Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)

Subject: Obit: Billy the Bus
From: Little Robyn
Date: 12 Dec 08 - 04:37 PM

A death notice in this morning's Dominion Post:
SAMPSON Charles William. "Sam the Fluid Druid of Stewart Island"._
Sam passed away peacefully at home with friends on Monday 8th December 2008, at Stewart Island, aged 65 years.
Privately cremated. Sam would like to welcome all his friends and colleagues to a memorial service to celebrate his life at the Stewart Island Community Hall on Monday 15th December at 2:00pm.
Messages to PO Box 65, Stewart Island, New Zealand.
Avenal Park Funeral.

There can be only one Sam Sampson on Stewart Island! Thats Mudcat's Billy the Bus.
I wondered why we hadn't heard from him lately.
Sam was one of our originals in Wellington back in the 60s, a real Kiwi joker!
Sadly
Robyn

Subject: RE: Obit: Billy the Bus
From: Sorcha
Date: 12 Dec 08 - 04:47 PM

Oh, how sad. Wish I could be there, I enjoyed talking to him.

Subject: RE: Obit: Billy the Bus
From: Little Robyn
Date: 12 Dec 08 - 05:30 PM

One of the songs Sam is best known for in NZ is here:
She'll be right mate.

Although the original was written by Peter Cape, Sam used to sing it and added several of the naughtier verses.
If you Google Sam Sampson Stewart Island New Zealand, you'll find several links to Sam.
I haven't found an obit yet though.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: Little Robyn
Date: 12 Dec 08 - 06:03 PM

Here's a link to Sam's posts:
Billy the Bus
OK, so he hasn't posted for a year or three but I think he still looked in until fairly recently.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 12 Dec 08 - 06:05 PM

He was always GREAT to me.

~S~

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: MMario
Date: 12 Dec 08 - 07:06 PM

R.I.P. - I've missed his posts -

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Dec 08 - 08:34 PM

I'll certainly miss "Billy" having had wonderful discussions of giant squids with him on various threads. I was looking forward to meeting him some day.

My condolences to his family and friends.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: catspaw49
Date: 12 Dec 08 - 08:44 PM

aw well gawdammit to hell.............Sam was in and out of here for years and always like a storm arriving while you're taking a piss...........So many of his posts were so wonderfully off the wall that for me he was hard not to love although if Sam were here I'd say he loved the sheep more and he'd come back with his own insanity.............You never knew when he was coming and out of nowhere he'd be gone but in between times you could count on a few good laughs and some wonderful and heartfelt tales......Fuck death..........It may be an integral part of living but it sucks..........I'm angry and I'll miss those stops he made here and some of the great PM's we had back and forth.............damn...


Spaw

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: JennieG
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 12:09 AM

That is sad news, condolences to his family and friends.

JennieG

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 12:33 AM

Couldn't've said it better myself, Spaw, damn it to hell. Here's a couple of his songs: click Here. He and I hoped to waken the Kraken in the Giant Squid thread.

There's a great picture of the two of them HERE.


Sam, thanks for all of it and I hope you are bending yer elbow as much as you'd like and the old bus is well cared for.

luvyakat

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: Genie
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 01:40 AM

I never had the fortune for my path to cross with Sam's, even here at Mudcat. Reading you guys' posts and the links you've posted makes me very sad for that loss.

Genie

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 08:36 AM

thanks for passing on the sad news, Robyn.

any Kiwi who liked the same comic strips & cartoons I like was all right!

condolences to his family & friends

sandra

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: Little Robyn
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 04:55 PM

Here's an obit written for NZ Folk by Phil Garland, who is well known to folk both sides of the Tasman:

Very sad news indeed. Sam hadn't been well for some time, but his demise was still somewhat unexpected.

Sam Sampson was one of Folk Music's great characters with his big black bushy beard, booming voice and enthusiastic persona and a lovely bloke to boot. He will be fondly remembered by many for his contributions to the folk scene by way of singing Peter Cape songs, which one could almost swear were written especially for and about him.

Sam and I became good mates over the years and I managed to spend time with him on Stewart Island on a number of occasions and certainly whenever I was performing in the area. I doubt if I would have ever sung on the Island as many times as I did, if it hadn't have been for Sam's ongoing support and encouragement.

He was a keen tramper and knew many bawdy tramping songs from his days as a member of the Victoria University Tramping Club, going on to spend some time as an outdoor pursuits teacher at Rotoiti and later Tautuku during the 1970s & 80s. From all accounts school kids absolutely adored him.

He used to visit my family in Chch regularly back then and my kids loved hearing his bedtime stories, which he spontaneously composed, weaving each of their names into the tales and stories he was telling.

Sam collected many yarns, stories and songs along the way and was happy to share them with anyone who was interested. He managed to incorporate some of these into his spiel while transportng tourists around his beloved Stewart Island. N.Z. Folklore Society archives have preserved a few of his observations and verses etc.... some of which will appear in my forthcoming book "Faces in the Firelight."

I have many stories to share about me old mate, but this one in particular truly resonated with me. In my collecting/songcatching capacity, I often asked Sam to record some of his Kiwi songs for posterity, but he always declined saying he wasn't ready yet. One day in the early 1980s he arrived on my doorstep clutching a large bottle of whisky and announced himself by saying "Phil I'm ready mate, do your thing!" I spent the next few hours recording every Kiwi song he could remember punctuated by copious swigs from the bottle........It became a very special evening. That invaluable tape is now in N.Z. folklore archives.

I'm really going to miss Sam and his spontaneous phone calls from Stewart Island whenever he'd had a few too many drams. This world is a far worse place without his presence.

You may have gone mate but not forgotten!
RIP Sam Sampson

Phil Garland


Thanks Phil,
Robyn

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: catspaw49
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 05:05 PM

LOL....What a wonderful story. The same Sam as the one we knew here, blasting in and out............Robyn, if you're in a position to do so, please pass on all of our warm thoughts for this wonderful character we enjoyed so much here.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: GUEST,Vicki
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 05:49 PM

Hi guys, just stumbled across this site while looking for some stuff about Sam. He passed away peacefully on Monday night, well, apart from the whiskey drinkers in the other room making a noise! he hasn't been hooked up to the internet for a while now, but he spoke about this site fondly.The funeral is tomorrow at the Community Centre, I'd be happy to print this thread out for attendees to read, if that would be a good idea? There will be no hymns sung tomorrow, only some of Sam's record collection being played and possibly a wee dram or two. Billy the bus will be outside as that poor bugger's on his last legs too!
Lovely to read all your comments about Sam, I've only known him for the last couple of years but he was a very special person.

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: SINSULL
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 06:21 PM

I only knew him as Billy. He was a character. And we are losing too many of our beloved characters. RIP
Mary

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: catspaw49
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 07:29 PM

Thanks Vicki.....Please do print this off. We'd all be happy to let his friends there know how much we loved him too.

Spaw

Are the sheep lonely yet?.....LOL....Sorry, but I'd say it to him if he were here!

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: Little Robyn
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 08:19 PM

Thank you Vicki, Stewart Island is just too far away from Hawke's Bay for us to make it in time but we'll certainly be thinking of you all tomorrow.
We knew Sam when we all lived in Wellington, more than 40 years ago but I never knew his real name was Charles!
Bye Sam,
Robyn and Mitch Park

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: Joybell
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 10:06 PM

This is so sad. Thank you Robyn and Vicki.
Joy

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: Uke
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 11:58 PM

I'm also saddened to hear news of Sam's passing. Like others here - I initially got to know Sam through the Mudcat; I later had some long, whisky-fueled phone conversations and eventually visited him at his Stewart Island dwelling in January 2007. My partner and I were there in the deep south to do some tramping and learned from Sam how he'd helped pioneer the epic northwest circuit route on Stewart Island (it takes 12 days on foot to complete), back in the 1970-80s, cutting the track and helping with the hut construction. Apparently Sam really loved being off in the bush, before ill health overtook him. I will remember him as a very generous and convivial person. RIP Sam.

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Dec 08 - 12:09 AM

Thanks for stopping by, Vicki. As Spaw says, please do share our thoughts and memories with Sam's friends there. Here's a woman in Colorado, who remembers him so fondly and irreverently with that special humour of his bringing a big smile whenever she thinks of him. What a unique and wonderful character he was. RIP from Colorado, Sam!

luv'dyakat

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 14 Dec 08 - 03:29 AM

Sad to hear this, "another man done gone".

RtS

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Dec 08 - 08:28 PM

I really appreciate all these posts as well.

We'll miss you, Sam, but you'll be remembered!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: Gurney
Date: 15 Dec 08 - 12:10 AM

I only knew him from Mudcat, I live at the other end of the country. I thought I'd meet him someday.

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: vectis
Date: 15 Dec 08 - 07:38 PM

I was hoping to go and visit Sam in the next couple of years (when I move to NZ) now Stewart Island will be a far emptier place. I'll have to look up that tape in the archive once I've got settled 'down under'.

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: Snuffy
Date: 15 Dec 08 - 07:49 PM

Damn, damn, damn. I had a few off-the-wall conversations with the sage of Stewart Island, and always hoped I'd meet him some day. Now it will have to be on the outside track.

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: GUEST,John Flynn
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 04:53 AM

Saw Sam sing at the original Folk Center in High Street, Christchurch way back in the 1960s. Though I've lived in Perth (WA) since 1975 I haven't lost my interest in Kiwi Folk Music. Condolences to all his loved ones and especially to Phil Garland who has lost a great mate.

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 17 Dec 08 - 04:24 AM

I lived with Sam at Tautuku in the 70's for a bit and saw him from time to time since then. He stayed with me in Wellington on an unusually long trip off the island about 10 years ago.

I started writing a long drivel about the funeral/memorial show. Suffice to say that there were plenty of local and a few 'foreign' people in the visitors centre to say 'See ya round' to Sam. Phil Garland's piece above was read out, along with a bunch of other emails and some speakers with some Sam stories. A great send off finishing with afternoon tea and the bar open (or at least that was the finish for me as I rushed off to catch the 5.30pm flight back to the mainland - I expect it was adjourned to the pub and carried on well into the night).

Sam's last wish was that his ashes be thrown into a brown paper bag and dragged behind Billy the Bus until the arse fell out of the bag and the ashes were spread from one end of the island's roads to the other. Unfortunately it's more likely they will be spread in a more seemly way around the road ends.

It's the end of an era.....

Subject: RE: Obit: Mudcatter Billy the Bus (8 Dec 2008)
From: GUEST,southern air
Date: 31 Dec 08 - 06:52 AM

Jesus Christ, Sam ae...went to his funeral...worked ith him at stewart island travel, bloody good guy! hahha RIP ill have a wilsons for you!