A year or so ago my number two and three sons (Humbord and Toothache, respectively) told me they got me a Christmas Present but I couldn't have it until March. They wanted to keep me in suspense but neither one can keep a secret and were both too excited about it to keep quiet. They had bought us some great seats at the World Arena for a show called "The Last of the Breed" featuring Ray Price, Merle Haggard, and Willie Nelson. It was kind of surprising to see the boys so wired to see these old country singers...Humbord and Toothache have been playing headbanger rock together for years, they have a band called the "A-Holes" and have played to some fairly large crowds here in the Swirl and even did a gig in Denver, if I remember correctly.
It turns out that the excitement stemmed from the fact that they grew up hearing these and many other country stars in our home, our car, and even on occasion, from my own guitar. I am not strictly a country fan...well, I am...but I am more accurately a music fan who appreciates a wide variety of types of music. But I grew up on country and those roots are pretty deep. The Chief and Betty Lou would spend every Saturday Night that they could at the Bostonia Ballroom in El Cajon where a great many of the biggest names in country music came through. They were accomplished dancers and were popular there, and they met and talked to (and yes...had a beer or two with) some of the '50s best known country stars.
But they gave me a radio for my bedroom when I was about 8 and the San Diego radio stations were just changing over from the Sinatra, Como, Laine style of '50s music to the new "Rock-a-Billy" music featuring Lewis, Cochoran, Cash and of course, Presley. So I got in on the ground floor of Rock and Roll and it is still my greatest joy, musically. But the CD collection includes Classical, classic Rock, bluegrass, folk, country, blues, some new age, and several that defy classification. Betty Lou was quick to see the similarity between Rock and Country, and she became a huge Elvis fan. So their collection included a pretty even mix of Rock-a-Billy and pure country. But I am rambling...
We went to the show. Ray Price came out first and I honestly thought he was lip-syncing. His voice was strong and clear and sounded as good as he did fifty or more years ago. But after the first two songs he took a minute to talk to the audience and it was clear that he wasn't lip-syncing, he was just still good. He told us he was 82 years old and confessed that he was not the father of Anna Nichole's baby. During his last number, some old homeless guy in a shabby hat and baggy suit walked into the shadows of the wings of the stage...strapped on a guitar...walked out into the light and became Merle Haggard. I was disappointed that he is still so fond of his Texas Swing mode, it is good but I prefer the more Bakersfield style. While Merle wound up his set, that old familiar hat and braids worked their way into the wings, picked up that beat up cat-gut six string and Willie held court on how to make a guitar talk my language. I read a review of a Willie Nelson album many years ago where the reviewer said that Nelson was one of the absolute best classical guitar players in the world...that is true. It is also true that many musicians who have to play with him just try to hang with the basics cause no one can follow his flights of fancy when he takes off.
So after each of them did his own set, they teamed up in various combinations for duets and trios for another set. All in all, it was a tremendous joy on two levels...to see three of my lifelong heroes right there (on several occasions during the show I caught myself saying "That's Willie...right there!" or "That's Ray Price, Betty Lou would be jazzed" or "Merle...wow") but just as great to me was sitting next to two of my boys watching them singing along and just as fired up as I was...and they knew all the words. More freckles for Jimbo (inside and private but maybe someday). Thanks, boys, it was a great night.