In the summer of 2000, there was a special event held at GenCon (back when there was just one, and it was in Milwaukee) that will likely live on in convention and Club Jade infamy for generations. The previous fall, Del Rey had taken the reigns of the Star Wars novel line and started things off by killing Chewbacca. Club Jade, in turn, held a funeral and wake for the mighty wookiee at GenCon, complete with a processional bearing his coffin marching through the Hyatt led by a bagpiper tooting Amazing Grace. The Normals were stunned, I tell you.
At the following wake was held a filking tribute to Chewie, a contest where victory was claimed by Carla Lute with her Dixie Chicks filk, “Chewie Had to Die”.