Page 31 - AT

A31
PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 22 November 2019
Music becomes medicine as singer Joe Henry battles cancer

By STEVEN WINE most melodic. Humor shines
Associated Press through — one of the best
Singer-songwriter Joe Hen- songs is titled “General Tzu
ry was still absorbing the Names the Planets for His
shock of confronting his Children.”
life-threatening illness when Those involved quickly re-
he climbed into bed early alized the session was pro-
one evening with paper ducing more than mere
and pen, his instruments for demo material. Most of the
therapy. album was finished in two
He then wrote a song, his days.
first since being told he had “It was a pretty amazing
stage 4 prostate cancer. session,” said keyboard-
He knew composing would ist Patrick Warren, who
help him heal. has played with Henry for
“The way I process any- more than a decade. “I
thing significant is by writ- knew we were onto some-
ing,” said Henry. “I said, ‘I thing. There was something
feel like I’m going to have about his voice and his gui-
to write my way through tar playing that I had never
this.’” From the specter of heard before.”
death, an album was born. Henry said he doesn’t want
“I came here for the funer- This Nov. 8, 2019 photo shows musician Joe Henry posing for a portrait at his home in Pasadena, his audience to think of
al of all sorrow,” went the Calif. to promote his new album "The Gospel According To Water." “Gospel” as his “cancer al-
first line of that first song, Associated Press bum,” because the songs
“In Time for Tomorrow.” following that believes it species, as art. nificant future. For that I’m are about much more than
The tune’s remaining lyrics shares a great secret, and Happily, his own health out- grateful. It was really hard that. And mortality is not a
came quickly. he’s the kind of musician look is much improved. The to live when I wasn’t sure I new topic for him.
“I wrote it literally as fast as I who’s popular with musi- record will be released Fri- believed in the possibility of “I’ve been writing about it
could have written it down cians. day, the first anniversary of my healing.” for decades,” he said. “It’s
had I been taking dicta- John Prine, Bonnie Raitt his diagnosis. For “Gospel,” Henry went not new for me to be pon-
tion,” Henry said. and Jackson Browne are Henry was initially told he into the studio in June plan- dering such. At the same
Music became medi- among those to hail “The likely had three to seven ning to record demos with time, there has been a wild
cine, and soon Henry had Gospel According to Wa- months to live, but he’s several other musicians, in- shift in my thinking. I feel like
enough material for his 15th ter.” now in remission while con- cluding his son, Levon, who somebody who has been
solo studio album, “The “I love Joe Henry,” tweeted tinuing treatment. His on- has played woodwinds on abstractly writing about the
Gospel According to Wa- Prine, himself a cancer sur- cologist at UCLA said his his dad’s albums for the moon, and then found him-
ter,” where he reflects on vivor. “This is an important case is not terminal, but a past decade. self standing on top of it.”
the love of life, what comes record.” matter of chronic disease “There wasn’t any weighti- The 13 songs are sung by a
next and the role spiritual During a 45-minute con- management. ness around the session,” singular character. Henry
solace can play when fac- versation to discuss “Gos- Henry, a three-time Gram- Levon said. “It was sort of said it’s not him, even on
ing our mortality. pel,” Henry referenced The my winner as a producer, like him getting back in the the final tune “Choir Boy,”
“The songs tumbled out Band, Charlie Parker, Frank recently decided he was game and returning to the which ends each verse with
one after the other, much Sinatra, Robert Johnson, ready to resume taking on things that are important. the entreaty, “Pray for me.”
faster than I have ever ex- Woody Guthrie, Duke El- projects in that role. He also The music was sort of like “It’s more like, ‘Stand with
perienced a body of songs lington and Marvin Gaye. plans to tour in support of opposing the weightiness me in community. See me.
arrive,” he said. His music has long been his new album. “I’m do- of the moment.” Don’t leave me alone. I
The Los Angeles-based built on such disparate, im- ing really, really well,” he There’s joy particularly need you to be aligned
Henry, 58, isn’t quite as peccable influences, and said. “It was many months, in Henry’s acoustic gui- with what I’m experienc-
well-known as his sister-in- “Gospel” is Henry’s latest I would say, before I really tar playing, which is more ing, and I need to feel your
law, Madonna. He enjoys eloquent argument for al- found myself in my true se- prominent than usual, and closeness,’” Henry said. “It’s
the sort of small, devoted bums, that endangered cret heart picturing a sig- the album might be his the character.” q

B.B. King Museum expanding to add space for his vehicles

Associated Press 2015 and is buried on the
INDIANOLA, Miss. (AP) — museum grounds.
Work is starting on a $2.5 The 4,500-square-foot
million expansion of a Mis- (418-square-meter) addi-
sissippi Delta museum dedi- tion will house King's tour
cated to a native son who bus and two of his vehicles,
became a blues legend. a Rolls Royce Silver Shad-
A groundbreaking cere- ow and a custom painted
mony was held Tuesday for Chevy El Camino.
new space at the B.B. King The museum says in a news
Museum and Delta Inter- release that other artifacts
pretive Center in Indianola. acquired since his death
The museum opened in are being preserved and
2008 near the area where cataloged, including a gui- In this Sept. 11, 2009 photograph, interactive displays align the walls of the B.B. King Museum and
King grew up. The 15-time tar given to King by guitarist Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola, Miss.
Grammy winner died in and inventor Les Paul.q Associated Press