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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Blind Owl Biography
Blind Owl Biography
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The Iceman
2892 posts
Jun 12, 2016
1:42 PM
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It's been mentioned on this list many times, but I just finished reading it.
Excellent book on a troubled mind, extreme talent and a quest to resurrect the past.
I had no idea that Alan Wilson and Bob Hite, both rabid blues record collectors, were instrumental in finding the old black blues guys still alive and resurrecting their careers, for good or ill, back in the late 60's. (and talk about a blues nazi, Alan was quintessential).
Even if Alan never played an instrument, the above fact alone would insure his place in blues history.
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The Iceman
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root
74 posts
Jun 12, 2016
7:53 PM
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I wanted to download it from the Barnes and Noble site to my Nook, but they wanted $99 for it. Homey says "I don't think so".
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Steamrollin Stan
869 posts
Jun 12, 2016
10:23 PM
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I purchased this great bio some time ago from his sister/publisher, about $40 au.
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timeistight
2004 posts
Jun 13, 2016
12:10 AM
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There's a good short biography of Wilson in Ray Robertson's Lives of the Poets (with Guitars): Thirteen Outsiders Who Changed Modern Music.
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mlefree
686 posts
Jun 13, 2016
8:51 AM
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Amazon lists it for $15.99.
Rebecca Davis used to live in Grand Junction, Colorado, 60 miles north of where I live. I met her 8-10 years ago when we happened to sit next to each other at a Harry Harpoon concert. She calmly and proudly announced that she had written a book about Blind Owl. I was doubtful until she answered my question about how The Owl re-tuned his harp for "On the Road Again" correctly. We continued to meet and correspond for a couple years afterwards. Then she came out as a victim of physical and psychological abuse by her husband and moved back east and "dropped out" completely to hide from him. I haven't heard anything from her for years. I don't even know where she is now.
That's too bad because she is a fascinating woman. She is a huge blues harp fan, even playing a little. But she's absolutely fanatical about Blind Owl and Canned Heat. She researched, wrote, and self-published that book all on her own (I found out later that it was with little to no help or encouragement and even active resistance from her husband), long before the current self-publishing wave.
She visited all the locations and interviewed all the living personalities (except Fito de la Parra who has his own competing book about Canned Heat), took many of the photographs and obtained historic photos from people with first person relationships with the band members. She isn't a professional writer but managed to put together a very readable and historically accurate (in so far as it is possible given the the drug-hazed memories of the times). I thought I knew a little about Alan Wilson. Rebecca is a walking encyclopedia about him.
If you're a Canned heat fan, you really should read this book. I treasure my autographed copy and re-read it periodically.
Michelle
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SilverWing Leather - Custom leather creations for musicians and other eccentrics.
Last Edited by mlefree on Jun 13, 2016 9:11 AM
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mlefree
687 posts
Jun 13, 2016
9:05 AM
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As to The Owl's desire to resurrect the past -- he actually did in the case of Son House.
Many people don't realized and others that do for some reason downplay the role Wilson had in helping to get Son House playing blues again after twenty some years of not touching a guitar.
Owl had memorized House's 1941-42 Lomax recordings and Dick Waterman, House's "rediscoverer" and subsequent manager hired Wilson to teach Son the songs and guitar licks he had forgotten after 20 years of being a Pullman train car porter.
According to Dick, “Al Wilson taught Son House to play Son House. I can tell you, flatly, that without Al invigorating Son, there would have been no Son House rediscovery. All of Son’s successful concert appearances, recordings, and him being remembered as having a great second career - all that was because of Al rejuvenating his music.”....”Al spent a couple of hours every day with Son, intensely teaching him. Al infused that old music into him, filling him up with the framework of his old playing.” (From Rebecca's book, quoted from an interesting web site, alanwilsoncannedheat.)
Michelle
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SilverWing Leather - Custom leather creations for musicians and other eccentrics.
Last Edited by mlefree on Jun 13, 2016 9:08 AM
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2chops
527 posts
Jun 13, 2016
9:05 AM
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For what it's worth, Canned Heat is the headliner at the Blues Festival this coming Saturday. It's at the Lycoming County Fair Grounds in PA.
BilltownBlues.org for more info.
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I'm workin on it. I'm workin on it.
Last Edited by 2chops on Jun 16, 2016 1:45 PM
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