Last night. Scott Barretta brought Honeyboy Edwards and his manager Michael Frank to dinner. Here’s a photograph. Honeyboy will be 93 next June 20th, and is still playing an amazing 70+ gigs a year all of the world; he’s about to spend two weeks in England and will be in Germany later this year. He’s also (to this day) one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met in my life, with incredibly vivid accounts of the Delta in the 20s and 30s, playing in essentially every part of the Mississippi River Valley in the 30s and 40s, and his encounters of famous bluesmen (including being with Robert Johnson the night he was murdered); his biography, The World Don’t Owe Me Nothing is in the books listed at the left. It is the best memoir ever written by a bluesman.
There are now as far as I can tell two remaining musicians, actively performing, who recorded traditional southern music before WWII: Honeyboy and Luderin Darbone, the fiddler of the Hackberry Ramblers. Honeyboy is playing this summer at the Chicago Blues Festival, in Mississippi again a couple of times, Kentucky, and San Francisco, and is well worth seeing. Here are his tour dates. This is your last chance to hear someone who has learned songs directly from Robert Johnson.
Watch this space later for a recipe from last night’s dinner and some stories from Honeyboy last night.
Photo courtesy of Scott Barretta
Now that is Cool!
Thanks for sharing this with us!
What fishy said, NMC. Can’t wait for what else you have to tell us about last evening.
Wow, that is amazing! He has to have some fantastic stories. That book is as good as bought.
For those wanting a good opportunity to see Honeyboy soon, he will be appearing Sat. June 7 in Leland MS at the Hwy 61 Blues Festival. As a matter of fact, the entire festival this year is dedicated in honor of Honeyboy — a tribute to his contributions to the blues. The festival also includes some great blues performers like Willie King (and the Liberators), local bluesman Eddie Cusac, “little Boogaloo”, and many others.
And my son, who as a young lad, played with a young area band that appeared in the very first Hwy 61 Blues fest, will be appearing again this year —now as a young adult — with an area band featuring some of those same, now grown up, kids who played in the first one. No doubt, I plan to be at this festival.
Wowzers, afotl, what a great day you got to look forward to. Hope you’ll favor us with the stories after.
That’s a good lineup in Leland, folks. I’d recommend it.
I’m Mme Jobarteh and I approve this message….
Oh, my Goodness
NMC, you look exactly like I thought you would!
That never happens to me.
What a wonderful evening that must have been for all of you!
ld
this is just awesome having Honeyboy for dinner!
I’m going to plan on going to the fest this summer to see Honeyboy. It will be outside by the lake under the stars with the Chicago Skyline in the background, believe me it’s a night not to miss. Eatin Leons ribs on the curb and drinkin a beer and listening to Honeyboy, beautiful. He’s a regular at the House of Blues, standing room only.
Who ate all the chips?