Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Abbott.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Liz. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
The San Diego Troubadour was founded by four partners: Ellen and Lyle Duplessie, Kent Johnson, and Liz Abbott in the fall of 2001. The Duplessies had the idea of focusing on local music news in the acoustic music genres, which mainstream news doesn’t always cover. Kent Johnson had the expertise of delivery and I was proficient in layout and graphic design. Ellen and Lyle wrote all the articles in the beginning.
Our mission statement says it all:
To promote, encourage, and provide an alternative voice for the great local music that is generally overlooked by the mass media; namely the genres of alternative country, Americana, roots, folk, blues, gospel, jazz, and bluegrass. To entertain, educate, and bring together players, writers, and lovers of these forms; to explore their foundations; and to expand the audience for these types of music.
The San Diego Troubadour is published monthly and is free of charge.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t always been smooth. In the fall of 2001 I was diagnosed with breast cancer but still managed to crank out the paper despite going through chemo and radiation treatments. In 2004, Ellen Duplessie died of cancer and Lyle died a few months later of a heart attack. The following year, we suffered another personal tragedy, which took Kent out of commission for the entire year of 2005. I managed to keep it all going by myself and the generous help of the music community.
Things have been going fairly smoothly since then with just the two of us. Nothing major.
San Diego Troubadour – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are basically a mom and pop business — no frills, nothing fancy, just news about our local music scene. We are the only “music only” publication in town and we are proud of that fact. Over the years we have gained the respect, admiration, and support of many in the community, creating a kind of network for musicians and music lovers. We love what we do and I think we have become quite good at it. Over the years I believe the quality of the paper has improved with better writers and interesting stories. We don’t make much money; we do it because we love to do it.
The Troubadour supports itself with advertising and an annual fundraiser in December. Our holiday party has become legendary.
The Troubadour’s circulation is 7,000 and we deliver to the entire San Diego region from Oceanside to San Ysidro, downtown to Borrego Springs, and inland North County as well.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
There have been many… hard to say what the PROUDEST moment is. It is very gratifying to get kudos from George Varga, music critic for the Union-Tribune. When people tell us that their article helped raise their profile or that they got more gigs out of it that feels wonderful as well.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4467 New Jersey Street
San Diego, CA 92116 - Website: http://sandiegotroubadour.com
- Phone: 619.300.7978
- Email: info@sandiegotroubadour.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/sandiegotroubadour
Image Credit:
1. Ellen and Lyle Duplessie upon receiving the very first issue of the Troubadour. Photo by Liz Abbott.
3. Troubadour holiday party at Tango Del Rey 2014. Photo by Dennis Andersen.
4. Troubadour holiday party at my home 2005. Photo by Lois Bach.
5. Troubadour 10-year anniversary party 2011 with Steve Poltz and AJ Croce. Photo by Dennis Andersen.
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