I work for an Indycar team, and today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I got to meet the great hot rod artist Robert Williams. I was walking out of our garage and saw him standing out front with a couple other people. I introduced myself and told him I was a fan of his art work. His reply was "How do you know about me?!". He was very humble and unassuming. We talked for a few minutes about hot rods, racecars, and even a little about Von Dutch. I usually don't get too starstruck, but I really enjoyed meeting him and his wife. I have met plenty of famous people that didn't live up to the image that I had built in my head, but Mr. Williams was quite the opposite. He was a real pleasure to talk with even if it was for a few brief minutes. Just wanted to share the highlight of my day!
In my experience, some of those with the most to be proud of are the most humble and approachable. The others can be real morons. Enjoy your encounter!
very cool. he is by far my favorite hot rod artist. i still have one of his prints framed in my garage that i got about 15 yrs ago.
Cool... No matter your opinion of some of the so called 'stars' some of them are very humble....Chip Foose is an obvious example.
When I read the title, I read it as "Robin Williams" for some reason and I thought to myself, this dude must be a big Mrs. Doubtfire fan.
I met Chip and his dad Sam at Good Guys in Columbus a couple years ago, 2 great people who are not self important!
I talked to him at the Roadster show in Pomona about four years ago, he seemed like a nice guy. When I told him I was looking for one of his prints he told me "Good luck, its been sold out for years." About a month later I found one right here on the HAMB.
Yeah, besides being an extremely talented artist, Robert Williams is also a genuinely nice guy... His wife is also a nice lady... I was honored several years ago, when Robert was compiling hot rod music for a 2 LP disc (color picture disc) release he was doing called CHROME, SMOKE & FIRE... He picked our (Big Stick's) "Drag Racing" track to include in his compilation of fave hot rodding music... I met him a few times at art galleries and social gatherings... His success in the "mainstream" art world is really incredible... Below is a still shot from the Big Stick "Drag Racing" video, and then below that is the actual "music video" for the track on YouTube... Robert Williams is one the best... "The Doc" (Celebrity Drag Racing Authority & Visionary)... And the actual "Drag Racing" video from the song Robert put on his Chrome Smoke & Fire double LP compilation... <iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5bIYoQ42dBg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
A guy I met did a sit down with him a while back and filmed it. http://www.wesselmania.net/CarnyTalk.html It does not have high production values, but is interesting.
i would love to meet him. i read where his dad owned race cars( round track) in the b'ham al area when he was young.love to talk to him about that.
I read a mag article he said he painted his roadster like the round track cars he saw while he was young.. The number on his car is 397. In the Birmingham area is a restored round track 1934 chev modifed with 397 on the side. This car was races in the 50s into the 60s.. The color is blue like the main color on RW car...
my wife has a pretty serious robert williams collection, she used to sell signed prints of his years ago, our house is full of it, pretty much all signed, along with several one of a kind items, neat stuff if your not familar with his art he worked with Ed Roth for a spell and is very much a hot rodder blue collar bravado is my personal favorite my him
seventhirteen Yeh.. thats the one! ^ ^^ Hey Diana the Doc, that's a nice sound collage/ song?/ soundscape..
Hi Diana, nitroguy from Cole's site of old. Robert and Suzanne are great, always willing to chat and he's always willing to sign posters. I don't think I can afford his new shown in the current issue of TRJ!
Hi Surfrider... I don't think I could presently afford anything that Robert has done over the last several years, unless I sold my house... The kind of prices his work commands now are strictly for the extremely rich 'n' famous... Makes me regret a time, just before he became such an "item" among the mainstream art world, when I went to a show of his held at a downtown NYC record store, you could buy an original Robert Williams painting for like $1500-$2500-- If I bought a couple of those back then, and now, with the way the value of all his work has gone through the roof, I'd have a fortune's worth of stuff-- The monetary value of his work sure appreciated a lot better than some of the more "conservative" Wall Street type investments I've made over the years... But I will say this, Robert has sure worked hard to get where he is-- Every morning when he wakes, he gets up and paints-- I admire the strong work ethic he has for doing his art... "The Doc" (Celebrity Drag Racing Authority & Visionary)...
Diana: Can't believe I just stumbled on the "Drag Racing" song here on the hamb. I must have heard it like, once or twice on UK radio - it would have been John Peel that played it. I remember the tag line (or whatever muso's call it) the tube top bit. Thanks for bringing back a memory. Sorry for jumping the thread. Mart.
met him standing in line at the GNRS in 2008. cool guy. he autographed a guys tatto. he went to get it inked.
Mart, Yes, besides Robert Williams giving it the thumbs up by putting it on his 2LP hot rod music compilation, the late great John Peel used to play Big Stick's "Drag Racing" on his popular BBC radio show... It even charted in the NME and stuff... And John Peel included the record in his special "Peel's Record Box", along with the 100 or so records that he claimed he'd grab if his home ever caught fire.... John Peel was a great DJ and we all sure miss him... "The Doc" (Celebrity Drag Racing Authority & Visionary)...
His draftsmanship is excellent. Some of his landscapes are huge and complex. He creates these freaky scenes and makes them believable, even if they have cartoony black outlines. They're almost like tattoos on a grand scale. He has done what many artists aspire to, which is to have such a major influence while he is still alive and working. Coop is blindingly good, but Wms paved the way and then sped on ahead.
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