Paul Williams | The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan
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What childhood experiences shaped Paul Williams' life?
This is like a Dickensian tale. The aunt said to me during the two weeks, if you go back to live with your mom and your little brother, every bite of food you take will be a bite of food your brother won't get. So if you're going to be a real little man, you're going to write your mom and tell her you really want to stay here. And I bought it and I wrote the letters and I stayed with these people that I didn't love.
Elvis, Sinatra, Streisand, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Tony Bennett, Bowie, Carpenters, obviously, Diana Ross, Kermit. quite a resume of people singing your songs and obviously thousands more. That's pretty cool. Pretty cool, man. I mean, as a writer to writer, I had no idea you'd be this nice. I adore you. Paul Hamilton Williams. September 19th, 1940. Yep. Exactly. Let me find this card. I wrote this card out. Sorry. This is really good. You might appreciate it. Do you like astrology?
You know what? I know that I'm a Virgo. I know that I have my moons in Aries and I have Gemini rising. But no, I don't pay any attention to it. Okay. Well, check this out.
So the idea is that there's this sort of mutable characteristics for every birthday. So I just typed in your birthday, not even your birth year, just your birthday, September 19th. So listen to what it said. Excels in the arts, singing, painting, or sculpting.
How did Paul Williams break into the music industry?
They need to stay inspired, and they might become prophets for a higher cause. Protectors of the humankind or the animal kingdom. Doctors and healers of all kinds. They need things to flow, to become their best in their field of expertise, for their waters must be clean so they can stay aware of their talents. Oh, wow. Oh, yes.
I thought it was like that took a while to get those clean waters. I believe in everything. I mean, I believe in everything.
I believe that there's a dark side to this quote. OK, go ahead. Because I'm curious if this because that feels right to me as a fan of your work. Thank you. The first part. Thank you. But let's do the second part. This is the dark side of them. Okay, good. Detached and lonely, they easily fall into psychosomatic problems when they are not satisfied. Feeling powerless over issues that are their own responsibility, they can become a burden for those close to them and turn to dishonesty or substance abuse when they are lost. And I have a black belt in a couple of those things.
It's like, you know. So that's your birthday. Yeah. Well, it's interesting because, yeah, and, you know, I joke that I spent my life writing Ouch Mommy songs. I'm, you know, the master of the codependent anthems. So it's like, you know. What a time, though. I'm the master of the codependent anthems. You know, it's picked me up and loved me is the essence of it.
What role did astrology play in Paul Williams' life?
When I was about nine years old, they gave me shots to make me grow. And the shots did not make me grow. They actually kind of closed off the bones. Really? I could run under coffee tables. I was so little. Two brothers that are six footers and me in the middle. Do you have any sense of why? No, but they went to a doctor in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He said, I can make this boy grow. Do you remember that? And I do. I do. And I was probably eight or nine. And he gave me male hormone, which which kicked me into early puberty. which what that basically does is it also begins to close off the bones and all. And of course, I immediately had a totally different relationship with the world around me. I had no interest in my toy chest, but my Aunt Edna's chest was something that I found fascinating.
And they saw this and they stopped it. But it screwed up my body clock.
Well, it also screwed you up mentally because you've gone from innocence to not innocence.
Now they take away the hormone. To a hunger that I do not understand. Okay, right. a hunger, a need, an urge that I have not identified yet, but I am feeling the beginnings of. And then because they interrupted the cycle, whatever like that, I was like maybe 22 by the time. I mean, so by the time I actually hit puberty. So, I mean, this all relates to your opening salvo.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What childhood experiences shaped Paul Williams' life?
0:00–1:31
2
How did Paul Williams break into the music industry?
1:31–2:55
3
What role did astrology play in Paul Williams' life?
2:55–4:27
4
What challenges did Paul face with addiction?
4:27–6:56
5
How did Paul Williams collaborate with the Wrecking Crew?
6:56–8:38
6
What was the impact of 'We've Only Just Begun' on his career?
8:38–9:32
7
How did Paul Williams transition from music to acting?
9:32–10:57
8
What reflections does Paul have on his legacy and influence?
10:57–1:33:19
Speakers
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