Bill Morrissey
Encyclopedia
Bill Morrissey was an American folk
singer/songwriter from New Hampshire
. Many of his songs reflect the harsh realities of life in crumbling New England
mill town
s.
. He seems to have found his craft and his own voice in the American country blues of Mississippi John Hurt
and Robert Johnson, the pure country of Hank Williams, the Kansas City jazz of Count Basie
and Lester Young
, and the New York folk songwriters of the 1960s. His eponymous (ie., self-titled) first album released in 1984 on the Reckless label, and then re-recorded for the Philo label, includes the song "Small Town on the River", a song about a small town in New Hampshire after the mill closes.
Over the course of his long career, two of Morrissey's eleven albums received Grammy nominations and several earned 4-star reviews in Rolling Stone. Stephen Holden, for the New York Times, wrote, "Mr. Morrissey's songs have the force of poetry...a terseness, precision of detail and a tone of laconic understatement that relate his lyrics to the stories of writers like Raymond Carver and Richard Ford. He is also the author of the novel Edson (Random House/Alfred A. Knopf 1996) and the recently completed Imaginary Runner.
Although Morrissey expresses admiration for Carver's stories, he credits a fellow New Hampshire writer as a more important mentor and influence:
Bill’s most recent album Come Running, produced by Bill Morrissey and Billy Conway of Morphine
, was released in 2007 by Bill Morrissey on his label, Turn and Spin Media. Come Running features guitar work by Dave Alvin
and the remaining members of Morphine, Billy Conway and Dana Colley
. Bill planned on releasing a full collection of albums, books and guitar tabs on this new label.
Morrissey, best known for his often dark but always interesting and literate lyrics, also occasionally wrote such humorous songs as "Party at the U.N." ("It's such a happy community / Everyone's got diplomatic immunity") and "Grizzly Bear", about a frustrated working-class gentleman dating a wealthy young woman who wants to "dance till we dehydrate", while he just wants to "take her home and dance the grizzly bear".
in Dalton, Georgia
on July 23, 2011, during a tour of the Southern US.
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer/songwriter from New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. Many of his songs reflect the harsh realities of life in crumbling New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
mill town
Mill town
A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories .- United Kingdom:...
s.
Career
Morrissey was born in Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. He seems to have found his craft and his own voice in the American country blues of Mississippi John Hurt
Mississippi John Hurt
John Smith Hurt, better known as Mississippi John Hurt was an American country blues singer and guitarist.Raised in Avalon, Mississippi, Hurt taught himself how to play the guitar around age nine...
and Robert Johnson, the pure country of Hank Williams, the Kansas City jazz of Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
and Lester Young
Lester Young
Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
, and the New York folk songwriters of the 1960s. His eponymous (ie., self-titled) first album released in 1984 on the Reckless label, and then re-recorded for the Philo label, includes the song "Small Town on the River", a song about a small town in New Hampshire after the mill closes.
Over the course of his long career, two of Morrissey's eleven albums received Grammy nominations and several earned 4-star reviews in Rolling Stone. Stephen Holden, for the New York Times, wrote, "Mr. Morrissey's songs have the force of poetry...a terseness, precision of detail and a tone of laconic understatement that relate his lyrics to the stories of writers like Raymond Carver and Richard Ford. He is also the author of the novel Edson (Random House/Alfred A. Knopf 1996) and the recently completed Imaginary Runner.
Although Morrissey expresses admiration for Carver's stories, he credits a fellow New Hampshire writer as a more important mentor and influence:
Bill’s most recent album Come Running, produced by Bill Morrissey and Billy Conway of Morphine
Morphine (band)
Morphine was an American alternative rock group formed by Mark Sandman and Dana Colley in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1989. They disbanded in 1999 after frontman Sandman died of a heart attack....
, was released in 2007 by Bill Morrissey on his label, Turn and Spin Media. Come Running features guitar work by Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin , is a guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has been one of the leading proponents of 'roots' or 'American' music, bringing together elements of rock-and-roll, blues, rural and tejano music....
and the remaining members of Morphine, Billy Conway and Dana Colley
Dana Colley
Dana Colley is an American musician, best known as the baritone and tenor saxophonist in the alternative rock band Morphine.-with Three Colors :...
. Bill planned on releasing a full collection of albums, books and guitar tabs on this new label.
Morrissey, best known for his often dark but always interesting and literate lyrics, also occasionally wrote such humorous songs as "Party at the U.N." ("It's such a happy community / Everyone's got diplomatic immunity") and "Grizzly Bear", about a frustrated working-class gentleman dating a wealthy young woman who wants to "dance till we dehydrate", while he just wants to "take her home and dance the grizzly bear".
Death
Morrissey died of heart diseaseHeart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
in Dalton, Georgia
Dalton, Georgia
Dalton is a city in Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It is the county seat of Whitfield County and the principal city of the Dalton, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of both Murray and Whitfield counties. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 33,128...
on July 23, 2011, during a tour of the Southern US.
Discography
- Bill Morrissey (1984)
- North (1986)
- Standing Eight (1989)
- Bill Morrissey (re-recording of the 1984 album) (1991)
- Inside (1992)
- Friend of MineFriend of Mine (Greg Brown album)Friend of Mine is the title of an album by folk singer/guitarist Greg Brown and Bill Morrissey.-Reception:Writing for Allmusic, music critic Alex Henderson called the album ".....
(with Greg Brown) (1993) - Night Train (1993)
- You'll Never Get to Heaven (1996)
- Songs of Mississippi John Hurt (1999)
- Something I Saw Or Thought I Saw (2001)
- Bill Morrissey: The Essential Collection (2004)
- Come Running (2007)