Folklorist: The Tommy Histon Story

Theodore Thomas Marshall Histon recorded four albums during his lifetime, each of which predated music trends:-- rock'n'roll and rockabilly in 1949 on 'Three Minute Hero’.- folk-rock in 1953 on 'Track Back And Trail On'.- acid-folk and baroque-folk in 1954 on 'Coda'.- psychedelic, krautrock, progressive folk, and plenty more besides, in 1964 on 'Kimono For Kip’.

Born in Virginia, USA, in February 1932, Tommy suffered with mental health problems throughout his life. Exacerbated by a claimed alien abduction in 1956, Histon spent four and half years in a mental health facility between 1957 and 1962. He further claimed the aliens sought to gain knowledge of his ability to see the future. Listening to his music, one can’t help but wonder if, in fact, he could.

In March of 1964, Histon flew to England to record ‘Kimono For Kip’. For 55 years, his final album was believed lost. Histon destroyed the recording, prior to taking his own life on May 2nd, 1964. 

For his seven week stay, Tommy arrived with a guitar, a violin, one change of clothes, a sum of cash, two cartons of cigarettes, and a bottle of bourbon. He didn’t bring his medication. Rather, he brought with him his genius. Oh, and a bit of trouble.

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Author Notes

Buoyed by the reception and impact of ‘Worldly Goods’, I spent a few months pushing the novel. After a while, though, I got itchy fingers.

A fair proportion of the feedback I received, related to a particular character, Tommy Histon. Several people believed he was real, and got in touch asking for more information on him. There was, unsurprisingly, very little on the internet…

I admitted to some that he was made up. To some others, I didn’t. That was bad of me, wasn’t it? But, look, how convincingly must I have written about him to get away with that…?

Anyway, I decided to pen a book about Tommy.

From the outset, I opted to write it as an autobiography. It was the only convincing way to approach it. But I needed to work other elements in, that would come after Histon’s time, or outside of his orbit. Hence there being a prologue, an introduction, and an epilogue. Not to mention, relevant interviews and press pieces. In every way, it was a complex project.

A good friend, Steve Hallam, helped enormously with authentic looking photos to make it appear plausible, as well as coming up with the magnificent cover image. Move on nearly five years to 2024, and Tom Woodger of The Blue Giant Zeta Puppies’, would pull together the ‘Kimono For Kip’ album, for a release on vinyl and expanded CD. A 7” single also appeared on Phil Macy’s Gardener’s Delight imprint.

Over five years, it took, from Tommy Histon being dreamt up to that record finally appearing. Five bloody years! During which time, a few fell by the wayside!

Aside from all of that trickery, though, you’ll find a lovely novel. With everything else going on around the Histon legacy, the actual book is sometimes overlooked. Not least, by me!

It is, when all said and done, a tale of a flawed man’s struggle with his demons; a misunderstood dreamer, who is way ahead of his time, searching for a place to fit in and belong. His psychological state invariably alienates him.

I do have a tendency to write about isolated characters. When we’re alone is when we’re undiluted. It’s us at our most honest and stark. Tom Hanks once referred to it as ‘the vocabulary of loneliness’. Spot on! Hanks is the master of that. Think of just about every film he’s appeared in, and the roles he chooses to play personify lonely.

In television drama - Inspector Morse being a good example - the things I most enjoy, tend to have those flawed, solitary personalities. I’m drawn to them. So, naturally, I write about them. Partly through exposure via others, but also because I recognise myself in that.

After all, writing is a solitary pursuit, and that’s part of its appeal to me. Tommy Histon is a character I had great range with. There were no real limits to him, other than keeping him somewhat ‘real’ and ‘relatable’.

The trick with this book, was keeping it simple despite its complexity. No easy task. I hope I did a good job of it. For Tommy’s sake, as much as anything.

Because he is real, you know… 

Reviews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly recommended

"Folklorist tells the story of Tommy Histon, a legendary but much troubled singer way ahead of his time, who we first met in Andy’s previous book Worldly Goods. There's a subtleness to Andy’s writing which Folklorist exemplifies perfectly. The story rolls along without you realising the twists and turns, dare one say clues, until it all starts to come together, at which point my instinct was to go back and start again from a different perspective. It's a rare gift, an insight not only into the mind of Tommy Histon, but also of the reader.

The tale of Tommy Histon is an unflinching account of sex, drugs, rock n' roll and aliens, but Andy avoids the usual tired clichés associated with those subjects. Instead what emerges is about people, mental illness, love, obsession, deception and a wild, untamed talent way ahead of its time. As for Tommy, imagine an unholy potion of Hasil Adkins, Joe Meek, Jerry Lee Lewis and Lee Perry mixed with snake venom and naive charm and you'll get some idea of his character.

The author's own experiences of the music and publishing worlds infuse the tale with credibility, and I suspect are behind some of the characters passionate feelings of betrayal and contempt for it too. Although it works as a standalone book, personally I'd recommend reading Worldly Goods first, and then you'll be in on some of the back story and understand a bit about Tommy's world before you dive in. Either way, I have no hesitation in recommending both books."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Prequel and Sequel in one!

"I'm reading Andy's books slightly out of order thanks to how they are coming out on Kindle, but this (the fourth I've read) is another great read. A biography/autobiography of Tommy Histon, the futuristic musical star of earlier novel World Goods, this tells the back story and then brings that saga bang up to date. Set in a combination of North America and the usual locale of Brakeshire, Tommy's story is a ripping yarn as his unconventional upbringing and troubled personality combine to drive him through a blaze of creativity whilst the World around him looks on in general confusion. Part mystery, part history and part character study, the book manages to keep throwing up surprises despite the fact that the main story arc through Tommy's discography is known from the off.

Best read directly after World Goods, a recommended read for anyone who has tried any of Andy's books (but go for Worldly Goods first if you haven't!)."

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