Guy Clark’s Ashes to be Incorporated Into a Sculpture
Legendary country music songwriter Guy Clark passed away on May 17th after a long battle with numerous health ailments, and now it has finally been revealed how he will be forever remembered by friends, fans and family: his ashes are being incorporated into a sculpture to be formed by fellow Texas songwriter Terry Allen.
“I think that would be so fucking cool,” Guy said at the time he made the decision.
“Sure, leave me with a job to do,” was Terry Allen’s response.
Clark’s biographer and documentarian Tamara Saviano revealed the plans and how Guy Clark’s close friends remembered the songwriter on Saturday evening (5-28). She also revealed that the 74-year-old had been suffering from lymphoma, heart disease, diabetes, bladder cancer, and other health issues before his death, and was living in a nursing home near the end. “In the last months, he had become thin and frail,” Saviano says, but Guy was still able to keep up the fight for longer than they originally expected, and eventually was able to return home to be around his books, art, and music in his final days.
A remembrance and wake for Guy Clark lasted for two days, and spanned numerous states. It started in Nashville where Guy passed away, and ended in Santa Fe on May 25th where his ashes were delivered to Terry Allen. Numerous country music personalities and songwriters who were close friends of Clark attended the cross-country remembrance.
“In the days after his death, Guy’s closest friends pulled together a plan to honor his wishes,” Tamara Saviano says. “Jim McGuire hosted a wake—a typical Guy Clark picking party, one of many that took place at McGuire’s studio over the years. Guy’s family and Nashville friends gathered around an altar on which we’d placed his ashes, his old boots, and our favorite picture of him, and we took turns playing Guy Clark songs. At the end of the night, Verlon led a chorus of ‘Old Friends’ that knocked the wind out of the room. At midnight, Verlon, Shawn, McGuire, Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, Guy’s son, Travis, his caregiver, Joy, and I boarded a tour bus in Nashville that would take us—and Guy—to Santa Fe and Terry Allen. Guy’s last road trip.”
In Santa Fe, more friends and family were waiting.
“We arrived in Santa Fe in time for dinner on Wednesday, May 25. Terry, his wife, Jo Harvey, and their son, Bukka, hosted another wake. Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, Lyle Lovett, his partner, April Kimble, Robert Earl and Kathleen Keen, Joe and Sharon Ely, their daughter, Marie, and Jack Ingram flew in from all parts to be there. We set up another altar, gathered around and told more Guy stories.”
During his career, Guy Clark wrote songs for Johnny Cash, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill, The Highwaymen, Jerry Jeff Walker, David Allan Coe, and even current stars like Brad Paisley. Ricky Skaggs had a #1 hit with the Guy Clark song “Heartbroke.” Steve Wariner had a #1 hit with the Guy Clark song “Baby I’m Yours.” Guy co-wrote “She’s Crazy for Leavin’” with Rodney Crowell, which also became a #1 hit. And Guy’s “Desperados Waiting On A Train” was one of the marquee songs for the country music supergroup The Highwaymen.
READ: Forever Searching for Guy Clark’s Kitchen
Though one of Guy’s songs says, “Susanna, oh Susanna, when it comes my time, won’t you bury me south of that Red River line,” it will be in a more special and unique way that Guy Clark will be laid to rest. “Guy Clark does not fit in a box,” says Tamara Saviano.
The biography on Guy Clark’s life is expected to be released in October.
May 29, 2016 @ 9:33 am
This is awesome, and I love that’s what they said about it lol…been meaning to look into terry Allens re release btw, definitely an interesting character / Texas renaissance man, couldn’t think of a better person to make the sculpture / tribute…RIP Mr clark you will be missed but your spirit and songs will live on forever
May 29, 2016 @ 10:45 am
As he said, so cool.
May 29, 2016 @ 1:37 pm
Hell ya TA! That made my day. No better man for the job.
May 29, 2016 @ 5:34 pm
GC & VT do Old Friends, Springfest, 2012….
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iKRhCHK4UYc
May 29, 2016 @ 7:52 pm
Terry Allen”s version of Old Friends from the tribute album is unreal.
May 29, 2016 @ 9:51 pm
I’ve been wondering why I did not cry upon hearing the news of Guy’s passing; his music means so much to me. When I read this piece, the tears finally came. Thank you, Trigger, for this. And for this site. Without your efforts, those of us that care so deeply for Americana/Texas/Red Dirt/Whatever music would be woefully ill-informed of such significant and meaningful events such as this. Please keep fighting the good fight, sir…
May 30, 2016 @ 6:19 am
Sad thing is, I heard Jack Ingram do a version of ‘Out in the Parking Lot’ and I’m not gonna lie to you, I actually like the version done by Alan Jackson and Brad Paisley awhile back so Jack slowing down the song kinda threw me off. But my first listen at the latter half of the song, I had this visual of Jack being at Guy Clark’s funeral being laid into the ground and him singing this song was a way of giving a final goodbye to Guy as he left the service.
If any of you wanna hear his version, Jack posted it on his Facebook last night along with another tribute song called “Sailor and the Sea.”
May 30, 2016 @ 12:18 pm
“incorporated into a sculpture…” first guess was the lincoln monument, second guess was mount rushmore.
May 30, 2016 @ 1:59 pm
loved reading this. what a great tribute to a killer songwriter.
May 31, 2016 @ 8:56 am
Tamara Saviano’s biography of Guy is now available for preorder. I saw the full description of the memorial on Facebook. What a perfect send-off for Guy.
Here is the Amazon info on the book – but you can also wait and ask a local bookstore.
http://www.amazon.com/Without-Getting-Killed-Caught-sponsored/dp/1623494540?ie=UTF8&keywords=guy%20clark%20saviano&qid=1464710083&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
May 31, 2016 @ 7:19 pm
There was a video I watched where Guy talked about guitar making and said “sometimes you have to wait until the glue drys”
That was enough to inspire this…
Wait Until The Glue Is Dry
W/M Bob Lucas
Woke up this morning
Went looking for you
Found you sleeping on the couch
With nothing else to do
Now I’m just waiting for the glue to dry
I’m just waiting for the glue
To hold it all together
Before it breaks us both in two
I didn’t want to wake you
Didn’t want to take away that dream
No need to start the morning off
Listening to you scream
So I’ll just wait until the glue is dry
I’ll wait until the glue
Keeps it all together
Before I talk to you
Some say that I’m a patient man
Let you walk all over me
But I think I’ve got a better plan
So just you wait and see
Let’s just wait until the glue is dry
Let’s just wait until the glue
Holds it all together
Before it breaks us both in two.
Well listen to this old guitar
It’s about to fall apart
Better get it to the luthier
Better give to Guy Clark
He can wait until the glue is dry
Yes he can wait until the glue
Might even inspire him to write a song
Before it up and breaks in two.
(C)2016 Bob Lucas Songs
June 1, 2016 @ 6:02 pm
This is as good as any place I guess but Guy’s death has hit me hard. My Dad passed away a couple of days ago and I feel like I lost my favorite songwriter then my Dad in the span of a week or so. I turn on my Guy recordings to ease the pain of losing my Dad. Strange.
June 2, 2016 @ 8:17 am
What a cool send off for a legend. Guy’s passing reminds me of his line in Townes’s documentary “Be Here to Love Me”. At Townes funeral, Guy gets up to play and states “I booked this gig 30 years ago”.
August 17, 2024 @ 9:48 pm
I’ll never forget the day I heard that Guy Clark had died. I was at work in my office and I cried. My wife, who had the adjoining office, looked in and asked me what was the matter. I told her, and it only took a second for her to wrap her arms around me. That is the unforgettable power of that man’s music. Thanks, Guy, for making my life better.