Paul Siebel was a folk singer and songwriter known for songs including the widely-covered “Louise.”
- Died: April 5, 2022 (Who else died on April 5?)
- Details of death: Died in Centreville, Maryland of pulmonary fibrosis at the age of 84.
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Short-lived career
Siebel began performing after serving in the U.S. Army, singing his folky compositions in Buffalo, New York and then in Greenwich Village. His style invited comparisons to Bob Dylan’s early work, both for his nasal voice and his thoughtful lyrics. But Siebel’s career was held back by his severe stage fright. He stopped writing songs after recording two albums, and he stopped performing not long after that. Siebel’s songs found their way to other artists, though, and their cover versions became well known. “Louise” was covered by musicians including Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, and Leo Kottke. “Spanish Johnny,” based on a poem by Willa Cather, was covered by Emmylou Harris and Waylon Jennings. After leaving the music industry, Siebel worked as a baker and in the parks and recreation department in Talbot County, Maryland.
Notable quote
“I got to be known for doing country. No one in the folk scene was doing this, with the exception of perhaps Jack Elliott doing cowboy songs, not quite country. … I think I wanted to find a voice and a venue in the city folk scene and I used country. One of the problems I had in the ‘70s — country began becoming very popular and people approached me saying ‘Why don’t you go to Nashville?’ I was not a country singer, I did not want to go to Nashville; they could do that stuff better than I could.” —from a 2011 interview for American Songwriter
Tributes to Paul Siebel
Full obituary: Bay Times and Record Observer
