R.I.P Willy DeVille

[severalpieces]

Mink Deville ! Oooh yeah!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willy_DeVille

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioxeqbQCvMo
He smoked so expressively !

Bev!

[TonyNYC]

Sorry to hear this piece of news.

Loved him live and his "Mixed Up Shook Up Girl" is one amazing song.

[Dar]

[waldo]

The coolest person I ever saw on a stage. At CBGBs, in the late 1970s, when it was all black T-shirts and leather jackets, he came on in a really sharp 3-piece suit, enormous pompadour, chandelier earrings, cigarette. And a great voice and great songs.

I came in to work Monday and someone had posted his obit in my cubicle. Other people sit there nights and weekends, so I had to guess who it had been. I guessed right, and he and I talked for a half hour about Willy and CBGBs and the whole scene. He had always been nervous to go there (he went a few times, dragged by his girlfriend), and I was never nervous (spent hundreds of nights in that place, and later on played there a few times myself). It was nice to talk to somebody else who remembered that whole scene.

But mostly we talked about Willy. I saw a DVD recently, of a show he did in Europe, and he was as good as ever, maybe better. Of all the performers I saw back then at CBs, he was the one who really became what he had the potential to be.

[studiogirl]

Well...seeing this really bummed out my trip. What a drag.

There simply never has been and never will be anyone quite like him and his enormous talent. Actually, make that prodigious talent. There are many excellent musicians in this world, a good number of very talented musicians, but next to none of his caliber, IMO. I found him extraordinary.

[TonyNYC]

Saw Willy a couple of times at The Bottom Line and loved him. Backed up all that style with great songs and his voice.

I only made it to CBs once-I think maybe I was a little too old and not cool or punk enough and I didn't like The Ramones, Blondie, Television or Talking Heads-But one New Years Eve a friend dragged me down to see Patti Smith and though I thought the place was a cramped dump, I was happy when she called out Springsteen and they did Because The Night and Gloria.

[TonyNYC]

Makes me even sadder to think he was playing I think BB King's a year or so ago and I didn't go out and see him. Damn, I blew it.