BLUE: a tribute to Mickey Newbury

Mickey Newbury
1940-2002

Mickey Newbury is the best musician you never heard, and my personal favorite.

Not content to just stick with one approach, he offered something for fans of many different styles. Whether doing pop, rock, country, blues, or even light jazz, he put his heart and soul into the performance. Here, I focus on my favorite aspect of the man - his blues music. Regardless of what kind of music he was making, Mickey's lyrics were most often rooted in the blues style.

Throughout his career, Mickey Newbury was friends with Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson, and Townes Van Zandt. In the early 1970s, he married his wife Susan, and they had four kids together. He all but retired from the music industry in the 1980s, returning to record an album of old songs in 1988. In 1996, he began recording new music for the first time in fifteen years. After years of living with pulmonary fibrosis, he died in 2002 at the age of 62.


- DISCOGRAPHY -

1968 - Harlequin Melodies
1968 - Sings His Own
1969 - Looks Like Rain
1971 - 'Frisco Mabel Joy
1973 - Heaven Help the Child
1973 - Live at Montezuma Hall
1975 - Lovers
1977 - Rusty Tracks
1978 - His Eye Is On the Sparrow
1979 - The Sailor
1981 - After All These Years
1988 - In a New Age
1993 - Live in England
1994 - Nights When I Am Sane
1996 - Lulled By the Moonlight
2000 - Stories From the Silver Moon Café
2002 - A Long Road Home
2003 - Blue To This Day

"Nights When I Am Sane" was re-released in 2002 as "Winter Winds" with added post-production and some additional tracks. I consider the new production on this re-release to be unnecessary and rather obtrusive, especially considering the raw power of the original album.

There's also a couple of great bootlegs out there. I have one of them, a demo from the Triad Studios recorded in 1991. It has the best versions of "Just Dropped In" and "Wish I Was", which I play clips of in the video.

Several of Mickey's albums can be bought here:
http://mickeynewbury.com/

Unfortunately, they don't seem to have his best album up for sale: "Nights When I Am Sane". I had some difficulty tracking that one down.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• music
• forgotten
• lost
• radio

[cannitb]

I met 'The Mick' once in person ,twice on the phone and a thousand times in my head,( whenever I play his music ).Thanks for posting a brilliant and much deserved tribute.

[BERSERKERpoetry]

no problem, glad to do it.

[hhhaller]

thanks fr posting the great man

[BERSERKERpoetry]

you're welcome!

[janeczka]

I remember that bloke, you did a previous installement about him in your 'MWAIC'. Very nice!!

[BERSERKERpoetry]

cool. I really like him.

[dawnjakeleah]

To Laura Shayne - how many children did Mickey have? I have always wondered about his life and where he got all the songs that seemed to be ripped from his soul. I will miss him and love him until I die. Just a fan. my ex loved him and introduced me to him, through his music. Who is it in that one picture on one of his albums?

[MamaLCherry]

A wonderful tribute. Thank you so much. We miss him everyday.

His youngest daughter,

Laura Shayne

[mommenon1]

Thank you for the wonderful tribute to one of my most favorite singer/songwriters...Mickey is on the turntable every day, can't live without his music....Happy or sad, he is one of the greatest to sing with such indescribable, some times heartwrenching passion and feelings....He will live forever thru his music......

[9erfandex]

A really sweet overview of a career  of good writing, playing and singing! Mickey Newbury, an American original, gone yes, forgotten HELL NO!

[bigredridinhood]

I am`absolutely speechless...what a genius! Thanks!

[JM46jm]

~.~

[skotski54]

I think Mick would have liked your tribute. From a friend.-ski

[MISSISSAUGAWATCH]

Loved "Just dropped in" from the moment Kenny Rogers sang it. Only knew about Mickey Newbury by accident via YouTube about a year ago.

His "Just dropped in" (both of them) made me forget the Rogers' version immediately.

The "Just dropped in" shown in this wonderful tribute is THE song.

And then there's...

"I wish I was a willow tree.

Leanin' on a lazy breeze.

Movin' like a midnight train.

Through rainy Georgia"

Mickey Newbury GENIUS. PERFECTION.

[pianomansibs]

this is wonderful he was my greatest influence ever thankyou thankyou for sharing this Simon