The difficulty of keeping up with private messages.

Bill Nelson · **Joined:** Sun Apr 03, 2005 4:40 pm **Posts:** 14142

I've posted something about this before but, just wanted to explain again:

There are, I know, some of you who have sent me a personal communication via this website's 'PM' facility and perhaps not received an answer. In the last year or so, the number of messages I've been sent in this way has increased dramatically...my inbox is constantly full to the brim and I find myself having to delete older, sometimes unaswered messages to make room for incoming ones. (The PM inbox can only hold a finite number.)

The problem isn't an unwillingness, on my part, to try and answer everyone's PMs but simply a lack of sufficient time to deal with them all.

I do my best to keep up but, unfortunately, there are too many PMs going unanswered. I just want you to know that I do get to read all your PMs and appreciate your thoughtfulness, but if you don't receive an answer from me it is simply because of time constraints and the fact that older messages slide down the page as new ones constantly come in.

I do try to spend a certain proportion of my time, every single day, dealing with the public forum on the site, which is the main focus of my on-line interaction with fans. That, plus a continuous writing and recording schedule, preparations for special events, live concerts, the Nelsonica convention, etc, etc, seriously limits my ability to deal with every PM I receive.

To anyone who hasn't had a reply from me in recent months, I offer my sincere apologies and would like to stress that it isn't a result of any dis-interest or lack of appreciation on my part. It's just become physically impossible to keep up with it all.

Nevertheless, I do read all PMs with great interest and I'm very flattered to know you care.
Thanks and much love from Bill.

Mr. Tudball · **Joined:** Sat Feb 03, 2007 9:54 pm **Posts:** 17

I would bet most folks submitting PMs are just happy to know you read the message..no response should be expected in my view

MondoJohnny · **Posted:** Fri Apr 13, 2012 12:26 am

Yeah definitely. I mean we all know you try your best to. No one could accuse you of not giving your fans enough interaction! :lol:

play my theremin · **Posted:** Fri Apr 13, 2012 4:23 pm

MondoJohnny wrote:

Yeah definitely. I mean we all know you try your best to. No one could accuse you of not giving your fans enough interaction! :lol:

Very true!

Bill is like the anti-Kate Bush :wink:

Mr. Mercury · **Posted:** Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:39 pm

I've got an aunty Kate.

Bill Nelson · **Joined:** Sun Apr 03, 2005 4:40 pm **Posts:** 14142

I've often been advised not to interact with my fans so much. Apparently, keeping a good distance from them adds an air of mystery to an artist's image. Well, all I can say to that is, what utter 'tosh.' If an artist feels he has to manufacture some kind of artificial, 'holier than thou' image, you know, the old-school, sacred cow on a pedestal sales-pitch of the pop industry, then, in my opinion, there's something sadly missing in their lives. I detest that show-biz, carefully calculated 'don't touch me, I'm a god' approach. What a load of utter bollocks. It's intended to perpetuate some boring, pop-star myth and not rooted in reality. These people are not serving you music, they're just serving their ego. If an artist is any good, there's no need for that kind of artificial, fake flim-flam. Unfortunately, many fans of those artists still fall for it... :roll:

wadcorp · **Posted:** Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:33 pm

Bill, most managers & record company execs try to get their artists to remain aloof… because the artist in question is usually a chowderhead.

You being intelligent & well-spoken are welcome to interact with us all you want.

Just don't play "Freebird", please…

.

play my theremin · **Posted:** Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:39 pm

Bill Nelson wrote:

I've often been advised not to interact with my fans so much. Apparently, keeping a good distance from them adds an air of mystery to an artist's image. Well, all I can say to that is, what utter 'tosh.' If an artist feels he has to manufacture some kind of artificial, 'holier than thou' image, you know, the old-school, sacred cow on a pedestal sales-pitch of the pop industry, then, in my opinion, there's something sadly missing in their lives. I detest that show-biz, carefully calculated 'don't touch me, I'm a god' approach. What a load of utter bollocks. It's intended to perpetuate some boring, pop-star myth and not rooted in reality. These people are not serving you music, they're just serving their ego. If an artist is any good, there's no need for that kind of artificial, fake flim-flam. Unfortunately, many fans of those artists still fall for it... :roll:

A little vitriolic, perhaps?

In some cases, I think it's better for all concerned to have a little distance between artist and audience, but it depends on the circumstances. I feel sorry for those artists who attract stalkers and deluded individuals who can make their lives hell. Equally, it can be rather a disappointment to meet an artist who you've always admired only to find that they are an egotistical bore. Fortunately, and no doubt through careful cultivation, the relationship you have with your audience is a model of how things should work.

MondoJohnny · **Posted:** Sat Apr 14, 2012 10:11 pm

Bill Nelson wrote:

I've often been advised not to interact with my fans so much. Apparently, keeping a good distance from them adds an air of mystery to an artist's image. Well, all I can say to that is, what utter 'tosh.' If an artist feels he has to manufacture some kind of artificial, 'holier than thou' image, you know, the old-school, sacred cow on a pedestal sales-pitch of the pop industry, then, in my opinion, there's something sadly missing in their lives. I detest that show-biz, carefully calculated 'don't touch me, I'm a god' approach. What a load of utter bollocks. It's intended to perpetuate some boring, pop-star myth and not rooted in reality. These people are not serving you music, they're just serving their ego. If an artist is any good, there's no need for that kind of artificial, fake flim-flam. Unfortunately, many fans of those artists still fall for it... :roll:

Well I certainly feel my experience with the music has been enriched because of your candor and gracious treatment of us here. Im sure its not always easy, but thanks Bill.

Bill Nelson · **Joined:** Sun Apr 03, 2005 4:40 pm **Posts:** 14142

play my theremin wrote:

A little vitriolic, perhaps?

I don't think so...It's just that I'm uncomfortable around fakes and egotists in any walk of life, whether that be music or otherwise. I do understand the insecurities and weakness that sometimes cause people to inflate opinions of themselves in such a way, and I'm not unsympathetic to that, but some other people are just, plain and simple, victims of their own deliberately overblown ego. I'm afraid I have no time for that sort of thing. The only reason I do what I do is because of my love of music, all the rest is superficial, (though it has been sometimes neccesary to play the 'showbiz' card to get certain things across.) But the truth is, I left any adolescent fantasies of celebrity, fame and fortune behind me a long time ago.

www.billnelson.com

The difficulty of keeping up with private messages.

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