Saturday, October 10, 2009 RIP Rusty Wier
Yesterday, October 9, 2009, Rusty Wier passed after a two year battle with cancer. Rusty really framed Americana music for me when I got turned onto him in the mid 70's. His music didn't sound like anyone else's. It was lush, hauntingand meaningful. I was entranced.
When my boss Ed Salamon came over to my house for a Sunday Daily News story that was being written about me and my New York radio station, WHN, he pulled the Rusty Wier music from my library shelves, along with the Gram Parsons, Flying Burrito Brothers, Byrds, Jerry Jeff Walker, Goose Creek Symphony, and the like. Just two songs an hour, wedged in between Glen Campbell, Tanya Tucker, The Oak Ridge Boys, Eddie Rabbitt and Larry Gatlin. Only two an hour, but I was playing progressive country on the radio in New York City in 1975.
It wasn't long after that we started doing live broadcasts from The Lone Star Café. Many of these were mainstream artists; it was the first place I saw George Strait, after all, but there were off-the-beaten-path acts, too. One night, it was Rusty Wier. After the set, Rusty came up to the radio station to be a guest DJ. We are talking Park Avenue between 54th and 55th Streets, and we are talking 3 am. I ran the board for him. I wonder if anyone has a tape of that night.
One of my most satisfying career achievements was to have a home, lo 25 years later, for the likes of Rusty Wier, and to not have to sandwich his music into other artists' that were mainstream. He was my touchstone. What an artist. I know these last years weren't easy, but I know how intensely he lived, and I know the intensity of what he left us.
-Jessie
Update: Touching story from the comments section of this post.
Jerry Jeff called and asked if I wanted to go out to Rusty's son's house where Rusty was staying and sing him a few songs. Joe Forlini went too. We gathered around his bed and sung for over an hour songs that he had recorded and others like Texas Morning that he loved. His eyes were closed but he made movements like raising his head to let us know he knew we were there. I sang Amazing Grace and he raised his head and sat up! He died that night.
Rusty was a road warrior if there ever was one and we'll all miss him...
-Bob Livingston
