Thursday, September 12, 2019

Daniel Johnston



I first learned about Daniel Johnston from my high school English teacher, Gord Way, who furnished me with dubbed cassettes of his work. These included songs from the early releases, recorded in Johnston's parents' basement, and cover versions from his former girlfriend Kathy McCarty's tribute album, Dead Dog's Eyeball. They were unlike anything I had ever heard before. 

In 2003, we went to see him perform at the Phoenix. I brought along the above Yip/Jump Music cassette in case we happened to bump into him. He performed a short solo set, as the opening act on the bill. After the headliners Yo La Tengo performed, I saw him waiting alone, by the side of the stage. I suggested that my partner go talk to him, tell him that we enjoyed his performance and ask him to sign the cassette. 

When she returned she explained that after their brief conversation a guy from the merch table had called Johnston away to help with T-shirts or something. He argued that he was supposed to stay where he was, but the guy persisted and a flustered Johnston eventually acquiesced. 

Then Yo La Tengo took the stage for their encore, and announced that they were going to perform a song with Daniel. But they couldn't find him. I recall them asking if the house lights could be turned on, so they could look for him. "Has anybody seen Daniel?" they called from the stage. "Daniel?"

In what seemed like ages but was probably only a matter of minutes, everyone in the club waited for him to appear. When he did, it was to a triumphant applause. He led the band in a spirited rendition of his song "Speeding Motorcycle". 

Yesterday, his family released the following statement: 

"The Johnston family is deeply saddened to announce the death of their brother, Daniel Johnston. He passed away from natural causes this morning at his home outside of Houston, Texas. Daniel was a singer, songwriter, an artist, and a friend to all. Although he struggled with mental health issues for much of his adult life, Daniel triumphed over his illness through his prolific output of art and songs. He inspired countless fans, artists, and songwriters with his message that no matter how dark the day, 'the sun shines down on me' and 'true love will find you in the end."'






No comments:

Post a Comment