Bob Dylan ya gaya mani: "Yana waka kamar mutum da ke jayayya da kaddara. Yana jin kamar ciwon na gaske ne, cewa rugujewar na gaske ne. Akwai gaskiyar da ta fashe a can. Abin da ke damun mutum game da shi shi ne, yana jin kamar ya riga ya rayu a cikin sakamakon." Dylan yana magana ne game da marigayi mawakin Amurka Gary Stewart. Na tuntuɓe shi domin yana ɗaya daga cikin mutane kaɗan da suka yi magana mai kyau game da wannan ɗan tawayen kiɗan ƙasar.
Ko da a lokacin da yake raye, Stewart ya kasance kamar fatalwa. Ya sami ɗan lokaci a cikin hasken Nashville a tsakiyar shekarun 1970, amma mutuwarsa a watan Disamba 2003 yana da shekaru 59 da haihuwa da ƙyar ta haifar da wani tasiri. An manta da Stewart bayan ya bar shaharar don ya ɓuya a wani wurin motoci a Florida, inda shi da matarsa Mary Lou suke amfani da quaaludes, meth, marijuana, da cocaine da yawa.
"Shi bala'i ne na halitta daga zamanin da, wanda tsofaffi har yanzu suna magana akai a wajen shagon kifi," in ji Shannon Ashburn, 'yar ma'auratan. "Girma tare da iyaye masu shan ƙwayoyi yana nufin na ɗauki wannan a matsayin al'ada. Na ƙaunace su kuma sun ƙaunace ni kuma ba su taɓa barin masu cutarwa su shigo ba, don haka ban ji rashin lafiya ba. Amma, idan na waiwaya, na gane cewa yanayi ne na hauka." Ƙananan magoya baya masu sadaukarwa – Dylan, Willie Nelson, John Waters, Tanya Tucker – sun dage cewa Stewart ɗaya ne daga cikin mawakan da suka fi bayyana raɗaɗi a ƙarni na 20, amma da alama ba zai samu irin wannan shaharar bayan mutuwa da Nick Drake ko Karen Dalton suka samu ba.
Amma yanzu, bayan rayuwarsa mai ruɗani da mutuwarsa da ba a kula da ita ba, ana sake gano Stewart a ƙarshe godiya ga Gary Stewart: I Am from the Honky Tonks, littafin tarihin rayuwa mai ƙarfi wanda ya zama abin mamaki a matsayin nasara mai mahimmanci da kasuwanci a Amurka lokacin da aka buga shi a watan Nuwamba da ya gabata. Marubucinsa Jimmy McDonough, wanda littattafansa na Neil Young, Al Green, Tammy Wynette, da Russ Meyer suka nuna shi a matsayin mai sharhi mai ban mamaki kan rayuwar Amurkawa, yana dariya don sa'ar sa lokacin da na kira shi a gida a Portland, Oregon. "Daga cikin dukan littattafana, wannan ya fi wahala a sami mawallafi," in ji shi, "amma yana samun mafi kyawun amsa daga kowannensu."
A halin yanzu, kamfanin sake fitar da kundi Delmore Recording Society ya fito da One Track Mind, tarin kundin da ke jan hankali na farkon shekarun 1970 na Stewart, kuma tashin taurarin ƙasar da indie-rock kamar Ella Langley, Zach Top, shugabar Wednesday Karly Hartzman, Charley Crockett, da Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band yanzu suna yabon Stewart – da waƙoƙinsa.
"Ya sami lamba ta 1 da 'She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)'," in ji Davis, mawaƙin da aka haifa a Kentucky wanda kundin sa na 2025 New Threats from the Soul ya sami yabo mai yawa. "Gary Stewart jarumi ne. Ya kasance, kamar yadda waƙarsa take har yanzu kuma za ta kasance, mai gaskiya da ba za a iya fahimta ba. Kuma yana kusa da asalin wurin da na fito, yana sa shi ya zama mafi gaskiya kuma duk da haka mafi ban mamaki." Davis ya kwatanta Stewart da "bala'i na halitta daga zamanin da, wanda tsofaffi har yanzu suna magana akai a wajen shagon kifi."
An haifi Stewart a Kentucky a 1944, ɗaya daga cikin yara 12, kuma danginsa sun ƙaura zuwa Florida a 1956 bayan mahaifinsa ma'aikacin kwal ya sami rauni mai raɗaɗi a wurin aiki. Tun daga farkon shekarunsa na samartaka, Stewart – ƙwararren da ya sha rockabilly, country, da R&B – yana wasa a ƙungiyoyin kiɗa da rubuta waƙoƙi. Ya ƙaura zuwa Nashville, yana buga piano a ƙungiyar Charley Pride yayin da yake neman yarjejeniyar bugawa da rikodi. Mawaka da aka kafa sun rera waƙoƙin Stewart, amma nasara ta solo ta kasance mai wuyar samu har sai da furodusan Nashville Roy Dea ya shawo kan RCA su sanya hannu da Stewart a 1973.
Dea ya fahimci ƙarfin Stewart – "Ban taɓa sanin wanda ya burge ni kamar yadda Gary ya yi ba," Dea ya gaya wa wani mai tambayoyi, "kuma na ga Elvis, Hank Williams, dukansu." A 1974, Stewart ya sami nasarori a Amurka da "Drinkin' Thing" da "Out of Hand." Kundin sa na farko na 1975, wanda kuma ake kira Out of Hand, ya sami yabo mai mahimmanci, kuma "She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)" ya kai lamba ta ɗaya a ginshiƙin ƙasar a wannan shekarar.
A cikin shekaru uku masu zuwa, kundin Stewart – Steppin' Out, Your Place or Mine, da Little Junior – sun ƙunshi wasu daga cikin mafi kyawun kiɗan Amurka na shekarun 1970. A matsayin mawaƙi, Stewart ya kasance na halitta gaba ɗaya; yana iya ba da waƙoƙi kamar "Quits" da "Ten Years of This" da ƙarfin motsin rai mai zurfi, sannan ya shiga "Little Junior" da "Your Place or Mine" da ƙarfin wanda ke son ɓangaren rayuwa mai haɗari. Yayin da punk rock da farko bai yi tasiri a Nashville ba, Stewart, tare da ƙaƙƙarfan halinsa da rashin son kafafan Music City, ya kama ruhin punk; Joe Strummer ya kasance mai sha'awar sa.
Sau da yawa ana kwatanta shi da Jerry Lee Lewis – tsananin ƙarfin waƙoƙinsa na rockabilly-tinged country ya nuna su a matsayin 'yan'uwa – da Hank Williams, Stewart ya raba da Williams yanayi mai dumi amma mai halakar da kai. Shaye-shaye ya rage basirarsa kuma ya kai shi ga ficewa daga kasuwancin kiɗa. Stewart ya shafe shekaru 25 na ƙarshe yana ɓoye daga duniya tare da Mary Lou a wani gidan motoci a Florida mai tagogi masu baƙi, yana amfani da ƙwayoyi.
Ashburn ta dage cewa bai zama abin ban mamaki ba a lokacin. "Abin da kawai na ƙi shi ne ba a bar ni in kwana a gidan abokaina ba. Na taɓa gayyatar ɗaya daga cikin ƙawayena sau ɗaya, sannan mahaifina ya sha ƙwayoyi fiye da kima. An kira motar asibiti kuma ta fara firgita, ni kuwa na ce: kada ki damu, wannan yana faruwa koyaushe! Amma ta kira mahaifiyarta ta zo ta ɗauke ta…" Ashburn tana dariya cikin rashin imani game da abin da ya kasance gaskiyarta ta yau da kullum. "Sau ɗaya lokacin da mahaifina yana yawon shakatawa, mahaifiyata ta sha ƙwayoyi fiye da kima kuma dole in kai ta asibiti – ina da shekaru 12 kawai!"
Stewart da Mary Lou Taylor sun haɗu lokacin da yake da shekaru 16 kuma ita 21. Sun raba sha'awar rayuwa mai haɗari da halaka. Tare da ƙwayoyi, akwai hatsarorin mota, bindigogi, wuƙaƙe, rashin aminci, da cutar tabin hankali. A cikin littafin tarihin rayuwarsa, McDonough yana ganin ma'auratan a matsayin misalan farar ma'aikata waɗanda suka bar tuddan Kentucky zuwa bakin tekun Florida – kuma suka canza moonshine zuwa cocaine.
Shaye-shayen Stewart ya kawo ƙarshen tafiyarsa a ginshiƙin ƙasar. Ya sami damar sake farawa bayan McDonough ya gano mawaƙin da ya ɓoye a 1987 kuma ya rubuta bayanin mai kalmomi 11,000 don Village Voice. Ya ɗan sake farfado da aikin Stewart, kuma ya sanya hannu da kamfanin California indie HighTone Records a shekara mai zuwa, yana fitar da sabbin kundin guda uku. Duk da haka waɗannan ba su dace da mafi kyawun rikodin RCA na Stewart ba. Muryarsa ta yi kamar ta gaji, ƙarfinsa ya ɓace – kuma hayaniyar dawowar sa ba da daɗewa ba ta ɓace.
Me ya sa mawaƙin da ya taɓa jin kamar yana raye da ƙarfi zai zaɓi ya kashe hankalinsa? Babu wanda ke da amsa, sai dai gaskiyar cewa Stewart yana son yin maye. "Mutane suna fatan Gary ya dawo da nasara," in ji McDonough, "amma a lokacin bai damu da gaske ba." Dea ya taɓa yin sharhi cewa "ana kamuwa da Stewart… yana kama da ƙwaya mai la'ana" – duk da haka ƙwayoyi sun kashe hasken Stewart da kansa.
Duhun da ya rufe Gary da Mary Lou a ƙarshe zai mamaye danginsu, tare da ɗan ma'auratan Joey ya kashe kansa a 1988 yana da shekaru 25, tare da baƙin ciki da rashin aikin iyali a matsayin abubuwan da suka taimaka. Ashburn ta ce lokacin da iyayenta suka fara shan maganin ciwo na opioid OxyContin ne "abubuwa suka fara ɓacewa gaba ɗaya." Ta ce: "An fara ba Gary shi bayan ya karya ƙafarsa a hatsarin mota, ba su gane yadda magungunan ke da ƙarfi ba." Bayan ta girma a kusa da masu shaye-shaye kuma daga baya ta fuskanci yaƙin nata da shaye-shaye, Ashburn yanzu tana taimaka wa wasu da ke fama da dogaro da ƙwayoyi.
Duba hoto a cikin cikakken allo
A cikin ɓoyewarsa a Fort Pierce … Stewart a shekarun 1970. Hoton: Grandal Stewart
Don samun abin rayuwa, Stewart wani lokaci dole ya bar motar ya yi wasa, kuma a daren da ya yi kyau yana iya sa masu sauraro su yi dariya sosai. "Mahaifina yana son yin wasa a honky-tonks da juke joints," in ji Ashburn, "wurare masu sauƙi, na gida inda mutane ke zuwa su rawa da waƙarsa. Ya ɗan ɗanɗana shaharar, ya yi wasa a manyan filaye, kuma bai damu da ita ba – ya fi son wurare masu ƙazanta, na cikin daji. Kuma mutane suna ƙaunarsa. A Texas, ya kasance almara, yana iya jawo mutane 2,000 zuwa Billy Bob's a Fort Worth."
Stewart kuma yana da magoya baya masu sadaukarwa a wuraren zama na ƴan asalin Amurka. McDonough ya yi imani cewa saboda "ƴan asalin Amurka suna rayuwa mai wahala, kuma a cikin Gary, sun ji wanda ya rera waƙa game da wannan rayuwar. Babu abin ƙarya game da shi."
Mary Lou ta rasu a ranar 26 ga Nuwamba 2003. Stewart mai baƙin ciki ya kashe kansa makonni uku bayan haka. "Su Bonnie da Clyde ne, Romeo da Juliet," in ji Ashburn. "Ɗaya ba zai iya rayuwa ba tare da ɗayan ba." Kaɗan ne suka lura da mutuwar Stewart a lokacin, amma Ashburn ba ta taɓa daina gaskata cewa za a sake gane kiɗan mahaifinta ba. "Na ƙudura don shigar da Gary cikin Country Music Hall of Fame," in ji ta. "Tare da littafin Jimmy, kundin Delmore na demos ɗinsa, da Sony a ƙarshe ya sanya wasu daga cikin kundin RCA ɗinsa a kan sabis na streaming, abubuwa suna inganta. Ina da rikodin sa masu yawa da nake so in raba da duniya, domin Gary Stewart ɗaya ne kawai."
Gary Stewart: I Am from the Honky Tonks an buga shi ta Wolf & Salmon, £34.99. A Burtaniya da Ireland, ana iya tuntuɓar Samaritans ta wayar kyauta 116 123. A Amurka, za ku iya kira ko aika saƙo zuwa 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline a 988 ko taɗi a 988lifeline.org. A Ostiraliya, sabis ɗin tallafi na rikici Lifeline shine 13 11 14. Sauran layukan taimako na ƙasa da ƙasa ana iya samunsu a befrienders.org.
Tambayoyin da Aka Yi Yawaita
Anan akwai jerin tambayoyin da aka yi yawaita game da labarin da rayuwar Gary Stewart bisa taken da jigogin da yake kira
Gabaɗaya Bayani
Q Wanene Gary Stewart
A Shi ɗan ƙasar da ya rera waƙoƙin ƙasar ne mai sha'awar jama'a daga shekarun 1970 wanda aka sani da wasanninsa masu ƙarfi da kuma salon murya mai rawar jiki na musamman Ya haɗa honky-tonk na gargajiya da ƙarfin rock-and-roll
Q Menene ma'anar honky-tonk hellraiser
A Yana kwatanta wanda ke rayuwa da yin wasan rayuwar mashaya mai wahala da shaye-shaye da ke da alaƙa da kiɗan honky-tonk Ga Stewart yana nufin shi mutum ne mai hauka a kan mataki kuma waƙoƙinsa suna cike da yanke kauna da ɓacin rai da wuce gona da iri
Q Me ya sa aka ambaci Bob Dylan a cikin taken
A Labarin yana iya nuna yadda manyan almara kamar Bob Dylan suke magoya bayansa Yana nuna cewa hazakar Stewart ba za a iya musantawa ba, har ta sami girmamawa daga mafi girman matakan kiɗa, ko da bai taɓa zama babban tauraro na yau da kullum ba
Q Shin Gary Stewart babban tauraro ne
A Yana da magoya bayan da suka sadaukar da kansu da yabo mai mahimmanci amma bai taɓa zama babban tauraron ƙasar na yau da kullum kamar Willie Nelson ko Merle Haggard ba Ana ɗaukarsa a matsayin mawaƙin mawaƙa wanda tasirinsa ya fi girma fiye da siyar da kundinsa
Q Menene shahararren waƙarsa
A Babban nasararsa ita ce Shes Actin Single a 1975 wadda ta kai lamba ta ɗaya a ginshiƙin ƙasar
Salon Kiɗan Sa
Q Me ya sa muryarsa ta kasance ta musamman
A Yana da salon murya mai tsayi mai rawar jiki wanda ke jin kamar yanke kauna da motsin rai Yana iya tafiya daga raɗaɗi zuwa kuka mai ƙarfi a cikin layi ɗaya wanda ya sa ciwonsa ya zama na gaske
Q Menene manyan jigogi a cikin waƙoƙinsa
A Waƙoƙinsa galibi game da kaɗaici ne, shaye-shaye, ɓarnar dangantaka, da duhun soyayya Ba waƙoƙin farin ciki ba ne – suna game da nutsar da baƙin ciki da jin an kama
Q Menene ma'anar "Ciwonsa na gaske ne" a cikin mahallin labarin
