Obit: Billy Faier - Jan 29, 2016

Subject: Billy Faier
From: GUEST,Mary Katherine Sans cookie
Date: 30 Jan 16 - 01:14 AM

Sorry to report that Billy Faier is spending his last days in the hospital (Big Bend Medical Center). Wishing him a gentle transition.

Subject: RE: Billy Faier
From: GUEST,Mary Katherine Sans cookie
Date: 30 Jan 16 - 01:18 AM

Editing to add: that's Big Bend, Texas.

Subject: RE: Billy Faier - illness
From: maeve
Date: 30 Jan 16 - 08:06 AM

What an interesting musician! Here are a couple of links for those who, like me, have the pleasure of learning about Billy.
http://www.billyfaier.com/

Billy Faier playing "Prelude to Partita III" by J.S. Bach (poor sound, sorry)

Billy Faier talks about Woody Guthrie and Rambling Jack Elliott

Billy Faier at Joe's Cafe, June 25th 2015 accompanied by Wendy Lynn Wright

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Faier

Subject: RE: Billy Faier - illness
From: maeve
Date: 30 Jan 16 - 08:44 AM

Quite a few Mudcat members and guests have made good music with Billy, so I hope there's time for them to send word to him and his family.

Subject: RE: Billy Faier - illness
From: GUEST,Karen
Date: 30 Jan 16 - 12:44 PM

I have been Billy's caregiver for the past 2 months. I'm sad to say that Billy passed away Friday evening. He was not in any pain and left peacefully. I will be at a loss for a while. Godspeed Billy..we will miss you!

Subject: RE: Obit: Billy Faier - Jan 29, 2016
From: maeve
Date: 30 Jan 16 - 02:03 PM

Thank you for letting us know, Karen. Please accept our thanks for taking care of this special person.

Subject: RE: Obit: Billy Faier - Jan 29, 2016
From: GUEST,Karen
Date: 30 Jan 16 - 09:08 PM

Thank you. It was very much my honor and privilege. I promised him I would be with him to the very end..and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Subject: RE: Obit: Billy Faier - Jan 29, 2016
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 30 Jan 16 - 09:50 PM

Sorry to hear of Billy Faier's passing - condolences to friends and
family.
I recall the controversy when the album THE BEAST OF BILLY FAIER was
released (at the height of the repression of civil rights activism), with the statement that no copies would be sold to (I think)
Mississippi.
He recorded as primary artist or accompanist for numerous labels, including Riverside, Elektra, Folkways, ABC-Paramount, Takoma, Tradition.
RIP

Thomas.

Subject: RE: Obit: Billy Faier - Jan 29, 2016
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 31 Jan 16 - 11:34 AM

Check out Billy's website - you can get there easily from the Wikipedia entry highlighted by Maeve. What a revelation! I have added Billy to the "In Memoriam" thread. My condolences to all those who know and miss him.

Peter

Subject: RE: Obit: Billy Faier - Jan 29, 2016
From: Mark Ross
Date: 31 Jan 16 - 03:21 PM

When last I visited Woodstock, maybe 15 years ago, I was walking down the main drag with my brother who lives in MT.Tremper nearby. And there was Billy seated, with his banjo, across the street, peacefully picking away. Sweet memory.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Obit: Billy Faier - Jan 29, 2016
From: GUEST,Dick Weissman
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 10:50 AM

Billy was a complicated and interesting person. His banjo style was unique and unusual. At a time when the banjo world was divided into the bluegrass, clawhammer and Seeger-fan factions, each convinced that their way was the best way, Billy combined elements of classical banjo with traditional folk styles to go his own way.
Billy put together an album called Banjos, Banjos and More Banjos, and was kind enough to include me, along with a young Eric Weissberg. Thanks to his kindness, i was able to record a long banjo piece, which Ken Goldstein, the producer had originally vetoed because he only wanted traditional tunes. Billy, in his typical way, told me to record it anyway, because Kenny
would end up liking it! This basically was the start of my banjo career, such as it is.
I've never forgotten his kindness, or the times listening to his music. The Art of the Five String Banjo, with Frank Hamilton on guitar, remains one of my favorite banjo albums. RIP, my friend.

Subject: Obit: Billy Faier Friday now deceased
From: GUEST,Frank Hamilton
Date: 18 Feb 16 - 01:25 PM

Billy Faier, one of the legendary great banjo players died at 85. He was influential
to many banjo players and developed the conjunct melody style of playing before Bill Keith. Billy was a creative musician and I was proud to be on his album for Riverside, The Art of the Five String Banjo. He extended the range of the banjo in diverse musical songs and styles very much in the way that Sandy Bull did. He should be remembered as one of the great exponents of the five-string and his arrangements of songs were truly unique.