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Saturday, March 30, 2013

Reflections On Paul Williams


These are a few of the unpublished comments or emails sent to me in the past two days. I think you readers here, fans of my husbands, will enjoy and get as much comfort from these words as I have...

-------------------------------
Jon Landau

"Out here in Australia on a tour at the moment.  But Johan and many others have contacted me this morning to report on Paul's peaceful passing.  My years of really knowing Paul were more than forty years ago.  But during those few short years we changed each other's lives--he certainly changed mine more than the other way around.  From the day he walked into the old Briggs and Briggs Records and Instruments store in Harvard Square, where I was a high school student with a summer job behind the counter, we started talking and talking and talking about music, music, nothing but music.  He was trying to get the store to carry the first issue of Crawdaddy! and I convinced my boss to let him put it by the register. When he came back the following week, I had read it and I volunteered.  With my classic teenage arrogance, I announced that I could do better than any of the writers in that issue, including him.  He responded,  "Ok, Mr. Bigmouth, give it a try/"  Which is how I came to be a rock critic.

During the next couple of years Paul and I had a very warm but contentous relationship (he would say black, I would say white, he would say Doors, I would say Mitch Ryder, and on we went). Along the way, he taught me the art of editing, he taught me too that it was OK to listen to suggestions from others, and he taught me that not every sentence, period, and comma that I came up with was perfect and untouchable. He would bore right in on the weaknesses of these early pieces and he was one of the two or three major figures who helped transform me into the writer I became (for better or worse!).  He was simply a great teacher and I was very lucky that for a very memorable time, I was his student. 

I am thinking of you, Alexander, and above all Paul today.  And I extend to you and Alexander my greatest possible sympathy."

-----------------------------------------------
 Brian Wilson

"Paul Williams was just a kid when he came to my house when I was making SMiLE. We talked a lot and I played him acetates of my new music. He really dug it and I'll always remember that. He started Crawdaddy and wrote a lot of great books. Paul died this week and I want to say I'm sorry to his family for their loss."

Love and Mercy, Brian 

-------------------------

David Anderle


Some of the best times I ever spent during one of the best periods of my life were spent with Paul. And because of those times we will be forever linked. That makes me both happy and proud. He was such a joy to be with...I am remembering his wonderful smile and the happy meetings you, Paul and I had all those years ago. I will miss him greatly... Love to you Cindy. How lucky he was to have had your love, devotion and strength...Rest gently Paul. Rest gently gentle soul.

------------------------------------


Bill Holdship

"didn't know Paul Williams nearly as well as some of my friends did. I actually know his wife better; she claims I wrote the first national magazine feature article anyone ever did on her, and I guess she would know. But I did meet Paul on several occasions, and he was always the nicest and most encouraging fellow you'd ever want to meet.

Jim DeRogatis and I spent an afternoon with him when Jim dragged me along on his Lester-based California trek for the Bangs biography. Paul took us to that great taco stand in Encinitas, during which I mentioned "Everything Is Broken" was my favorite new Dylan song – it remains one of my theme songs to this day – but I'd yet to hear it live. So, when we got back to his house, Paul disappeared into a room for a few minutes and then returned to hand me a cassette with two recent live versions of that song on it. Just a very nice thing for him to do.

I saw him at damn near every Southern California Dylan show I attended in the '90s...and I attended a lot; he later perfectly explained the obsession many of us shared to a reporter with something like: "If Shakespeare was still alive and producing plays at the Globe Theatre, wouldn't you try to see as many as you could?"

I later saw him as an attentive audience member at a panel in LA about the subject of power pop. During the Q&A session, Paul said: "None of you have mentioned the one element I consider essential to all power pop and that's perfect vocal harmonies." One of the panelists actually responded that he didn't know that the vocals were so important compared to other things (but then, this same panelist had earlier termed AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long" a "power pop" song, so whatever). Paul just looked a little bewildered. But, ever the gentleman, he said nothing in response. I just laughed.

I also remember driving by a TicketMaster outlet around 10 a.m. one morning, just as tix for a week’s worth of Dylan shows at a relatively intimate LA theater were going on sale. Tix were the last thing on my mind that morning, since I was in the process of moving (I was able to score one later) – but when we drove by the theater, there was Paul Williams right at the front of the line with all his fellow Dylan fanatics. It made me smile.

Not long after, Cindy Lee phoned me one afternoon from Legs McNeil's home when he was in town working on his porno industry book. (It’s funny the little details one remembers…and forgets.) I told her about my recent devastating house fire – and she told me she'd had her "own house fire." She explained she meant it figuratively, telling me about Paul's biking accident. It was so sad to read about the deterioration of such a brilliant mind over the years, although Cindy's blog made it apparent that there was still a strong spirit inside that damaged body. His death two nigts ago wasn't a total shock but it was none the less sad.

Many people owe Paul Williams a debt of gratitude for guiding us from the innocence of the great 16 Magazine to the notion of rock music as a serious subject, one worthy of study and reflection.

Best wishes to his son, Alexander, and Cindy Lee Berryhill who remained true to those wedding vows of “for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part” as gallantly and steadfastly as anyone I've known."

Posted by Unknown at 10:43 PM 7 comments:

Thursday, March 28, 2013


Paul Williams creator of Crawdaddy! Magazine and author of over 30 books including Das Energi, and the Bob Dylan Performing Artist series passed on Wednesday March 27th at 10:30pm PST in Encinitas, CA. His oldest son, Kenta Williams was by his side and holding his hand. 

We love you Paul



Posted by Unknown at 8:23 PM 10 comments:

Monday, March 25, 2013

Paul Williams/Crawdaddy! Day @Boo-Hooray

 Photographer David Godlis, left, with camera talking to film-maker Matt Kohn

Alexander spent most of the event with his book and this 
comfy chair

The stars of the show; Crawdaddy! zines and Das Energi handwritten manuscript. Everything was beautifully displayed. These camera-phone photos hardly convey how lovingly the show was put together by the Boo-Hooray curator and staff.

Paul's books of "common sense philosophy" 

Boo-Hooray filming while Lenny Kaye and I play a few songs..he sings Like A Rolling Stone, and I sing, I Just Wasn't Made For These Times, both among Paul's favorite songs.

Steve Greenberg from S-Curve Records and Lenny Kaye

Boo-Hooray curator Johan Kugelberg, clb, Geoffrey Weiss

Listening to journalist Wayne Robins read from Paul's book Outlaw Blues. With Paul's longtime friend/poet Ellen Sander looking over some of his manuscripts and letters

Ira Robbins (Trowser Press) leaned over and said to me, "you don't see this particular crowd come out very often". I could feel the heart of the room, as writers and performers alike read, wandered through and paid homage to the books, inspired writings and spirit Paul Williams.

Thank you to everyone at Boo-Hooray for an exhibit full of heart and respect.  And thank you to all of you that attended


Posted by Unknown at 8:46 PM 7 comments:

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Flying On The Ground


Listening to Buffalo Springfield Boxset disc 1 


If Flying On The Ground Is Wrong


Visiting his dad's room




On the wall: Philip K Dick, Christopher Dick, Paul Williams


On the TV table; with Paul's glasses


Losing weight. But still has some fire. When his music is interrupted by a conversation between me and his teenage-years friend Judith Bragar he shouts "shuddup"...
We smile knowing Paul is 'still in there, loving the music he always loved'

*

Is my world not falling down
I'm in pieces on the ground
And my eyes aren't open
And I'm standing on my knees
But if crying and holding on
And flying on the ground is wrong
Then I'm sorry to let you down,
But you're from my side of town
And I'll miss you.
-N.Young

Posted by Unknown at 8:30 PM No comments:

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Paul Williams @Boo-Hooray





ONE DAY ONLY

RSVP
http://www.boo-hooray.com/paul-williams/


Paul Williams in Crawdaddy office
(photo by David Hartwell)
On Sunday the 24th of March, from 2 pm to 5 pm, we are celebrating the legendary writer/editor Paul Williams at Boo-Hooray.
This one-day exhibition/celebration honoring our favorite American cultural catalyst-person will show a comprehensive gathering of Paul’s books and publications including his early science-fiction fanzines, early copies of Paul’s Crawdaddy Magazine (arguably the first rock & roll fanzine), a complete run of the Philip K Dick Society newsletter which Paul edited, and a bunch of photographs and materials relating to Paul Williams’ extraordinary illuminated life as an ambassador of hep and a clear thinker of important cultural thought.
Cindy Lee Berryhill and Lenny Kaye will be performing a couple of Paul’s favorite songs.
Refreshments will be served!
Please rsvp to: RSVP
Following this event will be a fundraising sale which we are working on now. We can promise some insanely amazing rock & roll and science-fiction rarities.
Also, check out the Paul Williams’ website: www.paulwilliams.com


Posted by Unknown at 2:19 PM 1 comment:

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Paul Williams Books and Written Works On Exhibit: A One Day Celebration in NYC




A Celebration of Legendary Hep-cat Paul Williams
at Boo-Hooray Gallery

Sunday March 24th
Soho 
New York City
2-5PM
music by Lenny Kaye

265 Canal Street 6th Floor
NYC NY 10013
917-940-7479

***

About this photo from Sachiko Kanenobu's collection
she says: 

Paul(right) and Raymond Mungo and writer Kurt Vonnegut...this photo happened when Paul went to interview him I think. We were living with Raymond in third floor of loft, I was pregnant with our first son Kenta, 77 Franklin St. near Canal St.


*******


I will be there with our eleven year old son Alexander and I look forward to seeing those of you that can make it out. 
*
That evening there will be a musical hangout and performance 
@The Treehouse 2A (Ave. A + 2nd)
 8:30pm
some music from myself, Lenny Kaye, Tom Clark's Everly Bros. tribute and more
Posted by Unknown at 7:21 PM 12 comments:

Friday, March 8, 2013

More Than Human


Last weekend Paul's first wife, Sachiko Kanenobu and her partner Sukhawat Ali Khan came to visit. It was very dear and very beautiful and I came away from that visit feeling honored to be a part of the Paul Williams extended family, which includes their sons, Kenta and Taiyo (both of which have visited their father in the past few months). 

And, then the week before the visit with Paul's second wife Donna Grace  and her husband David Noyes, was also a lovely treat. They spent Valentine's Day with Paul while I played a show in LA and when I got back I found handmade valentine hearts from Donna, in books and stuck on photos for me to find and Paul to see. 

Paul was a loyal reader of and friend and later a champion of, science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon. He edited most of the Complete Short Stories series and wrote copious story notes. He would also read these stories aloud to me. One of the most memorable was More Than Human, where a commune of people, together, form a whole being, a newly evolved mind.  

I like to think that Paul was always looking for that way of being. He didn't do it in a perfect way, as we family members can attest to, and sometimes his idealism didn't match up with our own personal realities, but he was somehow, always hoping to find a way that the people he loved could live or be alright together as a whole. This could make for a rather complicated and not altogether natural way of handling 'marital bliss'. But in his way, Paul was striving for a perfection that Sturgeon's story had 
alluded to. 

The cover of the 1953, 35cent paperback, with a cracked spine and yellowing pages says:

More Than Human, 
the provocative story of six people who became-together-a new kind of humanity.....
Somewhere in this world there are six people who -together-can do anything. Some day, perhaps tomorrow, they will put their power to work and world will be transformed. In the meantime they are waiting quietly. They look-often behave-like people you know. But with a difference: they think of themselves as "I"-not "we"-because in a curious way they are One. That is the source of their strength. This is the story of how they met, and what they became...
....and what they intend to do. 

*    *    *    *    *  

This recording is Sukhawat playing what he called a healing raga for Paul. I recorded it as a memo on my phone. An elderly man came in the room as Sukhawat played and sang, sat down and nodded along with the rhythm of the music. Afterwards we found out he was Iranian and Sukhawat spoke to him in Farsi. It was all pretty great. Before the raga, Sachiko pulled out her guitar and sang some of her own songs to Paul, in English and in Japanese. This was a very magical experience for all of us. 


Posted by Unknown at 11:04 PM 3 comments:
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