Ian Stanton R.I.P.
Dave Griffin
writer \ activist has passed away...
I met him last year and I asked for his autograph and he wrote:
"To Dave, great to meet you in Hull, stay strong, stay angry, stay proud
cheers Ian Stanton"
I hope this message echoes within the disability movement
"WE'RE NOT AT THE END OF THE STORY"
IAN STANTON
The passing of an artist like Ian Stanton is more than the immense grief
I feel for a man that I really loved, more than the desperate sorrow I
feel for myself and for everybody he touched especially Audrey, his
family and my sisters and brothers in my home town Manchester.
It's more than the sadness felt around the world from everybody who
heard his message or who hung out with him afterwards in the bar, (the
smoking section), the people he charmed, the activists he stirred, the
people he loved and who loved him.
When we lose artist like Ian we lose a window into ourselves and a
window into the world.
Losing Ian we lost an activist, a campaigner, a true friend, a lover but
most importantly an artist who told us how to love each other.
Someone who explained how the grass roots person in the day centre, or
residential "establishment," or just the person "watching the crowd on
the t.v news" would react.
Ian never lost his "glee club" so he never lost where he came from and
the friends he made there.
We also lost an historian, a recorder of the struggle, a person who was
desperately trying to make sure our story was going to be told by us,
for us, because he knew that one day we would attain equality,
liberation and justice.
His pictures were of ordinary people taking the hits that toady's
society gives out but his vision was of a future where his and our real
qualities would shine through every single member of the human race.
If I could vainly say I was a doer, then Ian was a gluer.
Many of us are concerned about the issues we hold dear but Ian was
primarily concerned about how we work together.
Ian in one of my last conversations with him was concerned about the
dialogue only being between the people who had got free.
By a "gluer" I mean he could find the words which would make people
agree to common cause, he could really listen to people who had a
different analysis and find common ground. He could be forceful without
being dominant, he could be loving without being possessive. He could
drink coffee and brandy all night long so long as he had his "pipe"
His editorial and secret editorial of Coalition as "Scorpio " was always
fair but always on the side of the grass roots suspicious "cripp with a
chip."
But I will mostly remember him as a singer song writer and a
friend. A songwriter who wrote from the people, a poet coming
from the bottom up. An artist who never aspired to be famous
but who I am sure will be sung long after his heroes and
heroines are forgotten.
As an artist he touched every goddam one of us because he
started from where we were at and not where we were
supposed to be. The power of his words came from his
experience, his deep understanding of the issues that confront
us and his love for us.
I remember the gigs, shitting bricks at Cambridge, not
shitting at all at Glastonbury! Knocking them dead in
Vancouver and Minneapolis, the segregated kitchen party (and
subsequent protest) in Hanover. Playing together at the 2
Independence Festivals in Manchester. I remember Ian at
Telethon bashing out his incredible songs, the intensity and
the commitment. I remember Ian helping me make my album
"Pride."
I remember the bad ones as well The inaccessible bus and
the guy with the stupid grin in Dublin. The secret gig in
Leicester where only 5 people decoded the message, and the
"short trip" to New Hampshire (3000 miles driving) that almost
killed him.
I remember him on DAN actions taking part and entertaining
the troops especially Nottingham where we wouldn't let him
off the stage.
But most of all I'll remember being with him and being
his friend. I remember his kindness, his gentleness, his anger,
his pride his love and his decency. I remember staying up
talking drinking coffee mixed with brandy till 5 in the morning,
I remember him on holiday in France with Audrey and I
remember his stag night where every musician he'd ever
known played their version of one of his songs. I remember
being thrashed by him at snooker, (the only time I saw an evil
look in his eye), I remember thrashing him. (the look was even
eviller)!
Most of all I'll miss his love.
Ian taught us how to love one another and how to work
together. His songs will live on as all great songs do. His
message is carried within each of us the system stinks
and we have got to work together, "we've got each other".
We have got to overcome our fears and our experience and
"celebrate our difference with pride."
Ian thought "our time was coming."
What do you think?
What are you going to do about that?
"It's not the end of the story". Is it?
Sleep well my friend. ( say hello to Douglas, (Bader),for me).
Johnny Crescendo.
--
ALAN HOLDSWORTH
----------------------------------------------
Posted by Dave Griffin - a volunteer of Choices & Rights Disability
Coalition
--
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights."
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
Dave Griffin <da...@empirebbs.demon.co.uk
Http://www.empirebbs.demon.co.uk
Julie
Dave Griffin wrote in message <83L1EAAj...@empirebbs.demon.co.uk>...
>Hello all, I am posting this because a great disabled \ singer \ song
>writer \ activist has passed away...
>
wonderful man , his music could express how i feel and still give me a smile
.
He will be sadly missed in the NW and the country .
Where ever you are Ian i wish you peace .
Julie
Damon Rose
Dave Griffin <da...@empirebbs.demon.co.uk> wrote in article
<83L1EAAj...@empirebbs.demon.co.uk>...
> Hello all, I am posting this because a great disabled \ singer \ song
> writer \ activist has passed away...
I hadn't heard until I read this.
I'm going to really miss him ... I always felt very comfortable with Ian,
we used to
chat a fair bit at gigs and parties.
His songs truly were real disability anthems - much loved and much sung
amongst the UK disability movement.
Ian told me off last year after the Loud & Proud cabaret in Hull ... I told
him that it was probably going to be my last poetry gig. He was horrified
and told me that I mustn't stop ... he seemed so passionate that I felt
guilty about even having suggested it. He asked if I had any poems I could
give him ... so I gave him my scrip from that evening.
We both performed at Vic Finklestein's birthday party earlier this year ...
he offered me a drink before I went on to do my stint. I always get very
nervous beforehand and told him that I never drink before performing cos I
need to be fully alert and on the ball ... he laughed and said he was
completely the opposite, drank before singing and during his set too.
Thanks for being there Ian ...
I tried to call Greater Manchester Coalition this afternoon, they're closed
due to bereavement. So sad. I really feel for his wife, Audrey ... must
get a letter to her.
...Damon