Saturday, August 30, 2003
Current favorite real-life blues story dept.
Oh, the humanity
"Some years back, when I could be seen schlepping my drum kit in and out of various night spots around town on a regular basis, I was loading my band's gear into the Blue Max when I looked up and saw the bluesman Sonny Rhodes coming down the sidewalk. Rhodes was a fixture on the local blues scene at the time, a gracious, middle-aged black man with a classic blues voice and penchant for wearing turbans and playing great lap steel guitar. We'd jammed a few times at late sessions, but never really socialized beyond the stage. I waved a greeting and was surprised when Sonny stopped and said, "Hey, man, let me help you get that stuff inside." And he didn't go on about his business until we finished moving the whole carload of equipment into the stage area. "Have a good show tonight," he said as he headed back onto the sidewalk followed by my eternal gratitude."
Another current real-life blues story (courtesy of Richard Flohill):
SONNY RHODES PACKS UP HIS TURBAN
For more than 30 years, Stony Plain artist Sonny Rhodes - King of the Lap Steel Guitar and perennial W.C. Handy Award nominee - had worn a turban on stage. "I got the idea from Chuck Willis, and after he passed on, I kept the tradition alive."
Now, however, as a bizarre result of the tragedies of September 11, he's put the turban away. "Man, I got threatened three times - once in Edmonton and once by a guy who had a pistol on him," he said. "They said that wearing a turban was showing respect for
terrorists, and they were offended by it. I never heard so much nonsense in my life, but all I need is some crazy s.o.b. with a gun taking things out on me, and I'm not taking any risks."
Fans will be delighted that his famous red suit is still part of Sonny's formal stage gear. And he has a VERY snazzy new black cowboy hat to finish off the ensemble.
¶ 8/30/2003 09:25:00 AM
Oh, the humanity
"Some years back, when I could be seen schlepping my drum kit in and out of various night spots around town on a regular basis, I was loading my band's gear into the Blue Max when I looked up and saw the bluesman Sonny Rhodes coming down the sidewalk. Rhodes was a fixture on the local blues scene at the time, a gracious, middle-aged black man with a classic blues voice and penchant for wearing turbans and playing great lap steel guitar. We'd jammed a few times at late sessions, but never really socialized beyond the stage. I waved a greeting and was surprised when Sonny stopped and said, "Hey, man, let me help you get that stuff inside." And he didn't go on about his business until we finished moving the whole carload of equipment into the stage area. "Have a good show tonight," he said as he headed back onto the sidewalk followed by my eternal gratitude."
Another current real-life blues story (courtesy of Richard Flohill):
SONNY RHODES PACKS UP HIS TURBAN
For more than 30 years, Stony Plain artist Sonny Rhodes - King of the Lap Steel Guitar and perennial W.C. Handy Award nominee - had worn a turban on stage. "I got the idea from Chuck Willis, and after he passed on, I kept the tradition alive."
Now, however, as a bizarre result of the tragedies of September 11, he's put the turban away. "Man, I got threatened three times - once in Edmonton and once by a guy who had a pistol on him," he said. "They said that wearing a turban was showing respect for
terrorists, and they were offended by it. I never heard so much nonsense in my life, but all I need is some crazy s.o.b. with a gun taking things out on me, and I'm not taking any risks."
Fans will be delighted that his famous red suit is still part of Sonny's formal stage gear. And he has a VERY snazzy new black cowboy hat to finish off the ensemble.
¶ 8/30/2003 09:25:00 AM
