Paul Sanchez: Love’S the Key the New Orleans Musicians Clinic
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Rhythm by Leah Draffen approached John and Paul and told them that they should has been fun because Broadway is hard—capital H, IN make an album together. capital A, capital R, capital D.” “At that point, we barely had enough to cover Paul’s music has always been important to him, but rent, let alone pay for an album,” Paul says. Two weeks another love has triumphed—his wife, Shelly. The two later, the gentleman called Paul to ask where he should met at one of Paul’s shows in December 1992. By July send the check. It was then that Threadhead Records 1993, they were married. For 14 years, Shelly traveled began, with a goal of helping New Orleans musicians with Paul all over the world to pursue his music. In to continue to produce music. “After the flood, people 2012, Shelly was diagnosed with breast cancer. “At the had so little—and here are these people who loved the time, we didn’t know how bad it was, so I took a job music and wanted to make people feel empowered as a salesman to get medical benefits.” Shelly recovered when everyone felt so powerless.” after a double mastectomy and returned to work six The Threadheads’ love for New Orleans artists weeks later as a film set dresser. Paul continued to work expanded into a funding operation and foundation. as a “dreadful salesman.” Music fans fund artists to produce their albums, and “For those 18 months, I didn’t play; I couldn’t find the artists pay back the loans within 6-12 months after music in me. I was so scared I couldn’t breathe, and production. Paul stepped up as a contact for other artists I couldn’t sing because I couldn’t breathe.” Paul came after producing a solo album and an album with John home one day to find Shelly with her two best friends Boutté. Years later, Threadheads Records has funded waiting for his arrival. A bottle of wine sat on the table more than 55 CDs and has donated over $500,000 to as they pulled out his guitar. “They called it a music Paul Sanchez: Love’s the Key the New Orleans Musicians Clinic. intervention. They told me to quit my job and get back to music.” LOve’S THE KEY TO MANY THINGS. For some, love’s Backbeats, Paul left the Crescent City to find himself in Paul did just that, but in moderation. “When you love a passion; for others, it’s a career; and for Paul Sanchez, New York, where the anti-folk scene was on fire. During someone and something happens where you realize you it’s a priority. Paul’s history with music may not have his time in New York, Paul brushed shoulders with might outlive them, moments become extremely precious, been written without love. artists such as Roger Manning and John S. Hall before and playing music—no matter how important it is to When Paul was 10, Trinity Episcopal Church held returning home to New Orleans. “New Orleans born, me—didn’t seem as important anymore.” a summer day program for underprivileged kids in the New Orleans bred and when I die, I’ll be New Orleans Paul played a few road gigs after the intervention area. Paul was accepted and made his first debut on dead,” Paul says with a grin. but prefers to play at home near Shelly. “I recently stage as The Artful Dodger in Oliver. “To sing and wear His former band mate and friend Fred LeBlanc asked played a few gigs in D.C. and Pittsburgh and made great a costume—it was great,” Paul says. “It was so much not Paul to join him in a new endeavor, which later became money, but I can’t buy back the time that I didn’t get to like being a poor kid from the Irish channel.” Cowboy Mouth. The band was soon signed by MCA come home and see her.” After Paul dabbled in singing, his brother Andrew Records and gained sponsorship from Southern Comfort. The musician-songwriter-actor is now also a set taught him how to play guitar. “He wanted to teach me For seven years, the Mouth toured the country, supported dresser for the film industry and has fewer road gigs. He hard songs, but I wanted to learn easy ones I could sing by their sponsorship. However, in 2005, things changed works alongside Shelly, working the same hours. With along to. So he would make deals with me to learn the with Katrina. “My life seemed so frivolous after the flood. 11 solo albums under his guitar strap, he just produced hard ones—he was sneaky, but that’s how I got better.” People were fighting for their lives, and here I am sitting his latest album through the Threadhead Records Three years later, Paul played his first gig at a birthday on a tour bus playing video games.” Foundation. The World Is Round, Everything That Ends party in Fat City. They wanted country songs, so he Paul was thankful for the opportunities the Mouth Begins Again, which is the title cut, leaves listeners with a improvised. “I was 15 and didn’t know much country, had presented but was unhappy with the music he was mixture of smooth melodies and resonating lines. You’ll but I knew Beatles songs, so I sang every Beatles song I making. He did not love what he was doing—he wanted even hear the voices and beats of other artists on the knew with a country accent.” The payoff was $5, which to focus on better song writing. With Threadheads’ love on his side, Paul was asked 13-track album creating beautifully orchestrated songs. Paul considered a way better avenue of earning money Paul went back to the basics of an acoustic show to to write songs for a musical adaptation of Nine Lives, You’ll find Paul playing local gigs promoting his new EN than mowing lawns. find that love of music again. Two years after the storm, D a New York Times Best Seller. The book, written by album, but promoting his album isn’t the most important Paul’s acoustic gigs continued until the era closed Paul was playing with New Orleans musician and friend Dan Baum, shares the biographical stories of nine lives thing. “I loved writing the songs. I hope to continue having and the new wave of rock and pop began. He joined John Boutté for a Threadheads charity event. Threadheads between Hurricane Betsy and Hurricane Katrina. Paul the opportunity to play shows whenever I can, but my The Backbeats, playing with Vance DeGeneres, Steve is a group of music lovers who met on a Jazz Fest forum wrote 39 songs for the musical. priority is love—that’s what I try to make music work : THOMAS B. GROW Walters and Fred LeBlanc. After the end of The thread and became friends. At the show, a Threadhead “I recently got back to being Paul Sanchez which around, and I have since the day I met her.” photo 68 INSIDE NEW ORLEANS FEBRUARY-MARCH 2015 69.