Willie P. Bennett

bless you willie

What an incredibly nice person...and, by the way, interested, interesting, and extremely talented.

I first was introduced to the music of Willie P in the early 80's in Calgary. He would play every Sunday in a little cafe in Kensington.
His music struck a chord in my heart then.Here 20 some years later we both came to make Peterborough our home. I felt very fortunate to occasionally pass on the street the very person who.s wonderful music has touched my heart for so long.
As the last big winter storm blasts Peterborough I am reminded of the first Willie P. song that I ever heard....Driftin Snow.
Thanks Willie P.
We Love Yah!

It's not a been a good month so far with both Willie and Jeff H. passing. As an admirer of the 60's and 70's folk music scene in southern Ontario, and a person who shared some special acquiantances and friends with Wille back then, that small piece of my life means an awful lot. Thanks for singing to us about the ways of the heart Willie. There is gentle irony that this is this part of you that left us behind first for the last step of the journey.
May the angels hear your voice and music more clearly now.

Oh Willie, we so loved the joy that you brought to us all of your days. I will plug in my light-up dice today in your memory. Much love from the Georgia Girls.

I saw Willie twice in Australia and I was sad when I read about his leaving this mortal coil ... he was a fine guy.

I attended two Fred Eaglesmith concerts this past weekend. They were great of course, but just not the same without Willie. He was truly an orignal.

Bless you Willie P.
And thank you for the melodies
and lines...
for thirty two years now
they have moved me ..
"even when you're on the long road
and been down it many a mile"
Thank you for your wonderful gifts

Rest in Peace Willie. Your music, and the friendships you made through song are your legacy!

I will never forget the night I met Willie, I was working on the front at Smale's Pace, and he just wandered in... we used listen to tunes all night,great tunes and then go buy big pitchers of beer at the York. We all cried, laughed, sang, danced and ate together for many years. It was a very special time. I ended up moving into his old apartment on Maitland Street, complete with the Ghost he conjured up just for me. There are so many stories they all cannot be told, nor should they be told but kept in a very special place. I made a point to go to the Music Club last year and see him, There were hugs and kisses, just like it was yesterday. I wanted my son to experience a part of what I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by all the time. Willie, I love you, we love you, and your music will live forever,but you will always be in my heart. It is a sad time, and we will see each other again I am sure. Happy Trails, Love throughout eternity JAKE

I met willie just a couple of times however he treated me like we were old friends I'll miss you willie you were an original.
truly a great human being
with love in my heart and sadness in my soul

I knew Willie back in his early days. We ran into each other every so often and it was always interesting. His talent was truly orginal. I'm so sorry to hear of his passing. He will be missed.

From my days at Trent I've loved Willie P's music. "Music in your eyes" brought music into my heart.By missing that recent Ottawa concert, by being too busy, I realize I have been putting music on a back burner again....look what I missed out on.He will be missed.....

The sadness hurts our hearts...the music in his eye's we will miss. The way he hung on every word you spoke, like he had all the time in the world. He was our teacher, his time has come to travel down the road, that train has finally arrived. Thanks for being so gracious Willie...we'll never forget your beautiful soul. Bless you.

Willie will be greatly missed....

Willie, you're the best, a National treasure and you left us way too soon.

Willie was one of my favorite parts of attending Fred Eaglesmith concerts. We enjoyed his wit and his talent. We will miss him.

In Ottawa,early in the winter of 1976 I first heard Willie's music-White Line Rd and Music in Your Eyes were so beautiful I cried. What gifts he brought into the world. Thanks Willie

I cried when I heard. He was dear to me and my family. Always a kind word and a little encouragement. Loved sitting around the fires at the Fred picnics and Bellows Falls shows and playing with him and friends. Loved him dearly and will miss him more. A kind and genrous human veing. Namaste.

Fly on Sweet Angel...I can see you up there jammin with Jimi, Stevie, John (and Mozart)...
Love,Julesxxx

Willie grew up as Patrick or Paddy, as we called him back then, in Scarborough. We had such fun, the six kids running around and playing carefree.He was always a going concern. Music was his first love and he persevered towards his goal. He was so passionate about it and talented.We have a heavy sadness now that you are gone, Bobby & I and you will be greatly missed bro. You have left a wonderful legacy in your music and as long as we have that, you'll never really be gone.

Your loving step-sister & brother.

Love you my friend...

I will miss your music and your humour, Willie.

We will miss you, Willie. Your music brought us much joy.

Funny how the little things are remembered which define a person. Back in the 1970s, we sang in many of the same London bars. I have a small scrap of paper which I found inside my case on stage one day which bore just the words "Willie P. was here" sort of like the "Kilroy was here" tags painted on fences and walls in WWII. To me, it typified his mischievous good hearted nature.
Not knowing of his death, yesterday I went looking for "Music in Your Eyes" on YouTube and learned the sad news.

Yes, Willie, you were here and the world is a better place because you were. Though it has been many years since I saw your smile, I will think of it when I sing your beautiful songs.

Willie leaves behind a remarkable body of work, including at least four albums that were among the best Canadian roots albums of their respective decades -- his three 70s classics and his superb final release, 1998's "Heartstrings." But he'll be missed even more as a person. I never met anyone who knew him who didn't love him -- and, after 35 years on the scene, he knew a lot of people. His sweet generosity and humour, and the celebration of his kindnesses and eccentricities, were part of what bound us together. We'll miss the man and the musician equally and terribly.

Willie I miss you already, but you will always be in a special place in my heart. Say hi to my husband Bob for me.

Slainte my friend.
sparky

Willie gave an inspiring concert here only 3 weeks ago. It was a pleasure to work with him, if only for a few hours. He was a one of a kind Canadian performer, the likes of which we will never see again. Rest in peace on that long road home.

We had the great fortune of enjoying an evening with Willie just a few short weeks ago as he toured through Thunder Bay. He filled us up with his music, his graciousness. It seemed he was just getting going!

willie was one of the warmest, funniest and most human performers i have ever known. i will miss him till my time comes. whereever he is it must be a good place, for the best place to be is where you're smiling, and he gave a lot of smiles to a lot of people. addio amico.

Loved the music and the man - will miss him.

While Willie P. Bennett may not have gained the fame (or fortune) he so richly deserved, his music will live on in the hearts of all those lucky enough to have heard him.

Willie P has passed away. He was here in Ottawa at the National Library only a few weeks ago....I knew he had heart problems...but I'd heard he was on the mend. I would go the next time he came to town. Isn't that always the way? Wait until tomorrow, until next time to tell that person what you really feel, to say thank you, to tell someone how much you appreciate that they exist.

We shouldn't wait - what are we waiting for??? Permission? Who's going to give it? If we operate from places in the heart - with good and clear intention, there's no reason to hold back, to leave our dreams & desires unfulfilled. Say I Love You, say I appreciate who you are, to thank someone for their friendship - for whatever!

Of course, as the shock of Willie's death fades into the past as the shock of every death does, we will be unable to keep up the energy it takes to live and love and be fully present in each and every one of our moments. Perhaps we are unable to comprehend on a day to day level, how mind-blowing it all is, how transient, fragile and fatal our lives are.

I guess that inability is the reason why we make art, music, write books, take pictures and keep mementos - to remind us of those "thin" places in our lives where the line between the mundane and the extrordinary is so fine.

So thank you Willie P. - just for existing.

Ray & Michelle Harris

I was so lucky to have had the great fortune to tour with Willie. He taught me so much musically and how to pull it off live. Somehow just being around him gave me so much confidence. Not just with music but with life. That is how he made a person feel. He treated me as an equal although I was a wet behind the ears 25 years younger. I'll never forget what he taught me. Everytime I get on a stage there will always be a bit of Willie in me. There has got to be hundreds of musicians that feel the same way. I am so sad for everyone whose lives that he touched and who are close to him. I am just glad and proud to say that he touched mine. A true one of a kind!!! I will miss you Willie.

- Dave Klym (Mike Plume Band, The Populars)

I would tell folks -- yes there are folks who haven't seen Wille and Fred -- about this guy who raises these brilliant textural layers of electric mandolin feedback, while simultaneously playing harp, and they'd look at me, like "well why would anyone want to do THAT?" Go shake 'em up on the other side, Willie...

Well, here I am sitting out here in California, thinking of about all this. As fate would have it, I was planning on talking to Will this week. Sometimes things happen that make you realise don't delay joy or procrastinate. This is one of those times. I think Will would want me to share these few thoughts/memories that not too many know about.

Willie P played on my last CD and we became good friends. He visited me at my home in Northern California. He was the first guest at my Balsam Lake (Fenelon Falls) cottage back in 2006 when I bought it, and, in my last email from him, he was looking forward to hammering some nails this summer on the rebuild of the cottage. In the No Bull Songs annual greeting at the end of 2006, it told the story of the Harmony guitar Willie P gave me for the cottage (see pics attached). It was one of his favourite writing guitars, so obviously this guitar was/is very meaningful and inspiring to me.

In one of our last conversations, when I was trying to convince him to take a nice relaxing leisurely road trip out west, he indicated he had become increasingly interested spiritual matters (stuff out there) and so the last thing I gave him back in October was a selection of Eastern and Western Mysticism stuff and Tibetan Book of the Dead DVDs (Will knew my music company was one of the sponsors of the visit of Dalai Lama to San Fran last year, hence the DVD connection).

Will was a truly great guy who inspired (and will contnue to inspire) many of us and who, more than anyone else, made me feel comfortable about the path I had chosen in the music biz. He was going to write a couple of songs with me this year ... now we'll do that in spirit as his spirit will live on.

As we grieve I can also hear Willie P saying don't be sad ... I'll be right back ..

Kenny Butterill

My husband and I also came to know Willie through Fred Eaglesmith. Words cannot express how we feel. Willie will be missed so much by so many. God be with his family and with Fred. We all share in your loss.

We got to know Willie through Fred Eaglesmith and knew him as a great accompanist for Fred with a passion for music,
You will be missed,

Truly a one of a kind.
A real Canadian Icon!

Willie was a kind and gentle soul who had time for everybody. His words and music will live on for generations to come. My condolences to his family and closest friends.

Fred's site likely sums it up best, 'there are no words to describe how we feel' - from a guy who writes a song everyday! How many song writers have a band named after them! Big loss for our music world.

Willie P. Bennett: Amazing grace, heart and humility!

We'll miss you Willie! See you on the other side.

My love of Canadian folk / roots music is due to Willie. I saw him each year at the Hamilton Festival of Friends during the 70's and followed his career after that, being introduced to others like Fred Eaglesmith because of Willie. His lyrics ....what can I say? He changed the way we thought about ourselves as Canadians through his storytelling. You will be greatly missed my friend.

i'M A BIG FAN..SO SORRY TO HEAR THAT wILLIE HAS PASSED..WAY TOO YOUNG. hE GAVE HIS MUSIC EVERYTHING HE HAD. REST IN PEACE WILLIE

Willie will be missed. He was a true inspiration- a roots-based musician who knew his craft and shared it with the people.

Willie was a friend and an inspiration during a great summer at my cottage on Georgian Bay. He wrote, sang worked, pissed us all off and provided joy and wonder to us all. He will be missed.

The world has truly lost a great man.