I have a quirky, folksy music CD that I bought back in the early 1990’s. That was a time when “alternative” music— part of the independent, non-pop genre— was intersecting with a movement called “grunge”, or unpolished music played by bands in their garages. The particular CD I’m referring to is by southern alternative artist Victoria Williams. And what especially draws me to this musician is her own multiple sclerosis experience.
Williams grew up in a conservative Louisiana family in the 1960’s. Admittedly awkward and quirky, she went on to study French and music in college while playing acoustic guitar for a local band G.W. Korners in venues around Louisiana and eastern Texas. Williams ended up leaving school and traveling to Colorado and eventually California, working at odd jobs and entertaining others with her guitar-playing. She established Los Angeles as her permanent residency in 1984, while landing an unsuccessful recording contract with EMI records.
Williams later signed a contract with Geffen Records and released the 1987 album “Happy Come Home” to little fanfair. At the time she was married to another songwriter (Peter Case), but this ended soon afterward and Williams went on to record her second album “Swing the Statue” in 1990 with an independent label. This began her notoriety as she started to tour with the likes of Neil Young and Lou Reed (1992.)
At around this time Victoria Williams began to experience a lot of weakness on stage, and she found herself having trouble walking. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with MS and needed to use a wheelchair. During this time her musician friends Matthew Sweet, Lou Reed, Pearl Jam, Soul Asylum, and others did a benefit series of concerts and a CD compilation of Williams’ songs for the Sweet Relief Foundation, a fund for artists who do not have health insurance.
Williams rebounded from the intial attack and went on to remarry, appear in the feature film “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” (1995), and record several more albums—“This Moment: Live in Toronto” (1995), “Water to Drink” (2000), and “Sings Some Ol’ Songs” (2002.) She continued to tour with other bands for several years, and now currently plays guitar and sings with an LA band The Thriftstore Allstars, where she has ongoing show dates at the club Pappy and Harriet’s.
***For further information, see the Victoria Williams Biography and Fansite.
