Maury Muehleisen
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Shortly after putting this website together, I got an e-mail from Frank Stallone who told me, "If you're doing a website about musicians from Trenton, you've got to include Maury Muehleisen, he was great!"
Later he teamed up with another singer-songwriter from the Philly area named Jim Croce. If you ever see old film clips of Jim, that's Maury accompanying him. According to Barbara Willson Smith, she had heard that both Jim and Maury were pretty fed up with the music business when a mutual friend introduced them. They hit it off right away, and made a pact. They would help each other and whoever made it first would keep the other one on and then help launch the other's career when the time was right.
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Maury Muehleisen - Man Who Made The Most Of His Life By Barbara Wilson Smith All of his friends and family have the same thing to say. Maury was warm, gentle, kind, considerate. He made the very most of his life and he had no regrets, so none of them have any. There is profound sadness surrounding all those closest to Maury, but his passing saddens them more for themselves than for Maury. He pursued his career zestfully and with his whole heart, Maury chased the rainbow, but unlike most others he found and claimed the pot of gold. Judy is the girl he loved. She is a serene lady who has composure and strength knowing that Maury died fulfilled. He did have plans unrealized - a studio just completed and never really used, thoughts of their home for the future and pheasant hunting out back, another stab at an album for Maury. He will not use the studio, nor will he shoot pheasant from the back porch of their home, nor will he record another album (although the just-completed and yet-to-be-released Jim Croce album does contain one of Maury's songs), but he was content at the end. All these things and more were in sight. Everything was coming up roses. His life had finally acquired form, substance and meaning. And Judy can go on knowing this. Joe Salviuolo who managed Maury and introduced him to Jim Croce says, "I'm not sad for Maury. I'm sad for myself thinking about Maury " He recounted a story which must comfort him. Jim Croce had made an album with Capitol Records. It was an embittering experience. The company did not manage to move the record and Jim soured on the business. It was a few years later that Joe introduced Maury to Jim at which time fast, solid friendship arose and led to their fantastic success - a success that was no doubt far short of its peak when the two best friends were killed on September 20. The two clicked, the combination worked. Maury's and. Jim's dreams began to come true when they were brought together. "They were always laughing." Joe remembers. "I'm sure they must have been laughing when it happened." Maurice Muehleisen Sr., Maury's gracious father, wants everyone to know his son although it's now possible to know Maury only by his work. He feels that Maury was not given, only loaned to us by God. Maury was sent here to do something. He did it. He made his music and then he went on his way. There's comfort for Maury's loved ones and family. They know that his life, while all too short, was sweet. His was a life well spent. It is a lovely story that is now complete save for the epilogue. There is an album of Jim Croce's not yet released and a book by Jim to come posthumously. And there are lots of tapes to edit to perhaps make still another album. All that Maury Muehleisen stood for will go on, but for now all of us who knew Maury more casually are inclined to look back. I remember the first time I met Maury He came strolling down Hermitage Avenue and I noticed what a pleasant looking face he had so I took the liberty of saying hello. His voice was soft and his personality was a perfect match. I remember the first time I heard him sing and play. It was shocking that someone so unobtrusive and so modest could be so talented. Robin Garb wanted to manage Maury but Maury was being managed, and was satisfied. I remember the "Be-In" at Washington Crossing State Park. Maury and Frank Stallone were two single artists playing acoustic music among many dynamic electronic groups. They were playing back-to-back sets and Maury went on first to wow the thousands before him. When he came backstage, Frank hardly wanted to go on trying to follow that. Maury gave him a pep talk. Said Frank was a good performer, a great performer! Not to worry, not to fret. Frank went out and wowed 'em, too. When he left the stage Maury was there to meet him clapping and excited and full of congratulations. I remember a party where Maury and another local musician got a little, shall we say, under the weather behind Bali Hai wine and took to teasing and generally driving me crazy. Only Maury apologized when heads cleared the next day. I remember playing Scrabble with Maury from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. the next day. By 5 a.m. we were trying to convince ourselves and one another that "zoit" and "Gaulte" and "plusi" were actually words. The last time I talked to Maury we had a date to play chess. That was over a year ago, but he had better things to do with this past year. He had to move fast, make his fine music and entertain tens and hundreds of thousands of people. I'm glad so many in the world had the chance to know him even for a moment. I treasure the fact that I shared in several. "Love is just a passing thing |
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