Every once in a long while, you meet someone who believes enough in the power of music to make a personal investment in the local scene -- be it time, money or just plain hard work. In Tulsa, we've got a few of those right now, all working to make Tulsa a better, more thriving scene for hard working musicians. On Thursday, Sept. 2, however, we lost a young man who quietly left an indelible mark on our local music scene.

If you haven't heard yet (and if you are at all plugged into the local modern rock scene, it's completely unlikely), Jordan Hiteshew recently passed away and almost immediately, a ripple effect was felt throughout the music community. He quietly invested more of his own time and effort into promoting the local music scene than most people will ever realize.

Hiteshew founded and administered the now-defunct TulsaMusicPulse.com, which began as a message board then became an essential source for local music information and schedules, before laying it to rest after six years in service. He also co-hosted the TMP (Tulsa Music Pulse) podcast with Trey Ballew for roughly three years, recording at University of Tulsa's recording studios and even broadcasting on TU's college station for a period of time.

As the principal web designer for his company, Spiffco Web Designs, Hiteshew oversaw the design and hosting of a number of sites for local bands and venues such as HotRodBob, The Weeping Tree, Johnny Reliable, Wreckless Process, My Solstice, Upside, The Pinkeye, The Hive and even Oklahoma Performing Arts, among others.

As if that wasn't enough, Hiteshew put his money where his mouth was as president and founder of Vigilant Records in 2004, overseeing the release of CDs by Wreckless Process, Downstate, Shutdown Sequence Go! and River City Ransom before closing shop in 2008.

Hiteshew's loss came as a surprise to the local music community as he suffered head injuries in a longboarding accident along the Broken Arrow Parks Trail near Aspen and the Creek Turnpike on Aug. 29. After being taken off of life support, he passed away on Sept. 2.

Though Jordan made an extraordinary impact on a huge part of our local community, he did so quietly and in the background. Instead of seeking the spotlight or notoriety, he preferred working in the background to promote local music and keep the local scene moving forward. Like many of us, he had his own taste and personal preferences, but that didn't keep him from acknowledging local talent and promoting bands of all genres with his podcast and the TMP website.

Although much has been said and can be repeated by members of the local music community, I feel it best to honor him in my own words.

I'll always remember Hiteshew for his sarcasm and dry wit, often throwing a quick smirk or scowl before cracking open with a wide smile. Though he was always low-key and hovered in the background, he was always well aware of most, if not all, of what was going on in the local music scene. He was always a gracious host, often including me as a guest on the TMP podcast. He was just as prone to break off in silly tangents as to focus on the most poignant artists of the day. Most of all, he was always genuine and real.

To lose such a good soul at 26 years of age seems such a waste, and is a huge loss to our community. Even so, his life serves as an inspiration as he had already achieved more in 26 years than many people achieve in a lifetime. His most crowning accomplishments were driven by his passion -- both for music and to help others. For that, his family can only be proud and honored to have called him one of their own.

I know that as a part of the local music community (even though I'm not a musician), I'm proud to have called Jordan a friend and peer. His vision helped motivate many bands and local entrepreneurs as well as myself.

Funeral services were held at Liberty Church on Sept. 7 and saw a huge turnout from friends and peers who sought to pay a final tribute to the young man who has done so much to support and promote local music. An additional service was held Sept. 10 in Windber, Penn., for extended family and friends before his body was laid to rest.

The story isn't over yet; Ryan Wallace and Stephen Egerton at Armstrong Recording are in the planning stages of a memorial concert to both honor Hiteshew's memory and provide a sense of closure for many who were shocked by his passing. (Details will be shared as they emerge.) Even though Jordan is no longer with us, his memory will live on with those of us upon which he made a lasting impact and continue to inspire us to not only accomplish more, but to also help others achieve their goals.

Although we feel a great loss, I know it can't compare to the loss felt by Jordan's family and girlfriend, to which we continue to extend our condolences.

Rest in peace, Jordan. We miss you, brother.