Paul Siebel, a singer and songwriter, passed away peacefully in his sleep on April 5, 2022 in Queen Anne’s County, Maryland.
Paul Siebel was 84.
Paul found his greatest musical success in the folk-music revolution of the 1960’s and 1970’s. From his early experiences performing in the pass-the-hat coffee houses of Greenwich Village, Paul honed the finely-drawn portraitures that populated his critically-acclaimed albums “Woodsmoke & Oranges” and “Jack-Knife Gypsy”. Paul’s best-known song, “Louise”, was recorded by artists that include Bonnie Raitt and Linda Ronstadt.
Having learned to play the violin as a child, Paul then decided to make them himself as an adult; a labor of love that was not always easy, as just the number of different varnishes he concocted from his own recipes proved, but that provided another venue for his dedication and perseverance.
Paul played music with friends, would pick up a guitar and sing when the muse visited him, and performed occasionally, including with his long-time friend and collaborator David Bromberg and with the High & Wides. Even in his last days, Paul reveled in the company of fellow musicians, swapping stories and listening intently to the craft of songwriting.
Born in 1937, Paul was raised in Buffalo, New York and served in the United States Army in France and Germany before moving to New York, where he lived in both Greenwich Village and Woodstock. Later he moved to the Eastern Shore and lived in Wye Mills, Maryland, working as a baker and for the county parks & recreation department.
Paul is survived by his nephew Robert Woods and two nieces, Lisa Ellwoods and Nancy Woods. Paul survived his late sister Anne, at whose funeral he played the violin. And he is survived by many friends by whom he will be forever missed.
A private memorial service will be held at date to be planned.
Published by Bay Times and Record Observer on April 6, 2022.