Arthur Godfrey

-- Peter Cooper, The Tennessean
Arthur Godfrey was a postman up in New England.
And then he was a singer-songwriter. Still is. But he's also a playwright. This week at the Americana Music Association's annual conference, Godfrey is hoping to garner interest in "If I Only Knew Your Name," an "Americana tale" that features 13 of Godfrey's original songs.
"We tried to write an Americana tale: a basic, simple story that people could relate to, a true story about hardship and people lifting themselves up to it," Godfrey said of the work he wrote with screenwriter Edward Pittman. "We'll have to wait and see if folks bite. That's not a good business plan maybe, but it's really the next step."
Americana music tends to favor artists whose sounds are rooted in country, blues, jazz, folk and rock. This week's conference culminates in tonight's awards show, for which the Dixie Chicks, Neil Young and others are nominated. Americana artists aren't normally featured on contemporary country radio stations, though a growing group of Americana stations play the music. By an "Americana tale," Godfrey means he's using Americana music to tell an American story.
Godfrey, whose gritty songs often evoke his upbringing, speaks in a heavy, endearing Boston accent and tends to say things like, "Hey, I wicked appreciate it." Raised in a section of Boston called Whiskey Point, he married young and took a job with the U.S. Postal Service, shelving his musical aspirations in favor of a steady job that allowed him to raise his family.
"In 1993, I was able to transfer to New Harbor, Maine," he said. "That's when I got serious about songwriting again. For the last three years before I left the post office in 2003, I had six weeks vacation a year and I'd be out playing."
His ability to get out on the road was hastened by his win in the national John Lennon Songwriting Contest in 2001. He won again in 2003, and those victories allowed him some national recognition. By then, he was stationed in Santa Cruz, Calif., where powerful Americana station KPIG took a shine to his recordings.
In 2001, actor Sean Penn happened upon a Godfrey performance and became an instant fan. Penn arranged some important gigs in New York for Godfrey, and the postman decided to make a career break in favor of playing music full time.
"I retired and was able to get a small pension that enabled me to try to do my art," he said. "I turned 50 this year, and I got a card from one of my daughters that said, 'Music and telling stories is your life. If you don't do it, Dad, you're not gonna have one.'
Playing music is a solitary life, and it's not that easy. But at this point, I wouldn't know what else to do. To go back to mainstream society now would be a little odd. There's no turning back for me."
Godfrey isn't the only Americana artist to stretch his attention into art forms beyond singing and playing. Steve Earle has written plays and books. Bob Delevante is a professional photographer and designer. Jim Lauderdale and Tom Mason are actors. Susanna Clark is a painter. A loosely defined genre like Americana is apt to attract expansive talents rather than specialists. Godfrey hopes his musical play, details of which may be found at www.ifionlyknewyourname.com, will allow him to tell a personal story in a universally appealing way.
"I grew up in the city, I experienced all this stuff, and I write true-life songs about that," Godfrey said. "My songs, and this play, are about divorce and marriage and love and sexual abuse. I think if I was the kind of person who was afraid to expose myself through songs and through this play, then I'd never have had the (guts) to leave a secure job and try to do this for a living."
The two-act play involves an East Boston character named Kevin O'Brian who befriends a prostitute who works the streetlight beneath his window. Their friendship allows them to confront abuse and illiteracy issues, with Godfrey's songs revealing and reflecting on plot points rather than merely providing a backing soundtrack.
"My work is about my history and geography, but I'm hoping people will be able to melt into the story themselves," he said.
"At the Americana conference, when people walk past my booth, they might scratch their heads at first. But then I hope they'll go, "That's (really) cool. I've never seen anything like that."
- by Peter Cooper/The Tennessean

-- Peter Cooper, The Tennessean
Arthur Godfrey was a postman up in New England.
And then he was a singer-songwriter. Still is. But he's also a playwright. This week at the Americana Music Association's annual conference, Godfrey is hoping to garner interest in "If I Only Knew Your Name," an "Americana tale" that features 13 of Godfrey's original songs.
"We tried to write an Americana tale: a basic, simple story that people could relate to, a true story about hardship and people lifting themselves up to it," Godfrey said of the work he wrote with screenwriter Edward Pittman. "We'll have to wait and see if folks bite. That's not a good business plan maybe, but it's really the next step."
Americana music tends to favor artists whose sounds are rooted in country, blues, jazz, folk and rock. This week's conference culminates in tonight's awards show, for which the Dixie Chicks, Neil Young and others are nominated. Americana artists aren't normally featured on contemporary country radio stations, though a growing group of Americana stations play the music. By an "Americana tale," Godfrey means he's using Americana music to tell an American story.
Godfrey, whose gritty songs often evoke his upbringing, speaks in a heavy, endearing Boston accent and tends to say things like, "Hey, I wicked appreciate it." Raised in a section of Boston called Whiskey Point, he married young and took a job with the U.S. Postal Service, shelving his musical aspirations in favor of a steady job that allowed him to raise his family.
"In 1993, I was able to transfer to New Harbor, Maine," he said. "That's when I got serious about songwriting again. For the last three years before I left the post office in 2003, I had six weeks vacation a year and I'd be out playing."
His ability to get out on the road was hastened by his win in the national John Lennon Songwriting Contest in 2001. He won again in 2003, and those victories allowed him some national recognition. By then, he was stationed in Santa Cruz, Calif., where powerful Americana station KPIG took a shine to his recordings.
In 2001, actor Sean Penn happened upon a Godfrey performance and became an instant fan. Penn arranged some important gigs in New York for Godfrey, and the postman decided to make a career break in favor of playing music full time.
"I retired and was able to get a small pension that enabled me to try to do my art," he said. "I turned 50 this year, and I got a card from one of my daughters that said, 'Music and telling stories is your life. If you don't do it, Dad, you're not gonna have one.'
Playing music is a solitary life, and it's not that easy. But at this point, I wouldn't know what else to do. To go back to mainstream society now would be a little odd. There's no turning back for me."
Godfrey isn't the only Americana artist to stretch his attention into art forms beyond singing and playing. Steve Earle has written plays and books. Bob Delevante is a professional photographer and designer. Jim Lauderdale and Tom Mason are actors. Susanna Clark is a painter. A loosely defined genre like Americana is apt to attract expansive talents rather than specialists. Godfrey hopes his musical play, details of which may be found at www.ifionlyknewyourname.com, will allow him to tell a personal story in a universally appealing way.
"I grew up in the city, I experienced all this stuff, and I write true-life songs about that," Godfrey said. "My songs, and this play, are about divorce and marriage and love and sexual abuse. I think if I was the kind of person who was afraid to expose myself through songs and through this play, then I'd never have had the (guts) to leave a secure job and try to do this for a living."
The two-act play involves an East Boston character named Kevin O'Brian who befriends a prostitute who works the streetlight beneath his window. Their friendship allows them to confront abuse and illiteracy issues, with Godfrey's songs revealing and reflecting on plot points rather than merely providing a backing soundtrack.
"My work is about my history and geography, but I'm hoping people will be able to melt into the story themselves," he said.
"At the Americana conference, when people walk past my booth, they might scratch their heads at first. But then I hope they'll go, "That's (really) cool. I've never seen anything like that."
- by Peter Cooper/The Tennessean

“A mix of Folk and Blues from a passionate soul …. the stuff that a generation brought up on
Bruce Springsteen can tune into today. Explosive roots music.” -- Brad Kava, San Jose Mercury News

- San Jose Mercury News

“A mix of Folk and Blues from a passionate soul …. the stuff that a generation brought up on
Bruce Springsteen can tune into today. Explosive roots music.” -- Brad Kava, San Jose Mercury News

- San Jose Mercury News

“As a lyricist, Godfrey is plainspoken but poetic and his songs call to mind Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska’.
But Godfrey is his own man and it shows in his spare, specific lyrics. The entire record is all sweat,
sex and meanness …. and it’s irresistible.” -- Performing Songwriter Magazine




- Performing Songwriter Magazine

“As a lyricist, Godfrey is plainspoken but poetic and his songs call to mind Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska’.
But Godfrey is his own man and it shows in his spare, specific lyrics. The entire record is all sweat,
sex and meanness …. and it’s irresistible.” -- Performing Songwriter Magazine




- Performing Songwriter Magazine

“Beautifully tattered, wasted male folk threading Americana, Country and Blues into a whiskey-toned,
rugged pattern of mellow ache and conditional optimism. Like blending Tom Waits and Joe Cocker,
Arthur Godfrey captures a sound that is simultaneously raw and abrasive as well as warm, sweet and
full-bodied. His music is a refreshing break from the overproduced, shiny, lacquered trends in popular
music …. he reminds us that there is more to be said through simple exposed songs with the shirt tail
hanging out.” -- CD Baby




- CD Baby

“Beautifully tattered, wasted male folk threading Americana, Country and Blues into a whiskey-toned,
rugged pattern of mellow ache and conditional optimism. Like blending Tom Waits and Joe Cocker,
Arthur Godfrey captures a sound that is simultaneously raw and abrasive as well as warm, sweet and
full-bodied. His music is a refreshing break from the overproduced, shiny, lacquered trends in popular
music …. he reminds us that there is more to be said through simple exposed songs with the shirt tail
hanging out.” -- CD Baby




- CD Baby

“Arthur’s ‘take no prisoners’ attitude is reflected in his absolutely genuine songs and kick-ass
performance style. It is raw and real and based on reality. As the winner of the John Lennon
Songwriting Contest’s Maxell song of the Year, Arthur Godfrey wowed the judges and proved beyond
a shadow of a doubt that he is the real deal. His song ‘Amen’ was selected from over 25,000 entries.” -- Brian Rothschild, Executive Director, John Lennon Songwriting Contest



- Brian Rothschild, Executive Director, John Lennon Songwriting Contest

“Arthur’s ‘take no prisoners’ attitude is reflected in his absolutely genuine songs and kick-ass
performance style. It is raw and real and based on reality. As the winner of the John Lennon
Songwriting Contest’s Maxell song of the Year, Arthur Godfrey wowed the judges and proved beyond
a shadow of a doubt that he is the real deal. His song ‘Amen’ was selected from over 25,000 entries.” -- Brian Rothschild, Executive Director, John Lennon Songwriting Contest



- Brian Rothschild, Executive Director, John Lennon Songwriting Contest

“Arthur Godfrey is a deeply moving storyteller with a vocal grace and an acute heart.” -- Sean Penn, Actor/Director



- Sean Penn, Actor/Director

“Arthur Godfrey is a deeply moving storyteller with a vocal grace and an acute heart.” -- Sean Penn, Actor/Director



- Sean Penn, Actor/Director

“Arthur is the real deal and his new record proves it. Heartfelt, well-crafted songs are what I like and
there are plenty on ‘Broken Wings’. Give this man’s CD a chance or I will personally come and
‘kick your ass’ and don’t think I won’t.” -- Paul Thorn, Singer/Songwriter



- Paul Thorn, Singer/Songwriter

“Arthur is the real deal and his new record proves it. Heartfelt, well-crafted songs are what I like and
there are plenty on ‘Broken Wings’. Give this man’s CD a chance or I will personally come and
‘kick your ass’ and don’t think I won’t.” -- Paul Thorn, Singer/Songwriter



- Paul Thorn, Singer/Songwriter

“Take one listen to his gritty songs about life and surviving and you’ll recognize the soul of a poet.
His music is raw and intelligent. Godfrey plays honest blues-tinged Americana with the best of them.” -- Performing Songwriter Magazine




- Performing Songwriter Magazine

“Take one listen to his gritty songs about life and surviving and you’ll recognize the soul of a poet.
His music is raw and intelligent. Godfrey plays honest blues-tinged Americana with the best of them.” -- Performing Songwriter Magazine




- Performing Songwriter Magazine

“Arthur Godfrey writes and sings night songs. They should be listened to in the evening. He is at his best
telling the human condition. His voice is a raspy and unsettling instrument that demands to be taken
seriously, and it is the perfect voice for his songs. Arthur is not kidding. There is something holy about
that, about putting your heart and truth on the line in a song. He does it beautifully. I salute him.
‘Broken Wings’ is a wonderful record.” -- Mary Gauthier, Singer/Songwriter




- Mary Gauthier, Singer/Songwriter

“Arthur Godfrey writes and sings night songs. They should be listened to in the evening. He is at his best
telling the human condition. His voice is a raspy and unsettling instrument that demands to be taken
seriously, and it is the perfect voice for his songs. Arthur is not kidding. There is something holy about
that, about putting your heart and truth on the line in a song. He does it beautifully. I salute him.
‘Broken Wings’ is a wonderful record.” -- Mary Gauthier, Singer/Songwriter




- Mary Gauthier, Singer/Songwriter