The Ballad of John Murry

Hello Folks, 

You've heard about John in one of my dispatches before. Did I tell you about the time he was living on the studio couch at Closer Studios and got a hold of my password numbers and hacked into my website to write self-aggrandizing quotes credited to me on my wall? Back when websites were still a thing.

Then he took my VISA card and he ordered pizza. But never touched the pizza (or the chicken wings). I confronted him when it got cold and he just shrugged and said he wasn’t hungry, he was depressed. 

Honestly, I was pretty impressed by this guy who clearly didn’t give a toss, and in an instant we became lifelong friends. And it's been that way off and on ever since. Plus he carried a 9 inch switch blade everywhere he went and I was like, "You're kidding, right? A switchblade?” Ridiculous. But it's all true. These days are only slightly less chaotic. John is off the lithium, and things are positively looking up for him. He says he can feel it! Says he’s feeling much more like himself these days. Other days, however, he talks about feeling like Carrie Fisher. But too old to take acid, strip down to nothing on the beach so the Japanese tourists can photograph him in the buff.

After living in Ireland for years, he’s settled down in Brighton. And is in a healthy relationship. 

His documentary has gotten people heated up - worked up and purple trying to break it all down. The film has won awards at both festivals in which it has appeared so far. It recently won Best Irish Documentary at the Galway Film Fleádh and won the Audience Award for Best Feature at the Irish Film Institute's Documentary Festival.

Might be time you dug in. Want to know more? I can help. 

Here’s a description of the film:

John Murry was on the cusp of greatness with his highly acclaimed album The Graceless Age (2013) when, addicted to heroin and creatively exhausted, he washed up on Irish shores a broken man. Now, he is ready to retrace his steps back into the dark heart of American life to face his difficult childhood, traumatic assault and resulting years of opioid addiction. Director Sarah Share (If I Should Fall From Grace) follows John’s journey from near death to redemption and a new zest for life and art through his outstanding music.

You can catch "The Graceless Age: The Ballad of John Murry" at the Newport Beach Film Festival in Newport Beach, CA on Wed, Oct 18, 5:30 PM at Big Newport 6.

And at the Kerry International Film Festival on October 20 at 1:00 PM at St. Mary’s Church, Killarney, Co, Kerry, Ireland

And at the Indie Memphis Film Festival on October 25 at 5:00 PM CDT at Circuit Playhouse, 51 Cooper St, Memphis, TN. There will be a Q+A with John and Director Sarah Share hosted by Robert Gordon to follow the screening.

John will also be performing on Oct 24 in Memphis at Shangri-La Records in Memphis.

Wanna know more about the film?

Here's a website.

Here's the official trailer: 

You can socialize with the film on Instagram and Twitter, too.

Also, about the fine art of newslettering? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m still making this up as I go. Why not become a paid subscriber today if you’re not already? If not, you can always donate to Doctors Without Borders. They've been  providing food, water and healthcare around the globe for 50 years. Or an abortion fund or any gun violence prevention group. They can ban abortions, but can’t seem to regulate guns. 

You can also do none of the above and just carry on. We are happy to have you.

Onward,

–CP