from writer R.S. Williams: I hadnt been on Facebook all that long when I began following Grayson Hugh. Back in the late 80s and early 90s, I adored his work, and thank goodness he was still making excellent records in 2013. Liking his artist page was natural. I expected Id see the latest album and show news, a holiday post now and again—the stuff youd normally see on a celebritys social media page (read: boring, canned, written by a PR wonk). But then award show season arrived, and I found myself belly-laughing at his commentary on all the red-carpet foolery. The back-and-forth with his loyal fans was far funnier than anything the show writers had thought up. He had a sharp, well-read sense of humor grounded not just in extensive pop cultural knowledge, but in literature from Shakespeare to Ralph Ellison and beyond. The best part? This was no media relations person behind a nationally-known musicians Facebook page. No, this was Grayson himself. This guy knows what hes doing, I said. He knows social medias about relationships, about ongoing conversation. Most people dont get that. It warmed my cold, cynical little heart. A few months later, I opened up Facebook to see a bunch of new Likes on a short creative nonfiction piece Id posted—37205, a piece about the eerie, cold sounds of an ice storm in Nashville, Tennessee. Thirteen likes; one was from Grayson Hugh. I sat stunned for a moment, then ran back and forth through the house Doppler-squeeing with glee and scaring the cats out of at least three lives each. When I texted my sister a screenshot of the Like list, she called me to Doppler-squee all the way from Denver. Goofy, yes, and true. That was October 2013. Since then, Ive gotten to know Grayson, and am happy to say that hes one of the kindest, most interesting, and most talented people Ive ever met. Not many of us can keep creating over several decades without getting stale—and I hope Gray will eventually clue me in on how he does that, how he keeps every album fresh and solid and unpredictable and damn good. Id also like to point out that hes an amazing prose writer, in addition to his incredible verse- and music-writing skills. Ive met only a handful of songwriters over the years who wield that kind of power. His upcoming album, Back to the Soul, starts production in Charleson, South Carolina, in early 2015. With a week or so left in his Indiegogo campaign, hes looking to get this independent record fully funded. There are wonderful perks available at every level—from a signed CD, to a picnic with Gray and his wife/harmony singer Polly Messer, to a one-on-one songwriting lesson, to a backyard concert. Im proud to have contributed to helping Back to the Soul come to life—and to call such a fine artist and person my friend. Come on and join us! -R.S. Williams, LaGrange, GA https://indiegogo/projects/back-to-the-soul-the-new-record-by-grayson-hugh--2/x/2964513
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 04:24:51 +0000
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