Call a Songwriter and Things Happen: Ken Ascher and Paul Williams (Part I)

Part I of II

By Bob Deakin

I first wrote about Ken Ascher and Paul Williams in mentioning their names in my Unruly Mix book. In my chapter named after the song, I write about “You and Me Against the World,” the compelling piece they co-wrote, made famous by Helen Reddy. They also wrote “Rainbow Connection” and the score of The Muppet Movie.

Writing a chapter about the song and the events that happened as a result made writing more fun and opened doors not previously opened to me.

Me Versus the Songwriters

Before publishing the book, I decided to ask Ken and Paul for permission to include a story about their song. It wasn’t easy to get contact info, and I didn’t expect a reply, but if they ever complained about it, they couldn’t say I didn’t ask for permission. In my experience as a reporter, famous songwriters and musicians are difficult to get a response from, particularly those from older generations.

Not long after, Paul responded. I sent him the story. He read it and sent me a friendly, artistically funny response, using lyrics from one of his songs. It gave me a huge boost to hear directly from one of my musical idols. It also gave me the energy and confidence to write a couple more stories of a similar nature for the book.

I was stuck at a crossroads in my creative process. It was my first book and I wasn't sure if my material was good enough to publish. I was near the end, ready for a title and a cover when I (once again) doubted my abilities, essentially frozen at the keyboard.

Paul Williams and Ken Ascher

See You at Birdland

After more than a month of trying, I still can't muster a response from Ken Ascher, but I know he plays piano Friday nights with the Birdland Big Band in New York, so he's active. I live in Florida, so it's not convenient, but I book a flight and head for the city. I'm from CT and used to work in NYC so it's not a big deal.

Keep in mind Ken hasn't yet responded, may not have received the book I sent to him at Birdland, and has no idea who I am. Friday night arrives and I'm at the show, blown away by it, and courageously make the move for the stage as soon as they finish.

It's during Covid so I have to wear a mask as I approach Ken as he puts his sheet music away. I subtly introduce myself, remind him of the book, and hallelujah! He received it. He's very polite and thankful for my interest and apologizes for not responding.

Long story short, I get his contact info and we speak at length soon after and I feel doubly better know that I have Ken and Paul's blessing for my story.

Ken Ascher and the Birdland Big Band

A Blessing from Ken Ascher and Paul Williams

My book is almost complete at this point, and I feel better about it. Connecting with Ken and Paul is the boost I need. This gives me the confidence to ask permission from an artist friend to use one of his works for the cover. Surprisingly, he agrees, and now the project is on its way.

I decide to go for the “wide” (all book retailers) release instead of just Amazon. Many authors I’ve discovered stick with Amazon because they don’t want to pay to market it, and it’s easy to do the whole process with Amazon. You just can’t sell it anywhere else.

Bob Deakin "Unruly Mix" book cover

Order in the Unruly World

As a result, my world was opened to many more editors, proofreaders, etc., and I received valuable feedback before my release. A few suggested a website for the book with a weekly blog was imperative. I just went ahead and did it. I also did a site for the cover artist and have a standing offer for the illustrator.

This got me writing even more, which opened a new line of friends who read the blog posts even if they didn’t read the book. They probably didn't read either, but it's nice to fool myself that they did. It also got me back into research, which I used to be good at, but abandoned when I ended my career as a reporter.

Burnham Library in Bridgewater Connecticut

Then I Called a Writer

I spent a long stretch of the succeeding months in Connecticut, particularly Bridgewater, on which the fictional setting in my book is loosely based. Not the town as much as the characters in it.

The research taught me a lot and led me back to some of the characters that originally inspired me, giving me more material. I never knew much about Bridgewater other than the people who lived there. So I dove into research... and I called a writer.

Find out where I went from here in Part II...

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