Bill Stewart’s Guitar
“his voice lifted all of us lucky to be with him”
Bill was a true inspiration to me. Athletically he was a monster — an amazing skier, tireless climber, and fearless biker. He always seemed to push out front to find and break trail in the deep snow. He led us places I never would imagine I’d go. Following Bill’s tracks was usually a blast (with a few miserable, but thankfully not deadly exceptions). As a musician he was talented and totally collaborative. The nightly jams we had in huts all over Colorado above 11,000 ft. were some of the best musical experiences I’ve ever had. One year he donated his guitar to the Fowler-Hilliard Hut in Colorado because they didn’t have one. I thought there should be some documentation or mythology around this generous act, so I wrote a poem for the hut logbook. When Bill died in 2018 I knew I had to write a song for his memorial and remembered I had photographed the poem in the log. Will Cooter was his band and musical nom de plume.— I don’t know where he got the name but he wore it well.
Barry Oreck – vocal, guitar
Adam Armstrong – bass
Bob Harris – guitar, mandolin, squeze box, percussion
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Bill Stewart’s Guitar
2/14/15 Fowler-Hilliard Hut, Colorado By Barry Oreck
There once was a man, a troubadour of sorts,
Who sang as he played all his wild outdoor sports
He was a skiing Hank Williams, a biking Johnny Cash
flying down the mountain so stylish and brash
wrote some of his best songs right after a crashThrough uphills and down, he kept up the rhythm
And his voice lifted all those lucky to be with him
His trusty guitar, survived through it all
Strapped to his pack winter, summer and fall
Carried it everywhere played for us allWill Cooter, hallelujah ,
Your music lives on in the high mountain air
Will Cooter, glad I knew ya,
You made me believe I could go anywhere.Now he’s left his old axe, this mystery man
in hopes that the next group will strike up the band
In a cabin at treeline, under twinkling stars
Someone will pick up ol’ Will’s guitar
And their songs will echo across the great peaks
And make it to the land where the snow god speaks
To bless all who travel and like a good tune
To carry forever and howl at the moonWill Cooter, hallelujah,
Your music lives on in the high mountain air
Will Cooter, glad we knew ya,
You made us believe we could go anywhere.
Just follow his tracks we can go anywhereWill Cooter, Bill Stewart
Your music lives on in the high mountain air
Bill Stewart, glad we know ya
You make us believe we can go anywhere.
Just follow his tracks we can go anywhere.