Paul Williams

[j45nick]

Paul Williams, perhaps the first serious rock music critic and writer, died over the weekend. He founded "Crawdaddy" magazine when he was a 17-year-old college freshman, and went on to write some of the finest books about rock music of his generation. He was one of the first to take Dylan seriously as a writer/poet, and his multiple books on Dylan's music and performances are still classics of rock criticism.

 

He died of dementia, probably brought on by a serious head injury from a bicycle accident a number of years ago.

[milod]

I hate to say this but I fear for generations alive today that we've learned so well to keep alive the body that we seem increasingly to care little about that which might animate it.

 

absit omen.

 

m

[TommyK]

For the record, it appears you are talking about a different Paul Williams than the one which came first to my mind.

 

The first one that came to mind is the composer of "Evergreen," "Rainy Days and Mondays," and played Jackie Gleason's side-kick in "Smokey and the Bandit."

 

This is a different Paul Williams.

 

Forgive me for not knowing this Paul Williams.

[blindboygrunt]

thats quite sad , his 'performing artist' series of books about dylan are among the best i read about bob .. very insightful . a must read for the dylan freak .

[Murph]

 

The first one that came to mind played Jackie Gleason's side-kick in "Smokey and the Bandit."

 

 

Me too.

[rar]

... we seem increasingly to care little about that which might animate it.

Wow! You post this, and, the next morning, the White House announces the BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative. I wish I had that kind of clout in Washington. :)

 

-- Bob R

[Red 333]

For the record, it appears you are talking about a different Paul Williams than the one which came first to my mind.

 

The first one that came to mind is the composer of "Evergreen," "Rainy Days and Mondays," and played Jackie Gleason's side-kick in "Smokey and the Bandit."

 

This is a different Paul Williams.

 

Forgive me for not knowing this Paul Williams.

 

I thought the same thing. I was even more shocked, because I saw the documentary "Paul Williams Still Alive" recently (see trailer, below).

 

 

Red 333

[Kaiser Bill]

Like the rest...I'm at a total loss as to which Paul Williams you are referring to...not the songwriter obviously.

[blindboygrunt]

http://www.dailybulletin.com/davidallen/ci_22931478/paul-williams-was-critic-but-kind-one