See copyright notice at
 http://www.expectingrain.no/dok/div/copyright.html

Joseph, Anthea

As co-organizer of London's Troubadour folk club, she befriended Dylan on his first visit in December 1962 and they have regularly renewed their friendship on his subsequent visits to the UK.

Clinton Heylin:"Bob Dylan: Behind The Shades, a Biography"


From the Richard Thompson List (January 1998):

Subject: [RTLIST] Anthea Joseph

I'm sorry to have to report the death of Anthea Joseph, an unsung muse of
folk-rock in England and America.  I had planned to interview her in March
for my biography of Sandy Denny; I heard of her death today while making
plans for the trip.

The following is a note from David Sandison, who worked in PR at Island in
the '70s.

Pam - Thank you for your note. There is no press release as such, but
anything you can do to spread the word of her passing would be appreciated.

Anthea was 57 years old and lived with her two cats (Bobbie McGee and
Pearl) in Friston, a village in Suffolk not far from Benjamin Britten's
concert hall, The Snape Maltings. Before joining Witchseason as Joe Boyd's
assistant in 1968, Anthea ran the Tuesday night sessions at The Troubadour
Club, Fulham Road, featuring the young musicians who were beginning to
blend folk, country and rock in such a dynamic way. Her taste, good humor
and kindness soon made her a household name on both sides of the Atlantic (when
Bob Dylan first arrived in London in 1963, for instance, he came with one
written instruction from Pete Seeger: 'Find The Troubadour. Ask for
Anthea.') He did both and she promptly shoved him on-stage on what was a
talent night, sleeping on her floor for the next few nights while she found
him accomodation and put him in touch with folk club bookers. Their
friendship would endure through the years.

Anthea was also close to Richard Farina, Paul Simon and Carolyn Hester in
those early days, developed a life-long friendship with Judy Collins and a
host of young pickers and writers, many of whom would go on to great things
and all of whom now acknowledge the debt they owe Anthea for unstinting
support and consistently good advice when they were starting out.Bob Dylan
was not the last young hopeful who'd be given space on her couch, or a
mattress on her floor.

After the Witchseason 'family' finally went their separate ways in the
early 70s, Anthea worked variously for EMI Records' international marketing
division in London, was Artist Relations manager for CBS Records (now Sony)
and ended her professional life as personal assistant to Maurice Oberstein,
then chairman of PolyGram UK. She retired to a country life about five
years ago.
Hope this helps some. You have missed meeting a truly lovely lady who gave
more than any who knew her can ever repay.

Pam


You can see Anthea Joseph in the film Don't Look Back (1967) "it is Anthea Joseph's dramatically anxious face Dylan is seen reassuring after a hotel glass-breaking incident. That friendship continued into the Nineties when, leaving a Rolling Stones party that had become tedious, Joseph and Dylan spent four hours walking the rainswept London streets." - John Pilgrim

Who's Who