FRED WILLIAMS

I feel compelled to post this information, as Fred Williams is the reason that I present a reggae show on Radio Avalon, Glastonbury Festivals official Radio station. By virtue of Fred accepting I with fully open arms and encouragement, reggae music has a proud and permanent place of high exposure at one of the worlds biggest music festivals.

 

It is with sad news that we inform you that Fred Williams, station manager of Radio Avalon, passed away. Many from Glastonbury festival will have met or heard Fred on his daily shows, and will know what a great loss he is to all of us, and how the festival and Radio Avalon have lost one of its best loved characters.
For Avalon crew comments please go to
www.radioavalon.co.uk
Former Bath Chronicle pop columnist, Fred Wiliiams,52, died last week (8th April 2004) following a brief illness.
Better know on the local music scene as Phredd, he appeared every Thursday in the Chronicle for several years in the late '80's, casting his astute eye on the burgeoning local music scene.
He was among the first to champion the then unknown Portishead and Morcheba, recognising their talent and originality, playing their early demo tapes to anyone who crossed his path, and championing their cause.
A familiar figure at local gigs, notebook and pencil at the ready, he was regarded as being honest, fair, and most critically of all for a reviewer, highly perceptive in his observations.
Quick to praise and slow to criticise local bands, he regarded his role as encouraging and fostering the Bath scene, without compromising his integrity by championing bands who just weren't up to the mark.
Principally, his barbs and brickbats were reserved for better known national and international acts whose talents were grossly overshadowed by inflated reputations.
Writing for the Chronicle gave Fred the platform to go to be West Country correspondent for Record Mirror, a highly successful music paper at that time, covering gigs from Exeter to Cardiff.
In addition to this, he also contributed to numerous local publications, often for no fee, for the sheer joy of writing and his passion of furthering and publicising local music.
Fred first came to the attention as resident disc jockey at the Hat and Feather, before going on to guest at just about every club in the city with a dance floor. His boast was that everyone danced to his music but he had never danced in his life.
It was a chance meeting with Phil Andrews, when he was doing a show at a Friends of the Earth benefit (once again for no fee), with Peter Gabriel as principal guest, that was to be the beginning of a long association and change Fred's career in music.
It lead to him becoming one of the earliest members of the Moles team, when Phil opened the club 25 years ago. "What struck me was Fred's passion for music," Phil recalls. "It was obvious that he cared about it very deeply."
"From disc jockey to house sound engineer, mixing the music for many of the visiting bands and helping them deal with the venue's unique acoustics, he was in his element."
"Fred became a pivotal figure at the club, he took care of the bands in a very paternalistic way, making sure they were happy, and making them sound the very best they could. I knew that I didn't have to worry about the music side of things when Fred was in charge."
It was the same enthusiasm and dedication that he applied to Radio Avalon, the on site station that he ran for almost 15 years during the Glastonbury Festival, giving everything from traffic reports to band news during the event.
From raising funds to keep the service going, presenting an early afternoon show to get the revellers stirred, while seldom seeing a band himself, he was one of the people who contributed to the festivals unique atmosphere and so many commentators wonder at.
Before coming to Bath, in the early '70's, Fred travelled the world in the merchant navy. After working for many years as an engineer, he changed careers to become an editor at Future Publishing, at the same time attaining a Bachelor of Science degree at the Open University.
Fred is survived by his parents, Pat and Dick, and his brother Adrian, and his own son Jake.

Raspek to the memory of FRED WILLIAMS