Texas Tales: Young Paul, oh Now I remember…

I just spent four hours tracking down the date that I filmed Paul Val at the world-famous Cotton Club in Granger, Texas. All I remembered was I was there for a singing contest my friend Andy was in, filming Andy for “Texas Tales from a Lone Star.” Paul walked in the door that night, I hadn’t expected that, but was very excited when I saw him and told my friends at my table, whispering and pointing him out. I already knew who Paul was, and stayed and filmed him. I remember I first noticed him, a year or more earlier, and realize now that was close to when he first arrived in Austin.

It took me hours to figure it out but it was June 2019. He moved to Austin from Riverside, California in Sept. 2017. I’ve heard him talk proudly about his “Prince of Punk Rock” father and as I was trying to figure out the Cotton Club date I read about his late musician father. I ran across many of his younger videos and photos and remembered, “I see WHY you liked him so much.” All that is what caused me to go see him last June for the first time.

I, myself, have been in the local musician scene in Austin since my Classic Rock bass player Singer/Songwriter boyfriend and I moved here from Orlando in 2010. We had spent a decade in the Orlando local musician scene before that and knew the ropes and hit it hard and fast networking Austin, making flyers, booking gigs, going to Open Mics & Jam nights, Hosting Open Mics and jam nights, playing our music, together and separately. We’d already compiled a decade’s worth of independent musician knowledge and experience together. Before that, I’d done the same thing in Houston and then in Tennessee by myself, as a Singer/Songwriter. I wrote the Class Poem as the Class Poet as a song in the 10th grade and sang it to everyone during Assembly and on Graduation Night around a campfire on a friend’s farm. I was given a ukulele at age 6 and my Sears guitar for Christmas when I was 14. I grew up singing Accapella in church harmonizing.

I turned my private property, Evins Mill/Chapelgate, into a private hideaway, recording studio and events private venue for Gospel Music and Contemporary Christian Music. My boyfriend I met in Orlando had done the same and had the same experience already under his belt. We built a recording studio at home using my equipment Robin bought me and buying more. My boyfriend, I met at an Orlando Open Mic, had won my heart by playing me his songs he wrote and recorded himself on a small cassette tape recorder in 2000, in Orlando.

He was 20 years younger than me but I didn’t see it. I just saw and heard his music (and guitar and long hair.) I’ve almost always dated younger by 20 years, and now 20+, because I married a man I was 20 years younger than and it is just the world I know and feel comfortable in. My looks and personality have made that possible and I just know what it’s like, and like it. Plus they probably like my guitar and Singer/Songwriter and Mass Communication abilities. My degree in Radio/TV plus film and writing play a part. It’s just my world.

So, Paul, I have never forgotten, was simply stunning in his looks and musical abilities. When I saw his gig in my news stream last June, I went, and never had before. Now, today, I remembered why, those early years. I wanted to track down that date I filmed him at The Cotton Club (google it, Granger, Texas) so I could try to find that film. Now, I know where to look for it, hopefully in a folder from June 2019. xo

PS My 3rd airing of my television episodes I created of Paul from last June to now is on Austin Public television last Friday, and the next 2 Fridays, Channel 16, from 7:30 pm-9 pm. It’s also on my website and here on my page, scroll down & look in my photos/videos. I filmed 9 of his gigs, more to come! Enjoy! xo

Copyright 2025 Angel Isaacs All Rights Reserved

Written Nov. 24, 2025