NBC: Bill Campbell Stories
chuck nevitt
>I can remember one evening in particular at Larry
>Blake's in Berkeley when he was attempting to do this to
>Texas guitarist, Bill Campbell. Any of you who know
>Bill can imagine how well this went over with him. Bill
>unplugged his guitar and left in the middle of the gig,
>leaving Johnny, guitarless.
Bill Campbell has a reputation of not taking ANY stuff off of ANYONE!
(The following is a second-hand account of some of Bill's going ons from
a few months ago): Just recently some fool down in Austin tested this
theory out for himself--and decided to heckle ol' Bill (w/ the Gulf
Coast Playboys) all nite long from the front of the stage. I hear Bill
took it for about a set--and then calmly took his guitar off--went to
the car for some meat-tenderizer (in this case a baseball bat)--and came
back in proceeding to beat the heck out of the heckler.
Things like this are just part of life in Texas--and part of a hospital
stay if you try 'em on Bill Campbell. I heard the person on the
receiving end of the Louisville Slugger won't even watch the home-run
race because it brings back too many PAINFUL memories...
chuck n.
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Michael Hardie
<< Bill Campbell has a reputation of not taking ANY stuff off of ANYONE!
(The following is a second-hand account of some of Bill's going ons from
a few months ago): Just recently some fool down in Austin tested this
theory out for himself--and decided to heckle ol' Bill (w/ the Gulf
Coast Playboys) all nite long from the front of the stage. I hear Bill
took it for about a set--and then calmly took his guitar off--went to
the car for some meat-tenderizer (in this case a baseball bat)--and came
back in proceeding to beat the heck out of the heckler. >>
I was playing a festival in Nacogdoches and hired a band made up of old
friends and Austin legends Speedy Sparks, John Reed and Rusty Traps (they are
also known on Thurs. eves. at Hole in the Wall as "The Nortons"). Speedy and
Rusty, in particular, know Bill Campbell and play/have played with him (for
years). They got into some Bill Campbell stories and the above account was
given pretty much as Chuck has related it. While the heckler was completely
out of hand, Bill's actions have led to court proceedings. I don't know the
outcome, if any.
However, my favorite story from that ride to Nacogdoches was one in which
Bill was quoted as saying, "...they steal from each other just to stay in
practice".
BTW, Bill also has a sister, Sarah Elizabeth Campbell, who is an excellent
singer and songwriter (and, naturally, a character, to boot) who plays
regularly around Austin and has penned songs for Marcia Ball, among others.
Must be mentioned also that Bill is a helluva' blues guitar player.
Michael Hardie
We may not be makin' money in Austin but we're always makin' history