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Born May 18, 1953; got saved at Truett Memorial BC in Hayesville, NC 1959. On rigged ballot which I did not rig got Most Intellectual class of 71, Gaffney High School. Furman Grad, Sociology major but it was little tougher than Auburn football players had Had three dates with beautiful women the summer of 1978. Did not marry any of em. Never married anybody cause what was available was undesirable and what was desirable was unaffordable. Unlucky in love as they say and even still it is sometimes heartbreaking. Had a Pakistani Jr. Davis Cupper on the Ropes the summer of 84, City Courts, Rome Georgia I've a baby sitter, watched peoples homes while they were away on Vacation. Freelance writer, local consultant, screenwriter, and the best damn substitute teacher of Floyd County Georgia in mid 80's according to an anonymous kid passed me on main street a few years later when I went back to get a sandwich at Schroeders. Had some good moments in Collinsville as well. Ask Casey Mattox at www.clsnet.org if he will be honest about it. I try my best to make it to Bridges BBQ in Shelby NC at least four times a year.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Turn it up, Alabama

  Over the weekend finally got a viewing of Twenty Feet from Stardom, the documentary on the backup singers for some of the greatest Rocknroll songs of the 60s and 70s. Merry Clayton is the marquee personality. She did the original "Rape, Murder" on the Stones Gimme Shelter. She and Mick Recollect in the doc.


   But thesegment that takes it all for me in this transcendent documentary is the collage they stream, the visuals for her experience with Lynrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama. Great two minute history, takes you right back there.


    Merry's version roughly was in 74 why would any black woman want to sing about Alabama. But she was counseled she would understand in time. She says her first thought it was a slap in the face, but then she thought, unh hunh, we got your sweet home Alabama; we gonna sing you anyway and we gonna sing the crap out of you.


    Beautiful. See the film and see the segment several times.


    To Temper her version read Mark Kemp's exegesis of same song in Dixie Lullaby. Go to the index and find political interpretations. Fascinatin.


   Find this film on pay perview, RecBox, Whatever. If you were born between 46 and 1960 you got no excuses.


     Here is not the exact clip but should get you close to her winning personality and legacy:


   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXV30BSBIp4

posted by foxofbama | 12:20 PM

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