Album Notes

Featuring: The Paperboys, Shannon Saunders, Cody Westman & Neal Ryan, Andy Collins, The Big Head Project, Tim Readman, Rob Bracken & Johnnes Grames

Great Stuff - The Songs of Paul "Lolly" Lawton

On July 15, 2005, we learned of the tragic death of our beloved friend Paul “Lolly” Lawton. The loss was unexpected, and although the days and months that followed Lolly’s passing have at times been unbearably sad, there is always a memory of Lolly that comes to mind to lift our hearts and offer us strength.

To have known Lolly was to adore him. He was a genuine, compassionate and spiritual person whose love of life was contagious. He stopped at nothing to make people feel uniquely special and to bring laughter to each day. What was most remarkable about Lolly was his ability to balance his time amongst the things that mattered most to him. He was a loyal supporter of the Everton Football Club (Go Blues!), a committed contributor to a variety of charities and children’s sponsorship programs, an accomplished drummer and percussionist, a devoted member of his faith, a best friend to so many, and a loving son, brother and uncle. It wasn’t until after Lolly passed away that we realised just how much he managed to fit into each day. For this we give thanks to Lolly’s malfunctioning “off-button”.

When we discovered the mini disc containing the songs recorded on this CD, we were once again amazed by our Lolly. We had enthusiastically followed the success of our friend, the drummer, but uncovering his talents as a songwriter has been one of the most poignant gifts he has left us. Through music, Lolly’s greatest passion, he has proven the everlasting nature of love, which lives on and continues to grow even when a body’s journey has ended.

Our fortune is that we will forever have this imprint of Lolly’s powerful soul. His deep connection to God and his guiding energy are embodied in the music he wrote. Our hope is that these songs offer lightness, joy and the courage to pursue any dream imaginable to all that hear them.

Each of the musicians appearing on this CD were dear friends to Lolly, people he admired, respected and felt privileged to play with. We’ve called it “Great Stuff” in memory of the name Lolly gave to the countless compilations of tunes he would spend hours and days preparing for his friends and family.

As Lolly would have wanted, take the time to listen to his words, feel the music and lose yourself for just a little while.