Fall River Musician Sings Inspirational Tale
By Don Hammontree
Man, it's bleak out there, isn't it? A possible war in Iraq and Osama's alive, plotting new ways to maul our fellow countrymen. The 401Ks are decimated. The economy stinks like a 2-month-old unchanged Kitty Litter box. The Republicans are in charge of Congress and, to top it all off, the Uke restaurant in the city's South End closed down (I know it's been awhile, but I just found out, OK? And damn, was I hungry).
There is reason, however, for optimism in the form of a great Fall-River-boy-doing-quite-well story. It's a tale of hard work, persistence, overcoming apathy in a town mired in a "can't-do" spirit and stunning talent, a sign that all is not quite lost. It's a story of a local folk singer/songwriter who performs under the name of Michael Troy.
I've written about Michael before. He's a 50ish Fall River native who's been a jack-of-all-trades most of his life. Despite his current Somerset address, Michael's Fall River to the core. He's worked in the mills, toiled on a fishing boat, sanded floors and raised four daughters (with his wife's assistance, of course). While doing all this, he still managed to find time to fool around with the guitar, developing skills that would eventually make him the master picker and songwriter he is now.
He only started playing his songs - tunes about Lizzie Borden, working in the mills, raising a family, friends who have passed on, taking chances - a few years ago, when a soul-searching bout with lymphoma increased his drive to perform his music in public. He started playing open mics, making jaws drop from Fall River's Belmont Club to Cambridge's Club Passim. In 1998 he released "Whispers in the Wind", his first CD, a masterful effort featuring a minimalistic approach to acoustic guitar, gruff, Dylan-esque vocals and poetic sketches about Spindle City life.
"Before I got sick, I had just started playing out, mainly to get out there and hone the art of performing", said Troy. "I wanted to see if I was capable of doing it, I wanted to see how people would respond. After I got sick, I just figured, what the hell. Bowing to intimidation is foolish, you should never let it stop what you want to do."
It hasn't all been easy. Starting out, Michael wasn't sure how to get the word out about his music, and playing before noisy, alcohol-addled audiences (a necessary evil for most working musicians) is not his style. Despite the tenderness shown in songs like "Romancing the Moon" and "Lullaby", Michael has a definite Fall River temper and doesn't suffer fools well. In fact, at one gig a year or so ago at the St. James Irish Pub, I was sure some sort of violence was to ensue when some inebriated Gen Xer, blessed with all the charm and intelligence of a speed bump, heckled him, demanding he play Kurt Cobain tunes, of all things.
"I tend to be pretty serious about my own music, and when you play in front of an audience at a bar, they're not interested in that", he said. "They want to hear cover music, what's on the radio. I want to play for people who want to hear new, original music, for people who are looking for a challenge".
One Fall River resident was so moved by just such a challenge that she immediately offered her talents to help promote his work. Marilyn Edge, who serves as the Volunteer Coordinator for the Narrows Center for the Arts downtown, has since aided Michael with photo shoots, booking and creating his just-completed Web site (www.folkmichaeltroy.com).
"I did it because he is a nice guy, just enormously talented, and I knew he needed the help", said Edge, who admitted "Romancing the Moon", a Troy tune rife with bittersweet Fall River references, reduced her to tears. "I would really like to see him become a nationally known artist because he deserves it, he's worked a long time to get this far. In all the time I've worked with him, I've never heard him say a bad word about anyone. That, to me, is his most annoying quality", she adds laughing. "That bugs the hell out of me".
Despite the occasional not-so-spectacular gig, the venues on Michael's performance list have gotten better, and more and more people are attending them. On Friday, November 22nd, Michael will play his most impressive gig yet, opening for the legendary Woodstock folk singer, Richie Havens, at the Narrows Center for the Arts. It's the Narrows Center's biggest concert to date, and if all goes will, it just might provide Troy with the exposure his creativity deserves. "I would've never dreamed that someday I'd be opening up for someone like Richie Havens", said Michael. "I never thought I'd have the nerve. I do feel a lot of satisfaction in getting to this point, I'm really grateful that things have moved along like this".
On Friday night, Michael Troy will perform one of the most important concerts of his career, showing that personal victories can be accomplished with the right amount of persistence, even in an era poisoned by uncertainty, grief and dread. "You just move along", said Michael, speaking of his music career in terms that could also be applied to surviving in the age of Enron and al-Qaida. "You find that whatever you think is going to happen doesn't, and that some things happen that you never dreamed of. All you can do is keep moving on to what's next and hope things will continue to get better."