MERLE HAGGARD IN SC, JAMES BURTON IN MEMPHIS, AND GUMBO YA-YA IN NEW ORLEANS
WHEW ........three days in New Orleans is a trip . I had an absolute blast there and always do .However, I need to start back a few days that I didnt get a chance to tell you about . When we were in Myrtle Beach on the 9th , we were driving in the tour bus to the venue for sound check and I said to Isaak ...."Hey did you know that Merle Haggard was playing tonight as well just across the parking lot ?" And chris allowed as he didnt .But then Isaak said "Why dont we go say hi to Merle" And I said "Damn that is a capitol idea you have there singer boy " So we had someone call over there and they said to come on over so we did . They said that Merle was on his bus and that he said to go on up and see him ....So we did ....
Now you might be hard pressed to find 2 bigger Hag fans than Chris and I . I mean before I sold off my record collection I had 50 or more Merle Haggard records....And Isaak grew up in the San Jaquin valley just like Merle .So his music was always around , but neither of us had ever met the legend . Merle could not of been nicer to us .
We sat and talked music. I told him I saw him at the Circle Star Theater in 81 when George Jones opened up for him . And that he had like a 12 piece band that just FLOORED me . I told him you guys swung like B#STARDS........Then Isaak told him that I sometimes sing his big hit "Big City " at sound check . I am all .....DAMN DONT TELL MERLE I SING ONE OF HIS SONGS ....but he was gracious. Isaak and Merle talked about Marty Robbins . Man Isaak and I left that bus a mile high.......Since his show started before ours we got to watch Merle sing for about 30 minutes and his voice sounds as good as ever ! Pretty cool.
Then of to Memphis .........
Turns out it was "Elvis Week" in Memphis and we were lucky to get a hotel . I went over to walk around Beale street and everyone spoke a different language. People come to Memphis from all over the world for Elvis week . So I am walking around Beale street which if you didnt know is were a lot of Blues guys started out, like B.B. King . So I am walking in front of the Rum Boogie bar and they are piping some really good blues out of the speakers out front and I stop to listen and
I think wow whoever this is is really good ......then he introduces himself and it is my friend and neighbor Tommy Castro . Damn Tommy I cant get away from you .....I also happen to walk by the night club that Lisa Marie Presley used to own and when we played in Memphis with her we had an after party at this club and we ended up with our band playing Elvis songs all night to Lisa Marie and Priscilla Presley into the night . And believe you me ...Isaak knows a lot of Elvis songs. Pretty surreal scene but one I will never forget .
Then off to play at the Memphis Botanical Gardens . Man I had never seen so many flies I just walked around with a rolled up newspaper and killed as many as I could . Hershel chimed in that he didnt think I should kill God's innocent little creatures but I told him I have anger management issues and these flies are bothering the sh#t out of me and they have to go ...bad karma or no !!!!!!And I am good at it too.....lots of fly killing training growing up in the Panhandle of Texas....
So anywho we get a message that the great James Burton is in town for Elvis Week and he wants to come to the show .....we tel lhim to get his ass over here pronto......As you may remember gentle readers Isaak and I did James' festival in Shrievesport LA earlier this year . And for the unlettered James used to play guitar for Elvis, Rickey Nelson and the aforementioned Haggard. Isaak gets James up for two songs during the show and he shreds . Then he gets him up for two songs on the encore . That song being Jerry lee Lewis' 'Bonny Bee" whom James has played with as well and he smokes it . Man was that fun. Afterwards backstage I am talking with James and I say "Wait a minute James you played that famous guitar solo on Working Man's blues by merle Haggard ,right" and he allowed as he did ...amazing....Also that guitar solo on "Hello Mary Lou" by Ricky Nelson . Right again . James told me a story about how Gene Pitney had wrote the song "Hello Mary Lou" but they had never met then one day he was sitting outside at a pool in Australia when Gene walked up and introduced himself and said thanks for playing such a great guitar solo on my song !!!!!!
On to New Orleans .....
What a great town .....I managed to get out to the Oak Valley Plantation and the Lara Creole Plantation on one of my days off . How amazing ....the Oak Valley plantation has a row of 28 300 year old oak trees leading up to the front door . And it is right on the Mississippi River . It was built in the 1830s . The Laura is a little less impressive but the family history is outstanding . Dont miss them if you have a chance . New Orleans was sooooooo hot that I was just dripping . The show at the house of Blues I completely soaked my suit thru !!!!! And I almost had a stroke at the Lara mansion because it was not air conditioned .
But that is one special town . Be sure and go visit it and help their economy ........The Gumbo Ya-Ya at Mr. Bs was so good I got a trash can full of it to take on the bus ride to Orlando...
I have to go play Florida now so stay in touch ....Ya Here.....
YOUR DEVOTED DRUMMER
KENNEY DALE
Now you might be hard pressed to find 2 bigger Hag fans than Chris and I . I mean before I sold off my record collection I had 50 or more Merle Haggard records....And Isaak grew up in the San Jaquin valley just like Merle .So his music was always around , but neither of us had ever met the legend . Merle could not of been nicer to us .
We sat and talked music. I told him I saw him at the Circle Star Theater in 81 when George Jones opened up for him . And that he had like a 12 piece band that just FLOORED me . I told him you guys swung like B#STARDS........Then Isaak told him that I sometimes sing his big hit "Big City " at sound check . I am all .....DAMN DONT TELL MERLE I SING ONE OF HIS SONGS ....but he was gracious. Isaak and Merle talked about Marty Robbins . Man Isaak and I left that bus a mile high.......Since his show started before ours we got to watch Merle sing for about 30 minutes and his voice sounds as good as ever ! Pretty cool.
Then of to Memphis .........
Turns out it was "Elvis Week" in Memphis and we were lucky to get a hotel . I went over to walk around Beale street and everyone spoke a different language. People come to Memphis from all over the world for Elvis week . So I am walking around Beale street which if you didnt know is were a lot of Blues guys started out, like B.B. King . So I am walking in front of the Rum Boogie bar and they are piping some really good blues out of the speakers out front and I stop to listen and
I think wow whoever this is is really good ......then he introduces himself and it is my friend and neighbor Tommy Castro . Damn Tommy I cant get away from you .....I also happen to walk by the night club that Lisa Marie Presley used to own and when we played in Memphis with her we had an after party at this club and we ended up with our band playing Elvis songs all night to Lisa Marie and Priscilla Presley into the night . And believe you me ...Isaak knows a lot of Elvis songs. Pretty surreal scene but one I will never forget .
Then off to play at the Memphis Botanical Gardens . Man I had never seen so many flies I just walked around with a rolled up newspaper and killed as many as I could . Hershel chimed in that he didnt think I should kill God's innocent little creatures but I told him I have anger management issues and these flies are bothering the sh#t out of me and they have to go ...bad karma or no !!!!!!And I am good at it too.....lots of fly killing training growing up in the Panhandle of Texas....
So anywho we get a message that the great James Burton is in town for Elvis Week and he wants to come to the show .....we tel lhim to get his ass over here pronto......As you may remember gentle readers Isaak and I did James' festival in Shrievesport LA earlier this year . And for the unlettered James used to play guitar for Elvis, Rickey Nelson and the aforementioned Haggard. Isaak gets James up for two songs during the show and he shreds . Then he gets him up for two songs on the encore . That song being Jerry lee Lewis' 'Bonny Bee" whom James has played with as well and he smokes it . Man was that fun. Afterwards backstage I am talking with James and I say "Wait a minute James you played that famous guitar solo on Working Man's blues by merle Haggard ,right" and he allowed as he did ...amazing....Also that guitar solo on "Hello Mary Lou" by Ricky Nelson . Right again . James told me a story about how Gene Pitney had wrote the song "Hello Mary Lou" but they had never met then one day he was sitting outside at a pool in Australia when Gene walked up and introduced himself and said thanks for playing such a great guitar solo on my song !!!!!!
On to New Orleans .....
What a great town .....I managed to get out to the Oak Valley Plantation and the Lara Creole Plantation on one of my days off . How amazing ....the Oak Valley plantation has a row of 28 300 year old oak trees leading up to the front door . And it is right on the Mississippi River . It was built in the 1830s . The Laura is a little less impressive but the family history is outstanding . Dont miss them if you have a chance . New Orleans was sooooooo hot that I was just dripping . The show at the house of Blues I completely soaked my suit thru !!!!! And I almost had a stroke at the Lara mansion because it was not air conditioned .
But that is one special town . Be sure and go visit it and help their economy ........The Gumbo Ya-Ya at Mr. Bs was so good I got a trash can full of it to take on the bus ride to Orlando...
I have to go play Florida now so stay in touch ....Ya Here.....
YOUR DEVOTED DRUMMER
KENNEY DALE
<< Home