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PDF Hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen PDF hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen The following full text is a publisher's version. For additional information about this publication click this link. http://hdl.handle.net/2066/68141 Please be advised that this information was generated on 2021-10-02 and may be subject to change. De memoires van een executive nanny De auto/biografie van Phil Kaufman Maarten Steenmeijer De biografie is in de Verenigde Staten een goed verkocht genre. Dat geldt niet alleen voor de traditionele levensverhalen van beroemde mensen, maar ook voor de hybride variant die het midden houdt tussen een biografie en een autobiografie. Dat dit niet per definitie een opportunistisch gelegenheidswerk hoefi te zijn, bewijzen de door Colin White geschreven memoires van P hil Kaufman. Amerikanen lezen meer biografieën en au­ het maar afwachten of degenen die hun le­ tobiografieën dan Nederlanders. Om hun vensverhaal op papier willen zetten daar de grote verknochtheid aan deze genres vast te capaciteiten voor hebben. stellen hoefje alleen maar rond te kijken in In de Verenigde Staten ontbreekt het na­ een willekeurige boekhandel op een wille­ tuurlijk niet aan biografieën en autobiogra­ keurig vliegveld in de Verenigde Staten. De fieën die op scrupuleuze wijze tot stand zijn categorie ‘Biography’ omvat daar steevast gekomen. Maar je hebt daar ook een hybri­ een flinke kast, vergelijkbaar met die van dische variant die het midden houdt tussen categorieën als ‘History’ en ‘Politics’. biografie en autobiografie en die we in Ne­ De biografie en de autobiografie zijn in de derland afserveren als ‘opportunistisch ge­ Verenigde Staten genres waaraan niet per se legenheidswerk’. Ten onrechte, zo bewijst dezelfde eisen worden gesteld als hier. Bij Road Mangler De luxe van Phil Kaufman en ons moet je voor een biografie meestal Colin White. Het idee voor dit boek over wachten op enkelingen die bereid zijn vele het leven van een van de kleurrijkste road- jaren van hun leven op te offeren aan uit­ managers uit de Noord-Amerikaanse pop­ puttende research en die daarna nog jaren muziek kwam van White, die onderzoek nodig hebben om de stapels materiaal te deed voor een boek over wat hij ‘the Cali- ordenen en te verwerken tot een verhaal. fornia lifestyle’ noemt (daarbij doelend op Voordat je het weet ben je zo tien jaar ver­ het spreekwoordelijke hedonisme in de Ca- der. En in het geval van een autobiografie is lifornische rock- en filmwereld) en daarbij 46 · Biografie Bulletin Najaar 2008 op het spoor van Kaufman kwam. Hoewel after him, get him to the studio on time, Kaufman van oorsprong uit New York get his medicine, keep him fed, keep him komt en een tijdlang in Nashville heeft ge­ out of trouble and all that stuff [...].’ Kauf­ bivakkeerd, liggen de wortels van zijn loop­ man voerde deze opdracht zó goed uit dat baan in de Californische popwereld. ze in de studio omvielen van verbazing toen Na hun eerste ontmoeting ontstond het hij de Stoneszanger daar op de afgesproken idee van een boek over Kaufmans leven. De tijd afleverde: ‘Holy fuck, they’re on time!’ aanpak was even simpel als efficiënt: White Mick Jagger bedacht een passende bijnaam zou een aantal gesprekken met Kaufman voor Kaufman die deze nooit meer zou ver­ voeren en deze vervolgens omwerken tot geten: ‘He’s our nanny, our Executive Nan­ een boek. De eerste editie daarvan ver­ ny.’ scheen in 1993, gevolgd door geactualiseer­ Daarna werkte Kaufman onder meer voor de en uitgebreide edities in 1998 en 2005. grootheden als Gram Parsons, Etta James, De samenwerking tussen Kaufman en Joe Cocker, Frank Zappa en Emmylou White heeft geleid tot een levendig boek Harris. Ook beunde hij onder meer bij als dat zo niet het beste, dan toch in elk geval platenproducer van Charles Manson en als veel goeds van twee genres combineert: de Harley Davidson-oppasser in Engeland, biografie en de autobiografie. Omdat het terwijl hij vóór zijn popperiode onder meer onderwerp zelf aan het woord is, zou je in de horeca, bij de luchtmacht, in de Road Mangler Deluxe een ‘echte’ autobio­ drugshandel en als acteur zijn brood had grafie kunnen noemen. Maar omdat Kauf­ verdiend. mans verhaal wordt gestuurd en gestileerd In september 1973 haalde Kaufman de door een schrijver, heeft het boek ook nogal kranten door de rol die hij speelde in een wat weg van een biografie. Daar draagt ook van de macaberste verhalen uit de popmu­ het laatste - en langste - hoofdstuk aan bij, ziek. Hij werkte toen voor countryrockpio- ‘The Empire Strikes Back’, waarin een keur nier Gram Parsons, de ex-Byrd en ex-Fly- van mensen met wie Kaufman heeft ge­ ing Burrito Brother die toen met vallen en werkt en gewoond hun zegje doet over een opstaan bezig was om - geassisteerd door van de meest excentrieke figuren uit de de toen nog volslagen onbekende Emmy­ dienstensector van de popwereld. lou Harris - een solocarrière van de grond te krijgen. Op de begrafenis van Clarence White, ex-gitarist van de Byrds, sloot Kauf­ Macaber man een bizar pact met Parsons. Als een Kaufmans carrière in de popwereld begon van hen zou overlijden, zou de ander diens volkomen toevallig. Via een vriend kreeg lijk verbranden in Joshua Tree, een woestij­ hij een baantje bij de Rolling Stones toen nachtig gebied in de buurt van Palm die in 1968 in Los Angeles waren neerge­ Springs waarnaar Parsons regelmatig met streken om hun album Beggars Banquet te Kaufman en andere vriend (inn) en (onder mixen. Kaufman, een jazzliefhebber die wie Keith Richards) reed om daar s nachts niet eens wist wie de Stones waren, kreeg de te genieten van de stilte, de sterrenhemel, opdracht om zich voor honderd dollar per drank en drugs. week over Mick Jagger te ontfermen: ‘Look Een paar maanden later overleed Parsons Maarten Steenmeijer De memoires van een 'executive nanny · 47 aan een overdosis in een motel aan de rand van Joshua Tree. Zijn stiefvader wilde het lijk naar New Orleans laten overvliegen om het daar te laten begraven. Maar Kaufman besloot zijn belofte gestand te doen en maakte zich op het vliegveld van Los Ange- les met vernuftig gebluf meester van Par- sons stoffelijk overschot. Samen met een vriend reed hij, boordevol alcohol, naar Joshua Tree, waar hij het lijk met brandstof overgoot en in de fik stak, om het half ver­ koolde lijk daarna in de woestijn achter te laten. Tientallen jaren later zijn de meningen over deze krankzinnige actie nog altijd sterk verdeeld, zo laat de mooie BBodocu- Het door fans geïmproviseerde herdenkingsmonu­ mentaire Gram Parsons. Fallen Angel uit ment onderaan Cap Rock (natuurpark Joshua Tree, Californië), waar Gram Parsons lijk werd ver­ 2004 zien. Maar over één ding bestaat geen brand door Phil Kaufman. Foto: Henriëtte Aronds twijfel: Kaufmans reputatie was met deze rituele lijkverbranding voorgoed gevestigd. Een paar jaar geleden was Kaufmans pact tioneren in een wereld waarin het alle da­ met Parsons zelfs onderwerp van de speel­ gen feest is. film Grand Theft Parsons. Kenmerkend voor Kaufmans elasticiteit is ook dat hij voor zeer uiteenlopende soorten bazen heeft gewerkt, van hopeloze junkies Dubbelrol (Gram Parsons), onmogelijke drankorgels De Parsons-episode is dan Kaufmans be­ (Joe Cocker) en scrupuleuze workaholics kendste wapenfeit maar de rest van zijn car­ (Frank Zappa) tot dappere zangers als Etta rière mag er ook zijn, getuige de lange reeks Harris en de verafgoodde Emmylou Har- verhalen vol seks, drank, drugs en rock ’n ris. Aan verhalen geen gebrek dus. Sommi­ roll die Kaufman op smakelijke wijze op­ ge daarvan zijn onvergetelijk, zoals het ver­ dist. Hij speelt daar zelf een opmerkelijke haal over de ‘chicken-shit award’ die hij dubbelrol in. Aan de ene kant lijkt hij ge­ uitreikte aan de medewerker van platen­ boren om alles te doen wat God heeft ver­ maatschappij Warner Brothers die de hoes­ boden: Tve always said there’s no such foto met Emmylou Harris op eigen houtje thing as “too much’7 Aan de andere kant had vervangen door een foto waarop alleen moest hij er als executive nanny op toezien Parsons was te zien: ‘I bought 50 pounds of dat de dingen niet al te zeer uit de klauwen ave guano (‘chicken shit’), took it to Warner liepen, te beginnen bij hemzelf. Dat die Bros. in Burbank, poured it in Joe Smiths precaire dubbelrol Kaufman uitstekend is parking space and stuck the album cover in afgegaan, blijkt uit het feit dat hij er decen­ the middle of it.’ Huiveringwekkend is de nialang in is geslaagd goed te blijven func- toedracht van een voorval met Don Everly 48 · Biografie Bulletin Najaar 2008 in Rotterdam. Vanuit zijn hotelraam zag scheiden dienaar maar die van hoofdrol­ Kaufman de donkere helft van de Everly speler. Ik heb het niet precies geturfd maar Brothers op straat lopen. Voor de grap durf er mijn hand voor in het vuur te ste­ gooide hij een wc-rol naar de popster, die ken dat ‘ik’ tot de vijf meest gebruikte Everly op een haar na miste. Dat was maar woorden van het boek behoort. Typerend is goed ook, want het ding had de popster ook dat Kaufman zonder blikken of blozen waarschijnlijk naar de andere wereld gehol­ beweert dat Brian Jones in de zomer van pen als het op diens hoofd terecht was ge­ 1969 niet zou zijn verdronken in zijn komen, omdat het tijdens zijn lange tocht zwembad als de Stones hun executive nanny naar beneden loodzwaar was geworden hadden meegenomen naar Engeland. door de regen. Ondanks dit egocentrisme is RoadMangler En zo wemelt het van de vrolijke, verbijste­ Deluxe niet ontaard in pathologische mega­ rende, ontluisterende, tragische en ontroe­ lomanie.
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