Edward Stanton Mottau

Ed Mottau, guitarist, singer-songwriter, record producer, and craftsman, died peacefully at his home in Peterborough, NH, surrounded by family and friends on Sunday, November 3, 2024. He was 80 years old. 

Ed’s lifelong love of music and woodworking defined a remarkable creative life. 

Known for his mastery of the guitar, Mottau developed a unique finger-picking style that was both articulate and soulful, spanning genres, from folk to rock ‘n’ roll to traditional ragtime jazz. As a singer and composer, his songs were both melodic and lyrical. As a record producer he honed the intricate craft of making records. As a session guitarist Ed worked with a diverse group of artists from Al Green to Mountain. Rolling Stone Magazine called Mottau “a musician’s musician.” 

Ed formed the folk duo Two Guys from Boston with Joe Hutchinson and recorded "Come on Betty Home" and "Shimmy Like My Sister Kate" for Scepter Records in 1964. That same year, he wrote and recorded with singer Jackie De Shannon. 

Mottau moved to Greenwich Village with his wife Kathy and their baby daughter. and became a frequent performer at legendary venues like The Gaslight Cafe, The Bitter End, Gertie's Folk City, and the Cafe Wha. The duo formed the band Bo Grumpus with drummer Norman Smart, and bassist Jim Colegrove, recording the album Before the War, produced by Felix Pappalardi, for Atlantic Records. In 1969, as Jolliver Arkansaw, they released the album Home for Bell Records, also produced by Pappalardi. 

In 1973, Ed released his first solo album, No Turning Around, on MCA Records. The album, re-released in Japan in 2001, was produced by Paul Stookey of Peter Paul and Mary and featured jazz legend Gerry Mulligan. Mottau joined bassist and producer Jim Mason to co-produce and play guitar on Stookey’s first solo album. He also produced folk records for Scottish artist Maggie Bell, and most recently Wendy Keith’s Conversations album and FAZ NOW and THEN with Paul Stookey in 2022. 

Mottau began his collaboration with John Lennon, playing guitar on the Some Time in New York City, Walls and Bridges, and Rock 'n' Roll albums, joining Lennon's all-star band, with Jim Keltner, Klaus Voormann, Jesse Ed Davis, and Kenny Asher. He was awarded a gold record for his work on Walls and Bridges, which reached #1 with the hit "Whatever Gets You Through the Night." He toured and performed with Lennon and Yoko Ono, appearing at the Attica State Benefit concert at the Apollo Theater in New York City and the John Sinclair Freedom Rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He also appeared with Lennon and Ono on The Dick Cavett and Mike Douglas shows throughout the early 1970s. 

Seeking a quiet country life, Ed, and his family moved from NYC to Lyndeborough NH, where they had spent summers. He fell in love with the Monadnock region and settled into the community, pursuing his lifelong passion for wood working. 

He designed and built a custom stone house, a state-of-the-art woodshop and guest house on their property. Through 40 years of working in his shop, Ed continued to learn and perfect his craft, designing fine furniture and custom cabinetry. His work was characterized by classic architecture, rich materials, and superior craftsmanship. 

A student of American history, he became expert in restoration, researching materials, applications, and styles to ensure period appropriateness. Mottau’s pieces are in homes throughout New York and New England. 

In 1979 Mottau joined Felix Pappalardi and Tokyo-based rock band Creation to record the album Live at Budokan and went on a world tour to promote the record. 

Ed released his second solo album, No Moulding, featuring guitarist Vic Hyman, with Neworld Multimedia. The album was re-released in 2020. Returning to his roots, he formed folk trio, Mottau, Drew & Clark, with bassist and singer-songwriter Jimmy Clark and drummer Bob Drew. The trio recorded two albums, Dance for Love (2004) and Revelation Revolution (2020), which climbed the folk charts worldwide. They performed live until Drew’s death in 2021. That year, the TV show Chronicle featured a special on Ed's life in music. 

Edward Stanton Mottau was born on December 10, 1943, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Lillian O’Rourke Mottau and Edward F. Mottau. He was one of five siblings: David, Gerard, Marylou, and Robert. Ed grew up in Avon, MA, and attended Avon High School. He married his high school sweetheart, Kathy Ryan Mottau, with whom he had two children, Christine and Edward Jr. Kathy passed away in Dec. 2018, and Ed Jr. passed away in March 2024. In 2020 he moved to Peterborough NH. 

Ed believed love and kindness were the guiding principles of life, and he lived his life, one day at a time, with compassion, integrity, creativity and purpose. A pillar of his community, he was always happy to get involved wherever there was need. He performed benefit concerts to raise awareness and funds for schools; the Kids Together afterschool program, founded and directed by his wife Kathy; and the Conservation Land Trust of NH. Ed was a loyal and trusted friend, devoted and loving husband and father. He cherished his wife Kathy of 55 years, his two children, and family above all. He was deeply loved and will be greatly missed. 

Ed is survived by his daughter, Christine Mottau, and her husband, Michael Block, of NYC; his brother Gerard Mottau of Brockton, MA; his sister Marylou and her husband George Fitzsimmons of St. Louis, MO; his brother Robert and sister-in-law Mabel Mottau; as well as cousins, nieces, and nephews. 

A celebration of life memorial service will be held on: 

Saturday, January 4, at 2:00 PM 

The Unitarian Universalist Church 

25 Main St., Peterborough, NH 03458 

In lieu of flowers, charitable donations can be made in memory of Ed Mottau to: Music to Life