A heavy load to bear: David “Honeyboy” Edwards totes the Delta Blues Legacy to London and I am going to see him
I was in a bar reading the book, “Delta Blues” by Ted Gioia. I had just finished a few pages on David “Honeyboy” Edwards. Honeyboy, 94 years old, is one of two remaining living blues legends that came from the vaunted Mississippi Delta (the 96 year old Pine Top Perkins being the other). Apparently, Honeyboy was with Robert Johnson the night Johnson was poisoned.
When I finished reading this section I grabbed my trusty iPhone and looked up to see if Honeyboy still walked among us. What I found out next was nothing short of an incredible coincidence. I almost shit myself when I saw that not only is Honeyboy still alive, he is still playing gigs and is going to be playing London on the 25th September.
Hot Damn! This will be a bow-down event of the highest order.
I punched up the ticket provider for the gig and scored two seats to see Honeyboy play his Delta Blues. Yes, Honey is 94, but this music is old-timey and it is about lineage and lifelines back to the Delta…not, lighting fast playing.
Here are a few Honeyboy classics:
http://listen.grooveshark.com/widget.swfhttp://widgets.clearspring.com/o/48f3ef6c29317865/4abbd5cd3ad99c09/48f3ef6c62740582/3566c696
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This gig is part of a small blues festival called, “Not the Same Old Blues Crap“. Hey…I LOVE the same old blues crap. Nonetheless, the line-ups are good and I plan on seeing a few other acts. I haven’t seen any of these, have you…?
- T-Model Ford (hard scrabble bluesman from the Mississippi Hill Country and Fat Possum label artist)
- Bob Log III (WTF is this all about)
- Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir
- The Jim Jones Review
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A recent gig:
Random interview with Honeyboy at a blues fest:
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Awesome story on Honeyboy! Have you seen this video of him? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g9_CJY8GS4 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNq4dpkfGo4
Thanks Michael. Just influence one kid to love the blues and the Honeyboy legacy can be carried on. That is a great program that is being put together there.
p.s. that Bob Log link above NEEDS to be checked out. Also, watch this beautiful madness: http://bit.ly/1dZrh4