Lyle, bless you! You've conveyed a great deal in those words. One more little piece in my own Leadbelly jig saw puzzle.

My interest in him (and a few others) actually puzzles (no pun) me quite a bit. I've been fortunate enough to meet and do some pickin' with quite a number of folks I admire, and hero-worship or sycophancy has never seemed to be part of my make-up.....but when it comes to Huddie ledbetter, I'm the biggest groupie you ever saw. I think there's some kind of "alter-ego" thing at work there.

In general, I think there was a period (1930-1950) of music and musicians that I simply would have wanted to be a part of. Oh, and to have lived in the States during that time as well. Growing up in Canada in the 60s was fine, but it just didn't do it for me "soul-wise". Seems pretty obvious from some of my posts over two and a half years, that "If I couldn't have been there...I wanna talk to folks who WERE". Thanks.

Harp. He does some of that cloggin' (buck dancing?) in the film that Pete synchronized the music to. It's certainly available at the library, if yours carries the "Rainbow Quest" shows. I've seen it a few times and it's neat. Bloody hard though, as you say.

Yup Amyotroph........aw shit, I can barely pronounce it let alone spell it...Lou Gehrig's disease, it is though.

Rick