Who Is Steve Goodman? (1948-1984)

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Apr 20 - 03:57 AM

John, Arlo, Kris And Others Discuss Steve Goodman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZx7xCK6yfo&t=27s

My brother used to book Steve Goodman as the opening act for various performers. My brother says that more often than not, Steve stole the show.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: akenaton
Date: 01 Mar 15 - 04:49 PM

Great writer and performer.
My fav Goodman song

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GUEST,Kenny C
Date: 01 Mar 15 - 01:42 PM

I was also at the show Steve did at SUNY Binghamton-was in 74 or 75. The show was in the Social Room and Paula Lockhart opened supported by Peter Eklund on cornet-they were very good and as I recall Peter sat in with Steve on a song or 2. Steve played solo acoustic and put on the best show I ever saw bar none.He would play hilarious tunes with amazing guitar playing and then switch to poignant songs such as the Dutchman and My OLld Man-which brought me to tears. You could have heard a pin drop when he did that one. He also covered John Prine's Christmas in Prison which he also played when I saw him a few years later at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Would love to have a recording of either saw. He was quite simply the best.

Kenny

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Elmore
Date: 22 Nov 12 - 12:01 PM

Saw him a couple of times at the Philadelphia f.f. Wish I had seen him more often.

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 22 Nov 12 - 10:13 AM

Saw him play at Cambridge in 1976 (the first time Mike Harding played there!) - Is it really 36 years ago.

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Beer
Date: 21 Nov 12 - 11:53 PM

Hi SirC.....
He left this place way to soon.
Adrien

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GUEST,SirCoughsalot
Date: 21 Nov 12 - 10:32 PM

I know I'm sort of late to the party here, but I've listening to almost nothing but Steve Goodman lately. I always knew he was a great songwriter, but nobody ever talks about what a fine singer he was - a perfect radio voice, loud and clear on every note. A friend of mine pointed that out to me when we were listening to him playing I'll Fly Away and he whispered a verse. And his guitar playing is just phenomenal, I could just listen to him pick for hours. I've never really heard any other folksingers play like that. And he was a born performer... His live stuff is really the best stuff. I wish I could have seen him, but I hadn't even been thought of when Steve Goodman was living. He had a great sense of repertoire, too. Just everything about him, is what an entertainer should be. Thanks for all the good stories, y'all, I enjoyed this thread.

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 01:13 PM

THAT SHOULD READ 'POST OFFICE'

dAMN----------sORRY,

aRT (But if you knew Stevie, the first post might be better.)

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 01:10 PM

REFRESH:

Chicago--SENATE OKs GOODMAN POT OFFICE NEAR WRIGLEY FIELD

This news just came to me!!!!!!!!!

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Aug 07 - 12:51 AM

Last time you were only 400 pages into it! Howsabout an update? And, it never hurts to nudge our memories...keeps the good threads from fading away!

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 04 Aug 07 - 11:35 PM

Folks, please, I'm so sorry about refreshing this -- yet again. I completely forgot I'd done it before, and just a short time ago. Really, I'm told that my worse than normal (for my age) recent memory problems come from my main malady. It truly gets annoying as all hell sometimes---not to mention it being terribly embarrassing!

Onward====

Art

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 04 Aug 07 - 11:27 PM

Now that Clay Eals' amazing biography of STEVE GOODMAN is at long last available and in stores etc etc I figure it's time to bring back this older thread. The full name of the book:

STEVE GOODMAN---Facing The Music

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Bill Hahn//\\
Date: 26 May 07 - 06:03 PM

Clay Eals and I will be talking about his book shortly and the full interview will air on TRADITIONS (WFDU) on Sunday June 24.   Check my blog   http://billhahnprogramnotes.blogspot.com for some comments about it now. Suffice it to say I have started this 800 page tome and am completely mesmerized by it.

The research, the detail, and the photos. Almost like living Steve's life with him again.

Bill Hahn

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 26 May 07 - 11:58 AM

Clay Eals' book is indeed here.----STEVE GOODMAN----FACING THE MUSIC. It's a wealth of great tales and info about this master performer and the p[eople around him in the Chicago folk music world.

It's a great read!! And I'm only 400 pages into it...

Art

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 10:35 AM

Here is the "Who Is Steve Goodman" thread for those talking about the question Who Wrote City Of New Orleans in that other thread. There is much to read about Steve here.

All the best,

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: BK Lick
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 05:28 PM

Jim was very much around last night, playing exquisite acoustic bass with most of the musicians (see the list about ten posts up) at Tom Dundee's tribute to Steve. What an evening! Every performance was splendid but I'll just mention two that were unforgettable: Barbara Barrow singing "The Dutchman" with Jim, Mick Scott (mandolin), Corky Siegal (harp), and everyone in the room on the chourus; and Tom singing "Would You Like to Learn To Dance?" with Jim, Mick, and Howard Levy (harp) -- just before the final verse Tom whispered something to Howard, put down his guitar, went over to Stevie's mom, Minnette, and gently danced with her a while before going back on stage to sing the last verse; it was a touching and beautiful moment.

-- BK

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 10:39 AM

Jim Tullio! Good to hear you are still around. Are you going to be playing at the memorial for Steve in NJ? Beginning of October I believe, sorry I won't be able to make it there.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GUEST,jim tullio
Date: 19 Sep 04 - 12:27 PM

today is the 20 year anniversary of steve' s death, i thought i'd log on and see what other peole were saying. i read some pretty good stories that brought back a lot of memories.
my memories of steve will never fade, like the times we would go up to the third floor of his house on asbury street in evanston and steve would spin records of all his favorite soul and r&b tunes for hours on end. he would get so worked up about the music and talk about every track in detail. i also remember being on the road with steve and how gracious he always was and always made sure all the musicians were taken care of. a number of times the road manager would screw up and not book enough hotel rooms for everybody and steve would always make sure we all had rooms and he would end up doubling up with whoever. i always thought that was amazing! he was a selfless person with the biggest heart. i miss him and love him......
.....jim tullio

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GLoux
Date: 15 Sep 04 - 10:14 AM

My favorite memory of Steve is him at the Philadelphia Folk Festival in the mid to late seventies sitting in with Martin, Bogan and Armstrong and them doing Barnyard Dance together. They had the audience in the palms of their hands and you could tell he loved it...

-Greg

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Eric the Streetsinger
Date: 14 Sep 04 - 01:41 PM

Shortly before he passed away, Steve did a television appearance-
and sang a tune which (I think) was called "My Old Man" and I am
really glad that I was alone to watch that show because I cried
like a baby. Steve really had "it", whatever "it" is. He was the
real thing!

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Joybell
Date: 13 Sep 04 - 09:50 PM

Thanks Art. What a wonderful tangle these threads become. Hope I haven't made them more tangled. I've posted Hildebrand's connections on the "Beatnik, Pervert" thread. Joy

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 13 Sep 04 - 08:41 PM

Hey, folks,

Reading over my posts earlier in this thread I see I ought to clear up something I said.

I DID NOT wish to say that Steve and I had, as kids, gone to Cub games together. I was older than Steve Goodman and did not live in his part of Chicagoland.

I said, "We" went to Wrigley Field after school and, when they opened the gates to let folks out in the seventh inning, "we" would walk in and watch the rest of the game. --- "WE" was NOT Steve and me !! It was me and my friends from Nettelhorst grade school at 32?? North Broadway who did that.

Since this good thread is about Steve Goodman, it's too easy for people to think I was saying that he and I had done that. WE DID NOT !!-----------I hope that clears the waters.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 13 Sep 04 - 08:18 PM

Clay is here in this thread. But I don't see his book seeing publication for a while yet from stuff he has told me. I'm looking forward to it too.

Art

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GUEST,Augie
Date: 13 Sep 04 - 06:05 PM

Art
Do you or,for that matter any Mudcatters, know if Clay Eals' book on Stevie will be out anytime soon?

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 12 Sep 04 - 11:16 PM

Joy and true love,

Check the "Beatnik, Prevert..." thread. Small world!!??!!

Art

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Joybell
Date: 12 Sep 04 - 08:40 PM

We'll be there in spirit. Joy and her True-love

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: BK Lick
Date: 12 Sep 04 - 06:41 PM

Time to refresh this wondrous thread -- Sept. 20th will be the twentieth anniversary of Steve's death.

Here's an announcement from Tom Dundee's email list about next week's program in his "Somebody Else's Troubles Sundays" series at Lucille's, a splendid bar with a gourmet kitchen, at the place formerly known as S.E.T.

-- BK

This month marks the 20th anniversary of Steve Goodman's passing.

There's no need to try to remark on his impact on the music scene in Chicago as I'm sure nearly all of you are already aware.

The list of his accomplishments is not limited to his songs that became well known, but certainly include every one of his stellar performances. It's been at least twenty years since anyone has witnessed his magic act of transforming the rickety folk club into the grand concert hall in the eerie morning hours while outside the Wells Street wind hollered at the heavy doors like an unaccomplished opening act.

Some would incorrectly assess a great void for the past two decades. In fact, there is a reverberation of his talent in almost everyone who heard him.

On Sunday, September 19th, there will be a special gathering of many of us to remember. Performing will be Ed Holstein, Jim Tullio, Corky Siegel, Harry Waller, Barbara Barrow, Mick Scott, and myself.

I hope you can come by.

Lucille's
2470 N. Lincoln Ave.
773 929 0660
6 PM

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Feb 04 - 02:53 PM

Thanks to everyone for this thread.

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 27 Feb 04 - 01:24 AM

Alex,

Thanks. It's great to see you liking this music. Steve was one of the great performers---and a very nice guy as well. Reading some of these posts helps me sort of keep him and his presence in mind.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GUEST,alex
Date: 26 Feb 04 - 11:31 PM

hey, guys. i don't really know what this mudcat.org place is, i just stumbled on it on a search for steve goodman. i'm 16 years old, and somehow managed to pull off being a big prine/goodman fan, including playing some of their music with my guitar. i'm sure i do all of it a disservice, but i think it sounds pretty good in its own right. anyway, since i never got to have any first hand experience with steve, i just wanted to let you know that i really appreciate you all sharing your memories.

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser)
Date: 26 Jan 04 - 10:03 AM

Re. Harvey Andrews' story, I can vouch for that - I was there. Steeleye Span had done their first set with a drummer at Cambridge, glam-rock gear and all, and Harvey had to work bloody hard to follow them - which he did. Steve came on, then John Prine, then the two of them together. All this after Planxty and Stephan Grappelli the same night. Steve Goodman was always great at Cambridge. He could make them eat out of the palm of his hand.

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Chris in Wheaton
Date: 25 Jan 04 - 09:18 PM

Tom Dundee regularly closes with "Do You Want to Learn to Dance?" - one of Steve's truly great songs. Another tribute album would be a good idea.
Chris in Wheaton

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 25 Jan 04 - 02:24 AM

It's great that Stevie's name keeps comin' to the top. As I said prviously in this thread, quite a while ago now, watch for Clay Eals' book one of these years. I think he'll do a fine job.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Matt_R
Date: 24 Jan 04 - 11:12 PM

ahhhh I love "The Dutchman"! The line "Sometimes she sees her unborn children in his eyes" gets me every time...

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: GUEST,Bill Story
Date: 24 Jan 04 - 09:45 PM

I discovered Steve Goodman, some years ago, sort of by accident. A big Prine fan, I began to be aware of his name here and there and bought his double CD one day at Best Buy. I can only envy you folks who knew him, or even saw him perform. That, aside from his writing and playing genius, he must have been a hell of a fellow is manifest. If he and Prine and so many others could't have happened in Texas, I'm glad you got to have them in Chicago. After all, y'all ain't really yankees.

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: fsharpdim7
Date: 28 Feb 03 - 05:41 PM

Art et al.,
I won't be in OR for 2 weeks until I go there to see the grandkids. But I told Mark that I would watch for when they broadcast the River City show on WDCB.
This weekend is the St. David's Day celebration in Chicago - Cymru Byth - O bydded i'r heniaith barhau (Long may the old Welsh language continue).
I told Folkwax about the Goodman dvd, so I hope that they review it.
Do you know how Steve's kids are doing? Any musicians?

On a side "note," does anybody ever listen to Lou Curtiss on Sat am on WorldMusicRadio? The connection is not great on my dialup, but he sure plays interesting things - maybe I should start a Lou Curtiss thread - he deserves a lot of credit for what he does, I think. Have a good weekend.

Chris, Wheaton, ILL

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 28 Feb 03 - 04:57 PM

Fsharp, Mark Dvorak is in Toledo, Oregon tonight---Friday--Febr. 28th

Art

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: fsharpdim7
Date: 27 Feb 03 - 10:49 AM

Thanks for the reply, Art.
I listened to some of the Goodman dvd last night. Very good, except that the camera work is terrible in not showing close-ups of his playing.
Also, Mark Dvorak will be at the Artichoke in Portland, OR on Sat am to tape a River City Folk show with Tom May - and there will be a live audience! Great for Mark!!
Listening to continuation of Johnny Cash birthday tribute on WDVX, Knoxville -- ain't science wonderful.
Chris, Wheaton, Illinois

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 27 Feb 03 - 01:19 AM

Bill Broonzy passed away before I believe. Still, his influence (Bill's) was and is all around the Old Town School of Folk Music. Mark Dvorak, these days, is carrying on singing and teaching a slew of Broonzy's songs.

Art

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: harvey andrews
Date: 26 Feb 03 - 06:48 PM

Our son just gave us a DVD player. This is going to be our first purchase!!!! Can't wait.

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: fsharpdim7
Date: 26 Feb 03 - 04:53 PM

The Goodman dvd just came yesterday from Elderly (that thread on their service should indicate that service now is great). Looking forward to seeing it.   I also recommend the John McCuen dvd with Laurie Lewis et al.
I have been a Steve Goodman fan, since I started buying "Come for to Sing" in the early 70's that printed a lot of his songs. But since those were the days when the children were young, etc., I saw him only once. It was at an Old Town School event (when they had the branch in Evanston) - Win Stracke was singing and he brought Steve up from the audience. They did "City of NO" - Steve was there to listen, not play, and he did not have his guitar - he had to pretend to be playing while he sung (in his lively manner, with that great smile), since he said he had never done the song without a guitar!!
What a talent!!
Art (or others) do I remember correctly that Steve learned a lot of this licks from Big Bill Broonzy? Was that at the Old Town School?
Keep the memory alive, Chris

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Jim Colbert
Date: 26 Feb 03 - 09:22 AM

Hey, as a timely update to this thread, Village Records (www.villagerecords.com) has listed that the Austin City Limits shows are being released on videotape now.

Man, just a few more things and I can get rid of my beta and my turntable. (I'm serious!)


steve goodman video

jim

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 26 Feb 03 - 02:21 AM

Steve was just mentioned on another thread (here), and it seemed like a good time to refresh this gem.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 11 Dec 01 - 12:14 AM

The Guthrie family and Hoyt were related in some strange way---quite round-about. I recall a PBS docu-show with Arlo going back to Okemah and standing in the hole that used to be the Guthrie home. He was holding up bricks and saying that, as bricks from Woody's home, these were highly prized in folkie circles in New York and other points East. A few years after that, I got to Okemah and grabbed a brick from the old foundation. Eventually I sent it to Charlie Maguire in Minneapolis. (Charlie is now a singing park ranger somewhere in Minnesota.)

Ah, nostalgia!!

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Ebbie
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 06:27 PM

Refresh, please.

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: catspaw49
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 04:29 PM

I have no idea what the program was done for or where it was broadcast, but it must have been a PBS thing or something since it was about the mid 70's and there was no proliferation of channels as we have now. In any case, Arlo was the feature and the "host" I guess you might say. He had two guests.....Steve Goodman and Hoyt Axton. It was not only great musically, but was one of the funniest damn shows I ever saw. Three men with skewed senses of humor and no real script and even less rehearsal, but damn they had a great time!

I've thought a lot about that show and mentioned it a time or two here, but it's probably lost in obscurity forever. I'd love to have a copy though......

Spaw

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Hasek
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 01:07 PM

Dear Catters, If ever there was a man who started me to perform, it was Steve Goodman. As I read each of the fine letters and stories contained here and then reflected on each, tears began to stream down my eyes in remembrance of Steve Goodman. If ever there was a man who represented his city, his music , his zest for life and family and his continual support for ALL musicians of every level and HIS total dedication to his audience, Steve was it. Every night I play , I play a song to and for Steve , in honor of a mentor I will forever love and try to replicate. It is so heart warming to hear the comments from Art Thieme and Saul Brody and some of you other great performers regarding Steve. This Christmas eve, light a candle , snuggle your loved ones very close, light a fire ( if possible ) and listen to " Yellow Raincoat " and all the rest of the incredible songs , Steve penned. Thank you , Mud catters and others for honoring my teacher, Steve Goodman . Happy Holidays to each of you.

Regards,

Mike Strobel www.mikestrobel.com

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 12:03 PM

Saul, That was indeed an incandescent time (as Gamble used to say) to be a part of that Chicago scene. Larger than life characters with mesmerizing nightlife and beautiful waitresses (even if that's sexist---hell, it was a different era!), some pretty fine music and breakfast at 5:AM after the Earl or any of the other full time 35 or so folk clubs, bars and coffeehouses closed.

There was a great other thread on those places but I don't recall tit's name...

Clay, I, for one, am excited about your book.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: SaulBro
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 03:27 PM

Correction, in the interest of complete accuracy:

Above I wrote:

<>

As Clay Eals kindly pointed out, I made a careless mistake...of course SET preceded Holstein's.

Saul

Subject: RE: Who Is Steve Goodman?
From: SaulBro
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 01:46 PM

Thanks for all the great comments and hellos!!! Yes, Art and all, the 1970s in Chicago were fabulous, back in my drinking days... the time of my life going almost nightly from Holstein's(and later Somebody Else's Troubles), both 2am-closing clubs, to the Earl of Old Town, with a 4am-closing license, and playing harmonica with whomever would have me. I feel privileged to have touched this scene for at least several weeks a year during that decade...kinda like if I had been in Kansas City in the mid-30s(though different type of music)! I recently visited Chicago after many years' absence and had a chance to reminisce with old friends still around, look at where the old haunts used to be, and take a photo of the "Steve Goodman Way" street sign on N.Lincoln Ave.(by the Old Town School of Folk Music).

Saul Broudy