One of my best friends was driving across the country 2 summers ago. When he stopped in Texas, he entered a small local bar just for a drink or two. It turns out it was Pinetop's regular place, playing most days of the week to a small crowd. My friend ended up jamming with him on a few songs. He told me he looked like a badass with a sweetheart: best of both worlds. RIP Pinetop Perkins.
One of the best night's of blues I ever experienced was about 9 years ago in Chicago where my wife and I headed to Rosa's Lounge to see Pinetop along with Sugar Blue (looking forward to seeing him again at HCH!). What a show! And what a great place to see them. I remember just chatting a little with them both during a break at the bar. A couple of years later we saw Pinetop at BB King's in NYC, where he basically flirted with an attractive blond at our table the whole night, never skipping a beat on the piano. Wonderful that he got to perform over the course of such a full lifetime. So many others never had that chance.
What a character ! After a night of notorious flirting with more than one of the ladies, I had opportunity to ask the elderly gent, " Hey Pinetop, ..You sure do a lot of chasin'. You ever catch any these days ? ". Without hestitation, he said " I'm a 'catch and release' man ".
I saw him so many times over the years and the years he played with Muddy were always memorable. He had some REALLY big shoes to fill in Muddy's band when he was chosen to replace probably the greatest blues pianist of them all, Otis Spann and he was certainly more than up to the task. May he keep rockin' that piano in heaven!!! ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
if you have not seen the kenny wayne shepherd check out pinetop performing the grinding man in the concert at a church in salinas kansas he was awesome
Last Edited by on Mar 21, 2011 6:04 PM
