Orange County Register, April 22, 1979

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Costello challenges American rock


Jack Lloyd / Knight Ridder

...But loses first round in bar brawl after Ohio concert

Scanning errors uncorrected...

It started out as the Great Elvis Costello-Bonnie Bramlett Debate in the bar at a Holiday Inn in Columbus, Ohio. But as frequently happens during barroom de-bates, things got a trifle out of hand.

After all, Elvis Costello is not known for subtlety in presenting his points of view on matters close to his heart, and no one has ever accused Bonnie Bramlett of being a genteel, fragile creature. So it could hardly come as a great surprise when the debate turned into a brawl.

The altercation took place recently after Costello and his band completed a show at the Agora, a Columbus night spot, and Stephen Stills and members of his troupe finished their show at Veterans Memorial Auditorium. The two units got together for some drinks and early morning conversa-tion in the bar.

But, according to the account given by Miss Bramlett — a veteran rocker who started out with the Delaney and Bonnie duo and is now singing background in the Stills band Costello's comments quickly turned rather nasty.

His observations about America and Americans were sharply critical, to put it mildly. "We hate you," he was quoted as saying at one point. "We just come here for the money." He allegedly summed up Americans as "just a bunch of greasers and niggers."

At this point, a member of the Stills crew pulled Costello out of his chair by the collar and advised the hot "new wave" star to cool it. The two men were separated and Stills left.

But Costello, according to Bramlett, was in no mood to cool it. His blast at America's contribution to pop music work-ed its way to James Brown and finally to Ray Charles, both of whom he put down with what were interpreted as blunt racial slurs.

When Bra mlett protested, Costello repor-tedly replied ---- Ray Charles, ---- niggers and ---- you."

With this Bramlett slapped Costello. Cos-tello responded by calling her a slut. With this, one of the Stills' roadies slugged Costello, knocking him to the floor. Both groups went at each other until hotel per-sonnel brought the fight to a halt.

He cursed in my face, my country, my money and my mentors," Bramlett said. "And that's why he got his rear kicked. He went crazy on me and he went crazy on the wrong chick." Needless to say, those involved in pro-moting the Costello tour and his record company, Columbia, became somewhat nervous when accounts of the run-in began spreading last week. A press conference was called in New York so that Costello could give his side of the story.

Costello admitted making the state-ments, but denied being a racist. He said the quotes attributed to him weretaken out of context.

He said that he was being verbally abused in the argument and resorted to the hard-nosed comments "because I wanted to say the most offensive, obnoxious thing I could think of to rid myself of those people and end it."

Costello added that "I don't want to leave

(Continued On Page .3)


Elvis Costello's Comments Spark Rock 'n' Roll Fight

(Continued From Page 1) America with the last thing in minds of Americans being that I'm a racist. I want to be remembered for my songs."

Costello declined to apologize for the comments, saying, "I have nothing to apologize for." He called the incident "ludicrous" and suggested that he was being exploited for publicity value.

A Columbia Records representative de-fended Costello by pointing out that he had been a member of a British organization called Rock Against Racism. "He's not really a mean man," the Columbia person added. "He means well ... he really does. Its just that he had a difficult time of it while growing up and this is his way of getting retribution."

It was also suggested that the American media was too eager to jump over Costel-lo's case because of his unwillingness to talk with the press in this country. But the fact of the matter is that Costello has done nothing to conceal his arrogance and con-tempt ever since reports labeling him the great hope of "new wave" began drifting to America from England some two years ago.

Small wonder that those with a financial stake in Costello's career are worried. Despite his considerable gifts as a songwri-ter, Costello was not easily sold in this country, with his first two albums generat-ing only moderate public interest. And while his third LP, "Armed Forces." has done nicely on the record charts, Costello has yet to reach superstar status.

Scanning errors uncorrected...


Tags: Armed Funk TourArmed ForcesColumbusStephen StillsBonnie BramlettJames BrownRay CharlesColumbia RecordsRock Against Racism

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Orange County Register, April 22, 1979


Jack Lloyd reports on the Columbus incident and the March 30 press conference in New York.

(Variations of this piece ran in the Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press, Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, Orange County Register, Orlando Sentinel, Philadelphia Inquirer, San Francisco Examiner, and others.)

Images

1979-04-22 Orange County Register page L1.jpg
Page scan.


Clipping.
1979-04-22 Orange County Register page L3 clipping 01.jpg

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