Paul Williams, founder of the first major rock magazine Crawdaddy!, passed away on March 27th.
He was 64.
As a seventeen-year-old, Williams began Crawdaddy! in 1966, predating other major publications such as Rolling Stone and Creem which later took precedence. His keen insight into serious music journalism allowed the publication to stay in print until 1968, and its archives can still be examined today.
Williams also sang backup for the Plastic Ono Band’s “Give Peace a Chance” and served as campaign manager for Timothy Leary. He published books about Bob Dylan’s career and occasionally edited short stories.
Williams has suffered from Alzheimer’s since 1995, when a traumatic brain injury encouraged memory loss and began to affect his overall physical health. His passing has cast a dark shadow over the world of rock journalism and he will be remembered fondly as a pioneer in the industry.
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