If Paul Morley of the
Observer
(London)
had his druthers
, tomorrow we’d be celebrating the inauguration of
North Coast Journal
food columnist Joseph Byrd
as our new president.
Joseph Byrd of the USA, my mascot of an American truth that is more David Lynch than Steven Spielberg, developed sounds for toys, wrote TV theme tunes, produced klezmer music and tussled with Napster over artist royalties. He currently teaches musical history, collaborates with cerebral Norwegian improvisers Spunk, and writes a very fine food column for the North Coast Journal in Humboldt County, California. This might be an only-in-America ending for one of its most respected cult musicians …
We’ll take it! Says Mr. Byrd:
The Brits have always liked me more than I deserve (Americans less than), but my head swelleth to read this. He makes me sound as important as I think I am!
Morley’s column was published four months ago, but somehow Bob, Joseph and I all missed it back then.
Wikipedia has
a brief overview
of Byrd’s strange, eventful life.
This article appears in Spending Headwaters.
I went once to “my” Wikipedia entry, and thought to correct a date. Then I noticed a lot of odd distortion of detail, probably reflecting the interests of the people who post. It was a very strange feeling, like walking in my own Lenin mausoleum. I decided to leave every thing alone, and got out. I’ve rarely returned. It’s creepy. I’d rather let misinformation and random opinions blossom than get involved in writing my own legend. My actual history is curiouser and even more interesting, but there’s a very good biographer working on it, and I am determined to stay at a distance.
The left out the part where he annoyed shoppers by playing ‘Lady of Spain’ in grocery isles on the accordion, the most hilarious of all the circus instruments.