INTERVIEW : 2014-08-13 Watch Joseph Arthur's Moving Tribute Music Video for Robin Williams (by Colin Stutz)
Robin Williams at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on August 26, 2009.Munawar Hosain/Fotos International/Getty Images
As the world mourns Robin Williams' suicide earlier this week, an outpouring of remembrances and story-sharing about the Oscar and Grammy-winning actor have filled the web and helped to celebrate the influence he had on so many lives.
Singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur is among those touched by Williams' and Wednesday posted a tribute song called "Robin (A Tribute To Robin Williams 1951-2014)" for download and stream. The track is a moving five minutes referencing many of Williams' roles with an accompanying video is made up of his most memorable performances spanning decades, from Mork & Mindy to Good Will Hunting and more.
UPDATE: On Thursday morning (Aug. 14), Arthur released this statement to Billboard about why he penned the song:
"I met Robin once.
I was visiting a girlfriend in Vancouver where they film lots of movies and it was in a dressing room of a spa.
It was just him and me.
My first thought was, oh hey, I know you, and then it dawned on me, oh wait that's Robin Williams.
So I was immediately star struck.
But he noticed a book I had, and we started talking about it
He set me at ease.
Very friendly and unassuming person for the level of fame he had, but I was glad I got to thank him in a way.
When I heard of his passing, it seemed as if the universe must've made a mistake.
He was such a cultural icon, particularly I think for children of the seventies who were mesmerized by Mork and then got to grow up right along with his work and craft.
It's a huge loss for us all and my heart goes out to his family and friends.
Hopefully this tragedy will help change the conversation about the illnesses of addiction and depression. We definitely need a more progressive and tolerant approach. We are fragile beings and life is a blessing.
Godspeed Robin"
