Jackson C Frank
When I was playing Roy’s first album, back in 67, I didn’t know that ‘My Friend’ was about Jackson C Frank. It wasn’t until much later, when we were talking about the songs on that first album, for the book we were working on, that Roy told me all about his friend.
Jackson had a tragic life. At the age of eleven he was badly burned when a fire at his school killed fifteen of his classmates. It scarred him both physically and mentally.
In 1965, equipped with a batch of brilliant songs, Jackson sailed to England. Once here he established himself on the Folk Scene based around Les Cousins. Roy was also starting out and they became good friends. At the time Roy was going through his metaphysical stage, questioning infinity and reality, and the two of them would talk and laugh long into the night, probably very stoned, having deep conversations of a philosophical nature.
Jackson recorded his wonderful Paul Simon produced album in 1965. That’s when I discovered him. I was sixteen and a school friend by the name of Robert Ede introduced me to that album just after it was released. I loved it and still have the copy I bought back then. I have played it to death. It was an album that had a huge influence on everyone at the time because the melodic songs were so personal and introspective – a real departure from traditional styles. It certainly impacted on Roy as well as others like Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, and had a profound impact on their song writing. Jackson, like Davy Graham, was a major inspiration for people in the progressive Folk Scene.
I started going to Les Cousins in 1967 (which is where I first saw Roy) but I did not encounter Jackson. That was because, following the album, he had suffered further mental problems (probably Post Traumatic Stress) and returned to the States.
He came back to England in 1968 and I was delighted to see him in a small pub on Ilford High Street. He was absolutely brilliant – such a warm character and great performance. He was so shy and modest. He sang all the songs from that first album and no others. My mate Pete and I sat at a table right at the front and loved every minute. Afterwards we stayed behind and had a chat with him. I cherish that.
I asked him about a second album. There had been much talk. He said there wasn’t one and that he’d suffered writer’s block. There were no new songs. I found that very sad.
Roy Harper was playing his important St Pancras Town Hall gig the following week and Jackson was supposed to have a guest spot (the only guest spot). I went along to that watershed Roy gig and was looking forward to see Jackson again. He never showed. I saw his friend there and asked after him. He told me that he wasn’t well.
I never saw him again and neither did Roy. He returned to the States shortly afterwards and suffered tragedy after tragedy (marriage split up, child dying, living on the street, having an eye shot out) before dying in 1999.
Roy’s song ‘My Friend’ was recorded in 1966 for his first album. It was about that first departure, when Jackson returned to New York.
And was it gold or is it silver, my friend?
I can hear you crying
Through the mist you stumble
And when you’ve taken that last sun
We’ll watch it in the darkness
Even though Jackson returned to England a year or so later that relationship never returned to what it had once been – probably because Roy’s life had become hectic with a lot of gigs, recording, a wife and kid. The freewheelin’ days were over.
Later, in the eighties, Roy talked very sadly and lovingly about his friend Jackson. They’d shared a lot in a short while and I reckon something of Jackson lives on in Roy’s song writing. He was a remarkable man and that first album still resonates with me.
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