Obit: Stan Arthur

Subject: Obit: Stan Arthur
From: Hrothgar
Date: 14 Apr 04 - 08:26 PM

Collector, singer, organiser, and spreader of folk music and associated activities, Stan Arthur, died yesterday at 12.30 (Australian Eastern Time).

He had a heart attack on Monday, and was in hospital when he had a further fatal attack.

Stan is survived by his wife Kathy, who is also in poor health, and his two daughters and their families.

After Navy service in the Second World War, Stan became involved in collecting folk songs from old singers around Queensland and northern New South Wales, in association with Bill Scott, Bob Michell, John Callaghan, and others.

He appeared in the first Queensland production of "Reedy River" and was a founder of the Moreton Bay Bushwackers.

In 1962 he and a few friends promoted a concert by Pete Seeger in Brisbane, and used the unexpected windfall profit to found the Folk Centre. The resident group was the Wayfarers, Stan's group which has lasted up to now with varying membership (nobody has ever really counted how many people went through the group, but I seem to remember their 100th member some years ago). The music was very much the 1960s folk music, but Stan was especially influenced by the Australian and Irish traditions and by the Weavers.

The kitchen and Stan were run by Stan's wife Kathy. She was lovely to her staff (of whom I was one for some years), but didn't mind giving Stan an earful when she thought he needed it.

The Folk Centre started in a room on the first floor (that's the one above te ground floor in the local language), but after a couple of years it moved to the basement, and stayed there until it closed in 1977 when the building was demolished in the cause of social progress - there's a car park there now. I met people who are some of my oldest and dearest friends there.

The Wayfarers kept going after the Folk Centre closed, and Stan was able to become pretty much a full time musician - he sometimes reckoned that being tied to the Folk Centre had been holding his career back, but I don't think he really meant it.

Over the last dozen years, Stan had been running a new version of the old Folk Centre. For the last ten years it has been at the Kooaburra Cafe in Paddington.

Probably half the songs I know I learned from Stan or the Wayfarers, and a lot of the others I learned from tapes that Stan copied (he was generous with his tme in copying them for anybody who asked. You could look through his catalogue and mark a recording, and a week or two later there it was, labelled in Stans tiny, clear handwriting. The material could be anything - any of the English language traditions, contemporary, African, Yiddish, whatever.

Stan was also involved in Labor Party and union politics, and was one of the stalwarts who chose the middle ground between the extreme left and the Industrial Groupers during the Labor Party split of the mid-1950s. He maintained this commitment all his life.

I have known him longer than just about everybody I know except my family, and I will miss him terribly.

Further link:
http://users.tpg.com.au/folkrag/profiles/stana.htm

Subject: RE: Obit: Stan Arthur, Queensland Folk collector
From:
Date: 14 Apr 04 - 10:50 PM

Well said Rog,

    Might I add that Stan and Kathy have touched a lot of lives and hearts, and we will be all the more poor by his loss. Stan spread the Folk Word - with enthusiasm in song, spoken word and deed. The Brisbane Folk family owes him a lot. I remember with fondness many a pleasant night we sat at the Old Folk Centre sopping up the atmosphere and sounds, joining in the choruses of the well-known Wayfarer songs. Stan was always encouraging to the faltering beginner and the seasoned performer - always willing to give them a go.

    Over recent years we have been lucky to have the same feel at the Kookaburra Folk Club mainly because it was a continuation of the Old Folk Centre and Stan was the front man for this club as well.

    Last night's opening performance by the Wayfarers at the Kookaburra Folk Club began with one of Stan's own compositions "The Tall Ships" in remembrance and Don led "The Life of a Man", dedicating it to Stan. It was a gathering of old friends joining together in song to remember one particular absent friend. He will be very sadly missed.

Don't stop singing Stan!

                  June

Stan's profile is at http://www.FolkRag.org (see the Rogues Gallery)

Subject: RE: Obit: Stan Arthur
From:
Date: 14 Apr 04 - 11:04 PM

Sorry should have made that link blue and clicky
http://www.FolkRag.org

Subject: RE: Obit: Stan Arthur
From: Shimbo Darktree
Date: 16 Apr 04 - 04:56 AM

As one of the more recent members of "The Wayfarers" (4 years?), I would like to say how much I learned from Stan. Always gentle; "Don't sing in that bloody key!", "I wish you blokes would learn to follow the leader!". Actually, I had a strong affection for Stan (cleverly disguised); I learned a great deal from him - about folk history (particularly Australian), about putting together a bracket, about stage presentation. (Many who know me will say I must be a slow learner, no doubt.) I used to enjoy driving Stan around (when he didn't feel like driving) because of his inexhaustible fund of stories and folk info. My family circumstances gave Ross (another Wayfarer) the chance to take over from me, and I note he was not particularly keen to hand it back - I'm sure he had the same enjoyment as I had!

Goodbye Stan - you will leave an unfillable hole after over 40 years of various Wayfarers with you as their captain. Let those buggers upstairs know what Aussie songs sound like; you are the best one to do it.

With fond memories,

Ian Clarke

Subject: RE: Obit: Stan Arthur
From: GUEST,phil wilson
Date: 17 Apr 04 - 12:08 AM

Stan Arthur

I am saddened to hear of the death of Stan Arthur. I played for a while with his band in Brisbane and he taught me an important lesson.

I was between jobs and his band needed a bass player. Of course I can play a bass I said lying through my teeth. Half way into the first practice it was obvious I hadn't played a double bass before but Stan never said anything. After a couple of weeks I was getting pretty good and we were out doing bookings, two a day hard work good money.

We always sang the same repertoire and after a while I was getting bored.

One day Stan came up to me and said "there is something you need to decide, there is no such thing as a bad song, it is your attitude to the song that matters and that is up to you".

I got the message and my whole attitude changed, I learned to enjoy even the most hackneyed of songs. In fact familiarity with a song allowed me the comfort of being able to really play around with the bass lines.

A basic lesson that gave me so much and has stayed with me ever since.

Thanks Stan.

Phil Wilson

www.latavernahotel.com

Subject: RE: Obit: Stan Arthur
From: Tam the Bam (Nutter)
Date: 17 Apr 04 - 11:21 AM

I'm from Scotland, and I have a couple of Australian songbooks, and that's where I have seen the name Stan Arthur, sad that's he's gone and collcting songs in Heaven.

Subject: RE: Obit: Stan Arthur
From: GUEST,Michael Bourne
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 09:29 PM

I can only agree with everything June and Roger have said.

Stan was an inspiration to us all and Kath his wife a lovely lady. Having first met them at the "Folk Centre" in 1964 and became immediately "hooked".

Stan was almost an institution and his loss is felt by us all but his legacy is immense.

Michael

Subject: RE: Obit: Stan Arthur
From:
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 01:56 AM

Stan will be laid to rest at 1pm on Wednesday 21st April 2004 at St Bernard's Catholic Church - 4 Klumpp Rd Upper Mt Gravatt. A get-together will follow at the Mt Gravatt Bowls Club, Logan Rd, Upper Mt Gravatt. Since it is on Wednesday I am sure that there will be a great turn-out at the "Kooka" to join him in song and bid farewell. 8pm start Kookaburra Cafe (cnr Given & Latrobe Tces Paddington, Brisbane)
June
PS a warm "Hello" to Phil Wilson. You can come and play concertina with us anytime.

Subject: RE: Obit: Stan Arthur
From: GUEST,Julie Dendle
Date: 23 Apr 04 - 11:45 PM

As for many Brisbane folkies of a certain age, Stan Arthur played a big part in my introduction to folk music. I frequented the Folk Centre in the mid-60s to early-70s and was introduced to many styles of music I had never heard before. However, due to my youth and chronic shyness, I did not actually get to know Stan at that time.

Many years later when I returned to the folk scene after a gap of several years, it was rather poetic that Stan was the organiser of the Folk Club at the Kookaburra Café and the Wayfarers the resident group. As Stan sang, I found that the words of songs I had not heard for more than twenty-five years came back to me.

Stan had an immense repertoire of songs and was an avid collector. He was incredibly generous about sharing his music and I have a box of tapes he has given me over the years as a lasting memorial of him.

So long, Stan my friend, it was real good to know you.

Julie