By HW (12.110.192.128) on Thursday, May 01, 2003 - 01:50 pm:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030501/music_nm/music_motown_dc

By TonyRussi (68.18.33.86) on Thursday, May 01, 2003 - 02:01 pm:

Thanks HW for pointing us to another good article.

By Livonia Ken (136.2.1.153) on Thursday, May 01, 2003 - 03:00 pm:

There seems to be some embellishment going on in an attempt to create more of the story the writer wanted. The quote from Jack Ashford does not add up to him saying "they were underpaid" even though that's how the writer characterizes it.

I'm not sure describing Pistol as "loaded" on Morphine during the filming is a fair characterization either based on what others have said, although I do not doubt that he was taking painkillers. Perhaps the author could not resist the idea of a "loaded Pistol".

Regards,
Ken

By Jim G (205.188.209.109) on Thursday, May 01, 2003 - 05:45 pm:

Ken, that quote about Pistol hit me the wrong way too. I think you are right, it is an unfair and shitty thing to say.
It's a characterization more fittingly applied to someone taking drugs for pleasure rather than to stem pain from a terminal illness.
Does this smack of the old jazz-musician-drugs association?

By LTLFTC (12.210.76.205) on Thursday, May 01, 2003 - 07:11 pm:

As one who has had experience with a wide variety of pain meds, I can say with confidence that someone in his condition is getting nothing from morphine (at his stage of the disease , it may have actually been Dilaudid ; either way) other than perhaps a temporary feeling of well-being ; a brief feel of being on an even playing field for a few minutes. If someone in his condition took enough morphine to be loaded, his playing would have been off. What a tawdry, sensationalistic thing to say.

SteveK

By Caleb (63.208.116.215) on Thursday, May 01, 2003 - 07:14 pm:

Jim G I got that impression as well about the comment on Pistol being loaded up on morphine.That was unnecessary.Other than that it was a pretty good article.

By Vic Doucette (67.38.95.114) on Thursday, May 01, 2003 - 07:22 pm:

And since when did Grand Boulevard (or any of the other studios Motown may have used) become "suburban"?

By Derrick (63.187.129.30) on Thursday, May 01, 2003 - 07:24 pm:

I think the writer of that article should appologise to Pistol's family and all the fans of Motown for scribing such an insensitive remark .

He should be punched right in the nose !

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, May 01, 2003 - 07:35 pm:

Folks:
Why don't one of us (or all of us) write a letter to this guy & tell him how off-base he was?
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Jim G (152.163.188.68) on Thursday, May 01, 2003 - 08:30 pm:

My wife just reminded me--Pistol wasn't aware he HAD cancer until after the concert sequence in SITSOM had been filmed. I'm not sure if the concert sequence predates the studio stuff the writer refers to.
I remember Pistol talking about the film during its production and he didn't know about the cancer at that time, at least he wasn't taking pain medication for it.
Pistol was one of the most dynamic loving people...he spent his last months arranging for his youngest daughter's care, not loaded up on Morphine.
I'm going to send an email to Reuters and I will post it here.

By SisDetroit (68.42.209.170) on Thursday, May 01, 2003 - 08:38 pm:

Jim G - That is just what I was thinking. I am trying to recollect exactly when I was told about Pistol. It was certainly sometime after the Nov. 2000 taping at the Royal Oak Theater.

By BOBBABBITT (152.163.188.68) on Thursday, May 01, 2003 - 09:15 pm:

FROM WHAT I WAS TOLD PISTOL WAS TAKING MOTRIN EVERY DAY BECAUSE OF A PAIN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF HIS NECK...
BOB BABBITT

By Fred (152.163.188.68) on Thursday, May 01, 2003 - 11:24 pm:

The following is the text of an email sent this evening to Reuters:

Re: Motown's Funk Brothers Dancing in the Street
By Dean Goodman

In the above article, Mr. Goodman states: "Richard "Pistol" Allen was one of two Funk Brothers to die after the film was completed in 2000, and he was loaded on morphine during the shoot to ease his pain."

This is patently untrue and paints an unflattering and inaccurate picture of Mr. Allen. The cancer that eventually killed him was undiagnosed at the time of the filming of "Standing In The Shadows of Motown" and he was taking nothing stronger than Motrin for neck pain, according to another member of the Funk Brothers who were with him twenty four hours a day.

The idea that he was "loaded on morphine" is an insult to Mr. Allen's memory and to his performance in the film, which hardly is that of a man in a drugged stupor. Don't take my word for it, or even that of his fellow musicians. See the film for yourself. Watch and listen to Mr. Allen play and talk. Better yet, have Mr. Goodman see the film as I find it hard to believe he would make such an outlandish statement of "fact" if he had.

The damage done by this careless disregard for the facts cannot be undone. No apology or note of correction will remove this article from being forever circulated through the Internet. From time to time, I will do a web search for "Pistol Allen" and "morphine." This article is already there, and every time this article creates an echo, I will let you know. Reuters and Mr. Goodman have sullied the name and reputation of a good man and great musician, and you both should be ashamed.

By Jim G (12.47.224.12) on Friday, May 02, 2003 - 06:58 am:

Great email Fred!
I was going to get more personal--like, "I'd like to pimp-slap that jerkoff writer."
Can't believe he writes about music of any sort on a regular basis, he doesn't have a clue about musicians.
I hope Pistol's family doesn't read Goodman's dribble.

By Jim G (12.47.224.12) on Friday, May 02, 2003 - 08:54 am:

Great email Fred!
I was going to send a more personal note, offering to pimp-slap the jerkoff.
It's obvious he doesn't have a clue about the film or the musicians involved.
I hope Pistol's family isn't exposed to that guy's drivel.