This account was written as Christian and I began one of the most incredible and enlightening weeks of our lives. It is written in the first person and depicts events as they unfolded across the course of our visit to the US Deep South.
This blog accompanies the Manchester to Memphis programme which is being played out at 1pm from Monday to Friday this week and will be available after each show on the Audio on Demand page.
The trip began one very cold and early morning at Manchester airport. Ahead of us was a seven-and-a-half-hour flight to Newark, New Jersey, then a further two-hour flight to Nashville. Following our arrival in Nashville, we were faced with seven days on the road in the Gibson Rock’n'Roll tour bus, travelling more than 300 miles, staying in five different hotels across three states and visiting more than 20 different attractions, museums and events. During this fantastic opportunity, we managed to spend over $1,000 on music, recorded more than 11 hours of audio and wrote nearly 5,000 words for this diary.
The times that appear in the diary are local and six hours behind GMT.
Gibson Guitars and Deep South Music Tour Blog Nov/Dec 2010 by Mike Vitti
Sunday 28th November 11:30pm
Over the next week, Christian Bragg and I are on a music tour of the US Deep South. We’ll be taking in all aspects of music from Country to Bluegrass, Jazz to Blues, Honky-Tonk to Deep Southern Soul and all things in between, including the Jack Daniels Distillery (my spiritual home).
We’ll be blogging, posting, Facebooking and Tweeting all through the week with words and photos. We’ll also be recording our adventures for a series of programmes which you will be able to hear over the Christmas period on Jazz FM. So we’re all set, very excited and ready to go. It’s nearly midnight… Better get some sleep!
Monday 29th November 5am
Whey-hey… Jet lag! What am I doing awake at this time of the morning? By the time I got to bed last night I’d been awake for 23 hours and travelling for most of it. Had a great flight with Continental via Newark to Nashville, checked in at the motel and then headed out on the Gibson Guitar ‘Rock n Roll’ Tour bus (our mobile home for the week). This thing is amazing and it carries music stars all over America.
Our driver is quite a character. Last night at the aptly named Noshville (never seen gherkins like it), he regaled us with a fantastic story about his first day on the job with Louis Armstrong. Christian and I are desperately trying to find a way to get him on tape as he has so many amazing stories, but he’s reluctant to talk… We’ll get him drunk tonight (he’s not driving). I must tell you about our waiter’s mullet too – it was quite possibly the very best I have seen since mine in 1985. Fair play to him.
After Noshville, we went to Broadway. It’s kinda like the Strip in Nashville. The world-famous Ryman Auditorium is here. It’s the ‘Mother Church of Country Music’ and the home of all those original amazing early radio broadcasts from the ’30s and the place that launched so many careers and hosted so many famous artistes from Johnny Cash to James Brown. We’re going for a look around backstage later – can’t wait for this. Day 1, lesson 1 of my further education in music. Sorry… Got side-tracked with excitement then. We then went for a look at some of the bars and Honky-Tonk clubs. Broadway is the home of many – some good like the legendary Tootsies and Legends, and some not so good like Robert’s Western World. Actually, that’s not fair. It was the act that wasn’t so good. Guess where we went? Bingo! Robert’s Western World! Don’t go for the obvious, where’s the fun in that? OMG, I saw quite possibly the worst guitarist I have ever seen in my life. In his mind, I swear he thought he was a cross between Johnny Cash and Slash from Guns N’ Roses. In reality, he actually sounded like a kid with his first guitar in the Early Learning Centre. Truly dreadful but completely entertaining in an odd kind of way. As for the other two in The Chris Casello Trio, well, the drummer was OK but the guy playing the double bass was truly outstanding and had a voice like Johnny Cash. He must spend most of his time on stage looking across at the idiot on his right with the guitar (not a Gibson, we were pleased to see) thinking, ‘What are you doing, you…’
Photos on Facebook in a bit.
Laters!
Mike
Tuesday 30th November 2010. 9:30 am
I woke up this morning with a song going around in my head – ‘I’m a little bit country, I’m a little bit rock’n'roll’. I couldn’t work out whether it was a real song, whether I had just made it up or whether it described how I’ve been feeling over the last couple of days. Anyway, Google is a wonderful thing and it turns out I seem to have a Marie Osmond song going around in my head and I’m worried!!
We’re on the Gibson tour bus heading out of Nashville and daft as it sounds I do feel ‘a little bit country’. I love the US and this is my 23rd visit to the States and after all this time and my time spent travelling I have finally found something quintessentially American and I’m so pleased about that. This is not a musical artform that has been hijacked by grey-haired Europeans – it’s completely and totally American. Look, I don’t think I’ll ever be what you might call a fan of country music but I’ll tell you what – I do have a newfound respect and appreciation for it. As we head off toward Memphis (via The Jack Daniels Distillery, a bonus) and the land of the blues, Stax records and Elvis (much more my thing), we have left Nashville with a massive laugh this morning. The whole bus spontaneously erupted into laughter as the song ‘Long-Haired Redneck’ by David Allan Coe came on the radio. Genius lyrics.
Anyway, I’ve rattled on for ages and not even told you about yesterday yet. It was a really massive day and I’m knackered and here’s how it went:
9am – The Gibson Guitar Factory
11:30 – The Ryman Auditorium
1pm – The Country Music Hall of Fame
2:30 – RCA Studio B
4pm – Hatch Print
5:30 – Gruhn Guitars
7pm – Fontanel
9pm – Dinner at Merchants Restaurant
Pretty full-on, eh? How can I possibly explain all that? I think the easiest thing to do would be to upload the photos for some of it onto Facebook, warts and all. I’ll certainly do that for the Gibson Guitar Factory and Gruhn Guitars. I’ve never really thought about how you make a guitar before, but I can tell you 500 people turn out 600 Gibson guitars a day. It takes four to five weeks from start to finish to make a complete guitar and it’s pretty much all done by hand!
Right, we’re at Uncle Jack’s place now, so I’ll quit for a bit – laters!
12:35pm
Woah!!! The Jack Daniels Distillery is the coolest place in the world but more about today’s adventures tomorrow, although there are a couple of cheeky pictures on Facebook. We’re on the way to the world-famous Muscle Shoals recording studios now in Alabama. We’ll have a series of programmes on Jazz FM so you can hear the exploits over Christmas. More to follow on this too over the course of the week.
So, back to yesterday….
The Country Music Hall of Fame was quite interesting although as it’s not my preferred artform. I found it difficult to concentrate there as it was mainly about things I wasn’t really keen on or didn’t really know about. I expected a massive Johnny Cash exhibition for instance and he was disappointingly tucked away in the corner. The semi-permanent Hank Williams Exhibition was interesting though and so was the Tammy Wynette one. Elvis’ gold caddie is in there and that got me thinking about Graceland later in the week, so that was good. The actual rotunda where the Hall of Fame is housed was interesting but weird at the same time as it was eerily quiet and more like a memorial than a celebration of the music and its stars. Maybe Johnny Cash’s absence could be explained away by the more healthy showing at the Ryman Auditorium, the original home of the Grand Ole Opry before its move to the outskirts of the city and a bigger venue. This stunning theatre and its amazing acoustics have played home to the biggest music stars in the world, and not just country stars either. James Brown for instance was invited to play there. This place blew me away. There’s a scene in the Cash biopic ‘Walk The Line’ where Johnny has an argument with wife to be June Carter and he kicks the footlights in – that was filmed there. He was asked to leave after that. You had to be invited to play there, you see – you couldn’t just book a gig. I had my photo taken on that world-famous stage and I really enjoyed this place. It’s mesmerising and I could have just sat on the benches of this converted church all day long and soaked in the atmosphere. Let’s not forget that this theatre as also the home to thousands of live radio broadcasts too. These programmes shaped the way radio would develop and the way it is today. Pure history, right there.
Later, we went to RCA Studio B. Elvis recorded over 250 pieces of music in the studio. OMG, what history! It’s still a working facility too. Another Elvis - Costello – recorded in there not so long ago. The acoustics are amazing but the atmosphere is indescribable. You have to experience it to feel it. They played ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ while we were there and it sounded as if the great man was in the room singing with us.
Next stop was Hatch Print. They make all those great posters you see that look like this. They still use the original letter printing process to make this posters (with no computers). Everything is set by hand using the original hand carved letters. This is a BB King one and a Louis Armstrong one, don’t they look great?
Following Hatch, we went to Gruhn Guitars. You’ll be able to hear quite a lot of this bloke in the programmes. He buys and sells vintage guitars. He has some we saw yesterday worth nearly $250,000 dollars. He also owns seven Stromburg Jazz guitars. There are only 300 in the world.
After a 30-minute break, I kid you not, we went to Fontanel Mansion, the former home of Country Music Superstar Barbara Mandrell. Never heard of her? Neither had I until last night, believe me, but this woman is music royalty – trust me. The house is now owned by former paramedic and now music entrepeneur Marc Oswald. This guy is a real high flyer in the music industry and manages Gretchen Wilson, Big and Rich and Cowboy Troy, three of the biggest artists in contemporary music at the moment. He bought Fontanel Mansion (which is made completely of logs, by the way) several years ago and has opened it to the public. It’s a fabulous place and the grounds are awesome too. Marc lived in it for a year before moving it out and turning it into a visitor attraction. There are two amazing things about this place that you should know about:
1: It’s completely tactile – you can touch everything, there are no velvet ropes, no barriers, nothing. If you see a guitar, you can pick it up and play it, see a drum kit, sit behind it and play it like I did last night.
2: Their secret weapon is Jamie, Barbara’s daughter. It was her family home and now she is the hostess there. Who better to show you around other than Barbara herself?
It’s been a long one this and Muscle Shoals is shouting ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ at me so I’ll see y’all tomorrow!
Laters,
Mike
Wednesday 1st December 2010. 6:15am
I know, I know… I’m up early but we have a long day ahead, and as Marc Cohn said: ‘Touched down in the land of the delta blues in the middle of the pouring rain’… That’s right, we’re off towards Memphis and it’s been raining for nearly three days. Mind you, it’s much worse at home I believe, so it looks like I picked a good week to be away. Anyway, more about today’s happenings tomorrow as we head off down the freeway whistling that song. To be honest, I could stay in Alabama a bit longer. This Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa is fantastic…
I’ve seen a lot of Middle America over the last few days and it’s a stunning place to visit. It’s so much more than just Disneyland. In fact, I reckon this trip is like Disneyland for grown-ups. I’ll tell you what else I’ve noticed too – the further west you head, the more the music changes. But the weird thing is it seems to happen naturally, morphing from Country to Blues to that raw Southern Soul sound and Rock’n'Roll.
Tuesday was a crazy day with a lot of travelling, and inbetween that and me writing the world’s longest blog (sorry!), we did manage to fit all this in:
A visit to the Jack Daniel’s Distillery (it was like going home for me…), and I met the bloke in the Jack Daniel’s ads on the London Underground holding the ducks. His name is Goose. What a cool guy and what a cool place. We bought a bottle of the 160th Birthday Special but it didn’t last too long. I won’t spend anymore time on this though as it is a music tour and I should really concentrate. I will say that it’s definitely worth visiting, though…
Next up was WC Handy’s Birthplace. They call this the birthplace of the blues and WC Handy is credited as its creator. Whether that is true or an urban myth seems to be one of life’s unanswered questions. What is a fact is that he wrote a piece called ‘St Louis Blues’ in 1917, credited as the first commercial blues song.
I should tell you where we are – the area is Shoals in Alabama. It’s made up of four cities: Florence, Tuscumbia, Muscle Shoals and Sheffield.
This is an amazing place and the birthplace of much of the music we listen to today. It is home to Rick Hall’s famous FAME Studios. The Stones, Aretha, Wilson Pickett, Clarence Carter, Percy Sledge, Otis Redding and so many others recorded in this very unassuming building. I got to sit at a drum kit in the very studio where Aretha recorded, can you image?! It was also the birthplace of Sam Phillips, the father of Rock’n'Roll and the fellow who discovered Elvis. More about him when I write about Sun Studios…
Cypress Moon Studios was the next stop. There we met one of Muscle Shoals premier session musicians, bassist David Hood, one quarter of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, nicknamed ‘The Swampers’ in Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Sweet Home Alabama‘. David is one of the most humble, unassuming people you could ever wish to meet. I’ve been trying to think of a really famous bass hook to tell you that he played, so here’s one – ‘I’ll Take You There’ by The Staples Singers. You’re humming it now, aren’t you? I met Jimmy Johnson at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame today too. To say that Jimmy is a character would be underselling him to say the least. If his name sounds familiar, it should do as he played the guitar on all those great hits. So I’ve actually met half of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section – that’ll do for me! I’ve just realised what I’ve done – I’ve welded yesterday and the first part of today together. Sorry, I got carried away there. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame has completely blown me away but I think that’s what it’s all about so I’ll make no excuses for that.
Just had lunch with Jimmy Johnson while listening to Marty Raybon sing. He and his band Shenandoah featuring were massive in the States, a country rock outfit that had several US No 1 hits.
The next stop for us today is Tupelo, the birthplace of one Elvis Aaron Presley. It’s in Mississippi and that totals three states in two days. I should add this is not Graceland which is in Memphis, Tennessee. Chris and I are going there on Saturday. Between then and now, we have a night out in a Jook Joint to look forward too, the BB King Museum, a night out on the world-famous Beale Street, a visit to the Civil Rights Museum which is in the motel in Memphis where Dr King was assassinated and the Stax museum.
I’ll update you on Elvis’ birthplace next time as we have just pulled up outside it. Fantastically, his version of ‘White Christmas’ is playing on the radio right now and we’re just getting off the bus to go in. Better go.
Laters
Thursday 2nd December 2010. 12 midnight
Right… I’ll try not to be too cynical as everything I’ve written so far has been so positive, but I wasn’t really that impressed with the Elvis Birthplace experience. I know the house is important and all that but I didn’t really feel it. There is a church here and they show a re-enactment of a service similar to one that Elvis may have attended and the museum is pretty good. However, that opens up into a bloody shop that sells tatty stickers and all that tacky stuff that people have come to expect from Elvis now. I find that really sad and he deserves so much more.
Conversely, the Tupelo Hardware Store where ‘Gladys bought her son his first guitar’ – real quote as I now have a keyring saying that on it (they are not allowed to use Elvis’ name!) – is completely respectful and has not commercialised this at all and I totally respect them for that.
We’re driving for about two hours tomorrow and have a pretty full-on day so I’ll see y’all later.
Thursday 2nd December 2010. 8:30am
Morning! I was so tired last night I forgot to mention the great night out we had a Vanelli’s Italian Restaurant. It’s owned by a Greek bloke they call Papa!?! I’ve never seen so much food in all my life. There was a brilliant band called Jamie Davis and Soul Gravy playing. It’s hard to describe them but they are a kind of Rock/Blues/Country/Funk/Fusion band. I don’t think that description does them justice though, so I bought a CD to bring back. There are a couple of tracks on there we can play on Jazz FM.
It’s all Blues today…. Here’s the plan:
Visit the Blues and Heritage Museum in Greenwood Mississippi and meet and interview Blues historian Sylvester Hoover. Drive to Indianola to see the BB King Museum & Delta Interpretive Centre. The life of BB King provides the backdrop for the museum to share the rich cultural heritage of the Mississippi Delta and celebrate Delta blues music heritage and the local culture.
Tonight, it’s dinner and a night out in the legendary Po’ Monkey’s Lounge, the last original Juke Joint in the Mississippi Delta.
So it’s not quite so full-on today but lots of miles to travel.
Friday 3rd December. 9:18am
Shhhh… We are delicate this morning, had a bit of a mad one last night. Quite a late finish too. We went to Po’Monkey’s. An unusual name for a place, eh? Well, to say it’s an unusual place would be a tragic understatement. If you ever get a chance to read the Quincy Jones’ autobiography, it describes beautifully what a Juke Joint is and last night I spent the evening in one. This place is crazy…. It’s a shack in the middle of a field, basically. It has no music license, no liquor license and inside you all sit around old wooden hand-made tables on seats that have been taken out of cars, vans and trucks. In the corner there is a Blues singer playing guitar and harmonica, singing and sounding like a cross between Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf called Terry ‘Harmonica’ Bean making this unbelievable music.
I can’t even begin to do justice or the importance places like this played in this great musical history. Have look at this website, you’ll see what I mean. It shows the places we visited yesterday including Dockery Farms attributed by BB King as ‘The place where Blues began’. It’s being restored at the moment and will be ideal in the future for music festivals etc. which I believe is their plan.
Yesterday was my favourite day so far. It’s a massive thumbs-up to the BB King Museum and to the Blues and Heritage Museum and our host Sylvester Hooper, who I believe is single-handedly keeping the memory of Robert Johnson alive in Baptist Town without any help or financial aid from the authorities and he’s doing a tremendous job. I tell you, if you are a fan of the Blues, or even if you’re not, I urge you to visit Sylvester. He will enlighten you, I promise!
I have learned over the last few days that many areas claim the birth of the Blues to be theirs, but Robert Johnson was born, raised and played in Baptist Town (along with actor Morgan Freeman who I’ll get to in a minute and R&B singer and actress Brandy), so I’m going for this one. Take a look at Sylvester’s website. It will broaden your mind, I promise.
As for Mr Freeman, we have just been in the Ground Zero Blues Club for lunch – it’s his restaurant. I’ve seen some great Blues over the last couple of days in Mississippi. This afternoon it was James ‘Super Chikan’ Johnson. This bloke makes his own guitars too. Quite incredible. He was playing amongst other things an axe and a Black and Decker tool box! I must say a massive hello to Mary-Stratton and the rest of the crew at Mississippi Tourism for looking after us. Check them out on Facebook.
Next stop: Memphis, Graceland and Stax along with Sun Studios tomorrow and a hot night out at BB King’s and a late one on Beale Street tonight.
See y’all later
Saturday 4th December. 5:30pm
Had a rough but great night out on Beale Street in Memphis. Going back there later for last night dinner at BB King’s. Then it’s off to Wild Bill’s – not sure what this is yet but everyone talks about it round here as being the place where the real Memphis is without the tourists, so it should be cool.
I woke up after about four hours sleep with a delicate head after a bar crawl which started yesterday evening following an afternoon at the Rock and Soul Museum in Memphis (which is brilliant by the way) with cocktails at the world-famous Peabody Hotel (famous for its marching ducks, I kid you not. Have a look here). Then after some amazing ribs we hit the streets and the rest is confined to a hazy blur…
I told you in the last update that today was going to be pretty full-on and it has been. I’m in a quiet, reflective mood at the moment. It started with a typical American breakfast – they do that so well here – then it was onto Graceland. I got off the Gibson tour bus, looked around and thought, ‘OMG this is like Disneyland!’ You know what, though? It’s not. All the garbage like the gift shops etc. are across the road. Then you get on a shuttle and they take you to the mansion which is a hell of a lot smaller than I expected. I was really impressed. It’s almost untouched and immaculate. You can’t go upstairs, though. I reckon it’s because Mr Presley is sat up there, watching all the tourists and counting his money. After the mansion, there are various areas in the grounds to see. These include his raquetball court.
This was the highlight for me. It’s amazing how it charts his life and then, dramatically, his death. It got to me, to be honest. It’s very moving and well worth seeing.
I’ve suffered a myriad of emotions today, from the moving experience of Graceland to the sheer exhilaration of our visit to the Stax Museum. I simply don’t have the words to describe this fabulous and inspirational place so I’m going to take the easy route and ask you to look at this website. Please pay particular attention to the Stax Music Academy.
Then it was off to Sun Studios (you have to see it while you’re here) to witness the birth of Rock’n'Roll and hear the song ‘Rocket 88’ in its original environment and of course Elvis’s ‘That’s All Right, Mama’ as well. Any music fan needs to stand in that world-famous and tiny little room.
Following all that, it was off to the Civil Rights Museum. A remarkable place filled with the stories of remarkable people. A very humbling experience which highlighted just how insignificant we all are compared to these people, many of whom have the power to change the world. It’s also an opportunity to pay your respects to them. This place is built in the site of the Lorraine Motel where Dr King was assassinated in April 1968. The repercussions that shook the world are all documented here. Again, I couldn’t possibly cram 150 years of fight, struggle and history into this blog, nor would I be arrogant enough to try. It’s worth so much more than that. See it for yourself. It is a conspiracy theorist’s dream, that’s for sure, and the Curator has recognised that – there’s a section over the way in the building from where the assassination of Martin Luther King Jnr. took place dedicated to this.
So, as you can see, it’s been an emotional and rewarding day today, but I’m ready for some light entertainment to lift my mood a little.
It’s our last day tomorrow, I’ve not had the chance to ask Christian about his emotions yet but I will later.
See y’all tomorrow.
Sunday 5th December. 8:30am
Morning. I asked Christian last night how he felt after our visit to the Civil Rights Museum. He said he went back to his room and sat quietly watching a music documentary on VH1 while trying to untangle his mind. I know what he means. I keep thinking about Rosa Parks and how brave that lady was to stand up for her rights and the knock-on effect that something as quietly sitting on a bus can have on the world. I’m sure I will think about her every time I get on a bus from now on. I hope I will anyway.
We are leaving today and I’m sad, I’ve loved this trip, particularly the last few days. Mississippi and Memphis have had quite an effect on me personally and I know I need to spend more time here as I have unfinished business.
It’s interesting. Us Brits spend an awful lot of time and money visiting manufactured theme parks and synthetic tourist traps in America. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not bringing these places down as they have a part to play and I enjoy seeing them, but this trip has been a gateway for me to a real, organic and genuine experience.
You hear a lot about America having no history as such. Well, it is true that the country is a young one but it’s not true that there is no history here. It’s steeped in history – it’s just modern and recent but it’s just as important. And it’s had a profound impact on both of us this week, that’s for sure.
I do hope you have enjoyed reading about our physical and mental journey this week and that you will look forward to the radio programmes on Jazz FM.
Mike Vitti / Christian Bragg
December 2010
Original Music Travel organises individual trips and small group tours to the Deep South. A seven-night trip from Nashville to Memphis costs from £1,750.00 per person sharing. It includes accommodation on a room only basis, transfers or car hire, local guides and international flights. Tel: 020 7978 0500 or email: info@originalmusictravel.com
www.originalmusictravel.com
www.deep-south-usa.com
Music featured in the programme:
Happy Mondays ‘Step on’ (loop)
Gay Crosse and the Good Humour 6 featuring John Coltrane ‘No better for you’
Ivory Joe Hunter ‘All state boogie’
Marie Osmond ‘I’m a little bit country’ (clip)
Johnny Jones and the King Casuals ‘Soul poppin’’
George Benson ‘Off Broadway’
Elvis Presley ‘Are you lonesome tonight’
Lynyrd Skynyrd ‘Sweet home Alabama’
WC Handy ‘St Louis Blues’
Percy Sledge ‘When a man loves a woman’
Arthur Conley ‘Sweet soul music’
Aretha Franklin ‘I never loved a man (the way I love you)’
Etta James ‘Tell mama’
Wilson Picket ‘Land of a thousand dances’
Lynyrd Skynyrd ‘Sweet home Alabama’ (clip)
Staple Singers ‘I’ll take you there’
Marc Cohn ‘Walking in Memphis’
Jamie Davis and Soul Gravy ‘Steal my heart’
Jamie Davis and Soul Gravy ‘Cottonmouth’
Terry ‘Harmonica’ Bean ‘So long’
BB King / Bobby Bland ‘Let the good times roll’
Robert Johnson ‘Come to my kitchen’
Robert Johnson ‘Crossroad blues’
The Isley Brothers ‘Get into something’
James ‘Super Chikan’ Johnson ‘Go back’
BB King ‘The thrill is gone’
King Curtis ‘Memphis soul stew’
Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats ‘Rocket 88’
Bessie Smith ‘St Louis Blues’
Elvis Presley ‘That’s alright mama’
Rufus Thomas ‘Bear cat’
The Bar Kays ‘Son of Shaft’ (loop)
The Bar Kays ‘Soul finger’ (clip)
Sam and Dave ‘Hold on I’m comin’’
The Temptations ‘My girl’
Otis Redding ‘My girl’
Isaac Hayes ‘Never can say goodbye’
Isaac Hayes ‘Theme from Shaft’
Booker T and the MGs ‘Green onions’ (loop)
Otis Redding ‘I can’t turn you loose’
Carla Thomas ‘Comfort me’
Staple Singers ‘Respect yourself’
Jimi Hendrix ‘All along the watchtower’
Mavis Staples ‘Keep your eyes on the prize’
Sounds of Blackness ‘Swing low sweet chariot’
Sounds of Blackness ‘Everything’s gonna be alright’
Booker T and the MGs ‘Melting pot’
Mike & Christan it was such a pleasure to drive you around on the Gibson bus for your tour here in the US. While doing so I only knew you as wonderful people who were out to experience new & exciting things. After reading & listening to your article I now have a much more profound appreciation for you & all that you do for the music world. Thank you for sharing your humble insight! Not only have I learned so very much as a result of this article but I have also realized how fortunate I am to be associated with men of your caliber.
Thank you sooo much for ALL that you have shared with me..it was enlightening to say the least!!!
Rock on,
d
Hey Don, right back atcha buddy!!! It’s always great to make new friends and it doesn’t happy often, we’re both pleased we met you and that we have manged to stay in touch. You contribution to the programme and the diary was profound!
Speak soon
Mike