ROAD TRIP
PETER CROSS AND HIS BIG SOUTHERN ADVENTURE: PART ONE
In the fall of last year, Peter Cross flew from his home in Englandto the USA for a whirlwind ad- venture in Nashville and Muscle Shoals. The fol- lowing are his memoirs.
By Peter Cross My visit to friends in Nashville and North-
ern Alabama in 2010 was so successful, I was very wary of unrealistic expectations for a similar visit, as autumn colours began to turn last October. I can laugh about that now – my body returned in- tact in November but a big part of my little brain still roams the memories of people and places, conversations and events that will stay with me forever.
The main purpose for both visits was to
spend time catching up with friends Bonnie Bramlett, Jeanie Greene and Don Nix, and I hoped there’d be opportunity to meet other favourite musicians along the way, maybe even see some play. There’s a well-documented history concerning the musical activity that’s taken place over decades within and around the Nashville – Muscle Shoals – Memphis triangle and I was de- lighted to sample some of it first hand on both trips, although this time the planned visit to Don in Memphis unfortunately had to be called off at short notice. I flew to Nashville from Birmingham, UK,
and my suitcase thankfully followed the next day via a later flight. Big hugs and hellos again to Bonnie, as we quickly caught up and started to sketch out the next few days. I’d come in a hurry and was pretty unprepared at that stage, with just a broad outline of a programme in mind for my stay. I mentioned in passing that I didn’t have my mobile phone set up for use in the States and first thing next morning, Bonnie presented me with a new laptop. “Here, you’re gonna need this.” I was aware of my shocked, frozen face slowly turning
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