“His grandmother Marcia Weiss is one of his best friends,” Murrin says. When he came home to see Point Breeze friends, Murrin says, he was “the same Malcolm we had always known - no pretense or self-importance and so appreciative of his close family and community. Malcolm’s creativity and passion was always greatly encouraged and he was surrounded by creative expression.”
“His mom, a beautiful photographer his dad, an architect and, his brother, Miller, a very talented artist and graphic designer in L.A. He came from a very creative family, notes Murrin. When they came back they all thought it was so great that Malcolm had started talking to a busker playing Jack Johnson songs and he asked Malcolm to join him. “The older kids took the younger ones - including Malcolm and my son Luke - to the boardwalk one night. Murrin remembers first hearing about Malcolm’s musical gift on a multi-family beach trip to Ocean City, N.J. “When God created Malcolm, He gave him a heart as big as the universe.” He could see what everyone had to offer and he helped the world see it. And with every connection, Malcolm was interested in bringing out the best in people. “That’s why every one of his fans feels such profound loss right now. He really gave himself to people, says his long-time friend. He shaved my head and then he shaved his head so that I wouldn’t feel so alone with no hair.” He stayed with me for weeks while I was adjusting to being sick. He dropped everything and flew across the country on a red-eye from California to surprise me at my first cancer appointment. Whether it was when he convinced me to play battle of the bands in front of 50 high schoolers or when we were 21 and he was pushing me out onto a stage of 10,000 hip hop fans so I could sing love songs with my acoustic guitar.”īut this past year was when Malcolm really came through for Reynolds. He would constantly break me out of my shell. I think that’s why our relationship worked so well. “He had this energy so that when you were around him you wanted to fully live life,” Dylan adds. “He always made sure his friends and family were covered.” “He would invite the whole neighborhood to Frick Park Market to order sandwiches, hot fries, and slushies, and tell us to just put it on the McCormick tab.” That generosity continued into his adulthood. He was also one of the most generous people on the planet, says Dylan. Malcolm, who was the littlest guy on the field, took this literally and would often be the last one to jump on the dog pile … to which the announcer would say ‘Mac Attack!’ He always wanted to be involved in the action.
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This was supposed to teach us how to be involved in a play and follow through until the play was over. “Our coach told us that on defense we should all try to touch the ball carrier. The two played a lot of sports together, including football, and even then Malcolm’s outsized personality burst through. He convinced our parents that he needed to sleep over at my house for weeks at a time on school nights so that we could be together.” I remember seeing him, surrounded by so many friends, and thought to myself, ‘Who is this kid?’”Įven at such a young age, he was a force, Reynolds says. “I remember meeting him for the first time in the dugout of a little league game. “Malcolm has been my best friend since I was five years old,” says Dylan Reynolds, a musician who lives in Shadyside. Then he handcrafted for every one of the 38 kids an iron-on t-shirt design as his Hannukah gift to them.
Together, they lit candles every day during the holiday. So with his teacher’s approval, he got the class together over lunchtime during Hannukah, brought in a menorah and had them say a Jewish prayer with him. While he got well-schooled in Catholicism, he realized his classmates knew little about his Jewish religion. His middle school teacher, Becky, tells of a time when he was in seventh grade and the only Jewish kid in a Catholic school in Point Breeze.
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Their stories may speak more about Mac than any statistic about his impressive record sales, his huge fan base or the critically acclaimed album he just released. We’re grateful that some of those closest to him agreed to share these memories and insights into Malcolm McCormick, known to the world as Mac Miller. He was also a highly creative student who inspired his teachers, a peewee football player who gave his all on the field and a teenage artist whose gifts were unmistakable. He was a beloved son, an adored brother, the best of best friends. Mac Miller, who was found dead last Friday in his Los Angeles home, autopsy report pending, was far more than a celebrity. The music industry lost a powerful voice last week, and Pittsburgh lost a famous son.