[00:00:00] Welcome to the Tell Us Something podcast. I’m Marc Moss, founder and executive director of Tell Us Something, and your host for this episode of the podcast in this special edition of the Tell Us Something podcast. We take time to honor an important community member. Tell us something. Storyteller, alumni, support of the arts, statesman and friend.

Pat Williams five times. Pat Williams joined us on the Tell Us something stage to share pieces of his extraordinary life with us. Each one delivered with that unmistakable wit, wisdom, and profound connection to humanity that he so loved. You know, we require each storyteller who shares their stories at tell us something to attend a group workshop, and Pat just never found the time to join us for those workshops.

But. He got a pass because he’s Pat Williams back in April of this year. Tell Us Something, travel to Butte America to bring Tell Us Something to an [00:01:00] enthusiastic group of listeners. I. At the Covellite Theatre, I shared a story about the first time we held a Tell Us Something event in Butte, which was also at the  Covellite Theatre.

That first time in Butte back in 2019. I had to buy time for the start of the event because the evening’s very first storyteller, Pat Williams was late. Listen, as I share that story, which is more than just a story of tell us something in Butte, more than just a story of Pat Williams, it’s honoring my friendship with Pat.

Stick around after my story to hear one of the stories that Pat shared on the Tell Us Something. Stage a story about Bing Crosby in Butte America. Sláinte,

how many people have been in love before? Yeah. So, I don’t know, before the, before the internet was so prevalent and social media wasn’t, wasn’t yet invented. [00:02:00] When I was in love at least, I wrote and received love letters from my lovers, long torrid, sometimes thoughtful and reflective love letters. And then when the breakup were happen.

Emails. Don’t forget to gimme back my black t-shirt. I want that Black Sabbath record back. I think you have my popcorn maker all in an email. Cold, succinct. And I thought, you know, making, oh, it’s a really good way to heal and, and I. Make art sometimes I, and I’m from Akron, Ohio originally, and so I love abandoned buildings and rusty shit.

And, and so when I first came to Butte, I was like, oh, this feels a lot like home. And so I, I had a whole bunch of rusty things and I had all these love letters and I thought, I love you and I never want to be without you. [00:03:00] I hate you, and I never, never want to see you again. Both honest feelings that are out there in the universe.

What happens if we put ’em together? So I like ripped out sections of those love letters. Burned the rest, used an Exacto knife, cut out sections of those emails, mounted them under glass, collaged them together on rusty metal with wires, and found other rusty things. And one of the things I found was an old wall-mounted telephone.

Now some of you don’t know what that is, so before we all had. Uh, camera and a video machine and a phone and all the things in, in our pockets. Telephones were mounted on the wall and they were stationary and you had to pick it up and there was a rotary in like 1, 6, 6, you know, whatever. And it took a long time to dial.

Anyway, I found one of those from like 1945 or something, and I took it apart. [00:04:00] And because they’re beautiful inside, they’re just these cool, gorgeous machines. And I put it in my acid to rust it. And peed on it. And then it was super rusty and I put it on one of these pieces of art and the art show is happening, and this guy is like standing there, like looking at it, and the proprietor of the venue comes over.

He is like, she says, do you know who that is? And I’m like, no. She’s like, that’s Pat Williams. He wants to buy your art. I’m like, oh, okay. I know who Pat Williams is, and most of you probably do, but for those of you who don’t, pat Williams is the longest running congressman from Montana in like the seventies, eighties, nineties, and did a lot for the environment and the arts, and all of a sudden I’m like a little bit intimidated and honored, so I walk over, introduced myself, Hey, I’m Marc.

He’s like, good to meet you. I’m Pat. [00:05:00] Like I saw this in the paper and I wanna buy it. And so that was what was on the, on the, in the newspaper when they wrote the story about the show. And I said, great. And he goes, but I don’t want the whole thing. I just want the phone. I said, I’m not taking it apart. I’m not gonna like take the phone.

And he is like, I don’t care what you do, I just want the phone. I said, the price is the same. He said, that’s fine. Deliver it to me when the show comes down. Here’s my number. Okay, what am I, what the fuck is this? So I know a guy that’s got a plasma cutter, so the show ends, I take it over there and cut it in half.

I sell the other side of it for the same price. I think it was like 350 bucks. So I sell this thing twice and I call him, I’m like, I got the art. I’m, uh, I’ll deliver it. And he’s like, I’ll meet you at the Uptown Diner. So, okay. And that place doesn’t exist anymore, but Uptown Diner in Missoula. We go there for breakfast, he buys me [00:06:00] breakfast.

I’m like, what’s the deal with the phone? He said, well, I grew up in Butte, Montana, and I lived above a candy store that my, my family owned. And one afternoon when I was a kid, I was taking apart the phone with a screwdriver and my grandmother came and found me and she yanked the screwdriver outta my hand and said, you’re gonna burn down the candy store.

And I’ve never seen the inside of a phone.

I said, pat, what? You’re 75 years old. Like, how old are you? What you’ve never, you’ve never taken a phone apart. He said, out of other things to do. So that began our friendship and I founded Tela something and I knew Pat was a good storyteller ’cause I was there with him for two hours. And I had beers with whiskeys with him at Charlie’s.

You know, he used to, there was a bar in Missoula that has like this door in between the [00:07:00] bar and the coffee shop. And he would like take his coffee and like walk over to the bar and he’d come back and he sit down and hold court. And I was like, Pat’s great. And I was like, man, wouldn’t it be great to get him on the tell us something stage?

And sure enough he was like, I’ll totally do that. And he told I think three stories that tell us something. Um. One about Dr. Martin Luther King. You can listen to it at, uh, tell us something.org. The other one, um, about Bing Crosby coming to Butte. And the third story he told here in 2018, and I don’t remember what the theme was that time, but the show was supposed to start at seven o’clock and it’s 10 minutes to seven and there’s no sign of Pat.

And the guy that was driving him, his name’s Brian, he’s a storyteller, uh, too from tell us something. And I had his number and I called him up. I’m like, Brian, where are you guys at? [00:08:00] He’s like, well, uh, we just got our second round of drinks at Lydia’s. I’m like, God, damnit, that’s across town. Like the show is supposed to start.

He’s like, well. I mean, and I was like, okay, just get here as fast as you can. The show it is 10 minutes after seven, they’re still not here. Ev everyone’s sort of looking at me. There were about this many people, maybe a handful more. And I’m like, I mean, I guess I gotta do this. And oh, I forgot to tell you, uh, at the time I had a broken leg.

So like those steps coming up and down those steps, how many times did I go up and down those steps? And everyone’s like, what’d you do with your leg? And I’m like, not right now. I got, oh, you know what? Actually, lemme tell you because the show has to go on, right? So where’s Pat? I’m like, wished that he would come and tell a story in Butte, [00:09:00] like, be careful what you wish for.

He’s late. Maybe he’s not even gonna come. I don’t know what’s gonna happen. So I tell the story of how I broke my leg, the short version of that story. ’cause I don’t have enough time. Is that. I was at Burning Man. I don’t know if you know what that is. It’s this big art festival in the desert, and it was one of those days where everything was perfect.

I was in love with the world. Everything was great. My wife Joyce and I were gonna have sexy time later. She was like, you go that way. I’m gonna go this way and we’re gonna have some adventures. I’ll see you tonight. Don’t forget to take a shower. I’m like, I got you. So I’m out gallivanting around on my bike, you know?

Hey, hey, high fiving people. Even with, you know, my non-dominant hand. I’m like, this is great. This guy’s rolling by on one of those one wheel devices. I’m like, that looks fun. And he goes, you wanna try it? I’m like, I don’t. He’s like, have you ever snowboarded? I said, yeah. And he goes, well then it’s the same thing.

Look where you’re going. I was like, okay. And so I got on, tried it, went that [00:10:00] way. He’s like, no, no, no. Like watch you got ba like, and so I did it for a while and I’m like, this is crazy. How do you, he goes, I’ve only had this for four days. I’m like, you’re doing great. He’s like, it just takes practice. You can do it.

I’m like, I’ve got other things. I’ve got somewhere to be in a little while. So I, um, ride my bike. I’m still going, and I see. This punk rock and roll band, setting up their equipment on top of a shipping container in the shipping container is a bar. Now, I don’t know if you know anything about Burning Man outside of like the pictures that in videos that you’ve seen, but there is no money there.

You don’t, there’s no bartering either. It’s everything is free and so like there’s a full bar. I’m like, okay, but there, the other thing that’s out there is. Uh, a halfpipe, a skateboard, halfpipe with skateboards everywhere. I’m like, okay. Um, [00:11:00] I’ve never been on a skateboard, but remember I’m sort of in love with the world.

The possibilities are endless. I can do anything. So I walk into the bar and the guy’s like, what do you want? You want some whiskey? And I was like, not right now. I want you to show me how to drop in. And he was like, I don’t know how to skate. Bullshit. Like he’s got tattoos, full sleeves, ears pierced, nose pierced, lip pierced, like Yeah, you do.

He’s like, never been on a skateboard before. I was like, okay. So I walk out, find a board, get on it,

drop, drop in the, the skateboard goes flying. I go flying and I’m like, okay. And it’s like, try it again. ’cause like. He who never tries, never succeeds. And so and so, I try it again and out he walks. He’s got a talk hand in his hand and he’s like, Hey, old man, what are you doing? I said, I’m either gonna be successful [00:12:00] or I’m gonna be injured.

And he goes, you know what I like about you? You set realistic goals.

And he said, I’m not gonna show you how to do it, but I will tell you that you have to like, let the board and the wheels sort of hang off the edge first, which I wasn’t doing. And I was like, oh, okay. And so I tried that and it was a little easier, but I still fucked it up and, and I tried it again and it was, I was a little more successful, but not, not fully.

And you know, I’m still falling, the board’s flying over that direction. And on the seventh try, I drop in and I hear, I’m like, oh yeah, I’ve reached my goal about that whiskey I set about that time. Pat walks up the steps. I’m like, Hey, please welcome to the stage Pat Williams, and up he walks. He doesn’t know anything about that.

You know [00:13:00] that, that story that I just told. He’s like, cheers. I’m. So I was like, this is twice be, be careful what you wish for. Be careful. Like I, I wish that I knew how to ride a skateboard and I wish for Pat to tell a story in Butte and obviously, you know, if you’ve ever heard him tell a story, he brought the house down.

He was amazing and I’m very grateful to him. And to you all for being here to share a night of true stories. Thank you so much. Stick around to hear Pat’s story about Bing Crosby in Butte after the break.

So he said Phil and I left our half full glasses there and went out and jumped in my sports car.

Wonderful night. Warm top down, and he said, we’re racing through the countryside.

That’s coming up. Stay with us. We’re trying to decide on the theme for the October 7th. Tell us something event if you’d like to weigh in on what that theme should [00:14:00] be, head over to tell us something. Dot org to cast your vote in the running are five potential themes, learning curve, wild and free.

Walk on the wild side. Confluence and no time to explain. Go to tell us something.org to cast your vote. We’re also looking for sponsors for the October 7th. Tell us something event. If you’d like to sponsor, tell us something, please email me, marc@tellussomething.org. That’s M-A-R-C at, tell us something.org.

Okay, let’s get to Pat’s story. Pat Williams shared this story at Tell Us Something in front of a live audience. On February 18th, 2014 at the Top Hat Lounge in Missoula, Montana, the theme that night was, what are you waiting for? Bing Crosby spends time in Butte, Montana to fish and get away from the spotlight fame brought to him in the 1940s and fifties.

He is misrecognized by a pedestrian on the street. Bing then [00:15:00] shares a story with Pat about Blue, the Bear in the Jungle Book, Phil Harris. And drinking whiskey.

It’s nice to see you. Oh, it’s nice to see all of you.

Um, some people are damn tough despite big problems, aren’t they? Yeah. Let’s hear it again.

Carol and I have been in, uh, Missoula now since I left the US Congress. We’ve been here 17 years. We absolutely love it. My home as well as Carol’s, uh, uh, initially was Butte, and, uh, you can go home again, and the two of us do it all the time. I thought tonight I’d tell you, uh, a couple of quick stories about.[00:16:00]

Of the many hundreds that happened to me in Butte. Um, this one is about a, uh, a famous entertainer who used to come to Butte, kind of incognito. He knew my family and he liked to come by. Um, unshaven with dark glasses before sunglasses were all the rage and a hat pulled down and collar up, and that was a Bing Crosby.

Uh, some of you younger, I assume know who Ben Crosby was. Ben grew up as a neighbor up here in Spokane, and in his early years he loved to fish in Montana. So after he became famous in the thirties, forties and fifties, he would occasionally come to Montana and he had a particular bent for Butte. He knew an uncle of mine [00:17:00] and so he became friends with our family.

So here’s two quick stories about Bing Crosby and Butte. Uh, all people that famous, uh, I assume get tired of being recognized. And when Bing came out here to fish and. It’d go to Butte. He, he simply didn’t want to be recognized, so he’d always have that heavy growth. And the glasses and the hat pulled down, the collar up and banging.

My mom and my dad and my uncle are walk. I was a little kid. This is in the late forties, I think. I was a little kid and we were walking down Park Street in Butte, which in those days was very busy, very loaded with people, pedestrians, and, uh, a woman. I started on by and then turned around and came back and stood right in front of us and looked at Bing with a lot of people going by and said, Hey, your, and she [00:18:00] stopped ’cause she couldn’t Exactly.

She said, your, um, your, and he took both of her hands. Because he knew she was about to shout Bing Crosby in a crowd. So he took both of her hands and pulled him, pulled her close, and he said, I’m Bing Crosby. And she pushed him away and said, no, that’s not it. Wait a minute, you are

now. I, uh, yeah. It was great fun. Now, another story that’s more appropriate for this particular. Crowd and that is that Bing was, uh, had a great friend named Phil Harris. Phil Harris was from the south. He was a singer. And for about two thirds of this crowd, you know Phil Harris as the voice. Of Blue. The Bear in the Jungle book, remember Blue?

Well, [00:19:00] blue Blue and his wonderful songs were the voice, uh, of Phil Harris and Bing told us this story after he had been in Scotland. He said, Phil and I went to Scotland. And he said, uh, I had bought a new car and he said he and I were tooling around in the afternoon and the evening and drinking a little bit, trying to be careful, but drinking a little bit.

And he said it got to be 10 or 11 o’clock. And we were in one of the pubs in northern uh, Scotland, and he said the, uh, the, the pub was closing. He said, I think it was 10 or 11 o’clock. And he said, Phil and I were just kind of getting going. And pretty disappointed that we were gonna have to leave this bar and the bars closed at whatever, 10 o’clock he said.

We said to the bartender, well, is there anywhere else we can get a drink? And the bartender said, well, about 45 minutes north. They stay opened until one. So he said, Phil and I left our half [00:20:00] full glasses there and went out and jumped in my sports car. Wonderful night, warm. Top down and he said, we’re racing through the countryside.

And he said, we get out into a kind of a rural area about, uh, 20 minutes out of that town. And he said, we see little Scottish distilleries way off in the distance, little low buildings windows, all lighted by the fires inside. Men carrying wood back and forth for the fires. He said, I said to Phil Harris, look at there, Phil.

They’re making it faster than you can drink it. And he said, Phil said, yeah, dad, but I got ’em working nights. Thank you.

Thanks, Pat. [00:21:00] Pat Williams was Montana’s longest serving member of the United States House and died on June 25th, 2025 in Missoula, Montana. The Butte native, who was Montana’s last Democrat elected to the house to date served nine terms from 1979 to 1997. Including two as the state’s at large.

Representative Williams was 87 years old. Pat believed in the power of storytelling to connect us as humans and was a huge fan of Tell Us something he is missed. To read a full tribute to Pat Williams had to tell us something.org. You can also listen to all of Pat’s stories that survived. You know, he told five stories.

Only four of them were recorded. You can listen to all of those stories at tellussomething.org. Just search Pat Williams. Thanks for [00:22:00] listening.