Paul Autry R.I.P.

[Jim Price]

I figure that many Rockpagers did not know Paul Autry, but a few of you did, so I am sad to report his passing. Paul was a regional music enthusiast, writer, fan and collector; he passed away early Friday morning of an apparent heart attack in his home vicinity of Shamokin. He was 40. He is survived by his wife of 19 years, Theresa, and two children.

I mainly met and knew Paul from running into him annually at the Millennium Music Conference in Harrisburg. Like me, Paul was heavily into live bands and shows, and was always eager to discover that exciting new local or regional band. He collected music, and had a large archive of local and regional music recordings. He often burned off copies of recordings for me, and I would swap him duplicate CD's from area bands when I ran into him during Millennium.

Paul could be outspoken at times, and wasn't afraid to mince words. He did some writing on the side, and was a contributor to indie metal publication BallBuster Magazine.

It will be different attending the 2012 Millennium Music Conference and not shooting the bull with Paul. He was a fixture at MMC whose presence was easy to take for granted. Rest in peace Paul, and thanks for sharing your music knowledge and library with me.

Here is a picture of Paul, singer/songwriter Sherri Mullen and me, taken during the Trade Show at the 2007 Millennium Music Conference in Harrisburg. If your band ever showcased at Millennium, you might recognize Paul as somebody who was in your audience, often up front and taking pictures.