B.C. Williamson - The Official Website

NOTE TO THE PRESS

Thursday 9th July - ROLLING STONE

As part of my work on covering the new tour Mr. Williamson is about to embark on, while filming the upcoming feature documentary Standin' Tall An' Straight: The B.C. Williamson Story, I have been allowed unprecedented access to his top-secret rehearsal location in Central Memphis. As many will know, B.C. has not taken to the stage since his famed appearance in mid-1976. The concert of May that year marked his first performance for five years, and was eagerly anticipated by thousands of adoring fans. However, after taking to the stage, he immediately left and checked in a drug rehabilitation centre. Since he has not given interviews and has only recorded infrequently, with varied success. 

But, with two new albums in the past year (including an ambitious return to his fatherland of Nigeria, called Back To Africa), a book in the works, and a critical revival starting, B.C. recently agreed to sit down with me and be interviewed for the documentary. He also allowed me into one of his rehearsals, a fascinating insight into the way the man works. He only rehearsed songs once or twice, with his current touring band, made up of his old comrade Tick-Tock Turner on drums, Clueless Parker on double bass, Harold "Ivory" Keys on piano, and occasional collaborators The Phukets on backing vocals. As Williamson is famous for firing one backing band per album, the new musicians are clearly nervous.

Today's sessions were interrupted with the tragic news of the death of his manager, Natty Roseman, the man who found B.C. in a small bar in Beale Street back in 1952, and shaped his career. He had been re-mastering B.C.'s catalogue when he passed away. Williamson commented on him during filming: "He was a decent guy... he made me a famous blues musician... I made him a rich man." Songs rehearsed spanned from across his entire career, from obscure tracks from his first masterpiece, Giraffe, to well-known staples from the success mid-Sixties touring years, to under appreciated mid-80s art-blues epics. Williamson, despite his age of 82, and frequent drug use over the years, is in fine form. His guitar still wails like always, the old voice is still strong, the mind is still focused. 

For all those excited to see B.C. come this summer, you have reason to be. If the practice session today shows anything, it is that B.C. is soon to be back. Again.

- as published in Rolling Stone (reprinted with permission)

Note: B.C. Williamson was never featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, and they do not in any way endorse this project. Please see the bottom of this page for more details.