Preview
LOU PRIDE AND THE ROOSTER BLUES BAND
May 27 to 29
King Eddy Hotel
I went to the crossroad
Fell down on my knees
I went to the crossroad
Fell down on my knees
Asked the Lord above "Have mercy, now,
Save poor Bob, if you please
Mmmmm, standin' at the crossroad
The legend of how bluesman Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil is synonymous with the history of the blues itself. The story goes that Johnson sought to become the greatest blues musician that ever lived. He was told to take his guitar to a nearby crossroad where the devil would meet him at midnight. The devil took the guitar from Johnson, tuned it, and handed it back to him. Shortly thereafter, in exchange for his everlasting soul, Johnson became the king of the Delta blues.
Those who know the legend probably don’t give the tale much thought, but when you hear the story told by celebrated bluesman Lou Pride, the story seems all the more plausible.
"I’m down here now in Tunica, Mississippi," says Pride. "It’s not far from Clarksdale, close to the famous crossroads where brother Johnson supposedly sold his soul to the devil. Blues has always been here. It’s never gonna leave. If anybody don’t believe it, come down here. Any little blues festival will bring about 50 to 60,000 people automatically."
Pride may not believe the story of Johnson himself, but when he talks about his life, his music and its history, the legend of Robert Johnson is not just a metaphor for the blues, it’s part of the mystical foundation that the genre is based upon.
For the bulk of his career, Lou Pride has been dubbed the best kept secret in blues. Things have changed though, as his latest album Words of Caution has earned him Real Blues Magazine’s top award as 2003 Soul Artist of the Year.
"I’m not the best kept secret anymore," says Pride happily. "I used to be, but now that I’ve been doing those European tours, being on the radio and back on another national label, things have been working out well for me."
He’s been on the road for most of his life, touring, recording and being a single parent but you won’t hear him complain. Just like all the blues greats out there – Buddy Guy, B.B. King and Taj Mahal – Pride is doing it because of his belief in the importance of the blues.
"Well, what most people have to remember is that when people look at a tree, all they see is the tree," says Pride. "What most folks forget about is that every tree has a root, and blues and rhythm and blues – we are the roots. We give life to everything. Most of the rockers, they all started in the blues. You can never forget about the blues. You destroy the root, you destroy the tree." |
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