Alan Govenar (58 page)

60.
Paul Oliver, “The World of Lightnin' Hopkins,” The Texas Blues Society, December 1965, pp. 7–9.

61.
Rubenstein's M & I Department Store was located in the 2100 block of Dowling, and his third store was called Well Worth's in the 2700 block of Dowling. At the time, many of the stores on Dowling were Jewish owned and serviced the African American community, which Mansel pointed out by saying, “They had for decades. Blacks couldn't shop downtown, and the Jewish-owned businesses helped people out—the shoe stores, furniture stores, and even the Dowling Theatre.” The loan offices and pawnshops functioned as banks for some blacks, who had great difficulty borrowing money.

62.
Strachwitz, October 19, 2008.

7. Mojo Hand: An Orphic Tale

1.
J. J. Phillips, e-mail correspondence, October 13, 2008.

2.
Ibid., May 28, 2009.

3.
Ibid., June 2, 2009.

4.
Here, the events in Phillips's life are contrary to the immediate infatuation that the fictional Eunice experiences when she hears the recording by Blacksnake Brown.

5.
Phillips, June 2, 2009.

6.
Ibid. October 23, 2008.

7.
Ibid., May 27, 2009.

8.
Ibid., May 28, 2009.

9.
J. J. Phillips, interview by Alan Govenar, October 14, 2008.

10.
Ibid.

11.
Ibid., October 13, 2008.

12.
Live at the Bird Lounge
Guest Star LP 1459. In December 1964, Lightnin' recorded another song, titled “Chicken Minnie,” that was apparently about Phillips, though Phillips didn't hear it until 2009.

13.
J. J. Phillips, interview by Alan Govenar, June 3, 2009.

14.
Ibid.

15.
Ibid., October 23, 2008.

16.
Ibid. May 23, 2009.

17.
Ibid., May 23, 2009.

18.
Ibid., October 14, 2008. In
Mojo Hand,
this cafe became the basis for the Raleigh Palace Bar.

19.
Ibid.

20.
Ibid.

21.
Ibid. In
Mojo Hand,
Phillips based the character of X. L. Millson on Billy Bizor.

22.
Ibid.

23.
J. J. Phillips, e-mail correspondence, May 27, 2009.

24.
Ibid., May 23, 2009.

25.
Ibid., October 13, 2008.

26.
Ibid.

27.
Ibid.

28.
Mrs. Frook and Mrs. Johnson in
Mojo Hand
are based on two of the older women that Phillips met in Hattie's shop. Hattie's store became the artificial flower shop in the novel.

29.
Phillips, May 20, 2009.

30.
J. J. Phillips, letter to Albert Murray, 2002.

31.
J. J. Phillips, interview by Alan Govenar, May 31, 2009.

32.
Ibid., May 28, 2009.

33.
Ibid., October 14, 2008.

34.
Ibid

35.
Ibid., October 23, 2008.

36.
Ibid.

37.
Ibid., June 3, 2009.

38.
Ibid., October 14, 2008.

39.
Ibid.

40.
Ibid.

41.
Ibid., October 23, 2008.

42.
Ibid.

43.
Ibid., May 28, 2009.

44.
Harriet Doar, “Blue Notes and Voodoo,”
Charlotte Observer,
November 6, 1966.

45.
Jane Phillips,
Mojo Hand,
New York: Simon & Schuster Pocket Books, 1969.

46.
Albert Murray,
The Omni-Americans,
New York: Outerbridge & Dienstfrey, 1970, 125–126.

47.
Phillips, October 23, 2008.

8. An Expanding Audience

1.
Ken Sharp, “Backstage Pass: It Don't Come Easy for Ringo Starr,”
Goldmine,
May 22, 2008.

2.
Les Blank, interview by Alan Govenar, May 30, 2008.

3.
Les Blank,
Dizzy Gillespie,
Flower Films, 1965.

4.
Les Blank, God Respects Us When We Work, But Loves Us When We Dance, Flower Films, 1968.

5.
Les Blank, interview by Alan Govenar, May 30, 2008.

6.
Ibid.

7.
Ibid.

8.
Ibid.

9.
Ibid.

10.
Ibid.

11.
Ibid.

12.
Ibid.

13.
Ibid.

14.
Mike Leadbitter,
Nothing But the Blues,
London: Hanover Books, 1971, p. 168.

15.
Roger Greenspun, “The Screen: 2 Studies of Popular Music Groups Open,”
New York Times,
December 21, 1970.

16.
Mike Leadbitter, liner notes to
Lightnin' Hopkins: King of Dowling Street,
Liberty/UA Records [UK], LP 83254.

17.
Chris Strachwitz, interview by Alan Govenar, May 20, 2009.

18.
Harold V. Ratliff, “Texas System to Lose Stand By, Colorful, Towering Bud Russell, Prison Transfer Agent, Retires,”
Dallas Morning News,
May 25, 1944.

19.
Arhoolie LP 1034.

20.
Carroll Peery, interview by Alan Govenar, May 22, 2009.

21.
Bill Minutaglio, “Saying Goodbye,”
Houston Chronicle,
February 2, 1982.

22.
“Legendary Blues Artist Dies of Pneumonia at 60,”
Houston Chronicle,
February 1, 1982.

23.
Between 1965 and 1970, International Artists released twelve albums and thirty-nine singles and was primarily known for its roster of Texas psychedelic rock bands, including the 13th Floor Elevators, Red Crayola, and Bubble Puppy.

24.
Mansel Rubinstein, interview by Alan Govenar, May 7, 2009.

25.
John David Bartlett, interview by Alan Govenar, October 26, 2008.

26.
Duke Davis, interview by Paul Drummond, e-mail, May 6, 2009. For more information, see Paul Drummond.
Eye Mind: The Saga of Roky Erickson and The 13th Floor Elevators.
Port Townsend, WA: Process, 2007.

27.
Other Houston shows from this period (listed in the
Houston Post's
“Nowsounds Calendar”) are: January 26 and 27, 1968 at Love Street Light Circus, with the Starvation Army Band; and March 23 and 24, 1968 at Love Street Light Circus, with the Shaydes.

28.
Danny Thomas, interview by Paul Drummond, e-mail, May 6, 2009.

29.
Bartlett, October 26, 2008.

30.
Don Logan, interview by Alan Govenar, August 7, 2008.

31.
Ibid.

32.
Ibid.

33.
Ibid.

34.
John Lomax, Jr. and Alan Lomax also appeared at the event (“A Tribute to the Lomax Family” was part of the program). Muddy Waters and Skip James were featured as well. For a full text of the program and a full listing of the roster of the 1968 Festival of American Folklife, see
www.archive.org/stream/1968festivalofam00fest/1968festivalofam00fest_djvu.txt
.

35.
Ed Pearl, interview by Alan Govenar, July 16, 2008.

36.
Bromberg, October 14, 2008.

37.
Ibid.

38.
Tony Joe White liner notes to
California Mudslide (and Earthquake),
Vault LP 129.

39.
Robert Earl Hardy, A
Deeper Blue: The Life and Music of Townes Van Zandt,
Denton, TX: University of North Texas Press, 2008, p. 62.

40.
Adam Machado, liner notes to
Hear Me Howling,
Arhoolie CD 518 and Arhoolie CD 519.

41.
Strachwitz, May 20, 2009.

42.
Alan Govenar,
Texas Blues: The Rise of a Contemporary Sound,
College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 2008.

43.
Logan, August 7, 2008.

44.
Ibid.

45.
Ibid.

46.
Dan Morgenstern,
Living with Jazz,
edited by Sheldon Meyer, New York: Pantheon Books, 2004, p. 511.

47.
Dick Waterman,
Between Night and Day,
San Rafael, CA: Insight Editions, 2004.

48.
Ibid.

49.
David Benson, interview by Alan Govenar, November 14, 2008. See also, Sam Charters, “Po' Lightnin': Some Thoughts about Lightnin' Hopkins,” booklet in
Lightnin' Hopkins: The Complete Prestige/Bluesville Recordings,
Fantasy, 1991, p. 29.

50.
Ed Pearl, July 16, 2008.

51.
Ibid.

52.
Ibid.

53.
Bernie Pearl, interview by Alan Govenar, July 17, 2008.

54.
Ibid.

55.
Ibid.

56.
Ibid., July 16, 2008.

57.
Ibid.

58.
Ibid., July 17, 2008.

59.
Ibid.

60.
The other contenders were “Blues Piano Orgy” with Little Brother Montgomery, Roosevelt Sykes, and Sunnyland Slim; “Walking the Blues” by Otis Spann; and “Live at Soledad Prison” by John Lee Hooker, with whom Lightnin' recorded on May 16 and 17, 1972, for an album that was not released until 1993 on a CD called
It's a
Sin
to Be Rich
(Gitanes 517 514-2). The CD was a mishmash of recordings that included not only Lightnin' and John Lee Hooker, but Jesse Ed Davis on guitar; Luther Tucker, guitar; Mel Brown, guitar/piano/organ; Charlie Grimes, guitar; David Cohen, guitar; Clifford Coulter, piano/melodica; Michael White, violin; Joe Frank Corolla, bass; and Lonnie Castille, drums.

9. The Last Decade

1.
Mack McCormick, liner notes to
Robert Shaw, Texas Barrelhouse Piano,
Almanac LP 10, 1966.

2.
Leadbitter, liner notes to
Lightnin' Hopkins: King of Dowling Street,
Liberty/UA Records [UK] 83254.

3.
David Benson, interview by Alan Govenar, November 7, 2008.

4.
Ibid.

5.
Ibid., January 30, 2002.

6.
Joe Kessler, interview by Alan Govenar, September 3, 2009.

7.
Benson, January 30, 2002.

8.
Ibid.

9.
Ibid., November 7, 2008.

10.
Ibid., January 30, 2002.

11.
Kessler, September 3, 2009.

12.
Sam Charters, March 13, 2008.

13.
“Lightnin' Hopkins,” Vol. 12 of
Legacy of the Blues,
GNP Crescendo. 1992.

14.
Benson, January 30, 2002.

15.
Robert Palmer, “Jazz: Master,”
New York Times,
May 15, 1977.

16.
Over the years, Lanny Steele and his SumArts organization hosted hundreds of blues and jazz artists, from John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Koko Taylor, Big Mama Thornton, and Albert King to Milt Larkin, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Alex Moore, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, and Texas Johnny Brown. For more information, see Jim Sherman, “Goodbye to Lanny Steele,”
Houston Press,
November 3, 1994 and “Houston Celebrates Juneteenth with Parade of Black Progress,” in
Chronicle-Telegram
[Elyria, OH], June 19, 1977, p. A-10.

17.
Benson, January 30, 2002.

18.
Ibid.

19.
The Rising Sun Collection, Vol. 9,
featuring Lightnin' Hopkins, vocal/electric guitar, Phillip Bowler, bass; and Walter Perkins, drums, Just a Memory CD 009-2, released in 1996.

20.
Benson, November 7, 2008.

21.
Ibid.

22.
Ibid.

23.
Ibid.

24.
Ibid.

25.
Ibid.

26.
Norbert Hess, “Europe,”
Living Blues
36 (January/February 1978); and Norbert Hess, interview by Alan Govenar, May 14, 2009.

27.
Benson, January 30, 2002 and November 7, 2008.

28.
Ibid., November 7, 2008.

29.
Ibid., January 30, 2002.

30.
Ibid., November 7, 2008.

31.
Timothy J. O'Brien. “Lightnin' Hopkins: Houston Bluesman, 1912–1960,” MA thesis, University of Houston, 2006, p. 88.

32.
Michael Hall, “Let There be Lightnin',”
Texas Monthly,
June 2007.

33.
Benson, November 7, 2008.

34.
Ibid., January 30, 2002.

35.
Mark Pollock interview by Alan Govenar, October 14, 2008.

36.
Anson Funderburgh interview by Alan Govenar, October 15, 2008.

37.
Ibid.

38.
Ibid.

39.
Ibid.

40.
Doyle Bramhall, interview by Alan Govenar, October 14, 2008.

41.
Ibid.

42.
Funderburgh, October 15, 2008.

43.
Bramhall, October 14, 2008.

44.
Funderburgh, October 15, 2008.

45.
Bramhall, October 14, 2008.

46.
Tim Schuller, “Lightnin' Hopkins at the Granada Theater, Dallas, Texas”
Living Blues
(November/December 1977).

47.
Tim Schuller, “Lightnin' Hopkins at the Granada Theater, Dallas, Texas”
Living Blues
(November/December 1977).

48.
Benson, November 7, 2008.

49.
Ibid.

50.
Ibid., January 30, 2002.

51.
Ibid., November 7, 2008.

52.
Ibid.

53.
Ibid.

54.
Ibid.

55.
Michael Hall, “Let There Be Lightnin',”
Texas Monthly
(June 2007).

56.
Anton J. Mikofsky, interview by Alan Govenar, August 28, 2008.

57.
Mikofsky, August 28, 2008.

58.
Ibid.

59.
Ibid.

60.
Benson, November 7, 2008.

61.
Ibid.