"I see all these guys signed to major blues labels, and some who aren’t, always talking about who they were on stage with, or who they know; met. I have never been compelled to go into such detail, but I guess I owe it to my blues fans to let them know more about my blues history... so here goes.."
[q. Mark Sallings]
"I didn't meet BB King while standing in an autograph line that's for sure!"
I was house bandleader at BB Kings Blues Club in Memphis, TN. for over two years that's when I met BB King. One night while he was in town, he came by the club. It was the first time he had been in since the place had opened. He was sitting in his private booth, eating a big plate of ribs. He invited me up, said he wanted to meet me. I must admit I was a bit awestruck. I mean, here I am, sitting in a booth with blues legend BB King, and he’s talking to me in this casual tone; even asked me if I wanted a rib! As house bandleader, I naturally wanted to know if he felt if I was on the right track. I wanted to know if he thought the band was playing the right mix of music: playing traditional blues and more contemporary blues stuff. Mr. King replied with: “Keep doing exactly what [I] was doing.”
Ironically, management changes [nothing to do with Mr. King] occurred a couple of years later and I was told to play stuff that obviously disagreed with the theme of the club. I mean, you just don’t play “Doobie Brothers and Bob Seger” in a blues joint. I don’t have anything against these these guys, they did some great music, but it wasn’t blues.
We play the blues and I refused to compromise. I mean, if BB King tells me I’m doing the right thing, then why would I want to listen to a new manager who obviously didn’t understand what that marquee “BB Kings BLUES Club” meant? So, I wouldn’t back down and we were out of there. I think we’ve played the club maybe once or twice since that day. It wasn’t long ago that I was on Beale and I heard “At the Hop,” by Danny and the Juniors, ringing out BB’ Kings’ namesake joint.
"I didn’t meet Albert King standing outside the door of his bus, waiting to get a glimpse or photo of him."
I met Albert King while doing four shows per night for a six-week engagement at The Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN., where his band and mine were both on the bill. He asked me to sit and jam. I saw him on and off around Memphis over the years and he was always friendly. The last time I saw Albert, I was playing at Blues City Cafe. Albert came in for supper with Booker T. Laurie, and George Eldridge, and he asked me to join them. This was on the Thursday night before he died. Albert was really excited! He was talking about starting a new tour, how he was having his bus upgraded, and he said he sure would like to have a horn player or two like me in his new band! He was talking like a kid who just got a new bike. It really hit me hard when he died. My wife and I attended the funeral, along with hundreds of people. I wound up walking Beale in the funeral procession, along side The Memphis Horns. On my way home, I wrote the song Mighty Oaks as a tribute to Albert.
"I didn’t meet Albert Collins trying to sneak a picture of him at a show."
I met Albert Collins in Clifford Antone’s office, in March of 1990. Mr. Collins [Albert] asked me to have a glass of Cognac with him and talk about what was happening in the Delta.
