Roy C. Live on TikTok

Roy C. Hammond left this earth on September 16th, 2020, but his music will live forever. I never got to say a proper goodbye. I have a lot of regrets about not finishing the film for Roy in time. The younger, more naivé, version of my self wanted the film to be larger than life, like Roy C. On the bright side, we did capture a ton of incredible moments together and I look forward to sharing these moments on TikTok and YouTube. By releasing them freely, Roy's spirit will travel farther and shine brighter without the use of a paywall. Roy never liked walls anyway.

@720x480 Roy C. "Rock Me" #royc #rootsnbluesfestival #soulmusic ♬ original sound - Chase Thompson

Roy C. on Vice!

Just discovered that Vice visited Roy C. at his shop, CRD, in Allendale, SC last December. Check it out HERE!

If you would like to see the Roy C. Live DVD come to life, please leave a comment saying so. It is ready to go. Roy and I just have to agree on the terms.

While You Wait...

Since I started working on Roy C. Forever, I have started many more projects. It's good to stay busy because you never know what obstacles are going to get in the way of finishing a film. I am pleased to say that Ryan Walker and I have finished a feature documentary simply called, Zielinski. It will make its World Premiere at Slamdance Film Festival in January. We combined forces with our buddy Paul Pollmann in Amsterdam. You know? the guy that did the incredible graphics and text for the live album! He did the poster and text for us and you can see more at www.zielinskifilm.com

When Roy C. came to Columbia, Missouri in 2008, Ryan and I had already been working on Zielinski for over a year. John Zielinsk was 68 years old at the time and knew how much work was going into getting Roy C. here and to get the live show off the ground. John's film took a backseat. We invited him to the big Roy C. Show in downtown Columbia and he said, "Yes, I'll be there. Now where is it." We were delighted to see John in the front row, up against the fence enjoying the show. He listened closely to Roy's lyrics. I know this because after the show I asked him, "What'd you think, John?" He replied,"He's a lot like me." He's right. I'd never noticed the similarities. It really made me ask the question "Do I pick my films? or Do they pick me?"
As we were breaking down equipment, we saw John walking away. When he came to the access channel the next week, we asked him if he'd done anything fun after the show. He did not. He walked 6 miles back to his trailer. In order to see the show, he had to miss the last bus to his place. I'll never forget that.

Zielinski Synopsis
By 1983 John Zielinski was a well-known author and photographer. His work had appeared in Life Magazine, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune and countless other publications. But in a devastating 1984 contract dispute, he lost $50,000 and his professional credibility. “This was the opening shot - turning me back into an investigative reporter.”
Today Zielinski is the “most blacklisted author” in the history of Iowa. For 25 years he has dedicated his life to exposing human traffickers, pedophiles, drug dealers and Satanists. But as he says, “They don’t kill you unless you become effective.” Zielinski traces the rise and fall of a true American original who has sacrificed everything in his quest for justice. Filmmakers Chase Thompson and Ryan Walker tell the story without voice over, using 47 years of source material, new interviews and music by Mark Speckman.

Heavy Hitter's of Soul

If you happen to be in Darlington, SC on June 5th, be sure to check out this "Soul Charged" lineup. Just take a look at some of these legends!

More to come

I'm still editing away on the live DVD. It will be a combination of footage from the Roots N' Blues performance, and some interview footage of Roy that I have collected over the years. In the meantime check out the trailer for I'm Not Through. This is a film that Red Kelly and I have been working on over the last year or so. Stay in touch.

New Album in New York City

We ran into Roy C. this week while Red and I were working on the Sir Lattimore Brown project.
Check out that awesome van! Don't Let Our Love Die is Roy's 16th studio release and I don't think he's stopping anytime soon.