The Gary Higgins Interview

When and where were you born? Are you originally from Sharon, Connecticut.? What was growing up like for you? When did you first begin to fall in love with music and what was it about the guitar that initially fascinated you? Do you have any siblings?

Born in Sharon, CT in 1948. My family was from Salisbury Ct and we later moved to Lime Rock when I was 5. Sharon is the town where the hospital is located. I did live there very briefly when I was 30. I have 3 brothers and a sister. Growing up was pretty laid back, a typical US small 1950’s rural town, there was a decent amount if children but yet a very small town. I would say for the most part it was a very good time. I remember it fondly. Music became important to me I would say when I was around 7 or 8. My parents had a lot of old 78 country (and other) records I used to like a lot. Right around then Rock n Roll also started to take off, Elvis was huge and I really liked that as well. The guitar was a big part of all of that music and was surely the reason I became interested in it.

What was your town like growing up? What would you and your friends do for fun? Go to many local shows/concerts in your area? What was the music scene in your community like back in those days?

As I said growing up where I did was very mellow, low key and laid back. We did sports and fishing and the usual games of the day. Nothing ground shaking really. I never felt deprived in any way for sure. No shows at all in those days, all of that (if it happened) would have been in cities and too far away to travel. Non existent in my early youth. Some places started to have bands in the early to mid sixties and venues then rapidly gained ground through the late sixties.

Were there any groups you saw that made a huge impact on you and if so, who were they? Did you participate in any groups prior to recording your legendary solo record? When and where did you play your very first live performance and what was that experience like for you?

Never saw any big name groups till my later teens. Of course tv shows had an impact. Mainly folk groups and then later on the usual suspects, Beatles, Stones etc etc. Bluegrass was my favorite for quite a while. Bill Keith, Flatt and Scruggs. The Beatles pushed me and everyone over the pop edge. Folk as folk then took a back seat. Always a major influence though. A few informal folk based groups. A jug band and then eventually a rock band (The Random Concept). Members from each of them ended up recording parts of Red Hash. Probably the first was a HS talent show where I played with other students doing some folk tunes. Definitely gave me the bug! Was very exciting.

How did you initially meet your bandmates Maureen Wells, Dave Beaujon, Paul Tierney, Pete Febrioriello, Terry Fenton and Jake Bell? What were your first impressions of everyone? Can you tell me about those photography sessions?

No Pete Fabriorello… I think he was a photographer :-)-not a band member… Dave and Jake were in my HS and we 3 formed The Random Concept, 1964/65 Later to be joined by Simeon Coxe (Silver Apples) and Terry Fenton and Ronnie Bailey. Maureen and Paul I met a bit later on and we, plus Jake, then formed an acoustic group called Wooden Wheel. These both coexisted in the same time period. RC was rock WW was acoustic, I did both. The story simply was that we all were friends before any groups, it was really just a natural progression. I had positive first impressions with them all! Remain friends to this day. Denise Sherwood shot the cover. They were not sessions in a normal sense at all. Not organized anyway. That particular shot may even have been from well before the album. Denise and her husband were good friends of mine before Red Hash.

What was it like to work with producer Chico Cardillo and Billy Lockwood/Bill Shanley on that record? Tell me about singing with Nufusmoon. How did all that come about?

It was really great, a time when a lot of people got together to make something really good happen from some bad circumstances. Billy had helped out a ton in preproduction. Rough recordings for seeing how things should go etc. Encouraging support and great energy for sure! Chico and I were close friends then and remain so to this day! He was also arrested when I was and actually got a worse sentence. He turned out just fine BTW, very successful businessman today. Bill Shanley did a really nice job at his studio and played an integral role in the records progress from start to the pressings. He was a great great help in it all. Nufusmoon was really a one time thing. A label we coined, it was an extension of all the bands and friendships. There was a hope that it could grow but it was not really meant to be. Nufusmoons-one and only was Red Hash :-). Doing the album was my desire to get my music out in the event I might end up in prison for a very long time. A real possibility at one point. I really did not know where I would be as a result. Getting busted for that much hash way back then was a very big deal. Scary times,. Dick Nixons war on drugs.

What was the process of writing as well as recording your masterpiece “Red Hash” in ‘73? When and where did recording begin and how long did it take to make that record from start to finish? What did you want to express and/or achieve on this record? What was the overall vision you had for this album?

Writing the songs was gradual and natural, most were written right around that time period and some from a few years earlier. When writing, I had no plan as to where they might end up. I had no grand vision. We recorded the album in o week, 40 hrs approximately. Done in Litchfield Ct at Bill Shanley’s studio. The vinyl and all that took a while longer of course but was probably ready by mid 1973. I really only wanted to have the music out there, with a chance for anyone to hopefully hear and enjoy it. I had no long term vision really. Of course you always hope that it might really take off and a lot of people would end up to really liking it…. But just getting it done meant a lot to me.

Left to right Jake Bell, Paul Tierney, Maureen Wells, Lois Becqueth, Bill Lockwood, Colly Zerbo, Higgins and Cheryl Cardillo circa: 1974/75.

Once the album was released in ‘73, what was the first order of business? Did you tour, or play a string of shows to support the album? What eventually happened after ‘73? Did you continue to play music? Can you tell me about Drag City releasing your 2009 LP “Seconds”? How did all this come about and what was it like to put new music out after all these years?

I was in prison when it was released…. So there was no tour support. I could do very little to help. The Nufusmoon team did an enormous amount of ground work to get exposure and air play. They had remarkable success in the NY/Boston area really. It was well received as I recall. When I was released from prison, I really just tried to get my life back on track. I always played music, I was a member of several cover bands and played local bars of the day. Had several jobs. I eventually married and had a son. Life in general was good. The music business was as crazy as it always was. I was quite happy with a “normal” life. Trudged along with the rest of the world. Drag City of course released the Red Hash reissue in 2005. I had continued to write long past the Red Hash days in 1973 so there were many tunes from which to choose. A follow up to the reissue seemed like a logical plan since the reissue was such a success. It got a ton of attention. I was super excited to do something new.

What have you been up to in more recent years? Are you still in contact with any of the members? What do you think of a whole new generation of fans and listeners appreciating the band after all these years?

I continue to write and record, I remain friends with all former members. Sadly Paul Tierney has passed but everyone else is still doing well. The Random Concept has several releases out. Currently working on a new CD/Album/Release with them as well as a new release of just my songs. I try to keep engaged and playing, no desire to stop until I just can’t do it any more… In another 20 years :-). It really is a satisfying thing. I am honored. It really makes it all worth it. It really drives home the concept of timeless. I couldn’t be happier about that generational jump.

Is there anything else you would like to further share with the readers?

I can’t think of too much more that is not included…

https://open.spotify.com/album/7KjNd6glsQKxR6LEgaB6jc

Dakota Brown