North Texas Lives of Musicians Series
Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze Foley by Sybil Rosen, Ethan Hawke (Foreword); 288 pages, Hardcover; Published September 2, 2008 by University of North Texas Press; ISBN: 9781574412505 (ISBN10: 1574412507)
There isn’t much available to read out here regarding the gifted and tormented singer/songwriter Blaze Foley. Initially I dismissed him as a drunken ne'er-do-well and hanger-on to Townes van Zant. But was I ever wrong. This guy could really sing and write a good song, not to mention his distinctive style of finger-picking on a gut-string guitar. And when sober he was such a thoughtful and kind man. A good friend to all.
Born Michael David Fuller, Blaze claimed the handle "Depty Dawg" but it wasn’t long before he took on the name of Blaze Foley and began orchestrating the terms of the legend he was destined to become. Blaze was able to make a few studio albums but not one ever saw the commercial light of day while he was alive. Seems Blaze had some pretty bad luck when it came to being successful. His looks didn’t help either as he came across as a scruffy hard-drinking homeless bum. But he did have a true love and Sybil Rosen was her name. She has written a lovely book regarding their storied life and jilted love affair.
Theirs is an interesting story, sad mostly, but honest in its telling. Ethan Hawke discovered her and made a biopic of this book which followed a fine documentary on Foley’s life titled The Duct-Tape Messiah. As is typical, Foley is much more popular these days than when he was alive, and it’s a shame he never got the recognition he desired in his short lifetime. Alcohol instructed most everything negative in his life and its confounding abuse contributed to him being gunned down while protecting a poor senior citizen from his own dangerous and parasitic son.
Fuller’s original music rivals the best of Country Music’s iconic figures. His baritone voice is a pleasure to hear and his heartfelt songs bear the brunt of a troubled childhood and resulting low self-esteem. His anger is palpable in his songs. In my opinion his best recordings are the simple rough ones made early in his career and featuring either just himself on guitar or a couple of other gifted players accompanying him. Blaze Foley has become one of my favorite singer-songwriters joining the ranks of Townes van Zant, Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson. Surprisingly he is still somewhat a treasure just waiting to be found.
Thanks for the restack Kent