Death of a Stevie Fan

[pwyll]

As some of you may know, Timothy White, Editor of Billboard magazine passed away suddenly yesterday of a heart attack. He was 50.

Avid readers of billboard and some of his books know that he was a huge fan of Stevie and the Mac and never had a bad word to say about them.

He knew good music. He will be missed.

[Johnny Stew]

Aw, man!
I've long been a fan of Mr. White's writings. He was a journalist, yes, but he was a music fan first and foremost. His respect for the craft always shone thru, and he never disolved into the sarcasm and "above it all" attitude that so many other music journalists fall into.

He will be sorely missed.



Johnny Stew

[highpriestess53]

that is two deaths in one day of great folks.......

[David]

Originally posted by pwyll
As some of you may know, Timothy White, Editor of Billboard magazine passed away suddenly yesterday of a heart attack. He was 50.

White was such a great rock journalist. I had no idea he was so young. He must have been barely 30 when he wrote "Out There With Stevie Nicks" for Rolling Stone, which is still just about the best article on Stevie ever written.

Timothy was free-wheeling & even a little bit splashy, but always totally on target. I loved the way his knowledge of books, music, history & politics informed his articles on rock & roll. He always seemed to me to be Pauline Kael's or James Agee's own son because reading him was frequently better than listening to the musicians or albums he was writing about. He also had their reportorial ear for trade gossip. Just a really good, good writer.

I snagged some of my favorite Timothy White "moments":

"Then it was 1984, & Springsteen released 'Born in the U.S.A.,' a record about cars & nightfall, one that aimed for a commanding depiction of their modest potential for conquering new horizons. He sang in gravelly bursts, like a souped-up Chevy skidding away from the soft shoulder of the road, & on the album jacket he stood before a massive Stars & Stripes like a puckish Patton; but his music was the sound of a defeated rebel, stuck in a small town, afraid to leave home."
____________________________

"You fall through places you've never been before, secret rendezvous on the fringes of public squares, railway stations, & night clubs, & you see faces you didn't know existed: soiled, smeared, chiseled, & grizzled masks slapped on the heads of those who have decided not to tow anyone's line. They are the types of souls you encounter in such books of photography as Brassai's 'The Secret Paris of the 30's': hungry, self-absorbed creatures who, whether crowded together or coupled in corners, all seem to stand out equally, as in a diorama. They are the sort of people Rickie Lee Jones sings about on 'Pirates.' "
____________________________

And ... has any description of Stevie Nicks ever captured her personality & her thoughts -- her entire essence -- more kinetically & completely?

"Fresh from finishing 'Bella Donna,' her first solo album, Stevie Nicks had met up with her band, Fleetwood Mac, at Le Chateau, the legendary studio-retreat where Elton John recorded 'Honky Chateau' in 1972 & where the Mac were laying down tracks for 'Mirage.' Retiring for the night, Stevie turned off the light in her huge shadowy bedroom. Suddenly, she was startled by the sound of rapidly flapping wings in the blackness. The noise abruptly ceased. Then came a queer whir, & something brushed against her cheek. She froze. The light she had just extinguished sprang on, & she was so petrified she could not scream, could not even speak. Ten minutes passed as she cowered in mute terror; then she stumbled down the damp hallway to the room of her secretary, who calmed & reassured her. Stevie eventually made her way back to bed & fell into a troubled sleep."

Ok, enough Timothy White. But I'm just amazed at how, time after time, he is able to so strikingly capture the style of one rock & roll dreamer after another, bending & shaping his words & sentences to evocate the peculiar sound & force of each artist.

[Johnny Stew]

Thank you for sharing those quotes, David.
Reading anything penned by Mr. White was always a pleasure.

I read his Billboard column even when I wasn't interested in the particular artist he was writing about! He made *everyone* sound like they were the greatest artist in the world... and yet, his writing was never treacly or filled with mindless fawning.

Mr. White will always stand as one of the greatest rock journalists rock journalism has ever known.




Johnny Stew

[FiercestCalmSea]

Wow,that is a terrible loss..i used to love reading his stuff...i have a question though,where is that excerpt that David posted from?? I thought i had read most every Stevie article,but i guess i was wrong...

[Johnny Stew]

The Timothy White quote regarding Stevie, is taken from the Rolling Stone issue with her on the cover.

It was published September 3rd, 1981, and you can read it here.



Johnny Stew

[FiercestCalmSea]

Thank You

[sara1998]

Originally posted by Johnny Stew
The Timothy White quote regarding Stevie, is taken from the Rolling Stone issue with her on the cover.

It was published September 3rd, 1981, and you can read it here.



Johnny Stew

I have this issue of RS, and it is an excellent article...and I love the pic from the front cover..... Little off subject, I always thought it was neat as this was published on my 4th birthday.....


Mr. White will be missed. He was an excellent journalist.

Maria