There are three memorials
- Menories of our Dad written by Nanno one of David's daughters
- For David who will live in my heart forever, from the hand of Gil McWilliams
- David as remembered by Dominic Behan's son Stephen
Thomas Osterholt has translated 2 memorials in German.
Für die deutschen Fans hat Thomas Osterholt zwei Memoiren übersetzt.
- Erinnerungen an unseren Vater (Memories of our Dad)
- Für David der für immer in meinem Herzen bleiben wird (For David who will live in my heart forever)
David's ashes are scattered at Murlough Bay, near Ballycastle in Northern Ireland where he lived.
Click on the images to enlarge. To return to this page, just click on the previous button of your internet browser.
 |
 |
 flowers for David |
 Murlough Bay is situated at the orange cicle at the right |
Did you know the Bay was used as filming location for Game of Thrones season 2, 3 and 5!
Memories of our Dad
His favourite pastime was to spend an evening with his close friends and family in the pub with a pint and a cigarette amidst a good chat. He was very well read and could stand a good discussion even after a few. Many an evening was spent dancing and singing in the living room after a night out in the local pub and he would always join in despite his protests. I always spent New Eves with him as the craic was 90, what a better way to bring in the New Year. It's hard to pin point any particular memories as there are so many. We all remember Daddy singing 'Mr Froggy went a courting' and 'Big Rock Candy Mountain.' He always sang those to us as children and then even to his grandchildren.
As a performer
Daddy was very much not the performer. Music was always
a huge part, listening to and talking about various artists around the
world but he was never in a hurry to perform and we would have to persuade
him to sing for us and even then that normally only happened after a few
pints and even then getting him to take it seriously was a battle in itself
as I'm sure most of his friends and our family will laugh and definitely
agree.
He was a deep thinking man and despite his success he was really a very
shy person he didn't like to be in the limelight but continued to write
and record songs despite. He was a very special man. He always said the
right thing when you were feeling down. One of his friends said, "Once
you met David McWilliams he never left you."We all followed his career how could you not. We were always very proud and loved to be a part of it. I do feel that he was cheated and deserved to be much more. He was an original and had great talent. He was definitely one of the greatest and should be up there with Van Morrison and Bob Dylan. He was cheated by various people, which meant the world lost out. There were various obstacles that got in the path of his career. Although despite his lack of recognition Daddy hated the razzmatazz of it all and I don't believe he would have enjoyed it anyway.
Dads lyrics were always amazing and sometimes you wondered where they came from he has the ability to put his mind and heart on paper like no other. Even his words in a birthday card are something to be treasured. We have been trying to collect all the work he ever did and listening to all the old stuff and my sister Mandy points out that without realising it she knows the words to nearly all his songs which shows how much it was a part of our lives as children even though a lot of them she has not heard in years.
We all miss him so !
Nanno McWilliams
go to home page
For David who will live in my heart forever
David was born 4th July 1945 in Belfast to Molly and Samuel McWilliams. The family, which included Marion, a cousin who was taken into the family earlier, remained in the Belfast area for 9 years before moving to Ballymena. The early years for David were frustrating in that school was unable to stimulate his mind sufficiently for him to settle into school life or the curriculum. His mind was taken up with life around him and an intense interest in history. Football was a great love of his and if things had gone differently he would have gone into professional football, however thankfully he chose music.
He began writing poetry at an early age basing his subject matter on everything
and everyone he observed around him. His observations were always on an
emotional level which made the main characters very real despite the fact
that often they were a mix of people combined to make one character. He
had a love of the underdog, the poor, the homeless, the tramp, the alcoholic
and it was these that formed the foundation for many of his works.David's love of music and his ability to play the guitar soon led to his poetry being put to music and allowed him the opportunity to let others hear his words. Unfortunately in some ways he was "discovered" at too early an age and whisked off to London where he basically lost control of his music and himself... This was the cause of much distress for David but it was all out of his control and he was unable to do anything but comply with the wishes of the music "business"
David was a very quiet man, soft and gentle of heart and one who abhorred confrontation of any kind. He dealt with his feelings via his Music, which often left many other things in his life unresolved. He was very much a homebird who loved to be with his family and his friends in familiar surroundings. David's greatest ally was Dominic Behan who believed implicitly in David the man and his music and of course his writing. The pair were very comfortable in each others company and developed over the years a friendship which is difficult to describe. When together they formed a double act which could have kept one laughing until sore and yet when working together there was a seriousness which, served to bind the two even closer.
David's latter years were coated with a great sadness, he seemed to lose his sense of self and yet remained driven by his unending love for his children. He never lost his sense of humour and continued to gather characters around him who without him as a catalyst could never have survived as friends.
How he bound them together is difficult to understand but this may have been because of their devotion to him. Despite David's great love of life, he was unable to take it on, mainly due to the softness of his nature, however he has left a great legacy in his music which goes some way to helping us understand how he thought, how he felt, what he believed in and ultimately the kind of man that he was.
Gil McWilliams
go to home page
David as remembered by Dominic Behan's son Stephen
My father was a close friend of Phil Solomon's; they respected each other and they valued each others' opinion. Whilst working for Phil in the early sixties, my father had helped the Dubliners to create a compelling stage act - it seemed to be something he was good at. When Phil brought David over to London (where we lived as a family) he harboured mixed feelings about David's potential; though David had immense talent, Phil felt David needed to learn 'stage-craft'; how to handle an audience, how to prepare a show and knit all the best songs into a magical journey for the audience.
Phil asked my dad to teach David some of what he knew. This must have
been around 1966/7; david would have been about 21 or 22, he was very
lonely in a big city with no friends - he was just a kid. Typically, dad
brought David home to live with us whilst he found his feet - David took
the lower of the two bunk beds in my room and although he chain smoked,
my brother and I immediately liked David who had an easy going way about
him - he was kindness itself. My mother grew to love David like a son
and so he lived with us in the critical period when he was writing a couple
of songs a week for his first three albums- intense work for any songwriter
and some of those songs are as powerful today as they were in '67; our
family predictably became the guinea-pigs for his new songs and we had
the pleasure of hearing "Days of Pearly Spencer" performed in our dining
room for the first time ever - My parents made sure they were in the studio
watching during the recording session for that song; my mother told my
brother and I about the massive orchestra with Mike Leander leaping up
and down as he conducted- everyone knew 'Pearly Spencer' would be a hit!It must have been 1967 or maybe '68 when we all boarded a train together(Dad, Mum, my elder brother Fintan, David and I) to travel up North to Coventry to introduce David to a really good Folk group called 'The Tinkers'; their lead singer was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen - Gill Thurlow (Sowter) had a mass of jet black hair, the eyes and bones of Lee Remick, the lips of Liz taylor and the legs of a dancer - no wonder David was bowled over! As a young kid, (I was about 9 or 10 at the time) it was my first exposure to unbridled passion - My God - I can remember it as if it were yesterday - I loved her too!!!
David's career took off in Europe and he made lengthy trips to Italy, Germany, France, Holland, Scandinavia, Switzerland - anywhere his records sold, he toured, usually stopping at our house in Heston on the way back with his arms full of gifts for his adopted family. I never realised it was such a privilege to watch him grow as an artist - I was lucky I guess.
David never lost touch with our family; he was always a true and caring friend whom we all adored. When I buried my Father, David travelled down to Dublin with Julie Ann and mourned with us, sharing the pain just as he had always shared his love and goodwill. I still miss him.
Stephen Behan 2013.
go to home page
Hier sind zwei Memoiren: (the German translations of 2 memories)
- Erinnerungen an unseren Vater; welches von Nanno, einer von Davids Töchtern geschrieben wurde
- Für David der für immer in meinem Herzen bleiben wird; verfasst von Gil McWilliams
Erinnerungen an unseren Vater
(Memories of our Dad)Seine Lieblingsbeschäftigung war es, den Abend im engsten Freundes- und Familienkreis in einer Kneipe mit Zigarette und Bier bei einem netten Gespräch zu verbringen. Er war sehr belesen und konnte sich bei vielen Diskussionen gut behaupten. Häufig wurden die Abende mit Singen und Tanzen im Wohnzimmer nach einer Nacht in der örtlichen Kneipe fortgesetzt und er machte trotz eigener Bedenken mit. Ich verbrachte immer Neujahr mit ihm und Spaß stand an oberster Stelle. Es gibt keine bessere Art ins neue Jahr zu kommen. Ich finde, es ist schwierig einige spezielle und besonders schöne Erinnerungen auf den Punkt zu bringen, weil es so viele von ihnen gibt. Wir alle erinnern uns daran, wie unser Vater "Mr. Froggy went a courting" und "Big Rock Candy Mountain" sang (alles englische Volkslieder). Er sang diese für uns Kinder und später dann sogar seinen Enkeln vor.
als Künstler
Dad als Künstler Vater war nie wirklich ein Performer. Natürlich war Musik immer ein großer Teil in unserem Leben, genauso wie Musik verschiedener Künstler rund um den Erdball zu hören und darüber zu reden. Er war aber nie unter Druck und Eile neue Lieder zu schreiben so konnten wir ihn dazu breitschlagen, dass er für uns sang - und ihn dazu zu bewegen, dass er es ernst nahm war eine Sache für sich. Ich bin mir sicher, dass die meisten seiner Freunde und unsere ganze Familie darüber lachen würden und mir auf jeden Fall zustimmen würden.Er war ein tiefgründig denkender Mensch, und trotz seines Erfolgs war er eine sehr schüchterne Person und mochte nicht im Rampenlicht zu stehen, aber setzte seine Songs zu schreiben und aufzunehmen fort. Er war ein ganz besonderer Mensch. Er sagte immer genau die richtigen Worte, wenn man sich schlecht fühlte. Einer seiner Freunde sagte: "Wenn du einmal David McWilliams getroffen hast, wird er dich nie verlassen."
Wir alle verfolgten seine Karriere, wie könnte es auch anders sein. Wir waren darauf immer sehr stolz und liebten es ein Teil von ihr zu sein. Ich finde, er war um den Erfolg betrogen worden und hätte verdient mehr zu werden. Er war ein Original und hatte ein großartiges Talent. Er war definitiv einer der größten Künstler und sollte mit Van Morrison und Bob Dylan gleichgestellt sein. Er wurde von vielen verschiedenen Leuten betrogen, die meinten die Welt biete mehr als ihn. Es gab viele verschiedene Hindernisse in seiner Karriere. Trotz der Beleidigungen und Mangel an Anerkennung glaube ich nicht, dass Vater dies irgendwie genossen hätte.
Daddys Texte waren immer erstaunlich und manchmal wunderte es mich, wo sie herkamen. Er hatte eine Gabe seine Gedanken und sein Herz zu Papier zu bringen wie kein anderer. Sogar seine Worte auf einer Geburtstagskarte waren etwas, was man liebevoll hütet. Wir haben versucht, alle Werke, die er je gemacht hatte zu sammeln und all das alte zu hören und meine Schwester Mandy betonte, dass sie ohne es zu merken Nahe jedes Wort seiner Songs kenne, sogar nachdem sie eine Menge von ihnen in den vergangenen Jahren nicht gehört hatte. Das zeigt, ein wie großer Teil unseres Leben als Kinder dies war.
Wir alle vermissen ihn sehr!
Nanno McWilliams
go to home page
Für David, der für immer in meinem Herzen bleiben wird.
(For David who will live in my heart forever)David wurde am 4. Juli 1945 in Belfast bei seinen Eltern Molly und Samuel McWilliams geboren. Die Familie schloss noch Marion , eine Cousine mit ein, die schon früher in die Familie aufgenommen wurde und noch im Belfaster Gebiet 9 Jahre verblieb bevor sie nach Ballymena zog. Die Schule war in den ersten Jahren für David sehr frustrierend, denn die Schule war nicht fähig seinen Verstand genügend anzuregen, dass er das Schulleben oder den Stundenplan gemütlich erledigen konnte. Sein Kopf war voll mit dem Leben um ihn herum und einem starken Interesse in Geschichte. Fußball war eine große Vorliebe von ihm und wenn die Dinge anders gekommen wären, wäre er zu einem professionellen Fußballer geworden.Wie auch immer; er wählte dankbar die Musik.
Er begann schon im frühen Alter poetisch zu schreiben, über die Sachen die ihn kümmerten und alle, die er um sich wahrnahm. Seine Wahrnehmungen waren auf einem sehr emotionalen Level, was hauptsächlich seinen Charakter ausmachte, entgegen der Tatsache, dass oft ein Mix aus verschiedenen Charakteren zu einem Charakter gemacht wurde. Er mochte die Unterdrückten, die Armen, die Obdachlosen, die Landstreicher, die Alkoholiker und es waren genau diese, die die Grundlage von vielen seiner Werke waren.
Davids Liebe zur Musik und seine Fähigkeit die Gitarre zu spielen hatten die Folge, dass er seine Poesie zu Musik machte, die ihm erlaubte, andere seine Botschaft hören zu lassen. Unglücklicherweise wurde er auf einigen Wegen viel zu früh in zu jungen Jahren (von Plattenfirmen) entdeckt und verschwand bald nach London, wo er im Grunde die Kontrolle über seine Musik und über sich verlor. Das war auch der Grund für viel von Davids Elend, aber alles war außerhalb seiner Kontrolle und er war unfähig etwas anderes zu tun und alles richtete sich nach seinen Wünschen für sein "Musik-Business".
David war ein sehr ruhiger Mann, weich mit mildem Herzen und einer, der Konfrontationen jeder Art hasste. Er verarbeitete seine Gefühle über die Musik, welche viele andere Dinge in seinem Leben unbeobachtet ließ. Er war ein großer Stubenhocker, der es liebte mit seiner Familie und seinen Freunden in gemütlicher Atmosphäre zu sein. Davids größter Gefährte war Dominik Behan, der uneingeschränkt an David, seine Musik und natürlich seine Schriften glaubte. Das Paar war sehr freundlich in Begleitung des anderen und sie hegten für mehrere Jahre eine Freundschaft, die wohl schwer zu beschreiben ist. Zusammen boten sie ein Schauspiel, welches einen zum Lachen bringen konnten, bis es schmerzhaft wurde und auch wenn sie zusammen am arbeiten waren, gab es etwas, das sie noch enger miteinander verband.
Davids spätere Jahre waren geprägt von großer Trauer. Es schien, dass er den Sinn für sich selbst verloren hätte und nur noch von seiner unendlichen Liebe zu Kindern angetrieben war. Er verlor nie seinen Humor und scharte weiterhin Charaktere um sich, die ohne ihn als Antrieb nie als Freunde hätten überleben können. Wie er sie zusammenhielt ist schwer zu verstehen, aber dies könnte man auch aufgrund ihrer Zuneigung zu ihm deuten. Obwohl David das Leben sehr liebte, war er außerstande es zu behalten, hauptsächlich dank seiner sanften Natur, hat er ein großartiges Vermächtnis in seiner Musik, das uns auf irgendeinem Weg hilft zu verstehen, wie er dachte, wie er fühlte, was er glaubte - und letztendlich auch, was für ein Mensch er war.
Gil McWilliams
Vielen Dank an Thomas Osterholt für diese Übersetzung.
go to home page