Nancy Warbrick

Nancy Wertheim “Big Nancy” Swarbrick, 61, of Piscataway, passed away Saturday, August 20, 2016, after a long battle with cancer, at Willow Creek Rehabilitation and Care Center, Somerset. She grew up in Green Brook, graduating Green Brook High School in 1973. At Trenton State College, she was a concert promoter, booking national acts. After college, she worked for Efinger’s Sporting Goods, Bound Brook. Nancy was a virtuoso blues harmonica player, a matriarch of the New Brunswick music scene. She attributed her father’s musical taste and guitar playing as an early influence. Mostly self-taught, she began her career in the 1980s, playing with Bob White and the White Boys at the Court Tavern, New Brunswick, for thirteen years. There she met her husband, musician Daniel Swarbrick, who predeceased her in 2012, after twenty years of marriage. The couple became entrenched in the central New Jersey music scene, supporting, collaborating, and mentoring local musicians. In the 1990s they managed booking for the former Red Bull Inn, Bridgewater, for top national acts and local bands. Nancy was sought as an accompanist for renowned blues artists touring the area, working with the Sonny Rhodes Band for six years, and Blues Man Willie for five years. She also shared stages with blues legends Pinetop Perkins, A. C. Reed, Johnny Clyde Copeland, and Hubert Sumlin, among others, such as crossover artists The Spin Doctors, Clarence Clemons, Levon Helm, Taj Mahal, David Johansen, and Bernie Worell. In 1992, she founded all-star band, Supreme Court. Nancy acted as a blues ambassador, preserving its cultural history. She taught harmonica, and developed a blues curriculum for school children. Contributing to the community, she participated in fundraisers for the American Cancer Society, Native American organizations, Friends of the Clearwater, Black Rock Coalition, Willie Mae Rock Camp, and the New Jersey Jazz and Blues Foundation. She organized or performed at over 125 fund raisers for needy friends, locals, and musicians. “My harp is my voice,” she said. “It has taken me to places I have never seen.” In addition to music, Nancy loved the Jersey shore and enjoyed classic TV and movies from her youth. In addition to her husband, Nancy was predeceased by her father, Merritt Wertheim. She is survived by her mother, Michelle Moore Wertheim of Barnegat; her brother, Glenn (Gail) Wertheim of Martinsville; nephew Bradley (Monica Hsiung Wojcik) Wertheim and daughter Mallory Wertheim of Wellesley, Massachusetts; niece Meredith Wertheim (Matt) Brehm of New York City, and her sister Barbara (fiancé Andre Burgos) of Croton-on-Hudson, New York; nieces Anna and Eleanor Burholt of Croton-on-Hudson, as well as many loving friends and adoring fans. Funeral services were private. A musical celebration of Nancy’s life is planned for October 7, at Roxy and Dukes Roadhouse , 745 Bound Brook Road, Dunellen, New Jersey 08812 (723 529 4464). Memorial contributions may be made to the Animal Rescue Force , P.O. Box 418, East Brunswick, New Jersey 08816 - 0418. You may find more information about Nancy at her website, BigNancy.com .