After seeing quite a few blog items/news entries on the web about this, I wanted to chip in with a personal note of support for Paul Williams, founder of legendary music mag Crawdaddy!.

A biking accident in 1995 left Williams with a brain injury and subsequent disabilities that have escalated to the point that his family are no longer able to care for him alone. In 2008, his family made the painful decision to move Williams into managed care outside of his home. To help offset the accompanying financial challenges of the full-time medical care, a page has been established where friends and fans can donate to help Paul’s cause.

I first became aware of Paul’s situation in the mid-90s after becoming a fan of his significant other (and future wife,) singer-songwriter Cindy Lee Berryhill. In the liner notes of her 1996 album Straight Outta Maryville, Berryhill included a note thanking everyone that helped during Paul’s recovery, and a personal note to Paul for “coming outta the hospital the same great boyfriend.”

They’re good folks who would be grateful for any assistance that you might be able to provide. Surf on over to the website here for more information.

I dug up the following old interview with Paul Williams titled “The Godfather of Rock Criticism” that is good reading for fans, and anyone that might want to know more about his career over the years.

So what does Paul have to brag about, but doesn’t? The man started the first real rock music magazine, Crawdaddy!, while still a teenager–a year-and-a-half before Jann Wenner started Rolling Stone. Via Crawdaddy!, he gave a lot of other “legends” their first writing outlet: Sandy Pearlman, Peter Guralnick, Jon Landau, and Richard Meltzer, to name just a few. He also hung with Tim Leary and sang with him on John and Yoko’s “Give Peace A Chance” single, recorded in a Montreal hotel room in 1969. If you ever get a chance to see the video from that day, Paul’s clearly in it…I could go on all day. He’s the man. Long may he run.