Interesting, overlooked, and significant obituaries from around the world, as they happen, emphasizing the positive achievements of those who have died. Member, Society of Professional Obituary Writers.
I played the quarter off and on for ten years, going on 30 years ago (!) Knew Mickey very well.
Went down to play the French Quarter again for old times' sake (10.2011) and showed the fellow I was playing with the two stomped-out, repaired, sections in the slate tiles in front of the shop on Royal Str. where Mickey played for so many years.
It was his habit of alternately "stomping" with both heels of his boots that wore out the tiles AND garnerned him the name "Slew-foot."
I told the youngster I was with, "Son, look at those worn-out tiles beneath your feet. THAT is true mojo."
I knew Mickey back between 1985 and 1987. I played bass for him when he was in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area of North Carolina. We did a few very memorable gigs featuring "Big Boy Henry". As Matt mentioned, he'd stomp up a storm! Mickey had a very strong voice, was excellent on harmonica. At the time he had two Yamaha acoustic guitars which he'd play so hard the strings would break and they were never quite in tune. He lived in a $50 a month sharecropper shack with electricity and a wood burning stove but no water. He was a true bluesman and lived every fiber of his life as such.
How strange to find this...
ReplyDeleteI played the quarter off and on for ten years, going on 30 years ago (!) Knew Mickey very well.
Went down to play the French Quarter again for old times' sake (10.2011) and showed the fellow I was playing with the two stomped-out, repaired, sections in the slate tiles in front of the shop on Royal Str. where Mickey played for so many years.
It was his habit of alternately "stomping" with both heels of his boots that wore out the tiles AND garnerned him the name "Slew-foot."
I told the youngster I was with, "Son, look at those worn-out tiles beneath your feet. THAT is true mojo."
I knew Mickey back between 1985 and 1987. I played bass for him when he was in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area of North Carolina. We did a few very memorable gigs featuring "Big Boy Henry". As Matt mentioned, he'd stomp up a storm! Mickey had a very strong voice, was excellent on harmonica. At the time he had two Yamaha acoustic guitars which he'd play so hard the strings would break and they were never quite in tune. He lived in a $50 a month sharecropper shack with electricity and a wood burning stove but no water. He was a true bluesman and lived every fiber of his life as such.
ReplyDelete