Tuesday 31 May 2016

Paul Weller on Dad John


Legendary rocker Paul says: He was my best friend as well as my dad. We had a long working relationship, from the age I wanted to get a band together when I was 13 or 14. We were lucky enough to continue that right until he got ill towards the end.

Whatever I was into, he’d be right behind me. It was probably because he had such a lousy relationship with his own dad.

The Modfather says John his best friend as well as his dad
He was still working when I was getting The Jam together, on the building site or on the cabs. He’d get a van, hustled off someone, and drive us to gigs. He became our manager, learning as he went along.

Some of my happiest memories are after working on the building site with him when I was a kid, loading knocked-off gear into the back of the van that he’d borrowed, or travelling back from London gigs, drunk in the back of the van, singing with him and the band.

It should have been difficult spending a lifetime together, but we had some of the best fun. He could drink a river dry of booze and still be bright and breezy in the morning.

I thought his passing was a blessing. He was not in a good way – if he’d been an animal you’d have had him put down. But he’s still here in my kids, and in me. It’s not so devastating when you can see that link.

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