WALTER WILLISON sings "JOEY, JOEY, JOEY" by Frank Loesser

"A few days before my father died, on the evening of his 89th Birthday, April 1st, 2005, he asked me to sing Frank Loesser's "Joey, Joey, Joey" at his funeral. He'd heard me sing it in my concert with Heather MacRae, and had even made sure I sang it at a his final Chevrolet Christmas party, where he'd been honored the previous December. But I hadn't realized how much this song really meant to him until that moment. At first, a song about a drifter moving on seemed to me an odd choice. But then, maybe not. Perhaps it reminded Dad, who had run away from his Bridgeport, Ohio, home in his early teens [at age 12 he'd worked in a pool hall where he'd shined Al Capone's shoes and delivered bootlegged liquor!] of his youthful life as a 'hobo', riding the rails from one end of the United States to the other, during The Great Depression of the 1930s. But as I went deeper into Frank Loesser's deceptively simple lyric, I suddenly came to understand the deeper meaning my father, nearing the end of his life, had found in this song about a man who feels he has 'been too long in one place' and knows it is 'time to go.' Sadly, due to unfortunate petty family conflicts and jealousies, I wasn't permitted to honor my Dad's request, and the song wasn't sung at his service. But ever since then, whenever I sing it, it will always be for him."
---- Walter Willison March 2009.
Video clip from: From "WALTER WILLISON and HEATHER MAC RAE in NIGHT OF YOUR NIGHTS: The Golden Age of Broadway In Concert". Written and Directed by Walter Willison, with Musical Direction and Arrangements by Jeffrey Silverman.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Walter Willison
• Two By Two
• Richard Rodgers
• Tony Award
• Theatre World Award
• Broadway musicals
• theatre
• theater
• gay interest

[ixdkka]

Love Frank Loesser, love this song -- and found your version totally by accident. Perfect. Thanks so much.

[BroadwayGoldnAge]

@ixdkka -- Ah, but since there are no such things as accidents, it was clearly Kismet!.So glad you found it and enjoyed it and took the time to write and let me know.

Best,

Walter Willison

NYC

[PacRimJim]

From the heart. Nothing on this earth is more meaningful.

[BroadwayGoldnAge]

How kind you are to write such a beautiful message.

Best, WW

[jhhone]

Awesome, heartfelt performance!

[BroadwayGoldnAge]

Thanks so much. As you know from my post, this one has an extra special place in my heart, and I appreciate your taking the time to let me know you appreciated it.

Best, WW

[iheartporsche]

One of my favorite tunes.  Youtube is filled with performances of varying quality. Yours is by far the best! VERY nice. Great voice, and sung with feeling. You are good!

Bryan

Seattle

[BroadwayGoldnAge]

Thank you so much for you kind words, Bryan. I really appreciate your taking the time to write and let me know you liked the song and the performance. It's such a great song and it touches me so deeply, and it's nice to know it touched you, as well.