I had the good fortune to have played on a recording for BB King back in the early 90\u2019s. Honor to have done it but for sure it\u2019s a cred that lots and lots of musicians can claim. Mister King made 100\u2019s of recordings and probably hired 1000\u2019s of musicians. As I recall Albert Collins and John Lee Hooker were also there at the same session. 3x honor.<\/p>\n
At one point we took a break and sat out in the lounge drinking coffee and listening to stories. We listened, they talked. After a while there was a long pause in the telling, as if the stories had suddenly run out of gas. We all just sat there, all quiet, staring at the muted tv against the wall.<\/p>\n
Switched on to The Beverly Hillbillies.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know BB, Buddy Ebsen is Jimmy Pugh\u2019s uncle.\u201d, Richard Cousins allowed.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t think much of it. I continued to stare at the tv.<\/p>\n
Mister King turned to me, \u201cI know Buddy Ebsen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReally.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSure, I\u2019ve known him for a long time. He\u2019s comes and see\u2019s us at the Lighthouse and at Concerts by the Sea. You know he lives down there on Balboa Island.\u201d<\/p>\n
Good knowledge.<\/p>\n
He did.<\/p>\n
Mister King was a fabulous story teller. He really knew how to set it up.<\/p>\n
This was a slow conversation. He was in no hurry.<\/p>\n
But now I was hooked.<\/p>\n
\u201cUh when did you you meet him?\u201d<\/p>\n
He sat there for a while as he considered and then tilted his head back as he considered some more,<\/p>\n
\u201cI first met Buddy Ebsen in 1954\u2026 at a party at Sammy Cahn\u2019s apartment in New York.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mind blown.<\/p>\n
What?<\/p>\n
It took me a while to grasp the idea that my uncle wasn\u2019t just listening to BB King but was actually hanging out with him before I was even born. 1954? At Sammy Cahn\u2019s house no less.<\/p>\n
That was just way too hip.<\/p>\n
Part of my coolness quotient drained from my face.<\/p>\n
Damn.<\/p>\n
Then a few years ago Deborah and I stayed at Fess Parker\u2019s Inn here along the central coast. Bounding down the stairs for dinner that night I caught myself \u2013 what the hell?- I heard somebody playing the head to \u201cYou Upset Me Baby\u201d on a piano. As I walked down the rest of the stairs I heard,<\/p>\n
\u201dLike Being Hit By a Falling Tree, Woman What You Do To Me.\u201d<\/p>\n
An older gentleman was seated at the lobby piano playing and singing a relatively obscure BB King tune.<\/p>\n
I squinted.<\/p>\n
It was Fess Parker.<\/p>\n
Singing and playing obscure BB King.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t ask. It wasn\u2019t a good time.<\/p>\n
We ate and went back to the room and I Googled him:<\/p>\n
\u201cDavy Crockett is a five-part serial which aired on ABC from 1954-1955 in one-hour episodes, on the Disneyland series. The series stars Fess Parker as real-life frontiersman Davy Crockett and Buddy Ebsen as his friend, George Russel.\u201d<\/p>\n
1954 again.<\/p>\n
This time with obscure BB King accompaniment on a lobby piano in the middle of nowhere.<\/p>\n
I always intended to talk to my uncle about knowing Mister King but then he passed away before I got a chance. And after we moved down here I really intended to ask Fess Parker about him but he too had passed before I got a chance.<\/p>\n
And now Mister King is gone as well.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m very thankful for friends and relations who are here or now departed.<\/p>\n
Happy Thanksgiving!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I had the good fortune to have played on a recording for BB King back in the early 90\u2019s. Honor to have done it but for sure it\u2019s a cred that lots and lots of musicians can claim. Mister King made 100\u2019s of recordings and probably hired 1000\u2019s of musicians. As I recall Albert Collins […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":551,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[19],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n