From: owner-harbinger-digest@smoe.org (harbinger-digest) To: harbinger-digest@smoe.org Subject: harbinger-digest V3 #117 Reply-To: harbinger@smoe.org Sender: owner-harbinger-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-harbinger-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk harbinger-digest Monday, April 13 1998 Volume 03 : Number 117 HARBINGER DIGEST To post, mail harbinger@smoe.org To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe harbinger-digest To get list info file, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: info harbinger-digest Today's Subjects: ---------------- (harbinger) The Death of Wendy O. Williams ["Kenn" Subject: (harbinger) The Death of Wendy O. Williams Hey, Harbinger... Such sad news of another shocking loss in the music community. Wendy O. Williams committed suicide this past Monday. Here's the information from MTV news: > Plasmatics lead singer Wendy Orleans Williams shot and killed herself > Monday night in Storrs, Connecticut. Williams was 48. > > The singer's body was found by her former manager and confidant > Rob Swenson in a wooded area near the Storrs home the two shared. > Swenson alerted MTV News of Williams' death. > > Williams, an ex-topless dancer and 9th grade drop-out who had > worked in a few of Swenson's blue films in the mid-70s, moved from > porn to punk after Swenson began shooting videos for the likes of > Patti Smith and the Ramones and decided to build a band around > Williams. > > As frontwoman for the thrash glam Plasmatics, the mohawk-adorned > Williams was as at least as well known for her outrageous stage > antics as she was for her singing. The band, which debuted at CBGB > in New York City on July 26, 1978, frequently incorporated such > outlandish stunts as smashing a television with a sledgehammer, > cutting up a guitar with a chainsaw and firing off a machine gun into its > stage act. Williams often appeared on stage adorned with little more > than bits of electrical tape. > > The Plasmatics broke up in 1983 after releasing four albums, although > Williams continued on to pursue a solo career. > > Ironically, one of her best known hits was for a cover of Tammy > Wynette's "Stand By Your Man," on which she collaborated with > Lemmy from Motorhead. > > In her later years, Williams retired from music and adopted a cleaner > lifestyle, becoming a prominent health food advocate while working for > a natural foods co-op. Williams also attempted to mount an acting > career, earning parts in the film "Reform School Girl" and on television > in "McGyver." > > Swenson and Williams had moved to Storrs in 1991. I can't believe Wendy is gone. I don't even know how many folks on the list know who she is. I've never been a dyed-in-the-wool punker, by any means, but I always admired Wendy from afar (though she's been out of the limelight almost completely for the past several years) and her cover of "Stand By Your Man" is one of those classics I'll always enjoy even when I'm old and gray. I wouldn't have been surprised by the news of Wendy's untimely death back during her Plasmatics days and even during most of her solo career, but it appeared that the dangerous aspects of her life and her personality had mellowed with time. It's really just so sad that Wendy felt that she was fading as she grew older and that what she had to offer to music had lost its worth. I mean... her donation to the music world so important. If not for her and other female musicians of her era and before, artists like Paula would have had to fight even harder to get where they are now and, even if they managed to get there, they would have still had a much harder time running their own careers. Wendy O. Williams helped pave the way for other female musicians. Although, for many years, Wendy's lifestyle wasn't the healthiest, she still managed to send out a valuable message. That is, she showed the music industry that women can be strong. Women can front bands and bring in the crowds for concerts. They can express their ideas freely and boldly. They can redefine sexuality and beauty. They can be widen the borders of acceptability and be outrageous as hell. And, they can rock just as hard (if not harder, sometimes) than the guys. I'm just sorry to hear that she didn't see how much her life was worth. Peace. Kenn - ------------------------------ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe harbinger Please note the new majordomo address To buy Paula merchandise from Paula(!) try: http://pw2.netcom.com/~ilml/pcmerch.html Digest, further unsub and problems FAQ at: http://www.netaxs.com/~jgreshes/lists/harbinger.html For This Fire kinda-lyrics write Riphug@aol.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1998 12:58:35 PDT From: "Steve Bornstein" Subject: (harbinger) Sarah in Rolling Stone Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1998 15:05:47 -0500 From: "Kenn" To: harbinger@smoe.org Subject: (harbinger) Paula In Rolling Stone Reply-To: harbinger@smoe.org >There's a nice shot of Paula sitting beside > Sarah McLachlan and Leah Andreone at a > Lilith Fair press c onference in the new issue of > Rolling Stone. The photo appears on > page 42 in the middle of a long article >about Sarah (she's on the cover and > there are some awesome photos of > her in the mag, too). Paula is mentioned > in the article, as well, but only > generically (y'know...the usual angle > the articles about Sarah or Lilith Fair > usually take where Paula is sometimes depicted >flatteringly as a contemporary > of Sarah's and other times (with the >slightest tinge of insult) as some > kind of Louise to Sarah's Thelma). Dear Kenn Finally got my copy of Rolling Stone, and I don't see why you were complaining. Paula is mentioned several times in the article as a peer and as a friend. I know this is the Harbinger list, but it can't always be about Paula. This is Sarah's article, Sarah's moment in the spotlight. Sarah is an amazingly talented, honest, and considerate artist. Any association with her is an honor, and you should be pleased that Paula is so often mentioned in the same breath as Sarah. I'm sure Paula herself is flattered, and she is, I believe, the only other member of Lilith Fair who can get away with calling Sarah her sister. In this context, if Sarah were Louise, I'm sure she would want Paula to be Thelma. Paula will make it to the cover of Rolling Stone in her own right, very soon too, I'll bet. Be patient. You must realize that we are ahead of the media (even Rolling Stone) and the general public in recognizing and accepting the talent and value of these brilliant artists. Remember how last year Time Magazine put Jewel, not Sarah, on the cover of their issue covering Lilith Fair? I'm letting my subscription lapse since they are that out of it. (Actually, Sarah explains this in the article, rolling her eyes I'm sure, as a political/business decision - both Time Magazine and Warner Bros. (Jewel's label) being subsidiaries of Time/Warner - which did not affect Sarah's appearance on the cover of that issue in Canada.) Sometimes I think that the best we can do is the same - roll our eyes, shrug our shoulders, and move on. Peace Steve 13 (name under construction) steve@intermixx.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe harbinger Please note the new majordomo address To buy Paula merchandise from Paula(!) try: http://pw2.netcom.com/~ilml/pcmerch.html Digest, further unsub and problems FAQ at: http://www.netaxs.com/~jgreshes/lists/harbinger.html For This Fire kinda-lyrics write Riphug@aol.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1998 17:15:29 -0400 From: "Kenn" Subject: (harbinger) Sarah in Rolling Stone -Reply Steve Bornstein wrote: > Finally got my copy of Rolling Stone, and I don't see why you were > complaining. Frankly, I didn't realize I was. I thought I was just reporting that Paula was mentioned in Sarah's Rolling Stone article and I thought others might want to know to what extent Paula was mentioned. My editorial about how Paula has been highlighted (mostly favorably, sometimes neutrally) in other articles about Sarah or Lilith Fair was just an observation. I surely wasn't trying to rain on Mrs. Sood's day in the sun. In fact, I'm very happy for Sarah, who has certainly paid her dues and deserves all the good that comes to her. I even used to be a die-hard Fumbler back in the pre-Surfacing days. It would appear my post was misconstrued, at least in this instance. More peace.... Kenn - ------------------------------ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe harbinger Please note the new majordomo address To buy Paula merchandise from Paula(!) try: http://pw2.netcom.com/~ilml/pcmerch.html Digest, further unsub and problems FAQ at: http://www.netaxs.com/~jgreshes/lists/harbinger.html For This Fire kinda-lyrics write Riphug@aol.com ------------------------------ End of harbinger-digest V3 #117 *******************************