2013 Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe - Sweets Mill singer

Subject: RE: 2013 Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe - Sweets Mill singer
From: GUEST,RichardF2020
Date: 18 Feb 22 - 08:07 PM

Oh my. So sorry and sad to hear of her passing. I knew Rita through her late husband Michael Byxbe. I knew Michael from working with him at Unit B, MCMH Marin General Hospital for a few years in the 70's. We had a special connection since we were both Conscientious Objectors. I spent one summer at Sweets Mill as Michael's 'assistant' when he was trying to keep the scene together and going. I didn't get to know about Rita's music career until much later, but then there were a whole bunch of things I never figured out regarding "Sweets" and its amazing 'community'! LOL I didn't know she had an album on Tacoma for one thing. Poking around I found someone has shared it on Youtube, here -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rAewf7tSE4. It says "complete"? Also found some of the LP's for sale on the internet... RIP Rita.

Subject: RE: 2013 Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe - Sweets Mill singer
From: GUEST,John Levy
Date: 29 Nov 20 - 01:59 PM

I knew Rita from before I moved to Berkeley, probably from the late fifties. She knew my parents in SF and she dated my brother Jeff briefly. Then, shortly after she moved to LA, I stayed at her place for a few days. One day, the phone rang, Rita answered, and said: "Hi, Irving. Yes, he's right here," and handed me the phone, whereupon my dad said: "I have only one word to say: "Propinquity" and after I hung up, Rita and I both had a good long laugh, punctuated with one or the other of us repeating "propinquity" every couple of breaths.

I moved out the next day.

I had met her mom, Mercedes at her home on Cedar Street in Berkeley, and saw Eric on the streets of Berkeley for years. I remember seeing Ethan once when they were living in El Cerrito or thereabouts.

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: GUEST,Dave Seabury
Date: 15 Dec 17 - 08:14 PM

I am working with Ethan Byxbe and others on an article about Eric Weill. The story is focused on Eric's photographs of the Beatles last concert at Candlestick Park in 1966. I am looking to interview people who may have known or worked with Eric. Background to the story here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrWnPr4DeuU


Thanks

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Dec 17 - 08:06 PM

Dave Seabury

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: GUEST,Lin
Date: 15 Nov 14 - 01:50 AM

I do have the LP, "Ballads & Folksongs"   I think I found it on Ebay several years ago. I wasn't familiar with Rita before but enjoyed the album. Has it become available yet on CD? Is this her only album?

What did she pass away from?

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: GUEST,LaWanda Ultan
Date: 12 Nov 14 - 09:58 PM

WE camped at Kirby Cove, when Ethan was a baby.
We harmonized on the dulcimer "Spindle Bobbin and Spool Away".
She was Rita, and what more could one ask for?

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: GUEST,Sharyn
Date: 02 Oct 13 - 07:52 PM

I have Rita's ballad album and learned "Lord Bateman" from it. We had hoped that she would come to our Berkeley ballad-singing group.

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: GUEST,Judi
Date: 28 Sep 13 - 10:35 PM

I spent years summer after summer at Sweets Mill ... Virgil was still runnin' the place . Rita and Michael weren't even married then. Ohhh, such wonderful memories, and such a loss. But, hopefully Rita and Michael are back together now. RIP Rita ...

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: Suzy Sock Puppet
Date: 28 Sep 13 - 01:28 AM

I said you, I guess I meant your friend. I read it quickly and became excited. I am a great fan of this woman. I discovered her while searching for versions of a particular ballad.

Her music should be available on more than LP. A songbird.

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: Suzy Sock Puppet
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 03:25 PM

That's amazing! It's great that you could do all that while she was still with us. I'll bet it meant a lot to her :-)

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 10:20 AM

A possibly forgotten side of her trip to Ireland is the fact she hauled around a taperecorder and recorded the people she visited.

I was aware, through Pat Mitchell's book 'The Dance Music of Willie Clancy' of recordings she had made of Willie.

A friend in San Francisco, with whom I swapped a fierce amount of recordings during the nineties, at some point realised how he passed her house on his way to work and decided to call in and ask about the recording.

Rita made him welcome and allowed him access to her garage where her tapes were stored. They took the place apart to retrieve what they could find and Rita allowed the tapes to be taken away for copying.

What emerged was a wealth of music, Tommy Potts on superb form at home, Willie Clancy playing the pipes and whistle, all competitions at the Oireachtas of 1963, her travels with Sean 'ac Donncha, Martin Byrnes, Séamus MacMahuna and others, the visits to the Keane family (and the nine year old Dolores doing her party pieces) and much more.

A lot of time was spent identifying the musicians and singers on the tapes (and still more than a few remain unnamed) and eventually copies were left at ITMA.

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: Suzy Sock Puppet
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 09:56 AM

I have Rita Weill Sings Ballads and Folksongs. It is only available on LP. It should be made available on disc. On the back of the album cover, there is a mini-bio where she tells about how she went over to Ireland and spent some time with traditional singers including the Keane sisters. Very pretty voice. Sorry to hear of her passing.

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: GUEST,Mary Katherine sans cookie
Date: 26 Sep 13 - 02:55 PM

Frank: yes, she was not only a good friend of Ed Pearl's, she actually worked at the Ash Grove for some time, because when I went to work there she was just leaving. She taught me how to use LetraSet (sp?) to make the Ash Grove fliers!

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Sep 13 - 10:27 AM

Her twin brother committed suicide some time ago.

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: GUEST,Ardie Lockman, Fresno Folk Dancer and friend
Date: 20 Sep 13 - 04:44 AM

Rita Weill Byxbe was known as a Folk Singer and was purported to have produced four albums in the 60's and 70's... Rita married Michael Byxbe in 1973, attended by family and friends among the tall trees at the North end of the lake at Sweet's Mill, 4600~ft up in the Sierra-Nevada Foothills... I was able to film the proceedings in Super-8 (silent) media which I gifted them on there first anniversary; 200 feet of film in length... I met Michael through a local Fresno, CA. Folk Dance group we both belonged to... Rita and I were not close other than through Michael, but in the end, upon Michael's death in car crash one rainy night in March, 1991, she graciously picked me to be one of 4 pallbearers in Michael's funeral service... I was very honored to oblige; Michael was my friend... Now, Rita is in a better place, perhaps with Michael forever...

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: GUEST,GUEST, Rachel Holmen
Date: 20 Sep 13 - 04:08 AM

Is her twin brother Eric still living?

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: GUEST,Mary Katherine
Date: 19 Sep 13 - 10:12 AM

Frank: yes, I let Ed know yesterday. Although he might have already heard, I wanted to be sure.

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: Stringsinger
Date: 19 Sep 13 - 10:10 AM

I worked with her in L.A. What a shocker. We played at a Hollywood Bowl event for Country Music. She was a friend of Ed Pearl, Ash Grove manager.

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 19 Sep 13 - 06:33 AM

I was sorry to hear this news. My condolences to all who knew her.

RIP


Peter

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: Anglo
Date: 19 Sep 13 - 12:12 AM

Sorry to hear this. I have fond memories of meeting her many, many years ago at a Bay Area folk weekend, about the time her LP came out. I still have it, with those lovely ballads. RIP Rita.

Subject: RE: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 18 Sep 13 - 08:08 PM

one album
TAKOMA A-1022 RITA WEILL sings Ballads and Folksongs 1971
Unquenching fire.--William Hall.--Pretty fair damsel in the garden.--The bramble briar.--Fond affection.--Lord Duneagle.--Lord Bateman.--Rocking the cradle.--The wife of Usher's Well.--The dark-eyed gypsy.--The lass of Aughrim.--Polly Oliver's rambles

and on the 1974 FRANKIE ARMSTRONG album:
BAY 206 Frankie Armstrong-Out of Love, Hope and Suffering
WILLIAM TAYLOR, THE FEMALE TRANSPORT, TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING, PRINCE HEATHEN, THE BEDMAKING, ANTI-CAROL, LORD BATEMAN, NINE TIMES A NIGHT, DOORS TO MY MIND, BRIDGET AND THE PILL, THE CUCKOO, I'M GONNA BE AN ENGINEER


any others ??????


Condolences to her friends and family.
Thomas.

Subject: Obit: Rita Weill Byxbe RIP (September 2013)
From: GUEST,Mary Katherine
Date: 18 Sep 13 - 06:48 PM

Sad to report the death of an old friend, Rita Weill Byxbe, known far and wide to singers and musicians everywhere, and a huge part of the Sweets Mill Music Camp family. She will be greatly missed.