Hard Livin'

Well, my tires are flat and now I'm out of gas
I always promised myself I'd let the next one pass
Lord, I wish that that a promise didn't break so easily
And I wish hard livin' didn't come so easy for me
Hey, I wish hard livin' didn't come so easy for me

Keith Whitley - Hard Livin'

I heard the news today, oh boy. I'm putting together thoughts about a friend who just passed on. His liver and kidneys failed and you can bet that death was a gentle relief from that combo. It’s a tough way to go but the easy way was never Dave Williams’ way.

If there ever was a Runyunesque character of the Portland music scene, it was Dave. Dave never half stepped about anything. In every aspect of his life, Dave was on full tilt boogie all the time.

His appetites were big, both his transgressions and his munificence. He would give you the shirt off his back, especially if he needed the shirt to stay warm. When he was flush, it was share and share alike. When he wasn’t, you would never know.

He came from Spokane with his amigos, Mike and Pete. How he landed in the Music Millennium I don’t know. But I do know that for all extents and purposes, it was Dave and Dave was it. He was polite with customers and made every artist and band he met feel like he was their #1 fan. He was friendly with label reps, he knew how the game was played. He used that knowledge for favors and rewards down the line.

I was a customer of the MM from the week I arrived in Portland. Just before the Christmas holiday, I applied for the p/t job they were needing. I got called into the backroom for my interview with the co-managers, Bruce and Dave. One of the early questions was who my favorite artists were? I answered Todd Rundgren and Bruce Springsteen. I got the job. Later, I found out I had named the co-favorite artists of the managers. I spent a lot of good times as part of that crew.

Dave, of course, was Todd’s #1 fan, at least, in the Pacific NW.  Today, I can’t hear a Todd song and not think of Mr. Williams.

When Dave had an idea, he was one of those guys who could make it happen, most times by his own sheer will and determination. It was difficult not to get caught up in that creative vortex. No matter how crazy the idea, Dave would have you going “Yeah, let’s do it!” in no time.

One of his finest moments was getting the annual Toke ’n’ Tee soirée started at the storybook course, Tokatee, in Blue River, Oregon. Of course, this year it will be the same as every year. Good friends, golf and laughs. Just with one chair less at the head of the table.

Dave taught me a lot about music, Burnside strip clubs, Front Avenue bars, Herradura tequila and the Sleezy Pieces. He opened the door for my career in the music biz, and allowed me into his universe for more than a decade. I haven’t seen or heard from Dave in over twenty five years. I tried some on his FB page, but we never connected.

In many ways Dave was like a shark that needs to be constantly moving to breathe. I hope he found some tranquil patches in his life. He’s in one now and, as Karen Bailey said, he’s teeing it up with Joe right now.