A documentary film on drummer Sib Hashian of the band Boston titled “BackBeat from Above: The Legacy of Sib Hashian” premiered at the Regent Theatre in Arlington on Sunday.
Hashian’s wife, Suzanne Hashian, was in attendance at the theatre, where all 500 seats were sold out for the premiere. She said that she was “overwhelmed” with the support and love shown at the event.
She credited director John Ippolito and producer Sarah Hale Folger for the great response the film has received so far.
“They put so much love into the film,” she said. “We were either laughing or crying. There was just so much they covered. I had not seen the film beforehand. I did not want to pre-screen because I wanted to take the journey with everybody else that came to see it.”
The proceeds from the documentary, Suzanne Hashian said, will go to the Sib Hashian Scholarship Fund, which she started in memory of her late husband. The fund gives out $10,000 annually to students in Lynn pursuing arts and music.
Sib Hashian was born and raised in Lynn. He studied at Lynn English High School and volunteered at My Brother’s Table, a soup kitchen in the city. He later moved to Lynnfield, where he lived for 38 years and raised his three children with Suzanne Hashian.
Suzanne Hashian said that her husband decided to move to Lynnfield to provide privacy and a safe environment for his family after a “strange” encounter with a fan at their previous home in Swampscott.
“A lot of people knew where we lived,” she said. “One day when Sib was out at a store, a man came to the house asking for him. I asked him to come and wait inside. Once Sib returned, he spoke to the man very politely and led him to the door. Once the door was shut, he turned around and said to me, ‘Don’t let anybody in here when I’m not here.’ And I was like, ‘How do I know who’s a friend or a fan? I have that Southern hospitality in me.’ That’s why we moved to Lynnfield, for some privacy.”
The Hashians’ children attended local schools and the family was actively involved in sports, charities, and events in Lynnfield.
“It was a wonderful place to raise our family,” she said.
Sib Hashian died from a heart attack on March 22, 2017 while performing on a cruise ship.
The film focuses on his life and family. Suzanne Hashian said that it “perfectly” mirrors her late husband’s life and legacy.
“He was always up to some shenanigans and everyone has funny stories about him,” she said. “He wore many hats as my best friend, husband, father to our children, and grandfather to our grandkids. He was a great brother and an amazing person to know. If you ever got to know him, you would never forget him because he had a unique personality.”
