The Willie Phoenix Project Phase 1 - Discography.

If you are looking for press and NPR story concerning Watershed memoir "Hitless Wonder" or the new Watershed CD "Brick and Mortar", click here 

The Willie Phoenix Project Phase 1- Discography    

(Final phase- A 2 CD Willie Phoenix Anthology)

The word "artist" gets thrown around quite a bit, but in my opinion, it really only applies to a handful of people I've ever personally known. Wilie Phoenix is certainly one. Willie has been recording and playing music NONSTOP for over 35 years or maybe more. I don't really know. See the thing is, nobody really knows Willie Phoenix. As former Willie bass player Paul Beltz once summarised perfectly, "Old friends don't know Willie better, they have just known him longer".

I know this: Willie's only job is music, he has recorded hundreds if not thousands of songs. He doesn't drink or smoke. He doesn't have a phone number so sometimes he would have band members wait by a pay phone for him to call with the time of the next rehearsal. When he walks down High Street people wave and say, "Hey Willie!" and he flashes a big grin and waves the peace sign. I know right now, this very second, he is thinking about music working on his next project. (Rumored to involve Jim Johnson and Myke Rock - people in the know say it is smokin'hot) 

But I do not know how to explain Willie to somebody who doesn't know his history. We need to work together to change this.

And while I have nothing but admiration for Willie's total commitment to his art, we, the fans, have got to start getting his body of music organized. Ever since Joe Oestreich's acclaimed Watershed memoir "Hitless Wonder" blew up to the top of the Amazon music book charts, I've gotten numerious inquiries about: "who this Willie Phoenix Joe raves about and where can I find his music?". Willie is a prominent character in the book so people are naturally curious to learn and hear more from him. But the thing is, it doesn't exist. Do a google search now. see?

I need help: 

If you have an old Willie Phoenix record or CD anywhere, please type out the name of the record/song titles/ who played on the tracks/ and date released and email to me at williepproject@gmail.com - As I receive I will update as to what I am still looking for. The simple goal at this point is just to make visual sense of all of Willie's recorded history and put it in some kind of order. Once that is accomplished we can start working on finding the actual tracks for listening. 

Did I mention that I need your help with this? Please pass on and find those old/new Willie Records/Tapes/CDs

Now people, time is always shorter than you think. I cannot accept a world where Willie has spent a lifetime making great music and my son Owen would have no idea he even existed.

(except in "Hitless Wonder", which he isn't allowed to read until he is 30 years old) thanking you in advance- Colin 

Colingawel.com