4/20/1954 – 6/7/2026
Carmel by the Sea, California
Bruce Gordon Paine, age 72 of Carmel by the Sea, California, passed away on June 7, 2026, at his home.
Bruce was born on April 20, 1954, in Oklahoma City to Charles B. “Pete” and Gene Firing Paine, the youngest and by far the funniest of their three children. He attended grade school and junior high in Hill City Kansas and then moved, graduating from Wichita Southeast High School in 1972. He attended the University of Kansas where he studied music therapy. As lead trombone in the Marching Jayhawks, Bruce led the band that emerged at full speed from the midst of the football stadium for each pregame show. He had visions of tripping at the top of the stairs, causing the entire band to tumble down after him, but he never did. Bruce left academia to pursue lifelong interests in music, travel, and adventure. In the mid 1970s Bruce lived in Oregon, moved to Lawrence in the late 1970s where he lived for several years, then returned to Oregon. In 1981 he moved to San Francisco and remained in the greater bay area, including Woodacre and Montara Bay, until settling in Carmel.
Always a free spirit, Bruce had many jobs and adventures, including bartending (thanks Dan and Chris!), planting trees in the pacific northwest, and driving cabs, timber trucks, and cross-country moving vans, before establishing himself in the career he loved, music. For over twenty years he played trombone with The ZaSu Pitts Memorial orchestra, a wildly popular Bay Area dance band known for its strong horn section and female vocalists with rousing stage performances of Motown, soul, and classic pop. His signature song was Mustang Sally. Years later, Bruce and other veterans of the Zasu Pitts Memorial Orchestra and musicians who had played with Santana, The Tubes, and Sylvester formed Big Bang Beat. They were known for high-energy stage shows, precision choreography, colorful costumes, and heavy audience interaction.
When he eventually left the band, Bruce worked for a company that developed software for musicians. With his vast musical experience, he was able to help countless performers use the software. The last months of his life Bruce battled an aggressive cancer but was able to spend his remaining time at home with his life partner Denise Marks, M.D.
An informal memorial observation potluck will be held at the Lawrence Rotary Arboretum shelter, 5100 W 27th St., Lawrence, KS on Sunday, October 25th. Please join us for lunch from noon to 1pm with eulogies and remembrances to follow.
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