SO MANY THINGS TO REMEMBER: JOHN PAINE’S LIFE AND LEGACY
John Paine Interview Part 2 - The Brothers four
John Paine Interview Part 3 - The Brothers four
Who was John Paine?
John Paine had a remarkable life. At twenty-two, the singing group he was part of, The Brothers Four, had the number two song in the world, Greenfields. A year later, in 1961, they sang their Oscar nominated song, Green Leaves of Summer, at the Academy Awards. The group performed multiple times at the White House.
They and the music they shared formed a love affair with Japan and the people of that country that continues to this day.
At the same time John’s appreciation for living was also filled with simpler things. Happy memories with friends and family. He moved out of the city forty years ago to enjoy life at a more leisurely pace. He retired from touring in 2004, looking back only when someone asked him to share memories from his storied past.
How I met John
John and I began to sing and travel the world together in January of 1969 when I was invited to join The Brothers Four. John and the other two guys in the group, Bob Flick and Dick Foley, have made unique and profound impacts on my life and career, creating many beautiful memories along the way. Each would become a special person and lifelong friend, an inspiration both in my professional and personal life. John would also become my neighbor for nearly a quarter of a century.
Becoming true friends
A few months after joining The Brothers Four, my parents told my siblings and me that our dad had been in a mental institution when I was born. I was twenty-two years old. Everything I thought was true was suddenly in doubt. That revelation was something my siblings seldom talked about.
One of the few people I did share this newly revealed secret with was John. I remember the moment. An eternal memory, sharing my story on an airplane heading to Boston to sing. For me that moment was the beginning of a true friendship. I discovered in a big way that a difficult time is often a chance for people to come together, and that trust is an important bond between friends.
Remembering the times we shared on stage
So many things to remember. My first tour of Japan is a special memory. I remember touring Taiwan and then following that up with a tour of Mainland China.
So many cities, on so many stages, across America. The fact that John was a wonderful friend to travel with, as well as a singing partner, made life on the road even more of a special time.
Remembering the times we shared as neighbors
I remember when John and his wife, Gail, let me and my wife, Pat, know that the property next to them was for sale. In an instant, we made an offer—and then watched that offer sit there for six months. I remember the delight of all four of us when the deal was finally closed.
Cats have been important in the lives of the four of us. John would gladly come over and care for our cat when Pat and I were traveling. When Pat and I visited Australia and New Zealand, John and Gail “invited” our cat, Cleo, to live with them. For a long time afterward, Cleo felt their house was her place even after the Paine’s new cats, Norm and Cliff, moved in.
It is life memories like those that create a special bond between friends who also happen to be neighbors. And it is such moments that show how strong bonds of friendship can be.
A gentle spirit to all who knew him
John had a warm spirit. He made an impact on the lives of people. That was never more clear to me than a couple of years ago when family and close friends celebrated John’s 85th birthday. After some fine food, conversation, and songs, we formed a circle around John and one by one told him how much we loved him and how important he had been in our lives. Thinking about that moment today, it feels like a memorial service with John very much alive to appreciate it.
Dealing with John’s loss through our shared music
It is a challenging time, a sad time to say goodbye to someone I have known my whole adult life. But it is also a time for a celebration of life. A time to look back on some beautiful memories. Many of them involve singing together, and all of them involve a true friendship, an amazing friend, and a beautiful spirit.
Twenty years ago my friend, Mike McCoy, took John’s place in the Brothers Four. Though John and I stopped traveling together the music we shared continued.
The guitars often came out during the holidays. I remember one truly special Christmas when we were joined by his two grandsons, each playing one of “Papa’s” guitars.
There are also some bittersweet memories from the last months of his life that involve songs and singing. Shortly after John entered hospice, his younger brother visited from California. To listen to those two Paines singing together was priceless. John was also reunited with Dick Foley, a founding member of the Brothers Four. There was so much emotion playing the guitar and singing with those two guys again. A sense of wonder, joy, and sadness coming together in such harmony.
A source of light to those who knew him
Saying goodbye to a lifelong friend is certainly a journey through grief and a time of sorrow. The feelings of loss are profound. At the same time, a sense of joy and wonder is found along the way in such a lifelong connection. John’s voice, his songs and his stories, continue to light a candle in memory for me personally, and for all who knew him through the songs he shared with the world.
The Brothers Four recording from 1969 of Abraham, Martin and John features John’s voice. Today, as I listen, I think of my lifelong friend, John Paine, going over that hill mentioned in the song, his voice strong and now part of forever.
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