RICHARD TYLER By Penny Allen T h e first time I met Richard Tyler I found him frightening. The time was early 1975, and that morning I had come to the small house where he stayed in Portland's funky Lair Hill to ask him to replace a piano man who had suddenly vanished just five minutes before the curtains were to rise for a cabaret show called Mirage. Richard was a legendary honky tonk man, frotn the early days in New York with Sam Shepard into the salad days in Portland with the Holy Modal Rounders and Les Clams. Richard sent out word through the woman answering the door that he would receive me that morning, and I was shown into his darkened room at the back of the house. I realized immediately the early hour had been a terrible mistake. Here obviously was a man who seldom saw the morning unless his nighttime had continued on into it. He was reclining or perhaps just sitting deeply into a brown ve lvet chair. He was swathed, I recall, in Victorian shawls, his massive dark curly mane and flowing mustache concealing a broad, finely boned face with huge wide-set brown eyes. Those eyes gazed at me as if from a great distance as I talked of our theatrical dilemma. He didn't speak but appeared to be looking right into me as if to see who I really was. I talked faster, filling the void, recounting the contorted plot of our satiric review. Richard remained silent but certainly not inexpressive: his eyebrows leapt up and down as his face became endlessly mobile in response to what I was saying. His shoulders rocked to the story. His long bony arms flew up in mock horror. Once or twice he tossed his head back for a silent chuckle. But he turned me down. “ I couldn’t always promise to be there,” he said hesitatingly, ever so slowly. “Sometimes the band plays out of town.” Those were the only words he said during my entire visit. Back outside in the sunshine. I thought of Richard as mysterious, a note from underground. I had intruded upon him and his silence had frightened me. Two years later I wanted Richard for another show-biz’ venture. I reflected at some length about how to approach him. I had, by that time, spent many late OREGON BEACHES PT. TOWNSEND • EUGENE • OREGON BEACHES • PT. TOWNSEND • EUGENE • ORE Quest Suites Overnight Accommodations • 13 SUITES FURNISHED INOLDVICTORIAN STYLING • PHONE &COLORTV INALL SUITES • CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST • EACH SUITE COMPLETEWITH KITCHEN &BATH. • CHILDREN ACCEPTED. • ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED (206) 385-6122 714 WASHINGTON AT QUINCY PORT TOWNSEND, WA 200 200$ natural Soods restaurant c o l le c t iv e Open 7am - 9pm weekdays 8am - 9pm weekends closed mon & tues 4 5 4w i l l a m e t t e st eugene 344-4764 CANNON DEACH BOOK COMPANY P.O. Box 634 132 No rth Hem lock Cannon Beach, OR 97110 (503) 436-1301 50 Clinton St. Quarterly
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