that could be replaced may not be: Question Mark, 62 and long past his hit-making years, had no property insurance.
Since the Jan. 9 fire, Question Mark has been living in a cramped recreational vehicle parked near the remains of the house. A mobile home, donated by a fan, sits nearby, awaiting power and water hookups. If Clio Township approves a rezoning request, the trailer may stay. If not, he'll have to be off the property by summer.
By any measure, the fire was a disaster. But Question Mark refuses to call it a tragedy.
"The hardest part about it was losing my dogs, and seeing the place right there next door every day," he says.
"But that's how you face bad things -- you face it, be thankful for what you do have, and you go on."
Friends set up an Internet fund-raising account after the fire. But "word got out slowly," Question Mark says. About $3,000 has been contributed, according to his manager.
That pace might be about to pick up. The rocker's plight has been highlighted on "Little Steven's Underground Garage," the nationally syndicated radio show that showcases the sort of gritty, spartan rock 'n' roll popularized by Question Mark and his '60s peers.
And this weekend a pair of events will boost publicity closer to home: Question Mark & the Mysterians, featuring all five original members, will perform at 7:30 tonight on the main stage of Detroit's Winter Blast -- the band's first area performance since 2004. On Saturday, a benefit concert with local bands will be staged at Jacoby's bar in downtown Detroit.
History has a long and lamentable legacy of musicians saddled with financial woes late in life. Question Mark -- a colorful personality called "Q" by his friends and widely described as eccentric -- is a classic example, says his booking agent.
"This is a time when Detroit really needs to step up and take care of one of their own," says Marla Swartz. "This is somebody who has contributed so much to the city's rock 'n' roll tradition. There's not going to be any one big $1 million donation -- it's everyone being able to cough up $5 that's going to really help."
Question Mark's attitude remains admirably upbeat. An afternoon conversation this week became an adventure in tale-telling, with extensive tangents on "American Idol" ("It's all rigged"), his stage persona ("I become the song") and Prince at the Super Bowl ("He didn't do nothing for me").
But that same positive outlook has made it difficult to get Question Mark the assistance he needs, says Swartz.
"Helping him is hard. He's used to helping other people, and it's almost impossible for him to look at himself as a person in need," she says. "It's really going to be up to the community to make sure everything is OK."
To contribute: Visit
www.96tears.net or e-mail
questionmarkdonations@msn.com.
