I have no idea how old I was when I first heard
the sad singing guitar. I know I was very young. A few years later, I saw the man who played
the sad singing guitar on television. He would sing a little and then play a
little and his face made all kinds of ugly distortions, and I asked myself if
all that was necessary to sing and play a song.
Often, I used to hide in my mother and daddy’s bedroom and listen to
WTHB or WAUG radio stations. At that
time, you heard his music mostly on what they called in the Deep South, The
Negro Music Platform.
As I got older, I began to combine the melancholy tones he strummed
on his guitar and his voice as one instrument. I saw his closed eyes and the
distortions of his face when he sang as a sign of him having entered his world.
The beat was in his soul; the tone came
from his gut, and his fingers played what he saw there.
I never met him personally, but he affected my life in a big way. Through
him, I learned that music didn’t flow through you cause you were intelligent,
but because you chose to find your world where you could sing your heart out,
to march to your own beat, and yes, feel the pain, the disappointment, and the
joy of your life experiences.
My heart is sad today. It is singing the blues, honoring a man who
came from the heart of the South, a man who became an inspiration for me and many musicians all over the world.
At age 89, The Thrill Is Gone. He has crossed over, but his legacy will live
on.
Rest In Peace
Blues Boy King
Shalom,
Pat Garcia
Beautiful tribute. Beautifully written. Here in Phila. when I was a teenager, we listened to WHAT; we called it simply "the black radio station." We wanted to hear all the hits in their great, original form before they were made into crossovers.
ReplyDeleteI posted a reasonable facsimile of this comment on your FB page, Patricia, because I couldn't find an easy way to comment on Typepad.
Shalom,
Samantha
My Dear Samantha,
ReplyDeleteYou have just awoken a memory, "Crossovers," and how well I remember that being done with the majority of the Southern Black Musicians.
B. B. King was in my opinion the King of the Blues. Most people don't know he never had any formal training. What he had was a gift from God and he worked hard at developing it, and in those days that was hard to do. You learned by listening and trying things out until they worked. You learned by listening to the Caucasians talk about music and music theory while you were busy maybe cleaning the floors, and then you went home and you put it altogether.
Thank you so much my dear friend for sharing your thoughts. It means a lot to me that you came by because you're a musician and knows how hard it is to get recognition in your craft.
Love you, Lady.
Shalom,
Patricia
It makes me feel old as these greats from our childhood pass on one by one. My parents never played radio but my husband had blues records when I met him and introduced me. The Thrill is Gone indeed.
ReplyDeleteHi Susan,
DeleteIt is a strange feeling to see the the old guard moving on. It reminds us that nothing on earth is permanent. As for B.B., he was a very humble man. He had his issues like all of us but he was a man that walked humbly in the world.
Shalom,
Patricia
When I read about B. B. King's death I was so upset. His music was brilliant and, like you, he gave me hours of musical beauty.
ReplyDeleteHi Clee,
DeleteI understand very well. I was taking a nap and had awoken when I saw it come across my ticker on my iPhone, and my heart felt pain. B.B. was the Blues. For a man that had never learned music or gone to any great university, he had an enormous gift, The gift of the Blues, and he used it wisely.
Shalom,
Patricia
He shared his great gift with the world. I'm sure he had his share of betrayals and disappointments in the music business, but he didn't let that stop him from sharing. That's courage. That's generosity.
ReplyDeleteHi Marian,
DeleteI can say Amen to that. B.B. shared his gift to the world. I too am sure he had many betrayals and disappointments but what I like is that he didn't let those things make his bitter and he definitely didn't let them stop him from accomplishing his dream. For a man that was never formally taught, he was outstanding.
Thank you for dropping by.
Shalom,
Patricia