Kevin says:
I’d often pass a mural of the late James Lee Lindsey Jr. on Main Street (in Memphis) which eventually led me down a rabbit hole to revisiting his body of work including watching the 2009 documentary filmed during his last days, Better Than Something. I was taken by how similar his story was to that of many other American icons that were ahead of their time and too-quickly rose from the bottom to the top, inevitably burning out. I read that his stage name, Jay Reatard, was worn as a badge of honor after years of being picked on in grade school—which may or may not be why on the cover of his seminal album Blood Visions he’s covered in blood as a nod to Sissy Spacek’s character in Carrie. Because of this I chose to begin the song by repeating ‘they’re all gonna laugh at you!’ When in the studio I pointed at the last Reatard’s album, Grown Up, Fucked Up, as a reference for what I was trying to achieve sonically.
Jay Reatard, Amoeba Records, 8/22/09, Haight St., San Francisco
Jay Reatard (May 1, 1980 – January 13, 2010) was an amazing performer who was just starting to take off when a tragic drug overdose ended his life prematurely. Thank you, Kevin for reminding us of this special talent who left us way too early.
Original Jay Reatard Photos and Video by Michael Donnelly for ThisSmallPlanet.com
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