has that “new car smell” - that is, it is a thing of beauty much like a newborn child. One that you just know will make everyone smile that tours it. I’m sure many people were behind the cre-
ation of the Blues Hall of Fame museum in- cluding donors, Blues Foundation Board members and many others but the staff of the Blues Foundation deserves special mention. (
www.blues.org/mission/staff)
Craig and I rode the same Southwest jet to
Baltimore, where he headed home and I caught my connector to Greenville-Spartan- burg. As an almost funny story, I just about missed the plane. I was there an hour and a half before the next flight, so I went looking around and then up to the rest room. Now, they had not called out anything at all about the GSP flight. I just knew I had all the time in the world, so I was doing like Elvis and (TCB) “taking care of business in the boy’s room when I heard “Final call for boarding Flight 6969 to Greenville-Spartanburg.” What?! I pulled myself together and literally jogged
back to the gate where a pilot stood at the door sipping coffee. “Have they already boarded?” I asked in a
semi-panic. “Yes,” he smiled. “But don’t worry, I don’t
The balcony of the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King was murdered.
After leaving the Blues Museum, Craig
stopped at The Civil Rights Museum. I was flat worn out so I stayed in the car, but not before I took a photo of the second floor bal- cony at the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. There are al- ways folks out front paying respects to King, praying, placing flowers. It’s a beautiful thing. Back at the Peabody, we decided to chill in
the lobby and talk, people watch, and listen to the player piano doing somewhat staccato versions of songs like “Candle in the Wind” and “Tears in Heaven.” We ordered some- thing to drink from our waitress Madison. In a bit we met the aforementioned “Duck Mas- ter,” and were thoroughly entertained by his stories. We got some much needed rest that night.
The next day would be non stop travel. We did ride around Memphis in the rain site see- ing for a bit before packing up the plantation and heading to the airport.
think they’re going anywhere without me.” Ha! Airplane humor. I love it. So I
boarded. There were only 50 folks onboard, so I had a million choices of seat, so I sat in a window seat on the left side of the plane. After all of my hustling, the plane sat on the tarmac for some 45 minutes due to the amount of outgoing flights. Long story short (at this point you are most likely saying, “What the heck is short about THIS story?) - I arrived back home that evening safe and sound, with tons of music history and music running through my head. I found myself singing “That’s Alright Mama,” then going right into some Barry White, than “Chain of Fools,” and then “Grits Ain’t Groceries.” I did- n’t stop singing for days. Just a few days later, BB King passed way.
All I could sing was “The thrill is gone... the thrill is gone for good...” But the memories of my Memphis trip, along with my countless memories of the King of the Blues, will live on for the rest of my life. •
Photos by Buffalo and Craig Stevens.
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