Obit: Mickey Newbury (1940-2002)

Subject: Mickey Newbury RIP?
From: Mary Katherine
Date: 29 Sep 02 - 02:16 PM

Folks: I have been getting calls that singer/songwriter Mickey Newbury died in his sleep last night, but have NOT been able to find independent confirmation of this, so please try to verify before you pass this on; and please let me know if you hear anything definite either way. Thanks,

Mary Katherine

Subject: RE: Mickey Newbury RIP?
From: Rasta
Date: 29 Sep 02 - 02:31 PM

--hi mary katherine --sorry to say but according to Mickeys web site ,he has passed away ,i went into his chat room and youll find info there--a great writer , hang in there--rastaaaaa

Subject: RE: Mickey Newbury RIP?
From: Mary Katherine
Date: 29 Sep 02 - 03:11 PM

Confirmed:

From: Jack Williams

My dear friend - and erstwhile road partner - Mickey Newbury, has finally gone home. He died in his sleep last night after a long struggle with respiratory illness.
For those of you too young to remember this great American singer and writer of songs, his beautiful music had a profound effect on a couple of generations of writers and listeners. Even though he wrote songs which became music industry "hits" for the likes of Willie Nelson and Kenny Rogers (both of whose first #1 songs were his), Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, et al, the vast body of work he created since the late fifties avoided any whiff of "the formula" - against which Mickey rebelled so forcefully and sincerely that he alienated himself from the commercial music world and banished himself from it.
On the road with me, in the mid-90's (often performing with a small oxygen tank), he was delighted to "discover" the great American Folk Community, having asked me to take him around on my circuit to experience house concerts and smaller venues in the folk world. Until then, he had known only the big halls and a level of fame in the 60's which placed him before large, less intimate audiences in his heyday. He loved the intimacy he found there and was amazed to discover thousandss of followers who had remained fans of his even after his public "disappearance". Some of these people waited in long queues after our concerts toting 18 or so, well-worn Mickey Newbury LPS to be signed, often with tears in their eyes at "rediscovering" and getting to meet and talk to their long-lost favorite artist. Mickey's finest hour in these last years may have been his only Kerrville Folk Festival appearance, where thousands of tearful Texans stood up throughout his other-worldly performance beneath a clear Texas sky.
Mickey had come home.


He spent his last years with his wonderful family in Springfield, Oregon. I know he wanted to be in his beloved Texas for the end of his days. I hope he will be soon.

Please visit MickeyNewbury.com

Subject: RE: Mickey Newbury RIP?
From: GUEST,Mr. Butts
Date: 29 Sep 02 - 03:17 PM

Mickey is but one of the 12-1300 Americans who died today from smoking cigarettes. Another 12-1300 Americans will die tomorrow and another 12-1300 the next day.

Subject: RE: Mickey Newbury RIP?
From: GUEST,Nick's Cousin Nick
Date: 29 Sep 02 - 05:33 PM

I have an old LP ny Mickey Newbury called Looks Like Rain. Some really nice songs with sounds of rain in between the cuts.

Sorry to hear that he's passed.

Subject: RE: Mickey Newbury RIP?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 29 Sep 02 - 06:41 PM

A sad loss, and I feel particularly sad for Jack Williams, who will be affected by his death more than most.

Murray