About a month ago, I started receiving emails from a singer/songwriter based out of Roanoke, Virginia named Bill Hudson. He had some general questions about Athens that he thought I could answer, like what bars to play and where to stay. (Hey, that rhymes) Evidentially, he met an Athenian on the set of the new Mel Gibson movie called "The Patriot" and decided to check our scene out.

Over the past few weeks, I learned that Bill is quite an active performer who has been on the road for years and has managed to play gigs both large and small, obscure and famous. I thought to myself, "Boy, I bet he has some useful tips and stories to tell. Why not interview him?"

Bill Hudson - Singer / Songwriter and all around nice guy / interesting person.

AMN: After reading the lyrics for the title cut on your Liberty Street CD, I got the sense that character in the song felt a little frustrated with the government and didn't feel that he could make a difference. Would you agree with that interpretation of your lyrics?

BH: Yes I would agree with that interpretation of the lyrics. There is lots of folks out there that feel the government is some kind of Island out there and it does not have much to do with us out here. They keep making more money for this and that but when it comes down to the schools, or some kind of music program or anything to do with the arts, well they just don't have it. Who is mooing who?

AMN: The first line of Liberty Street goes, "There's a house burning down on Liberty Street" and then I read on your press kit that your house actually did burn down! What made you translate that event in your life into a social commentary?

BH: Well yes my house did burn down. It was a real kick in the pants. You stand there and watch it burn and you have to start all over again. When I wrote the song it was in the morning with a cup of coffee and I got to thinking about all that is going on in Washington DC and I don't know... it all came out very fast. And I sang it to a friend and she said it sounded good, so I keep that one.

AMN: Your describe your own sound as "Americana folk rock." When did you realize that you were destined to be a folk-rocker? Did an early influence turn you on to it, or did you discover your sound later in life?

BH: That's a damn good question because I think us musicians are discovering our "sound" all the time. Kind of like a snap shot of life. But it was someone else that called me folk&roll and I heard that and said yea, that's cool, sounds right. As to my early influence, well there are lots of'em, Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan, John Prime, Pete Seeger, who always lets me crash at his house when I am in the area. His wife Tohsi always makes good food.. But getting back to my sound I think its a lot like shaping clay, or another words rewrite lot and rewrite until it starts to take form.

Bill Hudson in the studio recording his CD, Liberty Street.

AMN: So where exactly is 81?

BH: 81 is a highway that goes north and south here in Virginia and beyond.

AMN: It's pretty obvious that your song "81" speaks out against not only the rapid growth of the highway systems in America, but I also got the feeling that it speaks out against a condition called afluenza? Did you ever hear about that term? There's a recurring PBS show about "afluenza" that basically states that Americans are all obsessed with beating the Joneses, even if it means going into terrible debt to do so. What drove you to write a song on this subject?

BH: Ha! ... No I never heard of that term, but its is happening all over the place. People are fighting to slow down the growth that is taking over. I mean where do you draw the line. I don't know? But I think it has to start in your own backyard. A few years ago I did an Earth Day festival in Harrisonburg, Virginia... and this guy came up to me and asked if he could put up his list of petitions to stop this golf course from being built. And I said, "sure that would be great and as a matter of fact come to this radio interview I am doing tomorrow." And he did come, but people were really upset. They asked me "Why have this man come to earth day with you?" And as it turned out he did manage to stop the golf course... so far. But why were people upset. Beats the hell out of me! Oh the reason why I did write this song was, I drive that highway a lot and I seem to write a lot when I am in the gig-mo-bile and I was saying, "man its getting crazy out here".

AMN: Would you consider yourself a political person?

BH: Yes, I guess I am a political person.

AMN: Ever play at a political rally?

BH: Well, yes more then a few. We had the Klan come to Stauton, Virginia once and I just grabbed my guitar and went that way. When I got there this girl was crying because she got a call from someone and was not going to play at this rally. So I said I would love to play, wow what a inspiriting day.

AMN: So you playing to protest the Klan rally?

BH: Yep.

Bill Hudson Sound Clips Untitled #3 The 81 Song Liberty Street Listen to other great local musicians by visiting the AMN soundclip archive.

AMN: I thought so... (whew) Many folk singers tend to write songs about the issues that concern them. Does your songwriting attempt to sway peoples opinions, or is it just a form of catharsis... a means to express your thoughts so that you feel better.

BH: I don't know if it does or not. It's something else how a song can change things. Look at the song "All we are saying, is give peace a chance" Its simple yet powerful. Or listen to Steve Earl sing, its damn powerful. But I don't know if I am swaying peoples opinion or not but I hope I am relating to them in some way. I once told a radio interviewer that its great therapy for me and the folks that listen... Ha.

AMN: Well, that's enough about politics. Who would you say are some of your major musical influences? People always seem to have a problem answering that, so I'll give you a hint on how to answer it. What was the first record you bought that you sat down and learned the guitar part for?

BH: No problem there, I guess it was Bob Dylan. I felt he was talking right to me and said what I felt at the time. I use to listen to him on WNEW out of New York City and when I heard him I said, man, I got to learn how to do that. Its funny at the time the war was going on and all kind of things and I still wanted to be a monk. Funny! That is when I meet my first hippie at the time and got my first cosmic knock on the head.

AMN: Would you say that your music still emulates your mentors? If so, do you think that they'd like your work?

BH: I don't know if it does emulates my mentors? I mean sometimes folks come up and say it sound like this or that but we are not born in a bottle we come from somewhere. So when people say I sound like this person or that I just say thank you. Its funny what some folks say. I mean this big black lady came up to me once and grabbed my arm and said, "I know what you are talking about, it got me" She was talking about my song "Liberty Street."

AMN: Your record has some pretty diverse tracks on it. On some of the tracks, it's just you, but on a lot of them, you have a back up band. Does the band go on tour with you, or was that just for the CD?

BH: Well I sure played around with a lot of things but I basically had a punk band back me up. The bass player and the drummer. Then I found a guitar player, Eric Hedrick who is a g.i.t guy who can do anything on the guitar. The track that is just me was a song to start with so the band could hear. When the band heard it, they said sounds good just like that. So I got outvoted. When I tour I go by myself because it is so expensive to tour with a band. But this October. I will be bring a band with me on the Mountain Stage radio show.

AMN: I really liked the tone of your Guitar on the 81 Song. What guitar do you play? Is it an Ovation? The strings sounded real bright.

BH: Thanks! No, its a 68 Gibson guitar that's been half way around the world and looks like it.

AMN: How long did it take you to put together your CD? Was it years?

BH: Yes it was something like 5 years and I think it would of been longer if people did not tell me ,"Bill put this one to rest and move on". I said OK but let me try this new song, that's when we did the 81 song, we got it in 3 takes.

AMN: What was the largest obstacle you had to overcome when you finally decided to make a CD.

BH: I think there are a few obstacles, one is always money. You never seem to have enough for what you want to do. But in a way that is a good thing. You have to do a lot with very little. And another obstacle is knowing where you want to go with a song. With me I do a lot of different versions of the songs until it starts to come out and wanna play. That is something that can drive people nuts and I can be a pain in the ass sometimes but the work is worth it.

AMN: When can we expect another CD from you?

BH: The next CD is being worked on as we speak and should be out next spring. We are going to let folks hear one this winter on mp3. We are also working with my new music publisher, John Dentato in New York City who knows that end of things and has been around.

AMN: How long have you been performing?

BH: I have been playing in all kinds of places for the last 25 years or more.

AMN: You just came back from New York and here you have a gig in Athens in a few days. Do you travel a lot? Is it something you enjoy doing or is life on the road starting to get old?

BH: Yeah, I travel a lot but not as heavy as some folks but the miles do add up. And yes I do enjoy seeing new places and meeting new folks but the road can wear a guy down, I try to get some sleep when I can.

AMN: You've been on the road a while. Your press kit mentioned that you played for prisoners. Where and when was that? Was there anyone else on the bill with you?

BH: Well when I was in Key West I played at the prison there and the guard would not let me in the pit to play. So I had to play on the roof but before I played he told me,"let me show'em were I am at" and he took his gun and made that sound that guns make when a shell goes in the chamber right near the microphone. And then he said go ahead. I just look at him for the longest time and went right into that song, All Along The Watchtower. The prisoners loved it. One big guy came over to me at the fence and said thanks and he asked me to sign his T-shirt, so I guess they liked it.

AMN: You've also played between striptease acts? Was this at any club we've heard of?

BH: I don't know but it was up in Canada and you talk about shaking, I was saying to myself, "What the hell are you doing Bill? Are you nuts! It was like throwing blood to the sharks, hard gig.

AMN: You're CD has received a lot of air play around the world. It's even been played in Italy. How does one go about getting your disk listened to in Italy? Have you ever toured abroad?

BH: Well it kind of amazing all these folks out there that are listening. We got an e-mail from some where in Holland and he was asking where to get the CD. About Italy well the two times I have been over there is great place to gig. The food is great, the wine is even better, and the Italian women are the most beautiful. They treat musicians really good and I always tell folks my best paying gigs were the Italy communist gigs! Money was always better and the gig was better promoted. Nuts heh, well that's Italy.

Bill Hudson with some other extras on the set of the film, "The Patriot." Bill is on the extreme left in brown leather.

AMN: You had mentioned to me via email that you were an extra in the recent Mel Gibson movie, "The Patriot." Have you always been into revolutionary war reenactments?

BH: No not at all. Its what I had to do for the job. I have a friend that does this kind of things for film and I always told him, I would love to be a bad guy in a western. Looks like fun. So anyway he called me and I looked at the calendar and said ,"yea I can do it for so many days". So I packed up 50 CD's and a sleeping bag and off I went.

AMN: Did they supply you with the gear or do you own your own uniform and gun?

BH: No they had everything there. You got up at 4:30am and headed off to the costume tent and then off to make up tent (there were 88 makeup arts there in that tent) and what hell that was, you listen to disco music and have someone put dirt on your face and in you hair then it was off to breakfast and to the set before the sun has a chance to get up.

AMN: You had also mentioned that some of your music was being considered for use in The Patriot. That was until John Williams was signed on to score the film. What song of yours was going to be used? ... Or were you going to be commissioned to do original work?

BH: Yes, I was waiting around for a shot one day talking to this guy. I did not know this guy was the producer of the film, Dean Devin. So I stayed up all night and tried to write a song and it was just not happening. So this guy who got me into the film john buck said, "Here Bill, I I wrote some words, maybe you can put music to it. So that's what I did and Dean Devin gave me the music producers name and number. I send him a rough track and he liked it. His name is Peter Afterman. So Peter calls me a week back and told me, "Bill no ands, ifs or buts, John Williams is now on board and we are out. So at least Dean gave me a chance and now I think its a good tune and its going to be on the next CD. Its called "Martin's Militia March."

AMN: Every musician has a show they replay in their head whenever they want to feel good. They also have shows that they try very hard to forget. Could you describe your best performance to us? When was it? What made it so special?

Bill Hudson in Beragamo, Italy.

BH: Well I have not done my best show yet. I have no idea how it goes out there. Sometimes you think, "oh no that did not sound right" or one thing or another and then someone comes up to you like when I was up in new York at this festival and this lady gave me a big hug and said thank you so much. What can you say but thank you. But there was this time when I was waiting for a plane somewhere and while I was waiting I was playing just a little and not too loud. But after a little time this lady came up to me and said, "thank you have taken me out of my mantic depression" I did not know what to say except to say, "well that's great, who are you?"

AMN: What about your worst show? Have any equipment break? Did you get shot at? Or if this subject is too painful, we can skip this one.

BH: BH : Well there was that one time in Vermont. When we played at a Halloween party at this dive bar. There was this band that played and then me and a friend with our guitars. We took turns back and forth. Well when the band was playing I was dancing with this girl and I felt this guy push me really hard from behind. As it so happened this two guys were fighting right there on the dance floor. Well as soon as that fight started there was another one, then an other one. So that's 3 fights going on all the while remember this is Halloween party so the "Budwizer Can" is fighting with the "Green Man" and so on and I felt kind of strange. But as always what do I do, go for my guitar case and make sure no one uses it. Well the band did the worst thing they stopped playing music so it got even worse. So this guy who I don't know to this day who was dressed up like a roman soldier got up to the mike and was talking about sex. I mean he was getting down and dirty but that guy saved the day. There are a lot of stories like that.

AMN: Athens is a college town, and being as such, we get an influx of new musicians every year who are just starting out. Do you have any advice that you would like to give an up and coming song writer today, something that you wish someone would have told you when you were just starting out?

BH: Yea, Athens sounds like a cool town. My thanks goes out to Matt Lang for getting me to your town. We meet each other on the film set. And as of advise, well I remember when I asked Pete Seeger that say question and he said, "go out there and play every kind of place you can". And I have, but its a hard school. I would say see if you can learn all parts of the music business. Network with other musicians and go to festivals. You will be meeting and make some great friends. Work at your craft as a songwriter, you are telling a story. Are you getting your story understood, because that is what you are trying to do. Read as much as you can to learn as much as you can. This business is changing so much, keep updated. Go to "open mikes" I go as much as I can.

AMN: Are you a self taught guitarist or did you have lessons when you were younger? Do you play any other instruments?

BH: Yes I am self taught guitar player, here are the dots and this is where you put your fingers. I started on a sears guitar. Right away I was trying to put English poems to songs. It make it more fun.

AMN: Have you always been a folk rocker, or if I do some digging, will I find an old photo of you playing a flying-V guitar in front of a Marshall stack?

BH: (Laughing) Well I use to have a Hagstrume Ele guitar and and big amp and I would turn it up to 10. My folks would get pissed but I used to love doing that. (my poor folks). I also had a white Fender Telecaster guitar but I could not get the sound out of it and the feeling I could. The acoustic guitars had what I was looking for and I could still rock out.

AMN: So, have you played Athens before?

BH: No ,I have never played your town before. I am looking forward to it. Know of any good swimming holes?

AMN: You could try the river. It just got downgraded from "melt your head clean-off" to "lingering rash." Strouds Run is probably your best bet though. It's about 6 miles out of town. Anyway, how did you first hear about or small town?

BH: Well like I said I meet this other musician Matt Lang on the film set and after ever day we would jam around the campfire. He asked me to come so I have never been there so I said why not.

AMN: I like to ask a few silly questions at the end of every interview. It's what I like to call, the speed round. Not to put any pressure on you, but I think the answers to these questions tend to describe a person pretty well. Feeling scared yet?

BH: No, sounds like fun, go ahead.

AMN: O.K. then. Here we go. Paper or Plastic?

BH: Plastic

AMN: Electric or Acoustic?

BH: Acoustic

AMN: Coffee or latte.

BH: The darkest, blackest, coffee bean from hell ( Italian roast) all hail to the holy bean

AMN: "Music theory... what's that?" or "Let me check my book of modes first."

BH: If I can hear it, I can play it.

AMN: My home is a: A) pitstop B) Palace

BH: Right now my home is a tent, no kidding.

AMN: Thanks for putting up with me, you've been a good sport. Is there anything you'd like to say before we go.

BH: Thanks for having me and I am looking forward to making some new friends, anyone can come by the web site to say hello, www.sparr-enterprizes.com