Paul Siebel

Paul Siebel
Birth name Paul Siebel
Born (1937-09-19) September 19, 1937
Buffalo, New York
Genres Country rock, folk rock
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instruments Guitar
Years active 1968–1978
Labels Elektra

Paul Siebel (born September 19, 1937) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, born in Buffalo, New York. He is best known for other artists' cover versions of his songs, most notably "Louise". Other frequently covered Siebel songs include "Spanish Johnny," (which was originally a poem written by Willa Cather in 1917 and expanded upon by Siebel) "Long Afternoons," "Any Day Woman," "Nashville Again," "She Made Me Lose My Blues," and "Then Came the Children".

Biography

After serving in the military, Siebel began playing folk clubs, eventually moving to Greenwich Village, where he found support in the coffeehouse circuit.

In 1969, Elektra Records became aware of a collection of songs Siebel made with David Bromberg and signed him to record Woodsmoke and Oranges (1970) and Jack-Knife Gypsy (1971). He was a musician's musician. His songs were covered by, among others, Bromberg, Willy DeVille, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Jerry Jeff Walker, Kate Wolf, Mary McCaslin, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, and Leo Kottke; but he remained mostly unknown to the larger public.

After 1971, his songwriting production stopped. Siebel became depressed and developed drug problems. Now and then his name came up in interviews with other artists. Kris Kristofferson tips his hat to Siebel in his song "The Pilgrim". Siebel played McCabe's Guitar Shop in 1978, which was considered a comeback, and appeared on a 1977 release, Music From Mud Acres, with a cover of the Hank Williams song "Weary Blues".

In 1996, folk magazine Dirty Linen tracked him down and talked with the then 58-year-old bread baker.[1]

In 2004 Elektra released a compilation CD with most of Siebel's songs. Its booklet contains an interview by Peter Doggett where Siebel looks back on his career.

According to a 2010 profile in American Songwriter, Siebel was then working an "outdoorsy job with the Parks Department" in Maryland.[2]

Discography

  • 1970 Woodsmoke and Oranges
  • 1971 Jack-Knife Gypsy
  • 1978 Live at McCabe's (with David Bromberg and Gary White)
  • 2004 Paul Siebel (compilation CD, includes all songs from Woodsmoke & Oranges plus five songs from Jack-Knife Gypsy)

References

  1. ↑ Dirty Linen, #64, June/July 1996, "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2005-12-16. Retrieved 2005-09-19. .
  2. ↑ Jim Allen, "Paul Siebel: Journey Of The Jack-Knife Gypsy," American Songwriter, November 8, 2010, https://americansongwriter.com/2010/11/paul-siebel-journey-of-the-jack-knife-gypsy/, accessed January 12, 2017.
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