Boycott-RIAA founder Bill Evans is dead
p2pnet news view | Music:- Terrible news.
My friend, Bill Evans, aka Thumbtack, the man who founded Boycott-RIAA.com, is dead.
According to a private list to which we both belong, he killed himself.
This morning I had an email from another friend of his suggesting something was wrong and asking for Bill’s phone number. He didn’t give any details.
I’ve just said in a post to the list, “Although Bill and I have never met face-to-face, we worked together for a time and had become close friends.
“I know things have been difficult for him at home for some time, but this comes as a complete shock.”
Bill contributed to p2pnet.
He’ll be missed by a lot of people.
I’m sure there’ll be tributes from all sides of the music industry.
Rest in peace, Bill, me old mate.
Jon
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October 16th, 2007 at 11:45 am
Most sorry to hear this news.
I originally encountered both Jon and Bill at Boycott-RIAA site. It is a sad day to hear this news.
May you find the peace and rest you didn’t believe to have found here. We are the poorer for your departure.
My condolences to the family.
October 16th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
Having been a friend of someone who had met Bill several times and got to know him through his work at Boycott-RIAA and my early days at DMusic, the person I got to know was a man of great understanding and respect, who just like all of us, was only human in the end.
It’s easy for people to say it’s the coward’s way out but unless you actually know what it’s like to stand on the edge (and it is NOTHING like any “trip” drink and drugs will do to your emotions) then they will only ever take the easy shot at someone. I only know that he had backed away a lot from online activity compared to his old overworking self in recent years, so don’t be so quick to judge someone’s end without at least understanding we all have problems and sometimes we lose the will to fight.
Rest in peace, Bill. A lot of old timers at DMusic miss you.
Chris
October 16th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
He obviously loved his fellow human beings enough to be so concerned about their welfare that he was active in doing something about it.
I admire him for the stance he took.
If there were only more people who acted on changing things for the better like him, this WOULD be a better place, and more worth sticking around for.
October 16th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
I remember all the BS that went on before Jon and Bill walked away. Like ^^^ says he did not just sit around wining. He tried to do something. I believe people dont know how hard and frustrating it to be committed like he was.
October 16th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Thank you Jon for your post and yes Bill was a friend who helped out this musician in many ways. He will be missed by me and others. And yes he worked hard in doing his very best for me. Because of Bill my CD, Liberty-Street sure got around the net. Or as Bill would say,”Everything is for sell”. And he was a damn good salesmen and more then once he put a $1 in my pocket and pushed my gig-mobile out of his driveway.
Why Bill did what he did god only knows. But know this ….he took care of his Mother as best as he could and yes the bills were pilling up and my only wish was that Bill would of called me. I talked to him only a day before while I was down in La. But he did his best in taking care of his Mother. In these days folks do a lot less.
To those who did not know Bill…you missed out.
We will be Thinking of you Bill this Sunday at a local gathering.
I will see you on the other side.
Still Pickin’
Bill Hudson
Moneta,Va.
October 16th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
W.H. Auden
God Bless, you are in a better place now.
October 16th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
He’s dead. Asleep. In death. that’s it.
October 16th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
God bless, Bill. RIP
October 16th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Although I did not know Bill at all, I am sorry for your loss, Jon.
I also grieve that a human being was in such distress that only one way out could be found, I understand all too well what that is like. RIP, Bill.
October 16th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
He touched many people’s lives, probably more than he ever knew.
October 19th, 2007 at 12:36 am
Bill started a website I have dedicated a significant portion of my life to over the past several years. He did it because he CARED about music and the musicians & fans who have been shit upon by the RIAA and the “Big Music Industry”.
I can’t express how saddened I am by news of his passing.
Let’s keep up the good fight in memory of Bill aka “thumbtack” and rid the world of the RIAA monopoly once and for all.
October 19th, 2007 at 7:02 am
I worked diligently with Bill for years and considered him a friend. This news comes as a tremendous shock. There’s no doubt he’ll be missed by many people.
Bill Evans was one of the classiest people I’ve ever known. A true gentleman. It was an honor to know him. I already miss him being part of the world.
My deepest condolences to his family. This is indeed tremendously saddening.
milla
December 5th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
A truly great man, fighting against the bullshit in this world.
December 24th, 2008 at 2:34 am
I only knew Bill through BBQ. He was a member of both the California BBQ Association and one of the 1st members of Pelletheads.com. He came all the way to California in May of 2006 to cook with the CBBQA for the Marines at 29 Palms baser, right then I knew he dug BBQ!. This was the first and last time I saw Bill, he would often post on the CBBQA and when we finally got him hooked on pellet cooking, we got him to sell his Klose pit, which any of you that are familier withh offsets is the Rolls-Royce of offset pits. We got him to come over to the “Darkside” and turned him into a true PelletHead, he even bought a Treager 070 Lil Tex. He was very helpful in both tech support and mentoring on Pelletheads.com in our early stages!
I wish I had know there were issues, but I guess we all wish we could have reached out. From the little contact I had with Bill in person, he was a straight shooter, something you do not find in this World to much anymore. I am proud to have been able to call you friend. Rest in peace my friend!