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Jesse Sublett: Never the Same Again

Austin musician and author Jesse Sublett of The Skunks is talking about his autobiographical book Never the Same Again: A Rock 'n' Roll Gothic in the Inkwell.vue conference on the seminal online community, The WELL. (If you're not on the WELL, you can still post a comment or question by sending it to inkwell-hosts at well.com.) Rock critic Ed Ward and musician Rik Elswit lead the discussion, which is powerful (Jesse's book talks about his girlfriend's murder and his battle with deadly throat cancer).

Dianne's murdere was in 76, on the night of my first important gig. I stumbled thru 2 years with drugs and booze and rock n roll and girls, met Lois, hooked up, started the Skunks and the Violators, and got through the next few years on pure adrenaline and new love. But I pushed the murder down in my consciousness as far as it would go. It popped up again big time in 1998, after I was diagnosed with cancer and had surgery and was undergoing chemo and radiation. While doing that, I started keeping a journal, which was the starting point of the book.
And I knew I would examine the murder and my feelings and the story of it, and find out more details about what actually happened, but didn't actually sit down and start writing about it until 1999. And that opened a vein, big time. I wrote about 40--50 pages and couldn't look at it all for months. So the book was written in many stages, with fits and starts. I didn't actually finally look up the newspapers and crime files until the fall of 2002. So I was having lots of problems with this mentally even as I was getting stronger physically from the cancer thing.

jon posted this at 2:54 PM
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Comments

I was really a big fan of the Skunks when they became THE
band to experience in 1978.
I was HUGELY disappointed when the Skunks reunion at the
Continental club (that was advertised as being all-inclusive) in Austex left out their founder, Fazz Eddie for the celebration.
Eddie was great at the Austin Music Awards show (Class of '78) showing the true musicianship and showmanship attributes demonstrating and clarifying why he was the reason the Skunks even became a popular and viable band.
Jesse Sublett is a sham and was altogether boring in the Skunks. Jon Dee got his act together and left that band after a year of Jesse's ill- gotten ego.
I really would love to see Jesse Sublett and Fazz Eddie back onstage again, doing it like it should be done.

A Fan for the REAL 1978 Skunks,
Ryan

Posted by: Ryan | June 26, 2004 8:28 PM

Gee, Ryan, it's interesting that your email address and Eddie Munoz have the same initials! If anyone (anyone who was there, that is) was disappointed that you weren't there, I didn't notice. We had an extremely happy crowd that night.

I look back fondly on those months that Eddie and I played together in the Skunks, but then he left & I carried on for about 5 more years. We had plenty of "huge" fans to take the place of those who were disappointed that Eddie quit.

By the way I write quite a bit about Eddie and I do think I give him quite a bit of credit in my memoir, which is what this original thing on Jon's site was about.

Hi, Jon. Hope all is well.

Jesse

Posted by: jesse | October 9, 2004 5:45 PM

It was all so long ago but so much fun...I was in f systems for awhile and film school and worked at zebra and inner sanctum and those years really were so much fun...at raul's. i remember getting up to play guitar and jesse was very encouraging- randy franklin played so much better than I...welll anyway hi to jesse and anyone...I've had a hell of a life....worked in film for 15 years-lived in terlingua...for a few...new mexico...now raising an 8 year old...whatever happened to Huckabee? Take care all of you...love kathie

Posted by: kathieredmond | March 20, 2005 7:33 PM

Mr. Sublett,
Those initials on my email address are for my girlfriend Emily S. I am flattered that you thought it was E Munoz.
Your 'great pal' Eddie has blocked my email addresses because he does not want to be bothered by "idiots like me from the past". I do admit I have been emailing him a lot for a few years now.
He wants to be left alone as to any reference regarding Austin in the late 70's. he feels that Jesse should take what he wants from the past even if he has to make it up in his writings and interviews and go fuck himself.
I do admit that I have been a little over enthusiastic about the old days, and told Eddie so, but he also told me he would "find me and kick my ass" if I ever bothered him again.
He is a bigger jerk than I thought he could be, but I understand his point of view.
He is not happy with your take on the Skunks thing, but he told me to mind my own business and get a life. We all know who made a difference back in '78 and it wasn't Mr. Sublett, in my opinion.
I still think Jesse is a person who takes credit for others ideas, and if Eddie is okay with that, then so am I. He did so much better than that in his later incarnations with the Plimsouls and other cool bands like the dB's.
I apologize for being rude to you in my last posting here.
Your Fan,
Ryan

Posted by: ryan james | May 15, 2005 4:43 AM

I don't think I wrote my email address right.
this is the right one.
could webmaster please correct this?

Posted by: ryan james | May 15, 2005 2:28 PM