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Re: The Captain

PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 11:10 pm
by fanjack12
Seems to me the only comment about him leaving Poco was mine.....but the major comment I made was that Paul looks and seems in very poor health....and most here would like to hope it isn't serious for him. Last thing this site needs is a lot of concern about who left and why...but when one appears to not be in good health, it would be nice to know how they are doing; just like when Poco was in England and Paul had a problem and George, of course, in Massachusetts. So, does anybody know how Paul is doing?

Re: The Captain

PostPosted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 2:23 am
by Bogeyfire
rusty wrote:(it's Mary)
Rusty & the band and I wish the speculation would stop about why Paul left the band. There is truth to be told, but it could hurt someone's feeling. It really wasn't just between Rusty & Paul...


I'm with you, Mary. As I have gotten closer to one member or another through this site, or friends of the band, or other means, you are a member of a close community.

We aren't talking about National Enquirer gossip. These people, known as "Poco", are engaging in life are now targets, heroes, and superficial protagonists of innuendo and gossip.

Stuff happens. But, superficial innuendo ignites crap.

Paul is an icon, as is every member of Poco. And, if my speculation toward "blame" is open, Paul's wife treated me with much affection. She never hinted toward tension. She only held her passion for her husband with the best of intentions.

Friction with others, past & gone, are history. Meanwhile, Paul and Rusty were the best of bandmates for many years. It ended. Its not ours to wonder why. It just was, and it was a great run, lasting far longer than most partnerships, bands, or relationships in general.

I won't take sides.

Re: The Captain

PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 11:38 am
by bocanut
One way to end the speculation about how and why Paul left the band would be for Rusty to tell his side of the story in his book or here.

When Paul left, he posted on this site that he didn't get something he wanted out of his arrangement with POCO (which is owned by Rusty) and wasn't going to be at an upcoming POCO show at Wildwood. Rusty then posted that he took that as Paul had left the band.

Did Paul quit or was he fired? A few people know the answer and for the most part they don't want to talk about it. We can safely assume that it was at least in part about money and I suspect Paul thought he was entitled to something more for his decades of involvement in the band and his being there to help breathe new life into something that was near dead at the beginning of this century. I suspect that Mary and Rusty will not like my speculation and will soon after they read this, delete this post. People still speculate about the break up about the Beatles. Many POCONUTS are getting older and have enough time on their hands to engage in meaningless speculation about (somewhat) famous people.

Was the arrangement Paul and Rusty had at the time fair? Fairness is like beauty, it is a matter of opinion.

Correct me if I am wrong, somehow at some point, Rusty ended up owning 100% of POCO. This asset wasn't worth much during the 90s. As this century began and new websites tied to oldies groups helped POCO and others become more valuable assets, I believe that Paul and his wife felt that Paul should have been brought in for a equity stake in the business, Rusty did not agree and things ended in a less than happy manner.

Most of my view is speculation based upon what I have read and 40 years in the business world. And yes POCO is a band, but it is also a business.

Since Rusty owns this site, he can delete my post any time he wants.

I pray that Paul is well and is enjoying his new life.

Re: The Captain

PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 7:17 pm
by StevenT
I appreciate the happiness that the music of Poco has brought to many of us, from 1968 to present. And, I do not take that for granted, and I don't believe in asking an artist for any more than what the artist chooses to offer -- if an artist wants to share the music, but not all of what goes on behind the scenes, I unconditionally accept.

Many of the personnel changes, over the last 50 years, have precisely been the reason why this band has been so interesting for so long. I don't question, or publicly speculate about, those decisions -- I'm just grateful that [whatever will be, will be].

As Paul said in 2000, "Let the wind blow".....

Re: The Captain

PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 7:30 pm
by DavidS
Paul turns 75 in February 2018. He is in relatively good health for a man his age. Paul performed 5 shows this summer at 3 different times in Colorado with Richie. He experienced considerable altitude sickness, not uncommon for someone half his age. He can still sing, play guitar, walk, and talk! Paul became acclimated to the altitude by the day after the concerts and was in fine form. Probably best for Paul to perform at sea level in the future!

Re: The Captain

PostPosted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 9:02 am
by wheland
David,

I can understand altitude illness. I experienced it when I visited Colorado and Utah last year. Unfortunately after several days I still wasn't acclimated and cut my trip short because most of it was going to be at high altitude.

I figured that was what Paul was experiencing when people mentioned how he looked at the performances recently in Colorado.

Dennis

Re: The Captain

PostPosted: Sat Oct 28, 2017 3:06 am
by Bogeyfire
bocanut wrote:...Correct me if I am wrong, somehow at some point, Rusty ended up owning 100% of POCO. This asset wasn't worth much during the 90s. As this century began and new websites tied to oldies groups helped POCO and others become more valuable assets, I believe that Paul and his wife felt that Paul should have been brought in for a equity stake in the business, Rusty did not agree and things ended in a less than happy manner...


Bocanut, I believe your assessment is 100% correct. I remember the night Paul quit the band. He simply said he couldn't make it to the show the next day. (Whatever happened to a 2 week notice?) Rusty made a rare post saying, "it looks like Paul just quit".

George Lawarance, more outspoken than Rusty would have liked, in my assumption, chimed in. He blamed "Paul's manager" over and over again. That is Paul's wife. I enjoyed her company on several occasions, but its not for me to judge.

The light GL shed was, Rusty is owner. Rusty took all the risk, legally and logistically for a band that lived in various cities around the country. Rusty paid the band, not the venue. The "members of the band" were hired hands. Considering the responsibility of the "owner", it was balsy of a member to say he was so important that he should be paid the same as the owner.

I could be wrong on some account, but I think that is an accurate summation of the demise of Paul in the band.

It had nothing to do with talent or contribution. It was that he wanted a greater cut of the pie without the responsibility.

Re: The Captain

PostPosted: Sat Oct 28, 2017 8:47 am
by Tabasco
Good Lord, hasn't anyone read Mary's post? Despite Mary's polite request to stop the assumptions and speculations about why Paul left the band ... it went right back into it!!

The Captain's Residence 2019

PostPosted: Mon Aug 26, 2019 6:38 pm
by Jiff
Seeing that Paul will guest with Poco at Wildwood, and assuming he's living in Corvallis, Oregon (his wife's home town), I was thinking he might guest with Poco at the Oregon State Fair in Salem on Labor Day. Checked the Whitepages, and it says he lives in Eugene. Okay, that's not much farther from Salem than Corvallis. Wrong, Eugene, Florida.

The Captain's Residence 2019

PostPosted: Tue Sep 10, 2019 11:28 am
by Jiff
As it turns out, Paul lives part time in Eugene, Oregon, not Florida. That's what Rusty said when he introduced Paul at the Oregon State Fair on Labor Day. My concert review at Seattle Music & More:
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/mtheads/poco-firefall-ppleague-in-salem-sep-2-2019-t2502.html