Carolyn Williams

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Has Brian ever commented on his time with her? Or, better yet, has she? This was a time in Brian's life that hasn't been well publicised (aside from the Landyography) and was curious on the real deal as far as what went on.

[MBE]

I heard that she was a nice lady but nobody has said much else to me.

[Ganz Allein]

Are pictures of her available anywhere?

[The Heartical Don]

Wasn't there at some point a theory that the other BBs got rid of her because she is black, and they framed her with a bit of hashish? So, covert racial motives? Don't know where I read that. But I definitely recall it.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

That was from the Landyography, and supposedly Al was the one with the problem.

[The Heartical Don]

That was from the Landyography, and supposedly Al was the one with the problem.

Hmmm... a new and unsettling picture of the Alster is emerging... stolen cars... setting up a nurse... hyperexposure at the Grammyfest...

What's next? Bankrobbery? Disabling the internet? Bombing Iran?

[the captain]

the Alster ... Disabling the internet?

Given the past few days, that might well be on his mind.

[runnersdialzero]

That was from the Landyography, and supposedly Al was the one with the problem.

What in the blue Hell?

It's sad - a lot of people don't know the story behind the book, so I'm sure a lot of these same people think Al a racist now. Nice.

[The Heartical Don]

the Alster ... Disabling the internet?

Given the past few days, that might well be on his mind.

 

[the captain]

I'm on a vacation and started drinking at 9 a.m., folks ... it's only going to get better.

[The infamous Baldwin Organ]

Wasn't there at some point a theory that the other BBs got rid of her because she is black, and they framed her with a bit of hashish? So, covert racial motives? Don't know where I read that. But I definitely recall it.

I realize that the group are a whole lot older than myself, but if that's true, that would really upset me. I'm going to stick to 'innocent until proven guilty', but I hope someone can elaborate.

[The Heartical Don]

I'm on a vacation and started drinking at 9 a.m., folks ... it's only going to get better.

OK, I will stay tuned. Many fine Lutherisms are on the way...

[Dancing Bear]

I'm pretty sure that every original Beach Boy has said the n word in private at least once in their lifetime. But framing this lady cause she had the wrong colour sounds just too wrong, even for Beach Boys standards.

[The Shift]

I'm on a vacation and started drinking at 9 a.m., folks ... it's only going to get better.

You are Jimmy Buffet and I claim my $5.

[the captain]

You are Jimmy Buffet

I've never been so insulted in my life.

[The Heartical Don]

You are Jimmy Buffet

I've never been so insulted in my life.

Ooohh... our Luther had what we call a 'kwade dronk' over here (a 'evil drink', i.e. he gets very, very bad after a couple of Tia Marias).

Luther... just say no. Look at Keith Richards... he changed from a very pale English schoolboy into Cochise.

[Paulos]

Wasn't the Gaines book the first source to claim that Al didn't like Carolyn? I found the accusation quite shocking and unrealistic really, it was Al's idea to do a cover of Cottenfields which is by Huddie Ledbetter and Sloop John B is a West Indies folk song, pretty strange choices for a guy who allegedly doesn't like black people

[The Heartical Don]

Wasn't the Gaines book the first source to claim that Al didn't like Carolyn? I found the accusation quite shocking and unrealistic really, it was Al's idea to do a cover of Cottenfields which is by Huddie Ledbetter and Sloop John B is a West Indies folk song, pretty strange choices for a guy who allegedly doesn't like black people

Yep. And Blondie and Rikki were coloured, yes? (Only know B&W photos of them).

[the captain]

Gaines quotes Steve Korthoff: "Al would come up to me and say, 'Why does he have to put his arm around her?'" (p331 Gaines, First Da Capo Press paperback edition) That's the only thing I see specific to Al. Korthoff also is quoted as saying (on the previous page) "Everybody hated it ... Brian arm-in-arm with a black girl backstage." Gaines himself writes "Aside from the general humiliation the group felt about Brian's attachment to Carolyn Williams, they were also concerned that he would spend too much money on her .. or even worse, marry her." (331)

[Amy B.]

In some cases, people who are perfectly fine being entertained by, or even working with, minorities have a problem with interracial couples.

I'm not saying the stuff about Al or any of the BBs possibly having a problem with it is true, but just because they worked with Blondie Chaplin and listened to Cotton Fields doesn't mean they wouldn't have a problem with Brian's relationship with Carolyn Williams. Or maybe they simply had a problem with her because they didn't trust her or didn't like her for some other reason. They're not exactly buddies with the blond, blue-eyed Melinda, are they?

[Dancing Bear]

For what's worth, Melinda Love (Mike's daughter) once claimed that the problem with Carolyn wasn't racial, the band members just didn't trust her - or something like that.

[adamghost]

In some cases, people who are perfectly fine being entertained by, or even working with, minorities have a problem with interracial couples.

I'm not saying the stuff about Al or any of the BBs possibly having a problem with it is true, but just because they worked with Blondie Chaplin and listened to Cotton Fields doesn't mean they wouldn't have a problem with Brian's relationship with Carolyn Williams. Or maybe they simply had a problem with her because they didn't trust her or didn't like her for some other reason. They're not exactly buddies with the blond, blue-eyed Melinda, are they?

It's easy to forget how much peoples' attitudes about race, sexual orientation and gender have evolved in just the last 30 years.  A lot of otherwise pretty liberal-minded people had visceral problems -- even if they couldn't justify them -- with some things that they just don't have now. 

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

It's easy to forget how much peoples' attitudes about race, sexual orientation and gender have evolved in just the last 30 years.

Thank goodness for that. Maybe one day when my daughter's my age, we'll have completely moved past ignorance & bigotry completely.

[the captain]

Nah, there are always differences to focus on. Sad but true. Doesn't much matter what they are: get past one, identify another. Seems a society has gotta have an other to have a self.

[MBE]

In some cases, people who are perfectly fine being entertained by, or even working with, minorities have a problem with interracial couples.

I'm not saying the stuff about Al or any of the BBs possibly having a problem with it is true, but just because they worked with Blondie Chaplin and listened to Cotton Fields doesn't mean they wouldn't have a problem with Brian's relationship with Carolyn Williams. Or maybe they simply had a problem with her because they didn't trust her or didn't like her for some other reason. They're not exactly buddies with the blond, blue-eyed Melinda, are they?

It's easy to forget how much peoples' attitudes about race, sexual orientation and gender have evolved in just the last 30 years.  A lot of otherwise pretty liberal-minded people had visceral problems -- even if they couldn't justify them -- with some things that they just don't have now. 

This is so true. When I was growing up in the 80's inter-racial dating was a lot less accepted then it is now