On July 21, a brand new statue was unveiled in Oldham County, Kentucky, bearing a putting resemblance to Louisville’s personal Will Oldham, aka Bonnie “Prince” Billy, as WFPL’s Ashlie Stevens reports. As it seems, the resemblance is intentional. The effigy’s unlikely story started when sculptor Matthew Weir was commissioned to construct a monument for Revolutionary War determine (and county namesake) Colonel William Oldham. When Weir discovered himself unable to find any portraits of his topic, he received inventive: “I was just like, ‘This person’s name is Will Oldham. And I know a Will Oldham, so let’s see if these things match up.”
After getting in contact with the Drag City singer-songwriter of the identical title, Weir realized that Oldham was, in truth, a distant relative of the colonel and that he was prepared to take part, posing for pictures and permitting Weir to create a plaster masks of his face. “If you have any—which I do—low-level claustrophobia issues, it’s a challenge going into,” Oldham stated of the “life mask” course of. “But ultimately, it’s an opportunity for enforced stillness or contemplation.” According to the article, the pair “listened to John Adams’ Shaker Loops to pass the time” through the 45-minute endeavor.
The seven-foot-tall statue now stands in La Grange, Kentucky, however don’t count on to see Will Oldham admiring it any time quickly. “It’s their statue, Oldham County’s statue,” he advised WFPL. “And I think it should stay that way for a while. Let people come to know it and hopefully love it for what it is. And maybe in 32 years we’ll do a show there, or something like that.” Check out a photograph of the statue beneath, and skim the total story at WFPL.
Bonnie “Prince” Billy lately launched the brand new music and video, “Blueberry Jam.” This fall, he’ll concern a e book of his collected lyrics, Songs of Love and Horror, and embark on a tour.
Read “What to Stream From Drag City’s Catalog” on the Pitch.
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