Ashley E Norton

Ashley E Norton returns with a follow up acoustic EP release after her successful americana album, “Call Of The Void”, which sat on the Euro Americana Chart for months with glowing reviews. She describes “The Red Guitar” as one of the most important songs she’s written to date, inspired by Paula Stykel Wiessner, who grew up in Paleis Het Loo in Apeldoorn, NL.

When Paula was just 5 years old, it was Nazi occupied. This May 5th marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of The Netherlands from Nazi Germany and Norton will be celebrating the song release with a Freedom Concert video to be played at the palace on this date.

This is Paula’s story, written by Ramona, California’s honorary mayor, Tim Connelly. Which turned into this song, written by Norton. “The Red Guitar EP” includes 3 other acoustic recordings from Norton’s previous album releases, performed live in the studio.

With an intimate story like this one, and tears in the eyes of all present during its creation, this song is meant to be heard simply, one guitar and one vocal.

This is Paula’s story :

Paula’s living room was on the 1st floor of the Palace Het Loo. It was a large stone room. The room drew its smell from the large 15th century tapestries that hung on the walls and was spiced with the faintest hint of smoke from the ever tended fireplace. 2 walls of the room were covered with windows. One set of windows looked into the courtyard. The other into the Queens magnificent garden. Near the fireplace, one set of curtains always remained open, and behind that heavy curtain lay hidden an unassuming red guitar.

Like guitars in many homes, the palace guitar was never played. It was never even mentioned in front of others. 5 year old Paula wasn’t quite sure why, but she feared to touch it. Brother Robbie did once and did he ever catch the dickens. Just outside the window near the guitar, Paula remembers watching as bloodied and maimed Nazi soldiers limped past seeking care for their wounds in the palace and Nazi hospital. You see, during war the palace wasn’t a palace.

When the Germans occupied the Netherlands in World War II, the Palace Het Loo was converted into a hospital to care for the injured Nazi soldiers. Paula’s family was only allowed to stay in the palace because her father, Paul Wiessner, was the only person who knew how to keep the palace running.

Paul Wiessner was the Queens Housemaster of the Palace Het Loo before the war, during the Queens exile, and after the queen retired. It was during the years of occupation that the red guitar stood hidden in near plain sight. Concealed inside the old red guitar was something that could have gotten her father killed.

Hidden inside of the old red guitar was something that could have put the family on one of the trains everyone so feared. Hidden inside of the red guitar was a radio transceiver that Paul Weisner used to help the Dutch resistance stay a step ahead of the hated Nazi occupiers.

Paula never noticed the guitar move from its place of hiding behind the curtain, but on occasion, the red guitar found its way to an orphanage a few miles away. The spire at the orphanage concealed a large radio antenna. Together they could receive and relay intelligence to the Dutch Underground and the Allied armies. The unassuming old red guitar behind the curtain in the corner of the main room may have played no songs, but it saved countless lives, and gave hope to the Dutch Underground.

The old red guitar disappeared shortly before the war ended, shortly after the antenna was discovered. Paula is the only one who remembers the red guitar 1st hand, but she’s allowed me to share her story of resistance, hope and bravery during the darkest times in the Netherlands history. I hope that by my telling the story of the red guitar, and Ashley E Norton’s song that puts music to the story, Paul Wiessner’s service to his country will be remembered for generations to come.

-Tim Connelly -

More about Ashley E Norton :

Ashley E Norton is Southern California’s fearless leader of all female americana band, Dolly’s Revenge, formerly Lady Psychiatrist’s Booth, leader of all female songwriter showcase, “Songbirds”, solo artist and winner of Ramona’s “Citizen Of The Year”.

She has recently released a solo album, “Call Of The Void”, produced by Johnny Garcia, guitarist for Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, that sat at #20 on the Euro Americana charts for 2 months straight in 2024 and received multiple glowing reviews. She is a current semi finalist for the International Songwriting Competition.

Ashley began her long career in the Arizona music scene with folk rock band Delcoa, then moved to Nashville in 2010 to pursue her love for country music. In 2014, she began touring the world non stop with her folk duo, Whitherward. She has received endorsements with companies such as Subaru Europe, Martin Guitars, Avian Guitars and most recently, Electro-Voice. Recent cover girl for San Diego’s top music magazine, “The Troubadour” and “The Ramona Home Journal”.

Ashley’s songs have something for everyone. Be ready to laugh, cry and be dazzled by her amazing singing dog, Garfunkel, the real star of the show.