Rediscovering Paul Williams - Maybe He's Only Just Begun

Baby boomers are probably the biggest fans of Paul Williams, award winning music and song writer, as well as a great performer. But baby-boomers aside, many of us still dance at weddings to his song "We've Only Just Begun," we rock our babies to sleep humming his song "The Rainbow Connection," and lovers continue to listen intently to the lyrics of "Evergreen."  But what does Paul Williams have to do with recovery? The answer is really quite simple: This past March Mr. Williams celebrated 22 years of sobriety and he continues to share his story of recovery with people new to recovery. 

Now there is a new documentary Paul Williams: Still Alive which was debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, received a standing ovation at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference, and was viewed at a number of other film festivals like the Wisconsin Film Festival and the Seattle International Film Festival, to name just a few. It has now opened in New York and soon will be in Los Angeles theaters before it opens nationwide.

Here is an interview published by USA Today with Paul Williams talking about the film and his career.



As USA Today reports:

 "I'm an alcoholic," says Williams, now 22 years sober. It might seem unbelievable now, but he somehow went through rehab twice without the media noticing. "I don't know when I crossed the line from use to abuse to addiction, but I did. At some point in the '80s, my fame was as addicting as anything else. It kind of pulled me away from my craft. So that is why I walked away from it."

If you get a chance to see this documentary. Do! It is always helpful to learn how people find recovery. You can view the trailer for Paul Williams: Still Alive. Remember, everyday in recovery is a beginning.

Related articles

• Paul Williams: More Alive Than Ever (aarp.org)
• '70s Troubadour , From Prime Time to Vegas (movies.nytimes.com)
• ET Movie Review: 'Paul Williams Still Alive' (charlotte.news14.com)