tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56129727978576809642024-03-13T03:43:32.777-07:00Doc Stevens Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14003762149090584778noreply@blogger.comBlogger194125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-33241801188297013032016-02-05T21:00:00.001-08:002016-02-05T21:00:18.265-08:00How Things Have Changed Over The Years in the Music Business<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: I ran across a quote by Hunter S. Thompson that made me think about some of the things that Doc, Marilyn, and their friends have said about the music business and how ruthless it can be. Here it is: </span>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"The music
business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where
thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative
side." - Hunter S.
Thompson</span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I read this to Doc, Marilyn and Big Dave when I was visiting the other night, and got their responses. Marilyn, of course had the most to say about it, even though she is the youngest, and has only been playing and singing publicly, for well less than 20 years. Doc put her to work playing and singing in the streets and passing the hat when she was 10 or 12 years old. Nevertheless, the quotation sparked a fire in her.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marilyn: Tondy, I don't know who that Mr. Thompson, but he is RIGHT. We know that, and we are just nobodies! But we have experienced a lot of that. People promise you all kinds of things, especially when you don't have a job and are hungry. Things like good connections, good money, and other things, and then you find out that they don't even have anything themselves, and are hoping to just use you to get things for themselves! Like, they act rich and like they are looking out for you, but they are not. A lot of them are broke and owe money to everybody, and are hoping to use you to make some money for them! Like, they line up a gig, and tell us how wonderful it's going to be, and how many hundreds or thousands of people are going to be there, how much money "we'll" all make, meaning how much money HE will make, and then when you get there, it's just something we could have got on our own! Then they introduce us to MORE people who want a piece of the action, and talking about how well connected they are, and how they will open major doors for us...</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Big Dave: She's right, Tondy. I've been doing this all my life, and it's always like the next big gig is around the corner. If we play at this crummy little dive, it will open the door to the really BIG crummy dive. After a while, you just stop believing in any of them. They are all a bunch of no talents who want to be big shots, and want to pimp whoever they can...</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Doc: I decided a long time ago that ain't nobody gonna pimp me but me. I've had times when it was just me living in my panel truck. Well, me, a couple guitars, an amp and a dog, and when you're broke, everybody wants to take a vantage of you. and you have to smile, you have to pretend you're happy, you have to put on a show like everything is all fine and dandy, even when you're dying inside. That is the show part of show business. You got to "show" that you're happy and that everything is good even when that ain't your reality. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uN-mVERXhUQ/VrV6jklkW7I/AAAAAAAABQU/1rp6z7_P7lg/s1600/Big%2BDave%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uN-mVERXhUQ/VrV6jklkW7I/AAAAAAAABQU/1rp6z7_P7lg/s200/Big%2BDave%2B2.jpg" width="181" /></a><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Big Dave: But this ain't nothing new Tondy. It's always been like that, as far back as you go. If someone's got talent, there are always a dozen people who want to pimp them and make as much money off them as possible, and then when they have worn that person down to nothing, they are through with them and move on to the next one.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Like, one thing that happens is this. I was in a band with a so called agent once. He said he'd take care of all the bookings, travel, food, hotels, everything. He wanted a ten percent commission. So we went for it. He had us playing a lot of good gigs, colleges, resorts, festivals and all that. So at the end of the Summer, he's explaining why there's no money left for us!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's why: He CHARGED us for like every phone call he made! He got the cheapest prices he could get for airplane travel, but charged us full price for all of it! He got discounts on the hotels, but charged us full price, marking it all up as much as he could. He'd tell us to go ahead and get room service. Why? Because he'd mark it up so he made a profit on everything! Then he'd take it out of our money, PLUS the ten percent commission on every one of our bookings! Everything he touched had a giant sized mark up on it, and it all came out of our pockets!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Doc: I ain't never had an agent. I had an Asian once, though... that's a joke, Tondy! Anyway, for me, it's better to just do our own bookings, do our own music, work with the close circle of friends that we have, and let whatever happen happens. heck, I ain't never had no money anyway, and I still need to lose 20 pounds. What do I want to be rich for? I ain't never wanted to be rich - never wished for that, and my wish came true!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have been totally down and out as far as society is concerned, but I have always been able to find food to put in my belly, some clothes to put on my back and a shelter to sleep under. Kings can't do any better than that. Plus I have always had friends. A lot of kings don't even know if the people around them are really friends, so I'm better off... in my book.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tondeleo: So you've always played music, always gotten to eat, sleep and had friends. </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vddafui2pPs/VrV7GpAULKI/AAAAAAAABQc/X9CI0KZxoE0/s1600/Marilyn3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vddafui2pPs/VrV7GpAULKI/AAAAAAAABQc/X9CI0KZxoE0/s320/Marilyn3.jpg" width="299" /></a><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Big Dave: Right, That's true for me.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marilyn: It's been true as far as I can remember. Even when mama ran off with that piece of trash from the carnival, Uncle Doc took me in, and made sure I had clothes, food and a bed. I can only wear so many clothes, and only eat so much food and can only sleep in one bed at a time. Why would I want more than that?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Doc: Yeah, and we're still the same as always. We ain't never been famous or well known. But I'm still high energy. Marilyn's high energy. Our band is a very high energy band - more
energy going on than a lot of teenaged bands… </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But I CAN say that when we were
young, we'd play and there'd be girls throwing their panties up on the stage…
and that still happens sometimes. But, they're a lot bigger now… and sometimes it's
boxers what's bein' thrown up on the stage. It IS a little different, in that respect... But that's the music business! </span></span><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-21614662644915347832016-01-16T14:12:00.000-08:002016-01-16T14:12:06.536-08:00Doc Stevens and Marilyn: Hawaii - Last Thoughts and Impressions<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Doc and Marilyn at
last opened up to me a bit about their trip to Hawaii courtesy of their
friend, Billy. It isn't that they weren't grateful, it's just that they
know they went there, they liked it, and had a wonderful time playing
music and meeting people, but they don't know much about Hawaii, even
where it is.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">But
now we know a bit more about their holiday, not much, but at least a
little. And a lot of what they said was so confusing that I couldn't
even make blog posts out of it. Sorry! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Any last thoughts, Doc? Marilyn?</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn:
Well, some people that we met were like people here at home. Some tried
to sell us weed at special prices, if we'd go home with them - well,
not Doc, he wasn't invited, but it happened to me a few times... I don't
smoke weed so I didn't take them up on it. They were really friendly,
though.</span><br />
<br />
Doc: And there was guys up on the
North Shore what had some things to sell at pretty good prices, but they
wanted to know my social security number and my mom's last name to make
sure I was really who I said I was - and I told them who else could I
be? They said it would prove I wasn't a cop. And they wanted that social
security number and my mom's name from before she got married. I mean,
THEY didn't know her back then! How's that gonna prove anything? But
they wanted it before showing me any of the cool things they had for
sale at cheap prices.<br />
<br />
He said he had guitars, amps,
phones, mp3 players, weed, knives, anything I wanted... and he'd take me
to see it all if I would give him $20 for a finders fee, and the info
he needed so he could check me out. He said it was because I was a immigrant.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YIw7qL1UzfA/Vpq9zJ1fdXI/AAAAAAAABPk/Yan0tbdOIVE/s1600/North%2BShore%2BSign%2B2.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YIw7qL1UzfA/Vpq9zJ1fdXI/AAAAAAAABPk/Yan0tbdOIVE/s1600/North%2BShore%2BSign%2B2.JPG" /></a>I'm
no dummy, Tondy. I asked him where he got his stuff and he said mostly
it was things people left in their cars. That made sense. I'd seen
signs up there where the cops warned people not to leave things in
their cars. So I knew he wasn't lying.<br />
<br />
Then I asked him why he was selling his
stuff so cheap and he said it was so he could buy ice! I told him you
could buy a whole bag of ice for $2 back in Maryland. He just stared at
me, Tondy! He couldn't believe it! <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Ummm... Doc, ice is a name for crystal meth, which is pretty popular... So did you do business with him, Doc?</span><br />
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Doc: Well, no. No, I didn't. Ever
since I was young I had this special ability, some people even say it's a
supernatural gift. I can listen to people and somehow know pretty soon if
what they are saying is b.s.ing me or not.<br />
<br />
In this case, I
felt the incoming vibes and about that time I noticed some other guys
behind the bushes with walkie-talkies. I thought, "And here he is trying
to make ME prove I'm not a cop!" The dude what was trying to sell me
stuff was telling me I had to go down this path with him. Then it was
revealed to me that it was something to avoid and not get involved with.
Just like that!<br />
<br />
I wasn't tryin' to hurt his feelings or
nothing but I had to back out. He got kind of mad, but he got over it
when he realized I couldn't remember my social security number and I
wasn't sure which mama whose name he wanted anyway. My birth mama, the
mama what raised me, or the one what paid my bills... He called me a
dumb Howie, which is not my name anyway and told me to get out of
there.<br />
<br />
I told him my motel was where I was heading to
and I wouldn't stay even if he wanted me to, so we parted ways right
then and there.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Were you scared, Doc? </span><br />
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Doc:
Scared that I couldn't remember my social security number? No. I knew I
had it wrote down back home. Scared that I wasn't sure which mama he
meant? No, he coulda explained himself better if he hadn't been so
pushy.<br />
<br />
But
I didn't like hurting his feelings, or of the other fellas that was
hanging around in the bushes. I just walked back to the paved road and
hitched a ride back with some other local guys what wanted to know if I
wanted to party, which at that time I didn't. They wanted me to pay for
their party which I did, because I didn't have anything to buy now that I
couldn't remember my social security number... They was real nice and
they laughed a lot and dropped me off about only a mile from me an'
Marilyn's motel. They was really nice, them Hawaiians.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: They truly WERE nice, Tondy! You should go there!</span>Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-15089598246900240322016-01-09T10:39:00.000-08:002016-01-09T10:43:15.625-08:00Doc Stevens and Marilyn's Hawaii Memories Part 3 - Itty Bitty Guitars<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: One thing that impressed Doc particularly was the "itty bitty guitars" for sale in Hawaii. When they went to the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet, he and Marilyn were amazed at the various vendors selling these itty bitty guitars with only four strings. Here are some excerpts from our conversations about them:</span><br />
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Doc: So Tondy, me an' Marilyn was walkin' around the swap meet there in Hawaii and ran across this guy what had dozens of itty bitty guitars for sale. He had them hanging all around his booth and on shelves and tables - I never seen that many regular guitars in one place before let alone those little bitty ones! I'm thinkin' they're for little kids. But mostly it was Chinese grown ups playing them and buyin' them up. Some of them was buyin' two or three of 'em! <br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: Actually it was Japanese tourists, but Doc thinks they're all Chinese, of course. But he's right, they we're buying up all the little guitars. </span><br />
<br />
Doc: They was all little nylon string guitars. Some was cheap, like $10 and people was definitely buyin' 'em for their kids. But SOME of those little guitars, which they had a Hawaiian word for, and I forget right now, but the guy sellin' 'em said it meant "flea" and I would never try to sell somethin' called a flea, but he did and was sellin' them like half price tickets to a NASCAR race - Some of them was like $250, $300 even $400! For a tiny little guitar with only four strings! Over here, in regular America you can get a six string full size guitar for that!<br />
<br />
The guy what was selling them saw me eyeing his merchandise and told me to go ahead and pick one up. He asked if I played them, the word he used what I can't remember and I told him "no." But it wasn't that hard. It was tuned like for blues, in open C I think.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RJDxkcLBm_E/VpFPws07rrI/AAAAAAAABPA/SHm6OBly3h0/s1600/Hawaii%2BUkes%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RJDxkcLBm_E/VpFPws07rrI/AAAAAAAABPA/SHm6OBly3h0/s200/Hawaii%2BUkes%2B3.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: So of COURSE Doc starts playing Dust My Broom - that old Elmore James song... and he can't help but singing! And of course not under his breath because he doesn't know how. He had a deep half inch socket in his pocket that he had found on the ground behind a dumpster, and he used it for a slide! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Doc was SO happy that he could play it! The guy that ran the booth got very round eyed when he heard the sounds Doc was getting out of it! So did the Japanese people. Some of them started videoing him on their phones, others were taking pictures and asking for more! Then they started buying those little guitars! And that kept Doc there singing one blues song after another, and the tour group bought I think 4 or 5 of those little guitars thanks to Doc's playing blues on them!</span><br />
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Doc: Well, the guy what was selling 'em was just strumming some sort of shuffle rhythm like all the other people who was selling them at their booths, and it really wasn't much to get excited about. Like if you remember Tiny Tim from when your mama was a little girl. But once you pick one up and start messing with it, you can bend the strings pretty good on those little suckers, Tondy, and they can put out some good blues!They do slide pretty well, too. And I only sang maybe three or four songs more maybe five. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QmoL3jTRnW0/VpFNIvqmh0I/AAAAAAAABO0/ijBY-s5A4uQ/s1600/Hawaii%2BUkes%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QmoL3jTRnW0/VpFNIvqmh0I/AAAAAAAABO0/ijBY-s5A4uQ/s200/Hawaii%2BUkes%2B2.jpg" width="200" /></a>I asked the guy what was selling them why such a bitty little guitar cost so much and he told me that it's really expensive to live in Hawaii - food, gas, rent and all that - so when he sits down and spends several days making one of them little guitars, he has to charge more for it than you would think. The ones he made started at about $275, which is more than I have ever paid for a full size guitar in my whole life!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: He had cheaper ones, and so did the other people who sold them, but they weren't made in Hawaii by hand. They were made in China and or maybe Texas. That's the same way it is with buying regular guitars here at home. Cheap ones are made in China and better ones are made in USA and they cost more. Hand made ones are for rich people.</span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Unless of course you're talking about one of Doc's hand made box guitars or tackle box guitars. They're not for rich people but they sound good and are impressive for as cheap as they look. </span></span><br />
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Doc: The only time I've played a four string guitar was a bass or a regular guitar where I'd broke a couple of strings. But it wasn't a 4 string on purpose. But I admit, I liked those teeny little guitars! But I couldn't afford one! So I stuck with my $20 guitar what I brought over with me! It's been with me a long time and is my old friend!<br />
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<span style="color: midnightblue; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><span class="spnMessageText" id="msg"><br /></span></span>Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-3782305166352438392016-01-08T12:28:00.000-08:002016-01-09T10:42:59.093-08:00Doc Stevens and Marilyn's Favorite Hawaii Memories Part 2<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Iu_TvaIyz-c/Vo65T_JRspI/AAAAAAAABN0/hMhfPqp5QYc/s1600/Hawaii%2BSwap%2BMeet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Iu_TvaIyz-c/Vo65T_JRspI/AAAAAAAABN0/hMhfPqp5QYc/s320/Hawaii%2BSwap%2BMeet.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: For some reason Doc and Marilyn are really opening up about their Hawaii trip. I think the fact that I don't make fun of them is helping them to talk more freely. I love hearing their stories, and especially their stories about Hawaii, one of the many places where I have never been, but would love to go! </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Marilyn, how as the shopping in Hawaii? I know you two didn't have much money, but I'm sure you were able to do enough busking to buy a few things...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: Other than the thrift shops, the only other place we went shopping was the swap meet...</span><br />
<br />
Doc: Swap Meet!!! I brung some stuff to trade out - I had my whole guitar case full - and they ain't about swappin' out there, Tondy! They're about swapping their stuff for MY money!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: That part's true. They really aren't there to swap anything. But it is really nice! And huge! It's every Wednesday and Saturday and Sunday at the Aloha Stadium. You pay a dollar to get in and then there's hundreds of little stands and booths set up with everything you could want...</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HO0sURi_m9I/Vo6wju_UREI/AAAAAAAABNU/2enFQlzOWYU/s1600/Aloha%2BSwap%2BMeet%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HO0sURi_m9I/Vo6wju_UREI/AAAAAAAABNU/2enFQlzOWYU/s400/Aloha%2BSwap%2BMeet%2B1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Doc: I wanted some things they didn't have...<br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: Well, everything that a normal person would want...</span><br />
<br />
Doc: But I got special needs...<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondy: YES, we all KNOW that, Doc!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: And the prices are really good! Like t shirts were 7 for $20. That's cheaper than a thrift shop! And they were brand new! Might not be the best quality but you can ask for lower prices, it doesn't hurt and
usually works!</span><br />
<br />
Doc: We got to drink outta coconuts. That was pretty cool. Not cheap but it is a good memory. They had about any kind of food you want. Plus some dried bugs and little dried up peppered crabs at some of the Chinese booths. I didn't get 'em. I got a big hot dog. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: OK, here's something that I didn't plan to eat, Tondy... Marinated squid! A little Korean lady named Ms. Patti (Doc asked her if she was Hawaiian or Chinese, and she said she was Korean, which he had never heard of and told her he thought she was Chinese) with a red hat on was selling it. People were in line to buy it. The Korean lady lets people sample all the different kinds that she's selling Of Course Doc wouldn't eat it because he said it was fish bait and he is a man, not a fish. When Ms.Patti found out I'd never had it before, she rolled me a little a sample with rice, seaweed,
kimchi and her marinated cuttlefish. I actually LIKED it, Tondy!</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ULyGYh7gj7w/Vo64m6dFfHI/AAAAAAAABNk/kE0rBTF2uPo/s1600/Hawaii%2BHot%2BSauce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ULyGYh7gj7w/Vo64m6dFfHI/AAAAAAAABNk/kE0rBTF2uPo/s200/Hawaii%2BHot%2BSauce.jpg" width="200" /></a>Doc: And I actually did not even want to try it! I ain't eatin' no dried up squids or fish or seaweed. Man was made to eat hot dogs and normal food what is found in nature. But I did buy a bottle of Broke Da Face hot sauce. I liked that. I wish I'd bought more. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: We should have gotten an umbrella at the salvation Army before coming. It was hot as Anacostia [in Washington, DC] in July! We should have brought some bottles of water, too. But we had a really good time!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">Doc: They had all kinds of stuff... shirts, stickers, magnets, food, them itty bitty guitars, stuff what they carved outta wood. And one thing that was the same as here, Tondy, is that most of it come all the way from China! That's why it was so cheap. </span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">Them itty bitty guitars was NOT cheap! They mighta come from China or maybe was made local, but they was not cheap, not unless you bought the toy ones... and I thought ALL of 'em was toys at first, but they wasn't. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-79391857254668709092016-01-07T09:48:00.001-08:002016-01-07T09:57:25.335-08:00Doc Stevens and Marilyn's Favorite Hawaii Memories Part 1<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: I've been real fortunate getting Doc and Marilyn to agree to talk about their Hawaii trip that their friend Billy footed the bill for. They were embarrassed about going to Hawaii because neither of them knew where it was before going, while they were there or indeed to this day. They might mention that they "went down to Hawaii," but they don't talk about it. </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">They loved it, and Marilyn is certain that Hawaii is "like Heaven only shorter." Their friends who do know about Hawaii don't believe Doc and Marilyn really went there. The others of their friends, which is most of them, may have heard of Hawaii but don't believe that Doc and Marilyn could have possibly been there. And, if they DID, how did they get back?</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_DWwE4JXu3k/VoxZQVIn4cI/AAAAAAAABMw/iBM3Qm3rMr4/s1600/Singing%2Bwith%2BLocal%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_DWwE4JXu3k/VoxZQVIn4cI/AAAAAAAABMw/iBM3Qm3rMr4/s320/Singing%2Bwith%2BLocal%2B2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"> </span>Doc: One thing we liked about Hawaii was the people. Not the tourists but the locals. You can spot the tourists - their clothes and cameras around their necks and they're spending money everywhere. Loaded down with shopping bags.<br />
<br />
Not just American tourists, Tondy, but they had tourists of every color and country under the sun! I didn't know there was that many kinds of people anywhere exceptin' Washington, DC. <br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: Yeah, it was all kinds of tourists. We didn't have any cameras or any money! Billy paid for our tickets and motel but we had to come up with all our own money for food and stuff. We had to sing and pass the hat and eat the cheapest food we could find - people didn't think we were tourists. I think they thought we were just homeless. Like tourists that got there and ran out of money. But not drug addicts. We're not skinny enough for people to think that. There's a lot of homeless people in Hawaii. </span><br />
<br />
Doc: I was glad I brought my acoustic guitar. The locals was real nice to us and helped us out with whatever we needed. They didn't care that we were Gringos. Sometimes they would come and sing with us or play their itty bitty guitars. They would tell us places that was best for singing and passing the hat. They was real good to us like that. Plus, they was a lot of fun.<br />
<br />
Their dogs was real nice, too, Tondy. But dogs are pretty much the same everywhere. It made us miss our dog, Dale Junior what we had to put down last Summer cause he got blind and deaf and couldn't walk anymore. He was 16. That's pretty old for a American Bulldog. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fpl5EV_lp8M/Vo6hfrf75GI/AAAAAAAABNE/fDjVeGlU_Ls/s1600/Singing%2Bwith%2Blocal%2B4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fpl5EV_lp8M/Vo6hfrf75GI/AAAAAAAABNE/fDjVeGlU_Ls/s320/Singing%2Bwith%2Blocal%2B4.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: This one gal, Louisa, she took us under her wing and invited us to her family reunion party and helped us out almost every day. Their party was like three days, Tondy!</span><br />
<br />
Doc: And boy could she sing! She had a set of lungs on her, I tell you! And she was real good to Marilyn. Helped Marilyn meet people and chased away the boys what was comin' on to her. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: We sang and we laughed and sang and ate and sang and laughed some more! Then we ate some more and sang some more and laughed some more... then we ate some more, and everybody fell asleep and the next day we did the same thing! Ate and sang and laughed and ate and sang and laughed... we had FUN!</span><br />
<br />
Doc: A lot of singin' laughin' and eatin' went on, all right!<br />
<br />Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-58252288345302622772016-01-05T11:47:00.002-08:002016-01-07T09:59:35.114-08:00A Little More about Doc and Mailyn's Hawaii Trip<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: As you know, I've been trying to get Doc and Marilyn to open up a bit more about the two weeks they spent in Hawaii last year, courtesy of a friend who wanted them to get a break, and catch a broader view of life than just the southeastern part of the United States.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">I was out of the country when all this happened, and they had never mentioned it. Only by chance Doc mentioned it a few months ago and then wouldn't talk about it anymore. Marilyn was the same way. If pushed, they may talk about it a few minutes and then change the subject. Fortunately they do have a few photos that were taken of them on Marilyn's phone.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">So tell us a bit more about your trip to Hawaii. Like, how was the hotel?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: It was beee-YOUtiful, Tondy! We were up on the fourth floor and could see mountains and the beach and the water! I took pictures on my phone of the view looking off the balcony. </span><br />
<br />
Doc: It was all right. I got to play guitar a lot. I missed my panel truck. I don't usually go no where without it. But I couldn't bring it with me. Just a picture I brought in my guitar case.<br />
<br />
As for the motel, first thing I do when I go into a motel room is if it's summer I turn on the AC full blast and if it's winter, I jack up the heat.<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GafPQyS7bRY/Vovt4ymkLyI/AAAAAAAABMU/iv3j_qdy0as/s1600/Doc%2Bin%2BHawaii%2B4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GafPQyS7bRY/Vovt4ymkLyI/AAAAAAAABMU/iv3j_qdy0as/s320/Doc%2Bin%2BHawaii%2B4.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: And why is that, Doc?</span><br />
<br />
Doc: 'Cause I ain't got AC at my place and my heat aint that good neither. If I can go to a motel room and get heat and AC and a good hot bath, that's all the vacation I need.<br />
<br />
But guess what, Tondy? They didn't HAVE any heat or AC in the motel room! I looked all over for it and so did Marilyn and it wasn't there! I'm thinkin' what kind of cheap hellhole did Billy book us into? Marilyn called the front desk and found out something crazy. NO heat or AC!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: You know why? Because the lady at the front desk said it doesn't get hot enough for AC and doesn't get cold enough for heat! She said it's about 72 degrees year round so we don't need heat or AC!</span><br />
<br />
Doc: Well they hadn't met a poor man before. We don't care if we NEED heat or AC. We just use it cause we ain't got it at home and it's free with the room! If it's Summer and is 72 degrees, I'm still gonna use the AC! I'm paying for it - well, Billy did this time. I might have it down to 60 degrees just because I can!<br />
<br />
If it was Winter, I'd set it to 80 or 85 degrees because nothin' says vacation like getting good and warm in the winter. I mean, I aint really had no real vacations, but I HAVE stayed in plenty of motels before.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: So, with no heat and no AC, were you comfortable?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: It was wonderful, Tondy! I think it is what Heaven will be like, only shorter. </span><br />
<br />
Doc: Yeah, I was comfortable. It just took a while to get used to having the windows open like it was at home. Plus, they had them jealousy windows what wind out. that was different. Also, the screen door with bars on it, so you could have it open all night but no one could get in and rob you. But you gotta play and sing quieter 'cause everyone else got their door open, too. <br />
<br />
But, I liked it, yeah.<br />
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<br />Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-16065207834099387062016-01-03T11:52:00.000-08:002016-01-03T12:19:48.903-08:00Back to Hawaii - not a second trip, but a second attempt to get Doc and Marilyn to talk about it<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Back in the Summer, I found out that Doc and Marilyn had gone to Hawaii! Someone paid for them to go out there and take a break, meet some new people, play some places that they would never play on there own. </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">I asked them why hadn't they told me about it and they were both embarrassed because they had never been there before. They had never flown in an airplane before. They had no idea where Hawaii actually was, even after they had been there. None of their friends knew anything about Hawaii. It made them feel like outcasts! I told them that I would count myself triple lucky to go to Hawaii, but they shook their heads, "no."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: It really WAS weird, Tondy! NOBODY we know has ever been to Hawaii, so some of them laughed when we said we were going there. They made fun of us, like we thought we were better than them or something. Some didn't believe we were really going there, and said we were probably just going to South of the Border, SC and thought that it was the same thing as Hawaii...</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HxSVG3cfAuE/VohB3rPDEfI/AAAAAAAABMA/7zooU2We2hw/s1600/South%2Bof%2Bthe%2BBorder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HxSVG3cfAuE/VohB3rPDEfI/AAAAAAAABMA/7zooU2We2hw/s320/South%2Bof%2Bthe%2BBorder.jpg" width="320" /></a>Doc: Yeah, that's because a few years ago I went to South of the Border, and thought I was in Cuba. I didn't know any better. I saw that big Pedro and thought I was at the Cuban border. What else would it be? I ain't never been south of North Carolina til then.<br />
<br />
I was workin' on my truck there at South of the Border - well, Cuba to me - and one of their security guards told me to quit. I told him I was a 'merican citizen and he said he didn't care if I was from the moon - which I am not - that I needed to stop working on my truck or he'd have me locked up. I stopped. Not because I was scared of him, because I wasn't, but I didn't want to go to no Cuba jail. Later someone told me it weren't really Cuba, it was just South Carolina. Hey, how was I supposed to know?<br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: Since nobody believed us, when we talked about Hawaii and didn't know where it was, we just kept it to ourselves about Hawaii. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: So, tell me about your trip to Hawaii!</span><br />
<br />
Doc: Well, first thing, it wasn't all filled with pretty girls in grass skirts and wearin' coconuts instead of shirts. I was figurin' that they'd be all over the airport, doin' hula dances and hangin' flowers around our necks. But no, that didn't happen. I DID see Randy Travis at the airport. He was helpin' someone carry their suitcases.<br />
<br />
I tried to get him to carry my guitar case, because it was heavy. I had the acoustic guitar in it and it was stuffed full of a lot of things I might need. Old Randy looked at me like I was crazy. I said, '"Yeah, go ahead and look at me like that, Mr. High and Mighty! You treat me like this after all your CD's that I copied!"<br />
<br />
I carried my own guitar and let Randy Travis get back to carryin' suitcases. I brought my acoustic because I wasn't sure they'd have electricity out there yet... but they already do!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Ir5k0R95a4/Vogo4YWjNpI/AAAAAAAABLw/NSuLONvqGlM/s1600/Doc%2BMarilyn%2BHawaii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Ir5k0R95a4/Vogo4YWjNpI/AAAAAAAABLw/NSuLONvqGlM/s320/Doc%2BMarilyn%2BHawaii.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: And it was beautiful, Tondy! It was the perfect temperature! Not too hot, not too cold! Just right! And everyone wears flipflops! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">It was funny to watch Doc because he doesn't have any flipflops and doesn't wear shorts. He stuck out like a bad belly button, walking around in camo and work boots!</span><br />
<br />
Doc: I ain't gonna be a phony just because I'm not at home! Hawaiian shirts, shorts, flipflops! Some people can do that, but not me. I don't know how to be anyone but me.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: But you DID find some flipflops on the beach and you wore them the rest of the time! And you DID cut off one of your pairs of jeans after a couple of days...</span><br />
<br />
Doc: Yeah, well I figured the Good Lord wanted me to try out some flipflops, since my boots was wet and my socks were too - and He provided me with them flipflops there on the beach. What would YOU do?<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: I'm sure I'd wear them, too, Doc. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: It was funny seein' him in flipflops and shorts! With his white, white legs! They hadn't seen the sun probably since he was a baby, Tondy!</span><br />
<br />
Doc: Well... now you know why I don't wear shorts! My legs got all sunburned and hurt for three days! Why? All because I tried to fit in!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: No, all because you didn't wear sunblock! Tondy, his legs looked like two skinny hams!</span><br />
<br />
Doc: Long pants ARE sunblock! Why would I wear shorts and then put on sunblock? Makes no sense.<br />
<br />
But we had a good time, Tondy. We can talk about it later...<br />
<br />Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-904432879496414332016-01-02T11:28:00.002-08:002016-01-02T11:30:26.640-08:00Doc discovers a top notch guy - his new hero - to fix his acoustic guitars!<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: One thing about rural Americans is that they want the same things that other people have, but they usually can't afford them, well unless they steal or sell drugs. For the rest, they have to figure out how to make things themselves or fix things so they can have nice things that we all like. Doc and his friends say that they have made so much out of so little for so long that they can make anything out of nothing now.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Doc, Big Dave, Marilyn and I were standing out front of Doc's house, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather, and talking about how, all in all, life is pretty good. When you try to do the right thing, right things seem to happen for you.</span><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AYB0veQZnxM/VogiW8w_RAI/AAAAAAAABLg/32y6s1VKxW0/s1600/guitar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AYB0veQZnxM/VogiW8w_RAI/AAAAAAAABLg/32y6s1VKxW0/s320/guitar.jpg" width="246" /></a><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Doc has an old Martin guitar - 44 years old, to be precise - that he said just seemed to get worse over the years. It got to where it hurt his left hand to play it so he would use his old no-name guitar from the 1950's that he had paid $20 for ten or more years ago. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: black;">Doc: A man needs several guitars for the different places he plays. Like, out on the street you need a old beater guitar, because it might rain on you, or something might happen to it while you're walkin' from one place to another. You need a old beater electric and a old beater acoustic. but they still have to sound good. But they also can't look good enough that someone would try to steal them. You have to think about that. they have to LOOK like cheap garbage.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: black;">For a open mic, you need somethin' that might look a little better, and it's gotta sound good. For a paid gig, you need somethin' that looks pretty good and sounds real good. A 'lectric on for some, and a 'coustic for others. And that is what broke my heart with this old Martin gettin' worse over the years. Plus, after so many years, it's like a pet, like a friend. It gets all full of music from years of playin' and it wants to be played alot. But I could barely play it. It <span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: black;">got to where it hurt my hands..</span>. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: And then, something happened!</span><br />
<br />
Doc: Yeah, Tondy, I'm pretty excited about this! My Martin been getting worse and worse an' I all but stopped playin' it a few years ago. It didn't sound right, didn't feel right. The strings were too high, it was just gettin' issues. You know that I don't mind tearin' somethin' apart if I think I can fix it. but I am not dumb enough to tear an old Martin apart. I'd probably mess it up even worse. They definitely are not something I want to mess up.<br />
<br />
That meant I needed to get ahold of some money and just find someone who can fix it. I know a couple old guys what can do that kind of work, but ain't neither one of 'em doin' it anymore, unless it's little things. They both are geniuses with wood and can make brand new acoustic guitars outta raw wood, so they ain't too interested in tearin' into somethin' like resettin' the neck on a 44 year old Martin. I don't blame 'em. I'm scared to do it too. So that meant I had to come up with two things.<br />
<br />
I had to come up with some money and I had to come up with someone who could do the job. It don't do no good to have the money if they ain't no one what can do the work. I asked around and found out it was gonna cost at least $350 or $400 just to get it started bein' fixed, plus whatever else they found when they tore into it.<br />
<br />
I sold an old Tele [Telecaster] to a boy down here and fixed a couple other 'lectrics for people what been buggin' me to do their work, and got some money in my pocket. Then I got Marilyn to look on the interweb for someone round here what could fix it. She found me a guy in Arlington over in Virginia, what is about an hour from here. Close enough.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UZ-bLc4U3N0/VoY92oenU9I/AAAAAAAABLQ/1ZWVwNg2MX4/s1600/Marilyn%2BGate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UZ-bLc4U3N0/VoY92oenU9I/AAAAAAAABLQ/1ZWVwNg2MX4/s320/Marilyn%2BGate.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: You know how Doc is, Tondy! He's not scared of anything or anybody, but he's scared of computers! He's scared he'll mess something up, or that he won't know what to do - which is true. I think he's scared to admit that he COULD learn something like doing a Google search, but then if he DID learn how to do it, he wouldn't need me anymore - which also isn't true! He can't even balance his checkbook! </span><br />
<br />
Doc: I ain't scared of no 'puter and I ain't need a checkbook. I pay in cash. So what do I need a 'puter and checkbook for?<br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: Well, when you don't know something, you're pretty quick to call me in a panic and ask me to find out for you! And every month when you're trying to figure out how to pay your bills you seem to need to balance a checkbook!</span><br />
<br />
Doc: Anyway, Tondy, what I was TRYING to say was, Marilyn found this guy. I asked her a bunch of questions and she read me the answers off his interweb page and the answers sounded good. She gave me his number and I called.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: I had to MAKE him call! Doc wanted to hop in his truck and just show up with his messed up guitar. Luckily the man didn't put his whole address and luckily we don't have a map of Arlington, and luckily I wasn't available to go anywhere - and Doc doesn't like to go anywhere alone!</span><br />
<br />
Doc: Sure, Marilyn... Now here's what's crazy. Most these people ain't gonna do much work between Christmas and New Years, but I called this one on Tuesday, what was the 29th an' he said to bring it on over. I got my friend George Edelen who is the best guitar player I know round here, and we rode over there.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxUfuaHMWzk/VoY0OhMveMI/AAAAAAAABLA/doy2pmkBDA0/s1600/Dan%2BCarbone%2BArlington%2BFret%2BWorks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxUfuaHMWzk/VoY0OhMveMI/AAAAAAAABLA/doy2pmkBDA0/s320/Dan%2BCarbone%2BArlington%2BFret%2BWorks.JPG" width="320" /></a>The guy's name is Daniel. You can tell by lookin' at him that he's smart and also by listenin' to him when he talks. He knows guitars inside and out. He looked at my Martin and pointed out a bunch of things that it needed, and said what it needed wasn't a neck reset which made me feel better right then, but it needed some other things, a lot of little things, and it would cost less than a neck reset.<br />
<br />
He talked all about guitars he's made, and all kinds of different wood and what it does to the sound and a bunch of other stuff that was interesting and I learnt alot. Me and George left and both felt good about having Daniel work on it. I figured it's be a couple of weeks, but no! He called me the next afternoon, and it was all done! I couldn't get up there to pick it up right then, but it was done! I couldn't believe my ears, Tondy!<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: That's fantastic, Doc!</span><br />
<br />
Doc: What's fantastic ?<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: It's fantastic that he took it in right away. It's fantastic that he knew so much, and that he didn't take advantage of you. It's fantastic that he got it done so quickly. It's fantastic that you actually paid someone else to do something for you that was beyond your capabilities...</span><br />
<br />
Doc: Oh yeah. I guess it IS fantastic. I just don't use that word, Tondy. Anyway, he got it on Tuesday, called me that it was done Wednesday and I got it on Thursday, the last day of 2015. He made it perfect again. For me to tell, because I don't have that much brains, I had to pick it up and close my eyes an' play it and feel what it is doing in my hands and how the vibes are. it was just like it was a long time ago! it was just right. I could not in my wildest dreams think it could be that good and be done that fast, but it was true. Plus he kept to his price what he had told me and didn't all a sudden jack it up when he saw how happy I was with it.<br />
<br />
He taught me a few things about fixin' guitars so I could do better on fixin' the kinds I fix - cheap old pieces of crap! Well, that's about it, Tondy except this: He asked me if I wanted a cup of coffee that was better than any coffee I'd ever had, and I figured that he thought I ain't never been to a 7-Eleven before. But he was nice so I played along.<br />
<br />
But guess what? We didn't go to no 7-Eleven! Daniel gets his own coffee beans raw off of some dude an' then roasts them right there at his house and then grinds 'em up right there, and makes coffee in a itty bitty little silver coffee pot what he screws together an' puts on the stove. Ok, he didn't lie about that coffee. It was the best coffee I have ever had in my life. I am thinkin' about breakin' one of my guitars just so I can go back over there for some more of that coffee. Seriously.<br />
<br />
Oh, here's his info, Tondy. Put all of it on the blob what you type:<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;">Daniel Carbone</span></span><br />
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<span data-mce-style="line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;">N. Peary St. <br />Arlington VA 22207 </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial black,avant garde; font-size: small;"><span data-mce-style="line-height: normal;" style="line-height: normal;">703 969 6233</span></span></div>
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Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-91278855530115215272016-01-01T01:30:00.000-08:002016-01-01T01:31:47.529-08:00Back in the States for the Holidays, Making a New Years Resolution to Put Up More Posts<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: I'm back in the States after being gone for five months. I've been mired in work and have had absolutely no time to transcribe conversations with Doc, Marilyn and their friends. I feel dreadful about this, but life happens. Actually, life happens while you're waiting for life to happen. I'm learning that as I grow older! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I'm in awe of the weather on the east coast here in the States! I have been here since the week before Christmas and it has been unseasonably warm and quite nice, even though it has rained a lot. It still isn't as damp as England. I love this! I'm outside with just a tshirt and even wearing short trousers!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Being New Years Eve, I'm wondering what Doc, Big Dave and Rick are going to do. Maybe tonight they'll break their teetotaling ways. Once can only hope. All three of them had had problems due to their drinking in times past and all of them come from families where alcoholism runs deep. I get that. But that isn't MY background! And here I am stuck out living in a cabin in the woods with these three tee totaling musicians and their dogs and instruments.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"> Doc was just talking about how every year his father would drink up their Christmas and nobody got any gifts. His dad's head hurt so bad that everyone had to be quiet and tiptoe around the house. Doc's dad was big and acted like a bear with a headache. And Doc would've kept up the family tradition if not for a few miracles.</span><br />
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Doc said, "As much as I hated my daddy, I was growin' up to be just like him. When he would walk across a bar, other men would point to him and say, 'there's a dangerous man.' That's what I wanted to be, a dangerous man. And I was workin' on it pretty well, but like my daddy, I found out that no matter how dangerous you are, you're gonna run into someone more dangerous than you."<br />
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"Plus, it's better to go to an AA meeting if I want to get together with my old drinking buddies. They have sober parties, and it's easier to stay sober if everyone else is..."<br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;">Big Dave added, "Yeh, I grew up the same way. Daddy and mama was always fightin' over his drinkin' and fightin'. It weren't no fun for us kids. Not at all. Far as I'm concerned, alcohol ain't good for nothin' but pourin' on cuts."</span><br />
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Doc agreed. "I ain't taken a drink in years. I don't go to no bars. You can have a few shots of liquor and start lookin' for a fight. Liquor makes a angry man more angry... Do y'all have AA in England, Tondy?"<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">I assured him that we did, which he marveled at. looked over to Rick, who'd been sitting over in the corner quietly. He said, "i'm more peaceful than these guys. My dad taught us that you shouldn't go looking for fights, because there's always a fight looking for you. And you shouldn't think someone is being mean just because he's running his mouth. It might just be that he's ignorant and doesn't know any better. We were raised to just quietly slip out and go home if we could... or go stand by someone like Doc - let HIM be the target!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Doc and Big Dave got into a discussion of the nice cars and pickups that they'd had but had wrecked them due to drinking. Both of them talked about miracles that happened to keep them from getting killed. Doc had a couple of guitars that were destroyed by his automobile accidents. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: black;">"I broke a good Telecaster in a fight once, hitting a guy what pulled a knife on me. He never knew what hit him. A Tele weighs like 9 pounds. It's a pretty good weapon. But if we'd all been sober, I'd still would've had that guitar."</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Rick added that he threw up into a harmonica once. Well, actually twice. </span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I have a lot of catching up to do with Doc, Big Dave, Rick, Marilyn and all their friends. I look forward to taking more pictures, recording more conversations and doing more blog posts than I did last year! And I guess I'll get a good start, because none of them are going anywhere to celebrate. Marilyn and her husband David are going to church! She said they want to start the new year with God and with taking communion... I almost went with them, just to get out of the house, but then she said the communion at her church isn't wine, it's just grape juice.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Ok. I'll stay home, be safe, get some sleep and wake up with a clear head tomorrow. Could be worse. </span><br />
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<br />Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-71232449914014545512015-06-24T14:45:00.001-07:002015-06-24T14:45:17.639-07:00Doc Stevens on Open Mic, Stage Fright and What Songs to Pick - Part Two<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: This is a continuation of the discussion that Doc, Big Dave and I had about open mics, and how to do them better, even WHY to do them in the first place, and any and every other tip that came up.</span><br />
<br />
Doc: When you get a new song that you think people would like - and it ain't just
you that's gotta like it, you got to be thinkin' about your audience. Are they
gonna be able to like that song from the first couple of bars they
hear? <br />
<br />
You don't never want to play a song that it takes people a while to figure
out if they like it or not. It's got to be one that from the moment they hear
it, they like it.<br />
<br />
I got a lot of songs what I like and might sing by myself, or with a couple
of friends, but I would never play<br />
them in front of an audience. Like we play
"downhome" music - that mix of blues and gospel and country and
rockabilly. That's what I like and play in public. But sometimes Marilyn might
want to sing some song what isn't that kind of music, She'll nag me and nag me
'til I play it along with her. It could be anything, of any kind of music. But
we ain't playin' it in public.<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: What would be an example of a song
like that, Doc?</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EXPX2QKSork/VYsjb9YQzWI/AAAAAAAABHc/YL61iT8UpZk/s1600/Cindys%2BParty%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EXPX2QKSork/VYsjb9YQzWI/AAAAAAAABHc/YL61iT8UpZk/s320/Cindys%2BParty%2B5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Doc: Well, she might like to sing that song "Blue Bayou" by that
Linda Rondstadt girl. It ain't our kind of music what we play, but it's a good song.
Marilyn been singin' that since she was maybe 12 or 13. She got it inside her,
so she could sing that anywhere anytime. But we ain't playin it as part
of a show. But we could, 'cause we got it inside.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: So why don't you sing it in public? </span><br />
<br />
Doc: Well, whatever music you play, people think of you a certain way. You kinda got to stick with that. We pretty much don't play anything newer than about 1954. We do that "downhome" music. We ain't a cover band. Anything from the sixties is too new, 'specially if it was a hit. Now there is some songs what was wrote in the 60's but sounded like they was old and if they sound right, we'll do 'em. Some of what we do is "B" sides of songs what was hits. But they had to be songs what I liked from the first couple of notes. Then if I start to play one of 'em in front of my friends, they had to like it from the first couple of notes. And it has to SOUND like something we'd do. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Are you saying that it has something to do with your image? </span><br />
<br />
Doc: I guess. Basically, you got to look like what you sound like and sound like what you look like. If you look like just regular workin' folk like we do, then you need to sound like that. It would be crazy to sound like Elvis Presley or someone smooth and sophisticated. We're down to earth. The way we sound is just the way we sound. People ask where did we get our sound. That is just what it sounds like when we play guitars and sing. <br />
<br />
I think everybody sings and plays things that's from another kind of music
than what they might play in public. Country guys might sing heavy metal, or
hip hop or jazz or whatever. Hippety hop guys might sing smooth jazz or gospel
or whatever in private. But not in public.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Now, you mentioned that Marilyn sings newer stuff at home.Specifically you mentioned Blue Bayou. Say, if she got dressed up in city clothes, and you did, too, would that song measure up in terms of being a
song that people would like from the first few notes?</span><br />
<br />
Doc: Well, yeah. An' if we didn't use our real names! I ain't goin' out there with my real name and play some kind of pop music or somethin'! But as for that Blue Bayou song, as soon as you hear the first couple of bars of it, you like
that song. It's got a good beat, got a good sound to it and is easy to sing
along with. It's a simple song, good tune. It passes every test of a song
what person could do in public an' people would like it and sing along,
tap their feet and clap their hands to it. It's a great song, if you got it
inside you.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qmnLBRiEN1s/VYse_cvUIYI/AAAAAAAABHQ/IU51TZKYVFY/s1600/Doc%2BMarilyn%2BHawaii%2BDoc%2BAlone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qmnLBRiEN1s/VYse_cvUIYI/AAAAAAAABHQ/IU51TZKYVFY/s320/Doc%2BMarilyn%2BHawaii%2BDoc%2BAlone.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
We sang that song in Hawaii an' people liked it.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: HAWAII??? Are you SURE? You went to Hawaii? Do you even know where it is? </span><br />
<br />
Doc: Yeah, we went to Hawaii. Last year when you was out there in that England. Someone paid for us to go out there, not the whole band, just me an' Marilyn. We got on an aeroplane and flew there. It took like all day to get there. But there wasn't no girls in grass skirts and coconuts though. It was real nice over there, an' the people out there was real nice to us. We was out there a couple of weeks an' then came home. We met a lot of people an' played a lot of songs. Marilyn gots some pictures from there she can give you. We can talk about it later. Not now. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Why didn't you SAY something about going to Hawaii? That's fantastic. </span><br />
<br />
Doc: I was sort of 'barrassed about it. I hadn't never been there before an' wasn't used to it. I was afraid you'd ask me questions what I don't know the answer to. Them people wear flip flops an' Hawaiian shirts all the time, but they just call 'em shirts. We can talk about it later, Tondy. Not now. Get back to open mic. I know a little about that. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Ok, so how about stage fright, Doc? How does a person avoid that?</span> <br />
<br />
Doc: By bein' too dumb to be scared! That's one way. Another way is if you are nearsighted, don't wear your glasses. Then you can't see nobody. Third is to know what you're plain' well enough that you aren't using your mind, but just playin' out of your heart. Like, you have played it and sang it so many times you can do it all automatically without thinkin'. That's what we done in Hawaii. We ain't know nobody out there, an' they all looked at us like we was from outer space or somethin'. <br />
<br />
But, like, if you know the song is a good one and people are gonna love it, and you've done it so many times you can do it with your eyes closed, then they ain't nothin' to be scared of.<br />
<br />
Oh yeah, one more thing. Don't try to sound like the person who made the song famous. You'll never sound like them, all you will sound like is you tryin' to sound like someone else. Then who are you gonna sound like for the next song? You wanna listen to the original just enough to kind of learn it. Then start playin' it and never listen to the original. By and by, you'll have changed a bit here and a bit there, and soon it will sound like you and not like the other person. Now, nobody has anything to compare you with, like "hey, on the second verse, you forgot to sing out your nose like Bob Dylan did when he sang that song."<br />
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Well, if I learnt that song 20 years ago and ain't listened to it since then, I aint gonna sound like him on ANY verse! I'm gonna sound like Doc Stevens and Marilyn is gonna sound like Marilyn. And nobody is better at that than us! 'Specially over to that Hawaii. <br />
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<br />Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-66353310410941711942015-06-18T10:25:00.001-07:002016-01-03T14:12:32.523-08:00Doc Stevens on Open Mic, Stage Fright and What Songs to Pick - Part One<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Sorry for the lack of blogs for more than a month. I have been on travel and then on holiday (Bognor Regis of all places! I travel everywhere for work and then stay close to home for holiday) and then had to deal with a backlog of work when I returned.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">I asked Doc to take me to a local open mic so we could talk a bit about what it takes to do an open mic, and why would a person do them, as well as why would a person not do them. It so happened that Big Dave was performing at an open mic in Northern Virginia so we hopped in Doc's pick up and drove over.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Some of the performers were quite good, and others, well, one could tell that they really did not have any where else that they could get an audience to listen to them. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Here are some excerpts from the conversation we had about it: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Doc, that girl up there right now really seems nervous and doesn't seem to know her songs very well... and the audience is getting fidgety, which makes her more nervous, you can tell. </span><br />
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Doc: Well, she's probably in the worst three conditions you can have when doin' open mic... other than bein' crazy high or stupid drunk, which she isn't. <br />
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First, she ain't used to bein' in front of a audience. She can't help that. She's facin' that fear right now, and the only way to get over it is to just do it. She's doin' it.<br />
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Second, she don't know that song real well yet. You can tell she's tryin' to get the chords just right, and the words just right, and hit all the notes just right. She ain't playin, she's workin.' And that takes all the energy out of it.<br />
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If she'll play that song till she's sick of it, then she can concentrate on the performing of it. <br />
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Third, she's not used to that guitar yet. She just said she got it for her birthday on Tuesday. It don't have her vibes in it yet. She ain't got her sweat into the fingerboard yet. She is still tryin' to get familiar with it, and find where everything is. You can't be doing that in public! <br />
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When you get a new guitar, you want to play it all you can in private. Then with a few friends. In public, play your old one til your new one is soaked with your vibes and
your fingers are familiar with it and where everything is. <br />
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You won't do good if you're scared, doin' a new song and tryin' to break in a new guitar at the same time.<br />
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Pretty much, you got to play that song over and over, and sing it over and over till it's in your heart. Play it in the dark, or with your eyes closed so you don't have to keep bending your head over to look at your neck and figure out where you are. Ain't nobody want to look at the top of your head or your right ear while you're up there s'posed to be singin' and playin'.<br />
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Like with Big Dave, when he gets up. He does a real good show. He's been doin' those songs for years and years, and can sing 'em in his sleep. In fact he DOES sing them in his sleep. I done heard him do it. He ain't thinkin', he ain't rememberin', he's just letting it flow. That is the most important thing, right there, Tondy. <br />
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I was talkin' to a guy backstage an' he was tellin' me that he was gonna do three songs what he's been learnin' THIS WEEK! He said he was nervous. One of them he only so-called "learned" it last night! He WILL mess it up, Tondy! It ain't inside him! He'll be tryin' to remember the words and tryin' to sing, and tryin' to play, and he ain't got NONE of it down! And he DESERVES to be nervous about bringin' that to an audience! But he ain't played long enough to even know that.<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: How do you know when you have it down well enough to play it in public?</span><br />
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Doc: When you've played it so many times that you're sick of it. When you think, "if I have to play this one one more time, I'm gonna throw up." That's when you probably got it down well enough that you can perform it. Otherwise, it's disrespectin' your audience. Don't go out there and try to "learn" on them. Get up there and pour out for them what you have stored up in your heart. Then you will feel comfortable and they will feel comfortable. If YOU ain't comfortable, they sure as heck ain't gonna be comfortable. And if they ain't comfortable, you haven't entertained them."<br />
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Boils down to this: NO new songs. New to the audience, YES, but new to you, NO!<br />
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No new guitars what you ain't broke in good yet. Don't play with brand new strings. Give 'em a couple of days or a week if you can. That first day, they'll still be stretchin' and goin' out of tune.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7nSEIj_xPIo/VYLwbViFhrI/AAAAAAAABGM/k-3QLd3qShI/s1600/Big%2BDave%2B6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7nSEIj_xPIo/VYLwbViFhrI/AAAAAAAABGM/k-3QLd3qShI/s200/Big%2BDave%2B6.JPG" width="200" /></a>Play your new guitar at home by yourself and then with friends, til it plays like an old friend. Then it's ready to be played in public. You don't see ANY professionals playin' instruments what they just got the day before! Most of them play old guitars what you can tell are years and years old. There's a reason for that. They can afford any guitar they want, but they are experienced enough to play the one that's got their vibe in it.<br />
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That guitar what Big Dave is playin' tonight has been with him for years! It was old when he got it! I think it is like a 1967 or maybe even older. It is filled with vibes, and he knows that thing inside and out. I remember when he first got it though. He didn't play it in public. He played the mess out of it at home, and over to my house, and other friends' houses.<br />
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I guarantee you he had maybe 500 hours with that thing before he played it in public. That's the way you do it right.<br />
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<br />Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-35671629689032805652015-04-16T17:49:00.001-07:002015-04-16T17:49:20.634-07:00Poverty and having to "make do." It CAN be done. Part Two<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: We've been talking with Doc and his lifelong friend, Big Dave about growing up in poverty, and having to make do with very little in the way of food, clothes, money and other material goods. There was not only financial and material poverty, but also the poverty of family live and support, the poverty of emotional support and poverty of opportunity.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I've been interviewing Doc and Big Dave for three evenings, and will be publishing excerpts from our several hours of talking. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Big Dave, you talked about your father being in and out of jail, and having bad health, and alcohol problems. How did that affect you growing up?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Big Dave: Well, you learn not to depend on nobody for nothing. The old man might promise to get you something say for your birthday or Christmas, and you learn not to get your hopes up. He mighta been lying, just BS'ing you, to get you to be quiet. Or, he mighta meant it at the time. You never can know. He mighta said he'd get you a present for Christmas because he had just got paid. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6hrrAqk6rKo/VS7BXy7HZ-I/AAAAAAAABE0/5wriSnDbAXQ/s1600/Big%2BDave%2BKitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6hrrAqk6rKo/VS7BXy7HZ-I/AAAAAAAABE0/5wriSnDbAXQ/s1600/Big%2BDave%2BKitchen.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #660000;">But that didn't mean he'd get you anything. He mighta needed that money to pay back a loan. Or to pay the light bill. He mighta just drank that money away or smoked it up. Then when Christmas would roll around, you would half hope he'd a gotten you something, but you knew not to get your hopes up. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">If he'd remember to get you a Slim Jim or a candy bar, you'd done all right. Or, he mighta got drunk on Christmas eve and be somewhere else. or in jail. You never could tell. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Mama would call the churches right before Christmas and try to get something for each of us. Sometimes that worked out pretty good. Sometimes not. Some years she waited too late and there wasn't nothin' left for us. Sometimes the toys they gave needed batteries and we'd never have money for batteries, so we'd just use them the best we could.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">We ain't never had a Christmas tree. We decorated a tree stump out back... </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: How about you, Doc? How did growing up poor affect you and your family?</span><br />
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Doc: I don't really know, Tondy, 'cause that is all we knew. We didn't know what it was like to have nice clothes, or new clothes. But it never crossed out minds to get brand new clothes. People at the church gave clothes to us, in big black plastic garbage bags. We got some stuff from the thrift shop. That's just where we figured clothes came from. We didn't even know about so many things that the rich kids had. They lived in a different world. Kind of a sissy world, if you ask me. But we learnt things they didn't learn. <br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Things like what, Doc?</span><br />
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Doc: Well, we learnt not to cry every time we got hurt. We learnt that you could fall down and cut yourself and be bleeding, but that didn't mean you had to cry. That was a good thing.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: You didn't CRY? Why on earth not, Doc?</span><br />
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Doc: Well, the old man didn't like to hear cryin,' and said to save cryin' for somethin' bigger than a cut or bruise or a knot on your head. He said you could get hurt and not say or do nothin', and he did that all the time. You never knew if he was hurt. And he was right. You can get cut or hurt or whatever and not cry.<br />
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We learnt not to be picky about eatin'. Food don't have to taste good or be your favorite. Food ain't s'posed to be entertainin', food is fuel. If you're hungry, you'll eat it. Don't matter if it's so called good or not. We learnt to eat anything and everything, Tondy! <br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Big Dave: We learned how to fight. Rich kids didn't know how to fight, and as soon as they'd get hit, they'd bust into tears and start crying like babies! We learned to fight because we had older brothers who picked on us, neighbors, teenagers, everybody. So we had to defend ourselves. Fightin' aint somethin' you'd choose to learn when you're little, but it pays off when you get to school and people are makin' fun of you because you're poor. You can only take so much, and then you gotta do something about it. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">I remember the rich kids takin' karate lessons. They'd PAY and go every week to a class where they wore pajama's and then played like they was fightin' in slow motion. We never put on pajamas to fight and I aint never been in a fight in slow motion. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">The teachers and principals didn't agree with us given a whoopin' to some snooty rich kid, but ain't no one ever made fun of the teachers and principals. They was probably the ones makin' fun of poor kids when they was in school...</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MKPIKhviHh0/VS7Bz_PouhI/AAAAAAAABE8/ZNmteB7hJSg/s1600/Big%2BDave%2B%26%2BDoc%2BStevens%2BKitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MKPIKhviHh0/VS7Bz_PouhI/AAAAAAAABE8/ZNmteB7hJSg/s1600/Big%2BDave%2B%26%2BDoc%2BStevens%2BKitchen.jpg" height="230" width="400" /></a>Doc: Yeah, and they was the ones gettin' beat up by us poor kids when they was makin' fun of us and laughin' at us. So when they grew up and got good jobs, they'd always take sides with the rich kids who was laughin' at us.<br />
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It ain't fair, but we learned how to not care about fair, 'cause fair ain't nothin' that's ever gonna happen to a poor person.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Whatever did they laugh at you and mock you for?</span><br />
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Doc: How we looked, how we talked, how we dressed, where we lived. You name it. Our house was a shack compared to where they lived. But it was home, for us. <br />
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And, we couldn't go to a barber shop so mama cut our hair with scissors. She wasn't too bad at it, but the rich kids laughed at us for that. Same with our clothes. They was all hand me downs, and didn't fit too good. Either too big or too small. Sometimes they was a little smelly from the last person what owned 'em and sweated a lot. Or, maybe someone gave us jeans and they was woman or girl jeans but we didn't know the brand names, so we wore them anyway.<br />
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In gym class, it would be the underwear. I ain't wearin' no thrift shop underwear, so mama made our underwear outta old t shirts or pillow cases. She'd make 'em like shorts and put a draw string around the waist. That's the way they did it in the old days which is why underwear is called "drawers," but ain't no one at school was interested in that.<br />
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The girls don't wanna go out with someone what is poor or has homemade underwear. So we had to pick from other poor girls when we got interested in girls and all that goes with it, if you know what I mean.<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Big Dave: I ain't never wanted to date some prissy girl anyway. I liked a girl who could hunt and fish and fight better than some cream puff rich girl who thought she'd get dirty if she let you touch her...and sometimes they <u>would</u> get dirty if I touched 'em!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Bein' poor, you learnt how to fix things instead of throwin' them away. If you couldn't fix something, you could learn how to use it broken or you could make something else out of it. That's how Doc got all his early guitars. Puttin' broken ones together... </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: It must have been hard to grow up poor... </span><br />
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Doc: Times was hard, and still are, but you're gonna grow up whether you are rich or poor. You got to learn how to laugh, too. We learned how to laugh at everything.<br />
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We were so poor, when we went to KFC we licked other peoples' fingers... you got to laugh at what problems you can't solve.<br />
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And guess what, Tondy? We all made it! We ate, we fought, we cried a little bit, we made things, we fell in love with poor girls, got our hearts broke by them and probally broke a few hearts, and here we are!Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-64503421224416271412015-04-15T11:00:00.001-07:002015-04-15T11:00:07.614-07:00Poverty and having to "make do." It CAN be done. Part One<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: One thing that impresses me about the poorer rural Americans I have met is their creativity. From the places the live, and the improvements they make to them, to their vehicles, their clothes, musical instruments, what they eat... everything. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Poor people want the same things as the rest of us, only they don't have the money available to just go out and buy the things they want. They want to have their own unique personal style, they want convenience items, they want to have fun... and they have to use their creativity in order to be able to do that. Also, they have to be able to not only use their imaginations to be able to pretend that what they have is what they really want. What got me started on this line of thought was when Doc and Big Dave were talking about their childhoods and some of the things they did and their parents did in order to make do...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Big Dave: Yeah, we didn't have much of anything when we was growin' up. Pop had bad health and couldn't work much. Mama did whatever she could to bring in a few dollars and most of that went to the light bill and rent... four of us kids to feed, We lived in Old Man Adams' yard, in the trailer back by the tool barn. He was good to us as far as understanding when rent was late. the 'lectric company wanted their money pretty much every month and sometimes let us pay late. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">If they cut us off, Pop would run a cord from Old Man Adams' workshop out to the trailer. We had a hose runnin' out to the trailer for our water.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">We didn't have much time to play and not much of a mind to play. When your old man is drunk and hittin' mama and cussin' at you you don't want to play. You don't want to play when your belly's empty. We didn't have much fun and ain't nobody talked much about havin' fun, so we didn't miss it.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HlKwf8cL2G4/VS6jIA0j4gI/AAAAAAAABEk/JBLK3ja36s4/s1600/Big%2BDave%2B%26%2BDoc%2BStevens3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HlKwf8cL2G4/VS6jIA0j4gI/AAAAAAAABEk/JBLK3ja36s4/s1600/Big%2BDave%2B%26%2BDoc%2BStevens3.JPG" height="262" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="color: black;">Doc: We was pretty much the same way. But we did have music in the house. Daddy and mama did like music. We didn't have nothin' to sing about, but we liked listenin' to country music and gospel and blues. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="color: black;">Pop had a record player he got down to the dump and we got old scratched up records from the dump. We had to make up words alot 'cause the records was scratched and no good - that's why people threw 'em out. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="color: black;">Same with instruments. Sometimes we found rusty harmonicas or bent up trumpets and stuff. A lot of broke up guitars - well I mean two or three a year. That's how I got started makin' guitars. I could take a neck off a broken guitar and put it on a wooden box or a tool box and cut a hole for the sound to come out. My fingers was never long so I had to learn how to sand the necks down so my hands could fit around them, and make the strings real low. I still do that. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #660000;">Big Dave: We did that. We made drum sets outta dry wall mud buckets and empty paint cans. It sounded pretty good, if you did it right. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: How about food? What did you all do for food? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Big Dave: Well, we hunted. Deer, rabbit, squirrels, possum, coon. Shot ducks, went fishin'. We did all right. We grew tomatoes, kale, corn, beans and all that. We ate ok.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="color: black;">Doc: We did the same thing. Plus, there's road kill like for deers mostly. If you come home an' there's a dead deer on the side of the road what wasn't there earlier, you know it's fresh enough to eat. Even if it's been there long enough to get stiff, that don't mean it's bad.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Road kill... OK. Some people would find that disgusting, you know.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #660000;">Big Dave: So that just makes it one less person tryin' to field dress a deer on the side of the road. More power to 'em.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: black;">Doc: I find bein' hungry disgustin'. If it's fresh, it ain't nothin' wrong with eatin; roadkill. At least you know it was healthy when it got hit.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: So how DO you know if it's been there long enough that it's bad? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="color: black;">Doc: Fleas. If the fleas are still on it, then it's fresh enough to eat. If the fleas have left, you don't want to eat it. That's the way you tell.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: How about sweets, dessert, fun food?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Big Dave: We didn't really have fun food. We didn't really have fun, like I said. But in the summer, Mama would get a jar of dill pickles, and we'd get out a dill pickle and dip it in Kool Aid powder. That was pretty good on a hot day.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="color: black;">Doc: We did that one, too. Also, this is funny. We never could afford ice cream. So mama would give us a couple of spoonfuls of Coffee Mate on a jar lid, and then a ice cube wrapped in a piece of newspaper. We'd dip that ice cube in the Coffee Mate and pretend it was ice cream! It was good enough for us and sometimes I still like it better than ice cream... it's cheaper, too. </span></span>Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-18594382551126087002015-03-11T12:38:00.003-07:002015-03-11T12:38:50.098-07:00You Can Have a Band Even if You Don't Have One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: One thing I admire in people is confidence and boldness. I tend to be rather timid so I guess that is why I find myself captivated with people who are confident and don't worry about much of anything. That is part of my fascination with the rural Americans that I have gotten to know over the years. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Most of them have grown up from the beginning with no advantages, poverty, having to make do with whatever they could. In school, they talk about being picked on because of being poor, but how they learnt to fight or to have skills that kept people from picking on them - or both - being able to fight and also developing skills. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">A lot of them have done jail or prison time not so much because they are criminals but because when they have an infraction of the law, they can't afford a solicitor, or attorney</span>. <span style="color: #274e13;">They don't expect to be treated fairly and even going to jail seems to be something they take in stride. They have this attitude that nothing is easy anyway, but that also means that nothing is hard. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">I have gone with Doc and Marilyn, Doc and Rick or just Doc when there is a chance to play music, and the rest of the band can't come. Sometimes it is at the last minute that the rest of the band or part of the band can't come. I have never known them to cancel. They just grab their instruments, get into the truck and head for the gig. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">I ask, "Aren't you a bit worried? People are expecting a band and it is just you?" It NEVER seems to worry them! Not at all! Doc says that it won't be any problem because there will be other bands there, and musicians like to play, and he'll just ask some of them that play well to back him or them up. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">I ask if it doesn't worry him, and he says it doesn't. Marilyn tells me that I have to have more faith. </span></div>
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Doc: Well, Tondy, it's like this. People want to hear you play. If you wait until all the situations are right, you'll never play. We grewed up playin garbage instruments and makin' do with whatever we could and playin' with whoever was around. You learn to play with anybody and they learn to play with you. It's no big deal.</div>
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Matter of fact, Chuck Berry ain't never had a band! He just would take his guitar and get on a bus or a plane and fly to where he was goin' and the people what booked him would have to get together some local folk to play and back him up. He'd run through the songs with 'em once or twice and then would have his show, shake their hands, collect his money and go back home to sleep in his own bed. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z5XAF4TYAIY/VQCSeSm1r4I/AAAAAAAABD0/Dt0c1vREvRM/s1600/Bradley%2Band%2BDoc%2BStevens.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z5XAF4TYAIY/VQCSeSm1r4I/AAAAAAAABD0/Dt0c1vREvRM/s1600/Bradley%2Band%2BDoc%2BStevens.png" height="260" width="320" /></a>I aint as good as Chuck, so it really aint no problem. People always step forward. If you do the right thing the right people will always show up and play with you. </div>
<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: We got it so we can play just me and Doc, or Just Rick and Doc, just me, Rick and Doc, just Rick and Doc, just me, Doc, Rick and Jerry or any part of the band and we can give them a good show, can't we, Doc?</span><br />
<br />
Doc: Yeah, it ain't an issue. Sometimes a whole band will back us up, if it is just one or two of us. Like we played over to a place in Waldorf an' everyone but Handsome Brian the Bishop Garner, our drummer could make it. We weren't gonna cancel 'cause of that. And we weren't playin' without a drummer.<br />
<br />
So when we got there, we started askin' around, and Jerry found a drummer named Bradley who was playin' with another group. I think he turned out to be from Bowie, MD, up the road about an hour.<br />
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We talked to him a bit about how we sound and what kind of music we do, and when we got up, Bradley got up with us and played just like he'd been with us for years.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: He was truly anointed and that is what makes the difference so it can sound like he had been with us forever. The Holy Ghost was in him and the Holy Ghost HAS been with us forever, and He knows all our songs and just played them through Bradley. </span><br />
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Doc: That, and Bradley is a good drummer in the first place. We never seen him before and ain't seen him since. But if we're out somewhere and need a drummer and he is there, we'll ask him up to play again.<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: But doesn't that make you at least a tad nervous? That would give me an ulcer!</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: NO, you got to have faith, Tondy, you got to have faith.</span><br />
<br />
Doc: Marilyn's right. You gotta have faith, and then open your mouth and ask around. You'll find the people you need! <br />
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<br />
<br />Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-45100310956166441542015-03-04T15:31:00.001-08:002015-03-04T15:34:32.222-08:00Doc and Marilyn in Wyoming... well, Camden-Wyoming, Delaware<!--[if !mso]>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IMK9FfVy9dE/VPeLqZFc02I/AAAAAAAABDY/wZCTdqcaBIs/s1600/Doc%2Band%2BMarilyn%2Bat%2BB%2Band%2BB%2BMusic%2Band%2BSound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IMK9FfVy9dE/VPeLqZFc02I/AAAAAAAABDY/wZCTdqcaBIs/s1600/Doc%2Band%2BMarilyn%2Bat%2BB%2Band%2BB%2BMusic%2Band%2BSound.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: I rang up Doc to check on how he and Marilyn are doing. He was pretty excited because he said that he and Marilyn had gone to Wyoming over the weekend, and that they played there, and then played somewhere else, and he drove back to his bungalow in Maryland Saturday night.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">I'm not an expert on the geography of the United States, but I do know that Wyoming is not a place that one can drive to from the east coast on Friday, then play at two venues, and drive back by Saturday night. I DO know that much.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #274e13;">When I questioned Doc, he insisted that they were in Wyoming, that it was a four hour drive from Southern Maryland, and that he did not need to be instructed by a Brit about "geometry." He said he had seen the signs saying Camden Wyoming and that signs don't lie.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">He let me know that Wyoming is right over there by Eastern Shore and he had not ever been there before but would definitely be going back, and that he and Marilyn had some bookings lined up there. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #274e13;">Whilst we were talking, I Googled Camden, Wyoming discovered that it is NOT Camden, Wyoming, but is a town in Delaware, near to Eastern Shore, MD, called in fact, Camden - Wyoming. I looked on MapQuest and further discovered that it truly is about two and a half hours. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Doc: Hey Tondy, last
Saturday me and Marilyn played a bit over in Eastern Shore and also in Wyoming
for a full day. I had never been to Wyoming before, and was hopin' to see some cowboys, but we didn't see any. It just looked regular, like a place. </div>
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<br /></div>
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We went to a place called Band B Music and Sound. They was real nice and had a lot of store bought guitars and such, and drums and new amps. I brought my dobro and my tacklebox guitar. Marilyn brought her voice and some harps. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The guys at B and B Music and Sound videoed a bit of us playing
there as a music store demo. No mics. Just us belting out our typical “singing
louder than a bus” vocals and an old 5 watt amp.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: Ummm, Doc, I just looked up B and B Music and Sound and they are not in Wyoming, they are in Delaware. Camden-Wyoming, Delaware. Near Eastern Shore, MD. I looked at a map and saw exactly where you were. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">I can see that they are a big music store in
Camden-Wyoming... Delaware.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="color: black;">Doc: That's what I said! America is a big country, and I can't keep up with all of it. </span><span style="color: black;">I ain't said nothing about Delaware. But I did say something about B and B Music. They do promoting of lots of events and festivals over
the Spring and in the Summer and in the Fall. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: Doc, I just went to their Face Book page and they have an 8 and a half minute video of you guys! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Doc: Yeah, they videoed us makin' noise pollution for their store.I ain't knowed nothin' about no Face Book, though. That's a good thing, what they did for us. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I mean, we was calm, Tondy. Being in a store, we didn’t get to do our usual shenanigans. I actually sat down for the whole thing. Marilyn of course, bein' polite,
stood. I played my famous Tackle Box Guitar which always gets attention –
and makes people want to play it. A
couple of their sales people and a manager played it and could not believe that
it actually plays well, is well balanced and sounds like a “real” guitar. Hey,
if it wasn’t easy to play, I sure wouldn’t be playing it. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: I'll post the link for their video, so people can watch it. </span></div>
<span style="color: #274e13;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #274e13;">Here’s the link</span>: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=898548300166997">https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=898548300166997</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Doc: Thanks, Tondy! You the man!
</div>
Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-86634527456796331352015-02-06T12:34:00.000-08:002015-02-06T12:34:08.337-08:00Where Doc Stevens Gets His Songs and How They Are Played.<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Whenever I hear Doc and Marilyn and the band play, I always hear songs that I have never heard before in my life. Some of what they play I have heard somewhere before, but most of it is new to me. They sing a lot of originals, but a lot of what they do, Doc says is old stuff, stuff that everybody ought to know. </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">But I have asked other musicians at venues and events where they play, and other musicians also shake their </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-worW0F5kajo/VNUjCpiNetI/AAAAAAAABCI/ulM2dE7mqtw/s1600/Doc%2Band%2BMarilyn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-worW0F5kajo/VNUjCpiNetI/AAAAAAAABCI/ulM2dE7mqtw/s1600/Doc%2Band%2BMarilyn.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
heads and say they have no idea where Doc and Marilyn's songs come from. Like me, they are familiar with some of them, or others they might say they might have heard when they visited their grandmum's house years ago, but they basically don't know where the songs come from, or why they are played the way they are.<br />
<br />
Doc: I play the songs I love and I play them how I feel them. Marilyn does, too. That's it. I don't never try to play it like the original 'cause I couldn't anyway. Matter o' fact, the original artists ain't play them again like they did on the record - 'cept for George Thorogood, cause he always plays it word for word, note for note from the record to one concert to the next - but everybody else changes it from one time to the next, depending on their mood.<br />
<br />
Like, when the original group is recording, they might do five or ten takes of the song. Finally, they get enough of it right that they can mix it into a song. But all of those takes ain't identical. Close, but not identical. Then when you hear the group play live, they always change it up a bit from the record as we know it.<br />
<br />
But the deal is this. They don't sound just like the record, but they always sound like themselves, not somebody else. So if I play it or you play it or someone else plays it, why are we supposed to sound like the original band did on that one take that came out as the final release?<br />
<br />
Guess what? We ain't gonna sound like them if we tried. Maybe close, but mostly not. The voice will be different, the tone will be different, other things will be different. But worse than that, we won't even sound like ourselves! I ain't gonna be happy tryin' to sound like someone else and failin'! I might as well sound like me and play the way I feel it.<br />
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If I don't like a song, I ain't gonna sing it. I ain't gonna play it, neither. If I DO like it, I'm gonna FEEL it. And that is the only way I'm gonna play it. Marilyn's the same way. So's the rest of the band. That's how we all got together in the first place. We just play what we love and play it the way we feel it. Most of what we play, the rest of the band ain't never heard the original anyway.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: So, WHERE do you get your material? Most of us have never heard these songs before... </span><br />
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Doc: Well, Tondy, some of them I grew up hearin' from my relative's record players, at family gatherin's and such. Others I found on records what we got from the landfill, what other people was throwin' away. Some was so scratched up I had to make up the words where they wasn't playin' right, and I still don't know the right words.<br />
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Others were just songs that we all sang growin' up, when we'd get out the instruments and all sing together. Uncles, aunts, cousins, grandma, grandpa, neighbors and friends. A lot of 'em we got from church. Gospel concerts, fish fries and other things at church, you know, picnics, barbecues and all that. <br />
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Pentecostal churches always have good music. You can learn alot by goin' to a Pentecostal church. Jerry Lee Lewis, he came from a Pentecostal church. Elvis did, too. Aretha was a church girl. Otis Redding came from church, and Little Richard. Some of them's daddies was preachers. A lot more came from churches and that is where they learnt to play and sing and perform at. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qH-xy2huHAU/VNUkDL5nZGI/AAAAAAAABCU/BwnhLH958i0/s1600/Doc%2Bn%2BMarilyn%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qH-xy2huHAU/VNUkDL5nZGI/AAAAAAAABCU/BwnhLH958i0/s1600/Doc%2Bn%2BMarilyn%2B2.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a>Like with Marilyn, some of the songs she grew up with, she never heard the original. She just heard me an' my friends play 'em or heard them at church, and that's how she thought they was supposed to sound. Then later, she mighta heard one of them on a jukebox somewhere, and she'd say, "Uncle Doc, I heard 'I Believe To My Soul' on the jukebox today and it didn't sound right!"<br />
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I'd tell her that it sounded right for that take in the recording studio when that band recorded it; sounded right for them that time. the way we play it sounds right for us, at whatever time we sing it. She's old enough now that she gets it, but when she was 12 or 13, she just figured that our way was right and the other ways were wrong!<br />
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It's easier to play a song if you only play it the way you feel it whenever you play it. You're not tryin' to copy anybody, and you're free to holler it as you feel, and play it for as long as it takes for you to be done with it. That's how we do it, anyway. <br />
<br />Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-73017722177006330372015-01-22T15:26:00.000-08:002015-01-22T15:26:18.106-08:00Another Brit Visits Doc and Marilyn - Part 4 - Guitar Deals<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: One reason I like coming to America is the cheap prices compared to the USA. I can buy used cameras for about half of what we'd pay in the UK. Being used, there's no import duty to pay. Cameras, musical instruments and other things that can be flown back to UK can make a trip to America a very good deal.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">My mate Cyril had this aspect of a visit to the states foremost in his mind in addition to the experience of visiting America and also being able to stay at Doc's place for free, and having no food expense. He is pretty adventurous when it comes to food, and likes organic. That helped him be prepared for eating deer, rabbit, squirrel and a lot of fish. Also, fresh raised veggies. </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13;">But what got him most excited was being able to shop on Craigslist for prices on American guitars and equipment for well less than half the UK prices. </span><br />
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Doc: Well, Tondy, your buddy Cyril's a happy camper now! He found a Les Paul, a real one, and got a good deal on it.<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: I'm not sure what you're saying, Doc. I guess happy camper means he is glad to be sleeping outside... but I'm not sure what a Les Paul is - real or fake</span>.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aUn012YZGis/VL_4LI1iDZI/AAAAAAAABBU/WKiWaKPgD0w/s1600/Cyrils%2BGuitar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aUn012YZGis/VL_4LI1iDZI/AAAAAAAABBU/WKiWaKPgD0w/s1600/Cyrils%2BGuitar.jpg" height="151" width="200" /></a>Doc: He ain't sleepin' outside. It just means he's happy. He ain't really campin'. That's just something to say. But he got a real Les Paul. that's a guitar. Made by Gibson. <br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: Are there "not real" Les Pauls? Imaginary ones?</span><br />
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Doc: YES, there's Les Paul's what ain't real! There's fake ones, there's copies, there's Epiphone ones, there's counterfeit ones made in China. All kinds of Les Pauls. But he got a real one. A real GIBSON Les Paul. Made in USA. <br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: OK... I hear you. Tell me about getting the real Les Paul. The Gibson one. Made in USA.</span><br />
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Doc: Last week Cyril was lookin' on the 'puter up to the Liberry on Craig's List of things for sale. He found a Les Paul on there, for sale in Arlington... over in Virginia. It was old, like ten years, but never been played. He had me call the guy first to ask him some questions.<br />
<br />
Here's the story. The guy works for PBS makin' those Oldies Music Specials. He's a music history guy what used to work at the Smiths Onion [Smithsonian museum in Washington DC]. The PBS called him and gave him a job puttin' together those Oldies Music Specials. He was doin' one of those in Nashville and Gibson gave him some guitars to use as stage props. New Gibson guitars! As stage props, Tondy!<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: Uhhh... that's unthinkable, Doc! Unconscionable! </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-njY9FfxPC7g/VL_zNtTRXAI/AAAAAAAABAs/yWMen6yKqmw/s1600/Cyril%2B6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-njY9FfxPC7g/VL_zNtTRXAI/AAAAAAAABAs/yWMen6yKqmw/s1600/Cyril%2B6.JPG" height="200" width="179" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QYZ-3FMa67A/VL_0_wznWrI/AAAAAAAABBI/xVCNeGAqnww/s1600/Cyrils%2BGuitar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Doc: Well, YEAH! Anyway, he was down there, doin' a country music special and Ricky Skaggs was there as a host or whatever the guy is what talks between the songs and 'splains them. Gibson gave this guy the Les Paul - this guy what doesn't even play guitar - and then Ricky Skaggs signed the case with a silver magic marker. So this guy over to Arlington was movin' down south somewhere and wasn't gonna take the guitar with him, so he was sellin' it. Aint never been played.<br />
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Me an' Cyril went over there, an' met the guy. He wanted $700 for it, which ain't bad. Cyril was all like "can I take that other bloke's name off the case?" I told him to deal with that later. I talked with the guy an' 'splained that Ricky Skaggs' name on that guitar case ain't mean nothin' to a 20 year old Brit who ain't never heard of Ricky Skaggs, so that ain't no sellin' point. Then I splained to him that Cyril's gonna have to pay $100 to take that guitar onto the plane to get it home. So if he charged Cyril $600 for it, plus the $100 Cyril would pay to get it home, that's still gonna be $700 which is what he wanted anyway... <br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: And that guy WENT for that?</span><br />
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Doc: Well.. YEAH! It only makes sense. $700 for a $700 guitar. It's just he wasn't gettin' all $700. He got $600, but he knew Cyril was paying $700, so it was fair. Cyril got that guitar and was happy as a clam, Tondy! His smile started on the back of his head and went all the way 'round to the front of his head and back to the other side of the back of his head! Good old USA! Well, for good deals, anyway.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jn42QHZHz_g/VL_znCyS92I/AAAAAAAABA8/SjNFztZrp4A/s1600/Cyril%2Band%2BBand%2B3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jn42QHZHz_g/VL_znCyS92I/AAAAAAAABA8/SjNFztZrp4A/s1600/Cyril%2Band%2BBand%2B3.JPG" height="175" width="320" /></a>He brought it home and tuned it up and then we went out and he played it at a couple gigs already.It sounds good, plays good and some people have told him to keep Ricky Skaggs' name on it, 'cause it makes it more interestin'. They splained to him who Ricky Skaggs is. Plus Cyril called his Dad over in England who not only knew who Ricky Skaggs is, but is a Ricky Skaggs fan and was real proud of his son over gettin' that guitar with Ricky Skaggs' havin' signed the case on it. So anyway, there you go. I'm gonna hang up and get him to teach me a few things while he's still here. Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-32732562351272929932015-01-21T15:59:00.000-08:002015-01-21T15:59:00.720-08:00Another Brit Visits Doc and Marilyn - Part 3 - Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! Cyril is a guitar maestro...<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: Before my friend Cyril came to the States, his dad rang me up to ask if I could get Doc to teach his son a few things on the guitar. He said that his Cyril needed to learn how to strum better and how to keep better rhythm. I told him I would pass the message on to Doc. Then, after Cyril had been at Doc's a few days Doc rang me up, shocked at Cyril's guitar playing. Naturally I recorded the call as I always do with Doc or Marilyn - with their permission from when I first knew them.</span><br />
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Doc: Hey Tondy! You said Cyril's old man wanted me to teach Cyril how to play guitar a bit while he is here! I cain't teach that boy ANYTHING...<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: Why is that, Doc? Is he that thick? You don't think he can learn anything at all?</span><br />
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Doc: NO! He is so GOOD I cain't teach him anything! The other night I handed him a guitar and picked up one of mine, and I figured I'd find out what level of a player he was. As soon as I started playin' he started knockin' out lead licks like he's been playin' 20 years!<br />
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I played blues. I played country. I played Gospel. Whatever I played, he played lead to it like he'd played nothin' BUT that kind of music all his life! He did it all and he did it right!<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: Well, are you going to teach him how to strum better and keep better rhythm? </span><br />
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Doc: NO! That boy don't ever need to strum anything! I called my buddy Big Dave last night and told him about Cyril, so he came over and went through the same thing, but different kinds of songs. He did rock, hard rock, soft rock, oldies rock and probally some disco. Not only did Cyril play all of them well, but he had the right tone and little details that make each of the different types of music stand out. I went in and listened to them and it sounded like he'd been playin' all those songs for years and years.<br />
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Big Dave asked him how he knew all them songs, and Cyril said he didn't know ANY of them! He said Big Dave just picked some good songs to play! I ain't never heard nobody could play like that all my life.<br />
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Then, on Saturday, I took him to a country music jam, down to St. Mary;s county. I splained to him who Hank Sr was and Marty Robbins, and Webb Pierce and them boys, so he'd know somethin'. Sure 'nuff, when we got there, he started playin' and them old boys down there started askin' if he grew up playin' old school country music, or if his dad is a country music player. Cyril just said that he didn't grow up playin' it, that he really had just started! Yeh, he just started like an hour before!<br />
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That kid is a genius. We got bookin's comin' up with the Holy Ghost Band and I'm gonna bring him with us to play! If he would move to this country, someone would get that boy, take him to Nashville and put him in a box where all he had to do was play guitar every day! None of us has heard him hit a bad note yet. Not even one. <br />
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Tondeleo: I'll be sure and relay it to his dad that you are indeed working with him to help him play better...<br />
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Doc: Heck, I want HIM to indeed work with ME to help ME play better, Tondy! That boy is a musical genius! Gotta go now. I'm tryin' to get him to give me a lesson! Marilyn made deer chili an' he's stuffin' himself with it. Plus he's on his fourth can of ginger ale. I gotta catch him afore he passes out. Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-1635582095602997692015-01-20T15:38:00.002-08:002015-01-20T15:38:50.073-08:00Another Brit Visits Doc and Marilyn - Part 2<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: As I mentioned in the last posting, my friend and fellow Brit, Cyril Baptist came to stay with Doc and Marilyn for a few weeks at the end of the Summer. Cyril and I have been mates for yonks, and he has always wanted to come to the States and meet the characters that I tell him about. I have been regaling him with my Doc and Marilyn stories for ages. This past Summer he got to fulfill a dream by coming to the States and actually staying with Doc and Marilyn. Actually more with Doc, because Marilyn is spending most of her time on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and is only in Southern Maryland when they are playing or just because she wants a visit. Or, because Doc guilts her into visiting. </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13;">Here are some more of Doc's reflections on Cyril's visit. These are transcribed from my digital recording.</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13;">Tonedeleo: So, Doc, you and Marilyn bought some Camo based outfits and ball caps for Cyril for him to wear while he was here. Why exactly was that?</span><br />
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Doc: Well, Tondy, when you got a visitor you're kind of 'sponsible for they's well bein'. It wouldn't been right to have him hangin' out some of the places where we hang out dressed like an English office boy. People woulda picked on him for sure. <br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: Weren't you at all concerned that it could have hurt his feelings, making him wear clothes other than the ones he brought? I mean, it's a bit brash, you know. </span><br />
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Doc: I ain't sure 'bout no brash. But I was more interested in it coulda hurt him more than in his feelin's if you know what I mean. They's guys what woulda first picked on him for how he talked - like a Brit, like you - and then for how he woulda 'sponded when they talked to him and then for how he dressed. You gotta do what you can to help someone.<br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: I do know that I had a hard time my first visit or two with some of your rural friends due to me being a bit more... umm... cultured than some of them. And I had to learn to just ignore it when they would tall me I talked girly. In fact YOU used to tell me you liked the girly way I talked, Doc! Remember that?</span><br />
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Doc: Sure I remember that! Guess why I said you talked girly, Tondy? But no, really, they's people here<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LEBHD1zyQbo/VL7kvd6OZXI/AAAAAAAABAA/sarDZ2sx2dg/s1600/Cyril%2B3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LEBHD1zyQbo/VL7kvd6OZXI/AAAAAAAABAA/sarDZ2sx2dg/s1600/Cyril%2B3.JPG" height="320" width="265" /></a> what will pick on someone else whose 'merican 'cause of how they talk. 'Specially down south. They ain't like the way Yankees tall and will let you know it. Me an' Marilyn wanted to make sure Cyril had a good time while he was here. <br />
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Plus we ain't made him dress normal everywhere we took him. Like some of the churches we took him to play in he just wore his English clothes but with jeans and tennis shoes [plimsoles]. He just had to dress normal in the places when we took him out where people is more sensitive to how you look. You ain't wanna go somewhere dressed like you think you're better than them. <br />
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He got to understand it once he'd been here a while. But he wouldn't take even one stitch of them clothes back to your country when he went home! He said people would either laugh at him or beat him up for dressin' regular like we do here. Well, neither me or Marilyn or no one in the band wants to go to England if you get picked on for wearin' camo.<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: I don't blame you, Doc. I mean, who would want to go to a country where you can't where your own clothes?</span><br />
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Doc: That's exactly what I'm talkin' about. I ain't goin'.<br />
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Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-86846482268036202372015-01-20T00:14:00.000-08:002015-01-20T15:39:24.404-08:00Another Brit Spends a Few Weeks with Doc and Marilyn - Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Tondeleo: This past Summer, my friend from South London, Cyril Baptist came to the States to spend a few weeks with Doc and Marilyn and their friends. Cyril is a great bloke and an incredible musician. I have never heard anyone as versatile nor as skilled as he is on the guitar. Plus he is funny, flexible and always up for an adventure. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">The morning after he arrived, he rang me up to let me know that Doc and Marilyn had bought him camo clothes to wear and a ballcap and that they said he would need to dress like that so no one would pick on him. He said it was humiliating, and asked me if he truly had to wear those clothes. I told him that actually, yes, he'd be safer if he blended in than if he stood out. He was truly not pleased! I had Doc talk a bit, on a few occasions about Cyril's visit. Here is how it went: </span><br />
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Doc: Yeah, this was pretty crazy at first. That boy Cyril wrote me an' Marilyn an e-letter saying he was planning on coming in to Dallas and would just take a bus and a cab to our house, so we wouldn't have to worry about picking him up.<br />
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I e-wrote him back and tole him that Dallas is like more than 2,000 miles from Maryland, so he better not be coming in to Dallas. He changed his ticket to Dulles which is in VA but that he was still just gonna hop on a bus and then take a cab to us here. He don't know nothin' about America!<br />
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You ain't taken a bus to Western Charles County from Dulles or a cab. You would spend all day, get lost, get on the wrong bus and probally spend a couple hundred dollars after riding six or seven hours. That's why Americans got cars and trucks. It's quicker an' cheaper unless you live in the city which we don't.<br />
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So on the day he is comin' here, he calls me an' says he will be out front of Dulles and wearing a "petro" blue suit. What the heck is that? We drive the panel truck up there and circle round and round the front of the airport looking for an English kid in whatever a petro blue suit is. After about ten times and no kid, we pull into the pay parking lot and get out of the truck and go inside. Marilyn gets them to announce for Cyril Baptist from England to meet her at the desk. <br />
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In a few minutes this kid in a shiny blue suit that looks like a uptown sissified pimp comes walking up. We asked if he was Cyril and he said he was. Asked if he heard the 'nouncement and he said no. He was just walkin' around lookin' at stuff!</div>
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We got his bags an' put him in the back of the truck. He had never been to America so he was looking out the window the whole time, commenting on how uncrowded everything was. When we started gettin' down into Charles County, he said it was just so "rural," whatever that is s'posed to mean.Marilyn kept tryin' to get him to say things 'cause she likes that English accent... he talks like YOU, Tondy! a true Brit. She'd ask him to say somethin', then he'd say it, and she'd giggle an' try to say it back to him in Brit talk, and he'd tell her she made a right mess of it. She'd say that she sounded just like him and he'd say it was rubbish and that she sounded like a Yank tryin' to sound like a Brit but failin'. I had to listen to that all the way back! I didn't mind really. It was pretty funny.</div>
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When we pulled up to our place there was some deer in the yard. He couldn't believe that. He started takin' pictures on his phone. He didn't know if he'd be able to sleep with the deer in the yards, and the geese over in the pond makin' noise and the chickens in the yard walkin' around. We let him know that the chickens eat the ticks what falls off the deer, and keeps you from gettin' ticks. He wasn't so sure about that. </div>
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We showed him his bed he'd be stayin' on and where everything was, and he said he needed to go to bed. </div>
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Well, he slept all evenin' and all night and all mornin' til after lunch time! And he didn't know if he'd be able to sleep! </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZVDl39EdNs/VL4LcO-Q3JI/AAAAAAAAA_o/qc10iJjG7wc/s1600/Cyril%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZVDl39EdNs/VL4LcO-Q3JI/AAAAAAAAA_o/qc10iJjG7wc/s1600/Cyril%2B1.jpg" height="200" width="165" /></a>When he woke up, me an' Marilyn showed him the clothes we bought for him, so he wouldn't have people pickin' on him. He ain't like them one bit! We 'splained to him what could happen if he went around here in those English city-boy clothes, so he rolled his eyes and went back into the room an' came out lookin' a little more like someone from 'round here. He did it, but he didn't like it. Said he looked like a "right American hobo." Marilyn told him he looked like an English guy wearin' camo and ain't no one gonna think he's an American hobo. After a couple hours he did at least manage to smile a bit. But you could tell he was 'barrassed. </div>
<br />Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-11369332792129545512014-11-24T21:30:00.000-08:002014-11-24T21:30:15.558-08:00Poverty, Creativity and a Home Made Tandem Pick Up Truck<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JS4dj0QNudw/VHQM6-n-sjI/AAAAAAAAA-U/LlwwV62cKJk/s1600/James%2BCramer%2BMI%2B6%2Bwheel%2Bastro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> <span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: As you know from reading previous posts, I am impressed with the creativity of the rural Americans who have little money, but the same needs and desires as others. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">The lack of money causes them to come up with ideas and knowledge that most of us never tap into. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">A perfect example of this is the tandem axle lorry - truck - that Marilyn found online when visiting the library and printed out for Doc and emailed to me for this post and for me to use as a reference when interviewing Doc about it. </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">So, Doc, tell what you can about this interesting vehicle. I have never seen one quite like it...</span><br />
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Doc: Well, Tondy, this is one more work of genius by a unsung hero. Marilyn printed this one out for me so I could just sit and look at it and get inspired.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: And what exactly is it, Doc? I have never seen anything like it.</span><br />
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Doc: OK, well, it's a custom Chevy Astro pick up that was made by a guy named Jim Cramer, up there in Michigan. I ain't never been up to there, but I can tell they have at least one genius up there. He probally is broke, but is rich in ideas. <br />
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He made this work of art by taking two Chevy Astro vans, and cutting them up and putting them together so he has a custom extended cab pick up that he can put big loads on, and probally get about 20 miles to the gallon when it's not too loaded. Plus, it's the only one in the world like it.<br />
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Totally custom! Who else has a custom Chevy Astro six wheeled pick up? Maybe no one! But if they did, it wouldn't look like James'!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Can you tell how he did it by looking at the pictures?</span><br />
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Doc: Sure. But I never woulda thought of it myself. He took the blue one and on the right side cut it off about two thirds the length of the sliding door. He used the sliding door from the maroon one. Maybe it was better than the blue sliding door. Or maybe the blue sliding door was his practice run. He kept the blue back fender. on both sides. He used the maroon front fender on the passenger side, too. Probally the blue one was messed up.<br />
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You can see that the blue one at least was a window van, 'cause you can see on the picture taken from the rear that it has seat racks in the floor. He cut that floor off as far back as possible, and then used 2" angle to extend the length about 32 inches or so. He woulda then used the floor from the maroon one to fill in where he lengthened it.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JS4dj0QNudw/VHQM6-n-sjI/AAAAAAAAA-U/LlwwV62cKJk/s1600/James%2BCramer%2BMI%2B6%2Bwheel%2Bastro.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JS4dj0QNudw/VHQM6-n-sjI/AAAAAAAAA-U/LlwwV62cKJk/s1600/James%2BCramer%2BMI%2B6%2Bwheel%2Bastro.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>Look at the back of the cab, Tondy! Genius! He took the back corners and maybe 6 or so inches of roof, and the back doors, which he cut 3 or 4 inches off the bottoms of, and used that to make the back of the cab! Easy, and smart. Now, for the side back windows, I don't know where they woulda come from. Maybe from a fiber glass camper top. That's where I woulda got them. He mighta done something else.<br />
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Look at how he added the back wheel opening and the rest of the back end, to stretch it so he has a good length for hauling a load. Looks like he can get about eight feet in there. The front set of back wheels would still be the drive wheels, so he didn't have to do nothing there. The second set of back wheels would just be hooked to the same rear from the maroon one, but not hooked to a drive shaft. that's called a tag axle, well, that's what I call it. Probally the right name is something else. <br />
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And last... he put on six pimp wheels! Now where in the world did he find four of them, let alone SIX of them pimp rims? Only a genius coulda found six of those pimp rims. Only a genius. Jim Cramer, I salute you.<br />
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<br />Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-14126158670973500432014-11-12T13:31:00.004-08:002014-11-12T13:31:37.259-08:00More Homemade Guitars - Made from Cars; the power of creativity and crossing the lines in your skills<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: As you know, I get fascinated with the resourcefulness of people who have a desire, some skills and not the money they need to get what they want. They overcome their obstacles through sheer determination. Doc and his friends are able to make almost anything our of almost nothing. I admire that and wish I had the creativity and the skills that they have.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Only recently, I realized that while they are very creative and can make almost anything, they have their own heroes and people whose skills they aspire to. Doc showed me a couple of pictures of homemade guitars that he thinks of as works of genius.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">To him, a "work of genius" may not be something that is beautiful, but is something that serves a specific purpose and reveals the heart and soul of it's maker. He has some pictures of some things that to me are just plain ugly, until he points out all the details of why the maker is a genius.</span><br />
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Doc: Look at this, Tondy. This is a guitar made from an old MGB. That's a car from your country! I didn't even know that Brits made guitars from old cars and garbage like we do. That's really cool, Tondy! <br />
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Marilyn found this on the interweb and got it to me. <br />
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It's a work of genius. I don't know who made it, but he's a good body and fender man - and a genius. I'm a body and fender man so I can spot someone who's good at it and this guy is good.<br />
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His welds are clean, and he's got the top of it arched out just like it was a wooden guitar. I like how he's got metal wrapped around the headstock up top, too. It just ties it all in together.<br />
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He's only got 17 frets on the neck, but he's got room for at least 3 more. I bet he ran out of fret wire and will finish the neck when he gets some more money together. <br />
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I just wish I could play that thing. My guitars look like they were made by a cave man compared to these. I mean mine sound real good, but they ain't even in the same ballpark as these.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: That really is a nice guitar, Doc. I must confess that I've never seen one of those before. It may have been made in England. Or in America, where they might not appreciate the value of a fine old English sports car. That car would be at least 25 years old! it probably was a classic sitting in someone's barn who didn't even know what he had!</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ivymvGFix5c/VGPMFKhH1FI/AAAAAAAAA-E/067DhnFk3zA/s1600/guitar%2Bfrom%2BVolvo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ivymvGFix5c/VGPMFKhH1FI/AAAAAAAAA-E/067DhnFk3zA/s400/guitar%2Bfrom%2BVolvo.jpg" width="181" /></a>Doc: Well, he knew he had something that you couldn't play music on. That would be enough for me if I had one of them Brit cars and the idea to make a guitar out of it.<br />
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Look at this other one, Tondy. It's made from a Volvo! That is a good use for an old Volvo. If you can't drive it, play it. I like this one better than the MG one. It just looks like something I would like to make. I might make one of those. I ain't got no Volvo's around here, but there's plenty of junk cars out back, and I could make something like that out of one of them.<br />
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Look how he put a fork on the trapeze that holds the strings. I'd like one like that. I'd make a fork on it and a spoon, too. I'd put magnets on 'em so I could take them off when we play at places what has a lot of food. That's what I'd do.<br />
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I already started makin' a guitar out of metal, 'cause these pictures inspired me. Mine is a flat top one and I got the top and sides done. I gotta get the neck supports done. It ain't gonna be as nice as these cause I ain't that good. <br />
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It's gonna be a steel guitar, Tondy. you know why? Because it's made outta steel! I'm gonna probally finish it over the winter. Then I'll trade it for something. I don't know. <br />
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If a Brit made it, maybe you can ask around and find out who it is.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: I will, Doc. Since he MAY be from England , I am sure that I would know him. </span><br />
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Doc: Well, you MIGHT. You never know til you ask. <br />
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<br />Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-18335867837858160852014-11-05T10:21:00.004-08:002014-11-05T10:21:40.551-08:00From Homemade Instruments to Store Bought Equipment... while still being broke<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: One thing that Doc and Marilyn are kind of known for is that they use instruments that aren't very nice. I have been with them when they show up at events with other bands. In the same way that women size each other up by looking at their shoes and purses, bands size each other up by looking at each others' equipment. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">This has always been a sore spot for Doc and Marilyn and the band, because for years all Doc had was home made guitars that he made by re-purposing old parts that people gave him, and fixing warped or broken necks. He learnt how to mix and match pickups until he got the sounds he liked, and how to put slab wood into the wooden boxes he would use for the guitar bodies, but still, his guitars and amps were clearly not commercially made. Now, there are times when they use regular instruments like other bands, and they don't feel as self conscious...</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Doc: Yeah, well, you get used to people with nice stuff lookin' down on you, Tondy. It ain't nothin' new. Like when I was in school we got made fun of for bein' poor. People lagh at you if your clothes are torn or don't fit right. In high school, the girls went for the boys who had store-bought underwear and cars and money. We had to make do with what we had.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">But we learned how to work hard and make a penny stretch. My daddy used to say that two of his uncles invented copper wire... they were fightin' over a penny. But, yeah, we had bad hair. Mama cut our hair with scissors so it never looked right. That's why we wore hats when we could. We had hand me down everything.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">And that's where I learned to make guitars from. My first one was a diddly bow. It was a board about 3 feet long and a wire stretched tight between two eye screws. Then, Daddy showed me how to put a single edge razor into a block of wood and put it under the string. When you slide the block of wood with the razor in it back and forth it makes the notes higher and lower. That was the beginning.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Later when the boys at school started gettin' guitars for their birthdays and Christmas, I started wantin' a guitar real bad. Well, as the other boys would break their guitars or tore them up, I'd get them from 'em for a couple dollars and bring 'em home and try to fix them. I'd take 'em apart and use whatever I could to try to get somethin' I could play. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">We had old wooden boxes sittin' around and I started usin' those for guitar bodies...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: What kind of boxes?</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Doc: Boxes like dinner knives came in, that mama would pick up at the thrift shop, or what other things came in. I picked out ones that was the right size and then figured out how to make 'em play good and sound good. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Tondeleo: Did you ever build cigar box guitars?</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Doc: Yeah, sure I did. But I didn't like 'em too much. They are small, so you got to have a shorter neck and that makes 'em harder to keep tuned. Plus, they didn't have so good of tone or sustain. I like sustain. Cigar boxes aren't too strong and I kept breakin' 'em.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I started makin' guitars out of tackle boxes back in the 90's 'cause they are strong, cheap and the right size for a full size neck and three pick ups... plus I got room for a couple sandwiches and drinks in them, and a guitar cord. I still got one of my first tackle box guitars. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I still make guitars out of smaller boxes. Some people like smaller guitars for when they're ramblin' around or whatever. I sell 'em or trade 'em for somethin' they have that I might want.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I like makin' bigger guitars, with six strings - my cigar box sized ones also got 6 strings - so you can actually play a whole show with 'em. They ain't a novelty for me, Tondy, they are tools.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: What do you do to get them to sound so good. I hear that all the time from other musicians, that your box guitars sound good and play well.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Doc: Well, first of all, I balance 'em pretty good, so the neck ain't heavier than the body. I put in a slab of like two inch thick wood inside, so they feel right and so they sustain real good. Also, I ain't stuck on one kind of pick up. I mix and match til I find some that I like how they sound together. Same with the pots. On the necks, I usually just use a regular guitar neck, but sand it down til it is slimmer and has better action. Like I said, these ain't toys to me. They are what I use when I play.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Tell us how you use those home made guitars to get other guitars.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uEcTViAsgXs/VFpJ0NNJdCI/AAAAAAAAA9c/z41ut20JmQI/s1600/2014-07-17%2B19.48.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uEcTViAsgXs/VFpJ0NNJdCI/AAAAAAAAA9c/z41ut20JmQI/s1600/2014-07-17%2B19.48.07.jpg" height="193" width="400" /></a>Doc: Well, I'll be playin' somewhere, and someone hears my home made guitar, and then they want to play it for themself. Sometimes, they want to trade one of their store bought guitars for it, and if I like what they got, I'll do it. If not, then I don't. I got a couple of old Telecasters out of that over the years, and some other guitars. Got a couple steel guitars. Some acoustics, too. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I done that with amps, too. I got some that I put together from old parts and speakers and they sound real good. If people want to trade for somethin' that I like, I'll do it. Last Summer, a guy traded me a 100 watt Marshall 410 cabinet and amp for an old tube amp I had what was only 60 watts. He's happy and I'm happy. Got a 100 watt Peavey Valve King 410 the same way. Our lead player Jerry only had a small amp, so I got that one for him to play with. Those amps are louder and sound good. I'm a tradin' fool!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Least now, if I need to have a real store bought guitar somewhere, I got a couple I could bring so people ain't starin' at me all the time. </span></span>Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-7228954539272259492014-11-03T14:00:00.001-08:002014-11-03T14:01:33.129-08:00Being Different and Making Friends with with Other Musicians <span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: One thing that Doc and Marilyn and the band are very strong about s getting along well with other musicians. Some musicians I have met have an "I don't care what they think; they're not coming to our shows or buying our merch" attitude. And while that may be true, and while musicians definitely can have attitudes towards other musicians and bands, I have found that Doc and Marilyn and their band aren't at all like that. They don't seem to comprehend the idea of competitiveness.I quizzed them about why they don't compete with other musicians and seem to like everybody...</span><br />
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Doc: Well, first of all, a man needs all the friends he can get...<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: So do girls, Tondy..</span>.<br />
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Doc: ...and we ain't competin' with nobody. Alot of bands and players are competin', an' that is where they can get an attitude toward other people.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: Competing for what, Doc?</span><br />
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Doc: Well, depends on what kind of music they're playin. Mostly, competin' for gigs, bookin's. Like, if you and five other bands are all tryin' to play at, say, the local bar or club, and you know only one's gonna get it, amd another band is undercuttin' you, you might get mad or ...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IeqtD8EByDU/VFfy2d82sRI/AAAAAAAAA84/J168ed0dTqY/s1600/Doc%2BStevens%2BJohn%2BHungerford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IeqtD8EByDU/VFfy2d82sRI/AAAAAAAAA84/J168ed0dTqY/s1600/Doc%2BStevens%2BJohn%2BHungerford.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><i> </i><i>John Hungerford from <b>Hometown Band </b>inspects one of Doc's homemade guitars. Bill Hull from <b>The Roadhouse Band </b>looks on benevolently. In the background is Paco Blake from <b>Hometown Band.</b></i></td><td class="tr-caption"><i><b></b><br /></i></td></tr>
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<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: At least get your feelings hurt...</span><br />
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Doc: Yeah, or feelings hurt if someone else takes your gig away. Especially if they's not as good as you. Even more if they play the same kind of music you play. So, you got your set list and you're good at it, an' then the place stops callin' you so you go down there since NOW you got nothin' to do on Friday night, an' they're pretty much playin' your set list. And not as good as you. You might decide right then and there you don't like them.<br />
You prob'ly need the money to keep the lights on or to pay some bills, and now these other people are playin' your show, and you feel like they're takin' food outta your mouth.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: That hurts. Especially when you need some new shoes or jeans or something. Money's tight for everybody.</span><br />
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Doc: So that's one reason you might not like the other band. Another reason is just because they might have an attitude or something like that.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: Like a pre-Madonna attitude. </span><br />
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Doc: We're pretty lucky 'cause we aren't in that situation so none of it matters to us. We play what's in our hearts, and we play it how it sounds in our hearts, and we're already broke, so ain't nobody playin' what we play... and we don't have a set list.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: Me and Rick have a list of a couple hundred songs we might pick from, but we never know what is coming next. Doc basically just sings what comes up in his spirit, and that might bring something to my mind, so I might sing that next...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondy: Marilyn, why is it that only you and Rick have song lists and nobody else in the band does?</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: Well, me and Rick need them 'cause we play harp and we need to know what key the different songs are in. Brian is the drummer, so he doesn't need to know any of that. Jerry on lead guitar doesn't know what key he is playing in and neither does Jay on the bass. They just play. But me and Rick need to know, because you have to have the right harp for the right key.</span><br />
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Doc: Yeah, we pretty much go by what the crowd is responding to, and then change it up as we find out what they really like. We might get booked as playin' blues, and then find out what they really like is old country music. Or rockabilly. Or even Gospel. Or rockabilly Gospel! You can't never tell up front. So how you gonna have a set list for that? I cain't read and play guitar at the same time anyway.<br />
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When it comes to other bands, once they look at us and hear us, they know we aint any kind of competition for them, and we could not steal their bookin's or their audience, so it's a lot easier to get along.<br />
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Some of the bands we are friends with heard us somewhere, or heard us busking or playin' out on the streets, and invited us inside to play with them. You're not gonna be a mic hog when people have been good to you. <br />
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A lot of these bands can sound just like the records. We can't do that. we have a hard enough time just sounding like us. So we think real high of a band that can sound like a whole lot of different groups and singers. People don't even realize how much work that is and how much talent it takes.<br />
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They can tell we look up to them, and that helps a lot. Most of them have good equipment, which we don't. Plus, we don't even play the places where most the bands play. We mostly do festivals, conferences and conventions... community events...<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I3pdnucYWnY/VFf4q8iMr5I/AAAAAAAAA9I/8nZAl2cCpck/s1600/Marilyn%2BSinging%2B24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I3pdnucYWnY/VFf4q8iMr5I/AAAAAAAAA9I/8nZAl2cCpck/s1600/Marilyn%2BSinging%2B24.jpg" height="320" width="244" /></a><span style="color: magenta;">Marilyn: Civic events, church anniversaries, fish fries, barbecues...</span><br />
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Doc: and pig pickin's and family reunions. I like playin' wherever they feed us. So's the band.<br />
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And since we don't play what the other bands are playin', we don't sound like anyone, we don't look like anyone, it just makes it easier to get along, play a lot of music and be friends. And, we feel the songs we sing and we let it show. If we're feeling a song, you're gonna know it, and were not gonna hide it. I cry sometimes when singin' a sad song, 'cause I feel it in my heart. Marilyn does too. Sometimes if I'm singin' and cryin', she starts cryin' 'cause she feels sorry for me up there cryin'! She's a good girl, Tondy.<br />
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But whatever we play and however we do it, it ain't never a threat to other bands and singers. so we all get along. We like everybody, Tondy. you know that.Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612972797857680964.post-4221664242363755472014-10-23T09:01:00.001-07:002014-11-03T14:00:55.637-08:00Poverty, Creativity and Repairing Things Rather than Trashing Them<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: One thing that I have learnt by hanging around with poor people is that they tend to fix things when they break, rather than throwing them out as rubbish like some of us tend to do. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">An example is an old guitar that Doc got from a bloke who was going to get rid of it (cheaply, not free) because it needed so much repair. I saw it and would not have wasted the time with it - which is what the previous owner thought.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">But to Doc, it was beautiful and
needed saving. He looked past the cracked finish, the bowed up top, the split in the back and bought this guitar that needed a total rebuild. Here
is his story: </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"> </span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f9USNuvpzak/VEhwFdPj9bI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/4AhY0df_C6E/s1600/2012-04-13%2B17.55.09_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f9USNuvpzak/VEhwFdPj9bI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/4AhY0df_C6E/s1600/2012-04-13%2B17.55.09_resized.jpg" height="150" title=" " width="200" /></a></div>
Doc: Yeah, Tondy, I heard about that guitar and drove over to look at it. It wasn't much, but it wasn't wore out. It was sort of like me. Not much, cracked and broke but not wore out.<br />
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The guy I got it from said it had belonged to a friend of his dad's back when his dad was about 20. This guy was about forty, I guess. His dad's friend left it there and was never heard from again. The old man put it in the attic in like 1965 and it was there til I got hold of it a couple years ago. The guy who had it said it had been there all of his life, and his dad was going in a nursing home and the guitar had to go! <br />
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It's a '63 Gibson LG0, which means it is smaller in size than a big guitar. Like a nylon string guitar size. But it has steel strings. It had only been used a couple years, and not very much, and then throwed in that attic. <br />
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You might think that's a good thing, but it isn't. Fifty years of being real hot and dry in the Summer and then cold and freezing in the Winter did a number on the wood and the glue. It did "Number Two" on them, if you know what I mean.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YNliSOZZ-ew/VEhwFGmVMQI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/RtgDr1DCEjk/s1600/2012-04-05%2B16.31.03_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YNliSOZZ-ew/VEhwFGmVMQI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/RtgDr1DCEjk/s1600/2012-04-05%2B16.31.03_resized.jpg" height="150" title=" " width="200" /></a>The wood was dried out and the glue was dried out. You could hold it up to the light and see right through where the back was joined in the middle. The braces inside were dried and coming lose. But the guy let me have it pretty cheap, and that was better than him tossing it in the trash.<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Tondeleo: So, did you bring it home and fix it, Doc?</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UJTcefaqupY/VEhwFDI9P1I/AAAAAAAAA7U/wMyZM1VEgv4/s1600/2012-04-13%2B17.55.17_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UJTcefaqupY/VEhwFDI9P1I/AAAAAAAAA7U/wMyZM1VEgv4/s1600/2012-04-13%2B17.55.17_resized.jpg" height="150" title=" " width="200" /></a>Doc: No, that one was beyond me. I knew better than that. I took it over to my friend, Paul Cunningham. He makes acoustic guitars from scratch. I mean, he takes a tree, cuts it down, cuts the wood real thin, and makes guitars out of them! Then he just puts them upstairs in his house and starts making more of them. He just loves making guitars! He's a genius at making guitars. He has made them out of oak. I have played an oak guitar that he made, and it sounds as good as a high end guitar you could buy in a store. He said he made it because he had never seen one made out of oak, and he wanted to know what that would sound like. <br />
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He had a cedar tree in his front yard and had a guy cut it down so he could make a cedar guitar. He can keep it in his closet to keep the moths away.<br />
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I took that little Gibson straight to Paul's house and showed him what I had. He said he could fix it. He first of all took the back off without breaking it, and re-glued the middle joint.He had to put a TINY little sliver of wood in the crack. He reglued the original braces on the back.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oRIGwZzYMGg/VEkjuL2G2aI/AAAAAAAAA8g/Unrg_vkS7DQ/s1600/LG0%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oRIGwZzYMGg/VEkjuL2G2aI/AAAAAAAAA8g/Unrg_vkS7DQ/s1600/LG0%2B3.jpg" height="200" title=" " width="135" /></a>Paul had to flatten the top of it, because it had arched a bit from having strings on it up in the attic for fifty years. Then, he had to make three new braces for the top, and put them in. He handmade a new bridge for it out of rosewood and braced it from the back. Gibson looked like they had used a scrap of wood under the original bridge. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yVzuGqRqKOU/VEkjrhwWjyI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/YaBulaCjkKY/s1600/LG0%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yVzuGqRqKOU/VEkjrhwWjyI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/YaBulaCjkKY/s1600/LG0%2B2.jpg" height="200" title=" " width="107" /></a>You can tell now why it was beyond me! I ain't got that kind of surgery skills.He got it all back together and set it up. That little guitar got a new life. I brought it home and made the finish look right without sanding it or taking it off. I have a way that I do that, and I don't tell people what it is. A man's got to have a FEW secrets, Tondy.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7g4uoTpb84w/VEkjoypZwbI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/5j8-wF_C778/s1600/LG0%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7g4uoTpb84w/VEkjoypZwbI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/5j8-wF_C778/s1600/LG0%2B1.jpg" height="200" title=" " width="140" /></a>One my friends bought me a brand new case to put it in, so it's got a good home and is protected. I don't take it out of the house much, but it's good to keep around for playin' in the livin' room with friends. <br />
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I traded Paul some tools and other stuff I had, so I didn't have to spend anymore money on it. Now he has some tools he needed and I have that little guitar. Here's what it looks like now. The finish has a depth to it, as far as looks, but it still lets the grain show through. And, it could have ended up in a dumpster somewhere, if it wasn't for Paul Cunningham. He's a good man, Tondy. You got to make good friends. <br />
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<br />Tondeleo Lee Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13949689208090876644noreply@blogger.com