what musical legends have you known

Subject: what musical legends have you known
From: texastoolman
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 03:08 AM

it was my great fortune to have once met and had the oppurtunity to play with Mance Lipscomb at a small coffeehouse in College Station ,Texas.He was a very kind and generous old gentleman.In his late 70's he had the fastest hands I think I've ever seen.Played bottle-neck with a little pen knife ,that he held between his little finger and his ring finger.His guiter of choice was a Harmony Sovereign.He sure got sime wonderful sounds out of that cheap old guitar.

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: wdyat12
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 03:21 AM

While working as a sound and light technician for "Summerthing" in Boston during the summer of 1969, Pete Seeger asked me where the bathroom was.

wdyat12

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 03:30 AM

I played space invaders with Dick Gaughan !

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Gervase
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 04:47 AM

I had a curry in Southall once with Van Morrison.
Memories are a little hazy as it was a breakfast after an all-night sesh which involved no music and a lot of booze in various clibs in Notting Hill, and we decamped for lumpy stuff at the suggestion of a photographer friend who was also a good mate of Van the Man.
I do remember that he was just getting into the God thing in quite a way and that he wasn't exactly a barrel of laughs - but who is at 6am, hung-over and liverish?
It did teach me, though, that a Rogan Josh for breakfast is one of life's wonders, no matter with whom it's shared.

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Firecat
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 07:33 AM

There's a photo somewhere of me being cuddled by Diz Disley according to Mum! Apparently I was only a few months old so I can't remember it. But I remember having breakfast with Tom Paxton! I was 8 and he said that all Katys are the same cos his daughter's called Katy too!

I've met Vin Garbutt too, and Keith Donelly (does he count??!!) dragged me up on stage at Crewe and Nantwich festival when I was 12 and made me sing. It was my first time with a mic.

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: mkebenn
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 07:43 AM

Spent a night in the early eighties pickin' and tootin' with Bob Shane in Fla. Sad, the only reason I was there was I had the coke. Still, as a life long KT3 fan I'll treasure the memory, anyway. I think it pissed him off that I kept askin' for John Stewart and Dave Guard stories, though. Twenty years later the Coke is fifteen years gone, but that night remains.. Mike

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: gnu
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 08:06 AM

This doesn't count as "known" but I met one of the musicians I admire most about twenty years ago. I was running a construction job at the Deer Lake, NF airport. I arrived to work at the usual 0530h and entered what I figured was an empty airport passenger terminal. I always took the opportunity to sing as loudly as possible and TRY to fill the empty space. The tune on that morning was "The Wind That Shakes The Barley". Well, I shook when a stranded Tommy Makem scared the heck out of me by joining in. Half of the town was there by mid-morning but I was the only one who got to sing a few with him.

Oh yeah, I complained to a roadie at a concert one time in a dimly lit area near the rear of the stage that I was still waiting for the band to play Black Magic Woman. The fellow said he would see what he could do to get it played in the next set and asked my name. Of course, Carlos just had to mention my name when he said he was going to play a request from an audience member he had just met. Yeah, I felt kinda stoopid.

gnu

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 08:47 AM

Have chatted to Andy Irvine and Dick Gaughin... Both great blokes, and interesting to speak to...

Drank a couple of Whiskys after a gig with Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain, got an interesting insight to how they got into music.

And met Ben Lennon a Leitrim Fiddler.... does that count?

I dunno... just fell across their paths... and NO not literally. But doesn't count as known... just met.

And ran away from Christopher Biggens when I was a little girl, he was opening a new store near where I used to live. (a past childrens program television presenter, to whom I had a distinct aversion) and was seen high tailing it out of the store to get away from his big mad glasses.... Followed by two bemused parents... lol

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: GUEST,Anon2
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 09:35 AM

The legend of 'The Lost Chord'.

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: CamiSu
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 09:36 AM

I used to babysit Harry Chapin's kids. (His oldest step-daughter is my sister's best friend) and once went into Tulagi's in Boulder to ask them if they'd consider having him come play there. I was stunned when the manager called his agent RIGHT THEN and booked him! Not knowing anything about guest lists, I bought tickets to the first show...But he made sure I knew about them for the rest of the shows--after he came off the stage, picked me up, and hugged me in front of the whole audience!

I've sung with Steve Schuch and Odds Bodkin, and Rachel Bissex, and staged managed Dar Williams, Tommy Sands, Tom Paxton, Faith Petric, Rosalie Sorels, and Pete Seeger (as much as anyone SM's Pete. Last year he went 25 minutes over on his set. Who pulls God off the stage? ...Mrs God. Toshi chided him later for messing up my run time. We had, however planned for this contingency and the following act was the coordinators for the stage as well, and were ready to bail, so no real harm done.) I've held Cindy Kallet's son while she was on. I was the only person she knew who was around and she knew my kids so she was happy. (My niece has babysat her kids the past several years since.) Anne Dodson and Pat Humphries are more than passing acquaintances, and Lui Collins and I nearly missed her setup as we were having too much fun swapping birth stories.

Oh, and Garnet Rogers remembered me from the Clearwater, and I had not had him on my stage. He must have been in the audience while I was telling. My jaw did drop on that one...

The list could go on and on. That's the wonderful thing about the folk community. they are much more connected to the real world. And as Anne commented once, "I love finding friends I haven't met before".

CamiSu

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: SINSULL
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 09:37 AM

I once rode an elevator with Henry Kissinger but he didn't sing.

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 09:43 AM

have 'met' a number, being active in folk music for 30 years...but I suppose that several times that stand out are..1) nodding to Tom Paley to take a fiddle break as I did "The Storms Are On the Ocean", 2) guiding Peggy Seeger & Ewan MacColl to a concert and chatting with them alone for 30 minutes.. 3) putting up Alastair Anderson one night when his planned host was ill. 4) having Martyn Wyndham-Read ask to buy one of the little folding chairs I make, and meeting me at an airport so I could deliver it for his flight home.

gee...if I had a $ for every one I've met briefly at a concert or festival!! (folk legends are usually like that... part of the crowd and friendly)

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: LR Mole
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 09:46 AM

Peed in the urinal next to Graham Nash. CSNY concert, mere days after Young had written "Ohio".Silver-tongued cat that I am, I said to Mr. Nash (after we had both left the porcelains to the next in line),"You guys are really good." Mr. Eloquent strikes again.

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Bedubya
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 09:49 AM

I know lots of guitar players. As all guitar players are, by definition, "legends in their own minds" I guess I know lots of legends, huh?

Or....

My wife is an old friend of Martin Simpson's wife, but I've never met either one of them so that doesn't count, does it?

Cheers

bwl

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 09:51 AM

I've had a few beers and Teq

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Big Tim
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 09:53 AM

Spoke to Ramblin Jack Elliott after a show in Glasgow a couple of years ago. Didn't know what to say so blurted "I think Bob Dylan's singing sounds a bit like yours". He replied "Yea some other people have said that. I roomed with him one time and I guess some of it maybe rubbed off". Have also spoken withtwo of the Pogues, Terry Woods and Spider Stacey. Terry was delighted to hear that Young Ned of the Hill (which he co-wrote) was a "great" song!

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Kim C
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 09:56 AM

I have met Michael Martin Murphey a couple of times, and his son & daughter-in-law are friends of mine. Babysat for them just the other night. Also Don Edwards, who is my yodeling hero, and Wylie Gustafson, my other yodeling hero.

Many years ago I met guitar genius Eric Johnson. Love him, absolutely love him.

I have sold ice cream to Too Slim and Ranger Doug of Riders in the Sky, Janie Fricke, Charley Pride. I have sold furniture to Woody Paul of Riders in the Sky, Bela Fleck, and Bernie Leadon. John Cowan volunteers to work on an annual benefit for the place where I work now.

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 09:57 AM

Sorry about the above. I've had a few beers and tequilas on two separate occassions with Jody Payne, the guitarist in Willie Nelson's band. Great guy.

I was touring England with a hockey team in 1982. We were in Soho wandering around when a short, curly haired blonde guy walked by. One of my team mates, said "Hey, that's Roger Daltry". Sure enough it is. We said hello, asked if we could have a picture taken with him. He chatted for awhile, was a very nice guy. I still have the picture.

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Bagpuss
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 10:09 AM

Luckily for me, I was at a school where they were first developing the Folkworks idea and hence I got to know Alistair Anderson, Chuck Fleming, Eddie Upton, Bob Fox when they started up our ceilidh band. Also, Altan came to our school to run a series of workshops.

I was in a choir run by Sandra Kerr (of Bagpuss fame) and still bump into he now and then.

Hey maybe sometime in the distant future, some of you will be saying "I knew Katy Kiernan before she was famous" but somehow I doubt it....

Bagpuss / Katy

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Jim the Bart
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 10:10 AM

Being from Chicago, where he resided in his latter years, I was lucky enough to work with Jethro Burns a number of times. Jethro was not only a fabulous mandolin player and very funny human being, he was also as humble and common a person as you'll ever meet.

I originally met Jethro when playing with a country band, Cactus Jack. Our manager at the time had also started booking Jethro and arranged for us to back him on a number of dates. We'd play, he'd play, and then we'd play together. We did mostly swing standards (C Jam Blues, Lady Be Good), country shuffles (The Keys in the Mailbox, Occasional Wife, Swinging Doors) and Bluegrass (Rocky Top, Blue Moon of Kentucky). But what I remember best was his ballad playing. He could do a song like "The Night Life" or "For the Goodtimes" and absolutely break your heart.

Later, I formed a band with his son John, a great guitarist in his own right. We played original rock 'n' roll and warped 60's tunes. I was told later that, when telling his dad that we'd be working together, his response was, "So, you're putting together a band that can really sing". I have never received a better compliment.

We (John Burns, our bass player and myself) started playing Sunday night jam/shows at a bar on the North Shore. It was for tips, but it gave us a chance to get tight. Jethro would often come out and "play along". I once asked him why. After all, he could play with anyone he wanted and get paid for it, to boot. His response was simple: how else could he get out of the house to drink some beer and play some music on a Sunday night. He was the best.

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: texastoolman
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 10:17 AM

hey kim c if you run into michael murphy ask him about stan alexander and the north texas folk music club of the mid 60's he was the only one doing original material back then he graduated in the same class as my first wife but he wouldn't know that

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Dahlin
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 10:53 AM

A true musical legend that I have known for a long time but have not seen enough lately is Sandy Paton otherwise known as the "Old Folk Phat". Caroline on the other hand is not a legend. She is a mythological being of great power and positive vibes.

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: GUEST,Arkie
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 11:06 AM

Patsy Montana, Grandpa Jones, Merle Travis, the Talking Harmonica Man, Lonnie Glosson, and Jimmy Driftwood. I have arranged Tribute programs for each of them at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, Arkansas. Patsy and Lonnie, as well as Jimmy, were natives of Arkansas and had never been recognized in their home state until we did the Tribute programs. All lived up to my expectations as good folk as well as musical legends, but Patsy Montana was really special. She was one of the most gracious, beautiful people I have ever known.

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Gervase
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 11:32 AM

Bert,
Tom Paley is indeed a legend - and he's also a weekly regular at Sharp's at Cecil Sharp House, where he is as charming and unpretentious a guy as you could hope to meet - a true gentleman (with an astonishing repertoire of Scandinavian fiddle tunes and a wry and gentle wit).
As is Rod Shearman, thankfully a regular again after being pretty ill over the past few months. Thus only last week I had the daunting task of MCing and bringing the two of them on as guest spots.
The great thing about musicians and performers of their calibre, however, is that hamateurs like myself don't get to feel daunted.
Maybe it's the folk world, but it does seem to be refreshingly free of prima donnas and egomaniacs (although Liz the Squeak can tell tales of a female folk legend that will have your toes curling in embarassment...).

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Lyrical Lady
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 12:06 PM

Smoozed with Ike and Tina at the Empress Hotel, after their show. Ike was not a nice man.
Years ago I used to hang out at a coffee house in Ganges to listen to a young singer/songwriter by the name of Valdy. He was and still is a nice man
Every Christmas, Raffi invites me too sing carols with him ... he likes the way our voices match. He too, is a very nice man.
Have I just dated myself or what!
LL

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: harpmolly
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 12:18 PM

After his show last October in Seattle, I got to hang out with Dougie Maclean at Conor Byrne's and watch him play his fiddle. Even better, my friend Davy nudged me into singing a song (VERY intimidating in front of Dougie) and afterward, Dougie came up to me and exclaimed in his fabulous brogue, "That was grrreat! Grrrreat!" and when we left he gave me a big hug and a kiss.

Siiiiiiigh...*melt*

I know he's happily married. And about twice my age. But we're allowed to dream, aren't we? (It's certainly never stopped me where Ewan Mcgregor is concerned...)

Moll

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Bert
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 12:24 PM

The time that Tom Paxton was laughing and singing along with my song "Size Doesn't Matter" will always be a highlight. Then I got to work WITH him writing a song.
It took weeks for my feet to get back to touching the ground.

Bert

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Pseudolus
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 12:29 PM

I know Seamus Kennedy!! In fact he once helped me get a speaker onto its stand before a gig!! We're so close. *g*

Frank

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Micca
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 12:47 PM

One night in the 60s i was at the Ken Colyer Jazz club in Little Newport St in London for an all nighter folk session, due to be run by Noel Murphy...I was early, it had no license so only coffee and tea were available, and it was pissing down outside, avery bedraggled young woman came ina nd was sorta nervous. and asked if she coulkld sit at the table with me... i said sure and offered her a coffee as she looked cold and tired, she said " I have no money to buy you back, I heard I might geytt a chance to do a floor spot and might get some work out of it". Well, I was flush, she was a nice person so I sat with her all night chatting and buying her coffee, and we were very comfortable together. and I have loved her music since. That was how I am proud to say, I met sandy denny on her first night in lLondon and was able , in a dvance ,able to do something for all the pleasure she gave me with her music afterwards.

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Jim the Bart
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 01:57 PM

Back when I was in a touring band, you'd often cross paths with other musicians doing the same. At some point, people always seemed to start "one-upping" each other with talk about the famous folk they "partied with" ("We were in Houston and I partied with Waylon" "Oh yeah? We just got back from Grand Rapids where we partied with the Dirt Band and Willie!" and such like).

Finally, our guitar player (a very funny, wry sort of guy) got a T-shirt printed up that said "I partied with God". He figured, who could one-up that? I think most people who saw it figured it was a religious statement. . .

Just thought I'd share
Bart

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 02:14 PM

Once my wife and I attended a Martin Carthy/Watersons concert, and we brought along our son, who was then only a few weeks old. (Don't worry, we sat in the back row, in an aisle seat, and were prepared to take him out immediately if he cried. He didn't.)

At the break, I was standing out in the lobby, holding my son, and Martin was there, schmoozing with some of the audience. He saw my son and he came over and put his face about 8 inches from my son's face, gazed into his eyes for several seconds, and gave him a big smile. I don't remember what he said, if anything. But you can't help liking a guy who likes babies.

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: GUEST,Roll&Go-C
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 02:18 PM

I'm not sure this story is appropriate here but I'll tell it anyway. It is true. Ask Garnet the next time you see him:

PLACENTA HELPER

Back in the 1970's when I lived at Rivendell Housing Co-op in Michigan, we used to host itinerant folk musicians who performed at the 10-Pound Fiddle Coffeehouse. Well, that evening it was Stan Rogers, his brother Garnet and bass player Dave Eddy. The concert was the evening before and of course it continued as a late night party in our living room, partially fueled by a bottle of absolute alcohol supplied by one of our resident bio-med students. Anyway, everyone was somewhat bleary eyed when they awoke late next afternoon. We pulled together a wonderful vegetarian chili and some meat chili for our guests. Most of our members were vegetarians, and Stan and the boys began baiting the vegetarians with stories and songs. Steve responded by vividly describing the home birth that had taken place in our house a few years back, casually mentioning that since we didn't know what to do with the placenta in the middle of the winter someone had wrapped it up in wax paper and stuffed it in the freezer. One of our new members and cook for the day, Karrie, then chimed in on cue, "In the freezer downstairs? Oh, no!" Stan and the boys turned white…We did bury the placenta the next spring in the backyard before a real "accident" happened.

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: GUEST,Melani
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 02:25 PM

I once ran into Aly Bain going into the ladies room as I was leaving. He gave me a charming smile as I scuttled out the door, considerably confused, to say the least. I eventually located the miniscule sign stating that due to remodeling, the ladies room had temporarily become the men's room. Oops.

I also once had a guitar lesson from Michael Smith (too bad it didn't take). Many years ago, Muddy Waters tried to pick up my husband's date in a bar in Chicago, and Mike Bloomfield used to play in his living room. But the real kicker was when my husband declined to go to a CORE party because instead of the usual free admission, they were charging $.50 for the live entertainment. His roommate went, and when he got back, my husband asked how it was. "Not bad," the guy replied. "There was some singer named Dylan something or other."

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From:
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 02:44 PM

B"H Worked concert lighting for a few years and met many legends- too numerous to mention. But I think the coolest one I ever met, remains nameless to me. He appeared one evening in 1965 at the cafe/bus stop in Hunter, New York. Didn't catch his name.... He was an old guy dressed like a cowboy traveling that Woodstock, Tannesville, Windham, etc.. line and playing happy-go-lucky-oletimey songs table to table at whatever place he happened to land. Can anyone tell me..... Who was that unmasked man ?

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: fat B****rd
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 04:44 PM

sung with alvin lee,ian anderson (J Tull) and roger chapman.shared a cigarette with steve howe, annoyed screaming Lord Sutch,mumbled at vince taylor (well he mumbled first) got drunk with tim rose and cr0ssed paths briefly with all sorts of nice people. o yeah diana ross looked at me (nottoo difficult, sheffield city hall is big and there was hardly anybody else there.had a slash next to lol copxhill and one of ray charles touring band blah blahblah

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Long Firm Freddie
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 04:55 PM

Sydney Carter (who wrote the lyrics to "Lord of the Dance") spoke to me once. "Who are you?" he asked. When he realised I wasn't anyone famous, he looked disappointed and turned back to carry on talking with Martin Carthy and a Waterson or two. This was at the National Folk Festival at Sutton Bonnington over ten years ago.

LFF

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: mousethief
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 05:09 PM

I know the story of the Bremen Town Musicians. That's a musical legend. And there's that one about the singing donkey in Mexico. But I forget the name of that one.

Or is that not what you meant, Tex?

I don't know any real famous musicians on a first name basis. And they're glad, I'm sure.

Alex

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: DancingMom
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 05:21 PM

Gamble Rogers. I helped set up for a show he did in N.C. (I think it was 1982) and we all went out for dinner/breakfast in the wee hours after the show. Nice guy. My mom danced with Chuck Berry once.

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 06:41 PM

I once slept with Emmylou Harris, before her second marriage.

It was after her fist British concert in the Hammersmith Odeon bacl in 1974 (I think). I went backstage to meet her, we had a couple of drinks and one thing led to another.

Next thing I remember, the railway guard was shaking my shoulder and asking to see my ticket, and I realised it was all a dream.........

Murray

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: toadfrog
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 07:30 PM

Tastes differ as to who was a Legend, but when I was a kid it was not all that hard to meet people I think were great, because folk singers didn't have all that much money, and stayed in people's houses when on tour. Friends, more prosperous than I, invited me to share dinner with Jean Redpath, and other friends even wangled a dinner invitation from Ewan McColl and Peggy Seeger in London (in or about 1964).

McColl was very proud of his new (hand made) tape recorder, and recorded a 3 songs, notably a version of Child # 10 (Twa Sisters) which he had from Belle Stuart, and very similar to a version I see in the Mudcat collection, attributed to somebody I never heard of. Apparently McColl never personally cut a record of that. But a friend listened to the tape and put the music in his master's thesis, and I think it got around from that.

McColl was a very sharp and urbane man, and said things about singing, and teaching singing, that left a lasting impression. He and A.L. Lloyd either founded, or were anyway at the center of the Singers' Club in London, and a number of the best known British folk singers came out of that milieu. He and Peggy had extremely bitter things to say about Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, whom they considered to be flashy twerps who were cheapening things.

Another very exciting experience was a workshop at the 1970 Berkeley 2d World Folk Festival, featuring Charles Seeger, Bess (Lomax) Hawes, and Sam Hinton. Since there was no singing, but just talking about ideas, it was a very intimate (i.e. small) group. It was exciting because of the things Bess Hawes had to say . . .

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Matt_R
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 07:34 PM

Allan C and Bill Sables!!

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: radriano
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 07:35 PM

I had lots of stuff to add to this thread but I've already passed my bragging limit this week.

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: GUEST,Roll&Go-C
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 07:51 PM

If you have known a musical legend, then it should be possible to come up with more than a name, date and location. I'd really like to see some more stories that tells me something more about a "legend."

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: catspaw49
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 08:11 PM

Like Kim, when I lived in Nashville, it was pretty easy to run into "stars" here and there......and in some odd places. Shopping for pullovers at JC Penney, the guy next to me ask what I thought of them........turned and realized it was Ricky Skaggs. Had a nice talk and got some free passes to a show acouple of nights later.....where both of us were wearing "On Sale" JCP pullovers.

We lived about 6 houses down from Johnny Cash's estate which was a couple past Waylon Jenning's new home. You turned at Twitty City to get back there. Never saw any of them, just Cash's emus. Our house had a broad driveway entrance where the tour buses turned around. I always figured they were saying, "No one you've ever heard of lives here, so fuckem, we use their driveway."

Spaw

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 08:20 PM

I once played a small picnick for a local historical so. once and I was trying to play a very cut and dotted straspay kind of piece on the english concertina. I looked up and caught Issic Stern sfuffing half a hot dog into his mouth.. The strauspay did jump a beat and he laughed with me.. Thats about it..He did not ask me home for dinner.. Ah well.

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 09:04 PM

well!!...... I know Dick Greenhaus, Sandy & Carolyn Paton, Art Thieme (well, met him 3-4 times) Barry Finn, Big Mick......and Max Siegel.....(all legends of various ilk)

And I once helped carry Bob Beers' psaltry and got to stand behind him and watch him practice..(Wichita Kans, about 1962)

the more I remember about great folkies I have met, the sillier it seems to try to pick & choose who were famous and why....and some of the ones who never quite became famous meant more to me and deserved more fame than some of the ones who are household names...

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Don Firth
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 09:40 PM

Quite a few, actually, once I got the thinking about it. When I first got involved with folk music in the early Fifties, Walt Robertson was the biggy around Seattle. For those not familiar with Walt and who missed the thread, take a peek here.

In the early Fifties, Sandy Paton was hanging out in this neck of the woods, learning songs and learning to play the guitar. He was soon to head back East. I ran into Sandy again at the 1960 Berkeley Folk Festival, where he was one of the featured performers (he'd obviously been a busy lad in the intervening years). Sandy dragged me off to a post-concert party where I met and had a chance to talk with two of the other featured performers -- Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacColl. They did a concert in Seattle not that long before MacColl died (1989), and Peggy has been back at least once since.

I went to the Berkeley festivals in '60, '61, and '64. I'm not sure which festival it was where I met a young Scots lass (not one of the featured performers) who had a headful of ballads and sang them beautifully. Sam Hinton was conducting a workshop on ballad singing and she was in the audience. After asking several very incisive questions, Sam Hinton said, "Obviously, you know more about ballad singing than we here on the panel. Please, come up and join us." Her name was Jean Redpath. She's passed through Seattle a couple of times since.

At the Berkeley Festivals, I met and talked with Charles Seeger, Sam Hinton, Bess Hawes, Almeda Riddle, Marais and Miranda, Mance Lipscomb, and several others I can't recall right now. I saw, but didn't have a chance to talk with Lightnin' Hopkins, Mississippi John Hurt, Doc and Merle Watson, The New Lost City Ramblers, Frank Warner, and many others. There were a lot of well-known folk musicians who came to the Berkeley festivals, and plenty of opportunity to meet and talk with them. That was sort of the point.

Pete Seeger, in 1954 in Seattle at a post-concert party and song-fest that lasted until 4:00 a.m., then again in 1957. In 1957, after he did a day-time concert in Bellingham, I had a long conversation with Richard Dyer-Bennet. He was very friendly and encouraging. Guy Carawan was in Seattle for several days in the mid-Fifties, then came back to do a concert in late '57 or early '58. Then again in the '80s. Bob Gibson and Dick Rosmini in 1958. They were in Seattle for about two weeks and we got together several times to gab and swap songs. Joan Baez at another after-concert party in 1962, then I talked to her again in 1964 at the Berkeley Folk Festival. Rolf Cahn in Berkeley in 1959, then he came to Seattle to sing and do some workshops in the early Sixties. Barbara Dane and Dick Rosmini (again) in the early Sixties. They opened for Bob Newhart at the Orpheum Theater. Dick got me in backstage, then afterward, we all went to a party at a U. of W. frat house that one of my guitar pupils belonged to. We sang until the wee, small hours, then we all went out and had breakfast. Theodore Bikel. The day after his concert at the Seattle Center Opera House in '62 (Seattle World's Fair) he came to a record store in the University District for a record signing. For about two hours a half-dozen of us sat around and gabbed with him. Fascinating guy! Dyer-Bennet did three concerts during the World's Fair then came and sang with us at one of the Sunday afternoon concerts at the United Nations Pavilion.

In the early '60s, Jesse Fuller sang one weekend at a coffeehouse in Seattle. One of the waitresses (a non-singing folk music enthusiast) hired him to sing at a party she was throwing, and many of us had a chance to hear him up close and talk with him. I remember him saying. "I gotta laugh at some of these college kids singin' about bein' a 'steel drivin' man.'" Then he chuckled and added, "'Cause I have drove some!"

In the late '70s (or was it the early '80s?) several people, including my wife Barbara and I, drove up to Bellingham to take in Gordon Bok's concert there, and we met and talked with him at the after-concert party. Gordon did another concert in Seattle in the late '80s, and there was a party and song-fest on a Lake Union houseboat the night before the concert. During the evening, while talking to Gordon, he and I swapped guitars for a few minutes. His was a Santos Hernandez classic, as I recall. Great sounding and nice to play. Mine was a Japanese made classic imported by Jose Oribe and bearing his signed "inspected and approved by" label (it looks exactly like a Jose Ramirez and sounds almost as good!). Gordon played it awhile, then said, "Nice guitar! It has bells in it!"

I consider Merritt Herring a legend. If he isn't, he ought to be. I think he lives in Portland Oregon or thereabouts now, but I first met him at the 1960 Berkeley Folk Festival. During the early '70s he lived on Bainbridge Island, a fairly short ferry-ride (or a very long, cold swim) from Seattle and he came to all the early Seattle Song Circle meetings. I saw him again recently at a Northwest Folklife Festival. Great voice, great guitar, and he sticks pretty close to traditional songs.

I'm sure there were others, but right now I'm suffering from brain-fag and fits of nostalgia. Lots of great musicians out there. . . .

Don Firth

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: Deckman
Date: 23 Mar 01 - 12:26 AM

Respectfully, I would like to 'tweak' this thread just a little bit. Rather than speak to how many 'greats' (the same 100) we've all run into, how about this spin ... who did you run in to that REALLY TAUGHT YOU SOMETHING! For myself, as a first contribution, I'll bypass mention of Walt Robertson and talk about the late Roy Guest, from England. I met him when I was perhaps 18 (and I was once, believe it or not). For whatever reasons, we hung out a lot. He taught me how to really 'milk a song' (Brennon On The Moor). That is, how to really sing a song so well, that the audience wanted to hear it again, just after you'd completed it. He was a master at that! I hope that this 'tweaks' your interest ... I love to hear your imput. CHEERS, Bob (deckman) Nelson

Subject: well, i learned to dodge...
From: cait
Date: 23 Mar 01 - 12:51 AM

anyways, jose feliciano felt me up one night in boston. i was dating a classical guitarist, gil dejesus, who was still playing the same circuit jose used to play when they had known each other. jose always left comp tix for gil and his date. we saw the show and then took jose out for greek pastries. for a blind dude, jose had an uncanny ability to know just where to 'accidentally brush up against'...well, you get the picture.

or is this not what you meant?

also, bo diddly pulled me up on stage once to make fun of me, but i knocked his socks off by throwing rap lines about pepsi light (his sponsor) for a few rounds.

huh. that was fun.

also, i was kissed by delbert mcclinton in the back seat of a '66 ford galaxie 500xl (my husband was driving)...hey! it was just a good night kiss! *swoon*

mike finnigan hugged me backstage once.

i am not a groupie, i just happen to be lovable, and i love music so i get around to hear some greats. running my own blues society was a kick, too.

-caiti

Subject: RE: what musical legends have you known
From: CamiSu
Date: 23 Mar 01 - 09:41 AM

Roll&Go_C,

Often the trouble with the stories that go with the legends are so ordinary, because they are people just like us. I mean what do you say? Reggie Harris and I leaned against each other listening to stories? Definitely, but so what? He and Kim are two of the nicest and most talented people on the circuit,at least as far as I'm concerned. (Though perhaps the better story is how, in Colorado, they looked into the audience and saw a Clearwater shirt on someone. Reggie remarked to Kim on it and then said, "Kim, it's DAVID BUSTER!" (my husband!))

They are people, and wonderful ones, just like you.