The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

Forever a blues man

In a 1998 interview with the Daily Egyptian, local blues man Tawl Paul said that the notion of him being an area legend "means either you're 90 years old, or you're dead."

Nevertheless, both Tawl Paul and the group Slappin' Henry Blue have become Carbondale musical institutions in their own rights.

Tawl Paul's expression isn't confined to the blues, however. He isn't afraid to speak his mind about current situations in the world, the necessity to vote, or how veterans are treated. But whether he's a voting advocate, a veteran or a bartender, those are only small parts of a much bigger picture. Tawl Paul has been and always will be a blues man.

Tawl Paul came to Carbondale after getting out of the U.S. Army to finish a bachelor's degree in theater. After graduating in 1972, he started a master's degree, but decided not to finish, and has been a resident ever since. Although he's left three or four times, Tawl Paul has always managed to return, mostly as he says, because it's cheaper than in Chicago where he was born and raised. But it was in Chicago that man once known as Paul Frederick became enraptured with the blues.

"I was the nerd in the back row," Paul said of his time in high school. "My uncle used to take me down to Maxwell Street in Chicago. Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters and those guys would be playing there in the afternoon. It got me hooked. In high school I listened to Muddy Waters and B.B. King, and my friends were listening to rock 'n' roll. I was like, 'Whatever'."

Although he has been in other groups before, since 1989 Tawl Paul has been involved with Slappin' Henry Blue, which currently consists of T. Thomas, Brian and Bruce Camden and Bill Carter. Although the group has seen some member rotation, Tawl Paul said it's been consistent for the past six years.

"They're just awesome musicians, man," Tawl Paul said. "Brian and Bruce just amaze me." According to Tawl Paul, Slappin' Henry Blue mostly does standard blues material, but the band takes the music and puts its own special hook to it.

Anyone who has seen Tawl Paul understands that the "tawl" portion of his name is justified by his 6-feet 4-inches height. However, few know where the name originated. Tawl Paul said that it was area country music singer and songwriter Doug McDaniels who suggested he monopolize on this feature by adding "tawl" before his name.

"He said, 'You ought to change it to Tawl Paul. You know like, Cher?'," Tawl Paul said.

Tawl Paul said that Southern Illinois has a lot of great music being generated. Some of it has to do with the region's soulful nature. He also said that Southern Illinois University's music school has a hand by allowing talented artists from different places to come together.

Whether there needs to be some kind of inner conflict in order to really play the blues, Tawl Paul said that when it comes to the blues, everybody's get them and it's all just up to the person as to how they work them out.

"Men have got them. Women have got them," Tawl Paul explained. "We've all got them. It's just expressed in different ways. It's a unique experience. Some people are ashamed of them."

But after the many years of expressing his blues to those who would listen, Tawl Paul still remembers the first time he ever got on a stage. Instead of fear, he felt a sense of belonging.

"I felt like I should've been there all along," Tawl Paul said. "I came at the right time with Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows, Big Larry and all those bands. They used to take me to all these roadhouses, and I'd be the only white dude singing with them. Of course, you learn how to dodge the beer cans."

This same sense of belonging continues to this day with added comfort provided by Tawl Paul's favored Slappin' Henry Blue, and the security of a regular gig at PK's. Yet, it's more than just a good gig or a place of employment. As Tawl Paul himself noted, "It's home."

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