Back in 1961 I happened to be in Madison County, NC, visiting a friend, and somehow wound up at a sort of party at someone's house where a string band was playing in the living room and the rugs were rooled up and kids were dancing with their grandmas. In 1994 I was back in Madison County visiting Obray Ramsey. I told him of my memory, and he said, "Why, that was Bascom Lamar Lusford's house. Didn't you know that?" A couple of years ago I bought a biography of Lunsford, and recognized a oicture of the house.

If I had known more about Lunsford then I'm sure that I would have been uncomfortable being in his house. And he very likely would have been uncomfortable about me being there. But all he knew about me at most was that I was a Yankee college boy. And the music was wonderful.   

It's amazing to me how often in my life I have wound up liking and even admiring people whose political, religious, or other attitudes I despised. Guess I'm just wishy-washy.