Shuichi Iwami
Sometimes, life gives us moments that remind us that the world is always smaller than we think it is. This summer, that reminder comes from author Shuichi Iwami, who brought a piece of Spartanburg’s history to life all the way from Hiroshima, Japan.
Iwami was born in Hiroshima City, Hiroshima in 1971. He graduated from a local public high school before attending a private university in the city, where he received a degree in economics. Though he never studied abroad or spent extensive time learning English, he became a music lover after experiencing The Beatles in junior high.
He fell in love first with British rock bands from the 1960s, then American rock and singer/songwriter music from the 1970s. “Around 1998, I became aware of contemporary American music, later known as Americana,” shares Iwami.
Iwami credits much of his musical love to two friends from his hometown. “They are much older than me, and my mentors for searching for music,” he says. At one point in time, the three friends ran a non-profit website called Sweet Old World, where they reviewed Americana records that were not easily accessible in Japan.
It was through these friends that Iwami learned about Uncle Walt’s Band, a moment that he calls “truly rare.”
“They are from your city, Spartanburg, and the members, Walter Hyatt, Champ Hood, and David Ball are on the music trail,” says Iwami. “For those who migh tnot know them, they were a legendary part of the Austin, Texas music scene from the mid-70s to the early 80s. Though they remain relatively unsung, they truly deserve to be called one of the pioneering bands that laid the groundwork for what we now call Americana music.”
Iwami became so enamored with the band that he wrote a book about their story: Mighty Fine, Mighty Shine.
“My book is the world’s very first biography about this band,” he says. “I pride myself on the fact that a Japanese author — born and raised in Hiroshima — penned this story with pure passion, which I believe adds a unique and meaningful perspective to the book.”
This past February, Iwami traveled to Austin, Texas to host several book events in a city with deep ties to the band. “We sold nearly 100 copies and received overwhelming praise from those who knew the band back in the day,” he shares.
Many people wonder how a Japanese author could bring the story of a small band from the Carolinas to life. The answer? Pure passion.
“Of course, I love their music. But I was also drawn to the question of how they could create such beautiful music, both musically and personally,” says Iwami. “Since I never had the chance to see them perform live, that limitation actually sparked my imagination to write. And also, I truly believe they never received the recognition they deserved back then. If the internet had existed like it does today, things would have turned out differently — and I wanted to prove that.”
Mighty Fine, Mighty Shine not only tells the story of Uncle Walt’s Band, but of each member’s individual lives as well. “And honestly, it’s about my own life, too,” says Iwami. “Both playing music and listening to it can sometimes bring fascinating stories to us.”
Today, Iwami is still writing, and recently returned to working on a book that he’s had in progress for the past ten years. He first began writing it in Japanese before switching to English a few years ago. “That project was paused for my first book, but recently I’ve resumed writing it,” he says.
Readers interested in learning more about Iwami’s work can find him on Facebook at @shuichi.iwami. He also invites the Spartanburg community to reach out via email at twangup@ybb.ne.jp. Mighty Fine, Mighty Shine is available worldwide on Amazon, and he hopes to continue sharing the word about his story and hopes to connect further with the music media at large.
