Music- Beginnings
It was around 1962 when my mother, who had worked for years to get me interested in playing music, decided that Santa was going to bring along a guitar on the sled. It stuck. My sister, Mary Virginia
taught me some songs that allowed the chords I had learned to be of some use. Joan Baez’s “Lil’ Darlin’, Pal of Mine”. That was one of the first. We still sing it.
No question tunes were in my head. My mother knew it all along. Like a lot of other things, I inherited many genetic traits from the Knights of Hot Coffee, Mississippi. Music inside was one, but nobody wrote books about that though. They should have since my Uncle studied at Juilliard, Van Cliburn was a close friend. Our Lives Are Full of Music (Blog 1/2010)
My guitar playing got serious & more fun when I made a new friend.
We, along with a number of others were invited to attend Boy’s State. I was miserable, so was Jeff. We were High School classmates, and shared golf too. This is what I remember, I think. I had brought along my guitar, and he, being very, very talented and quick, took to it. What tunes I knew, he learned that week. We did little to actively participate in the Boy’s State Adventure, but we did become friends.
Jeff lived just down the street from my childhood neighborhood. He had a brother and a sister, both Holders to the core. That, boys and girls, is a story for another day. His Dad was a Doctor, so was gone much of the time doing bone repair. His mother, oh, what a wonderful person she was. Their house always open for us to go upstairs and play while listening to records we collected. Listen to this very influential one, thanks to You Tube. Ian and Sylvia, a twelve string, and harmony: “Ole Blue” - a folk tune at its best. Ole Blue
PP&M songs led to Gordon Lightfoot, ….In The Early Morning Rain
& Bob Dylan………I was lost but was found….Blowing In The Wind
One led to another - Jesse Fuller, Jim Kweskin, Spider John Koerner, Doc Watson, Gid Tanner, Dave van Ronk, Lightnin’ Hopkins , San Francisco Bay Blues
So off I went. Jeff his way and me mine. Still connected, I bet, over this thing called music. I play often, and I bet he does too. I suspect they pushed us slightly off center of the keel.
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Sister Mary Virginia
taught me some songs that allowed the chords I had learned to be of some use. Joan Baez’s “Lil’ Darlin’, Pal of Mine”. That was one of the first. We still sing it.
No question tunes were in my head. My mother knew it all along. Like a lot of other things, I inherited many genetic traits from the Knights of Hot Coffee, Mississippi. Music inside was one, but nobody wrote books about that though. They should have since my Uncle studied at Juilliard, Van Cliburn was a close friend. Our Lives Are Full of Music (Blog 1/2010)
My guitar playing got serious & more fun when I made a new friend.
-
-
Chris & Jeff Holder
We, along with a number of others were invited to attend Boy’s State. I was miserable, so was Jeff. We were High School classmates, and shared golf too. This is what I remember, I think. I had brought along my guitar, and he, being very, very talented and quick, took to it. What tunes I knew, he learned that week. We did little to actively participate in the Boy’s State Adventure, but we did become friends.
Jeff lived just down the street from my childhood neighborhood. He had a brother and a sister, both Holders to the core. That, boys and girls, is a story for another day. His Dad was a Doctor, so was gone much of the time doing bone repair. His mother, oh, what a wonderful person she was. Their house always open for us to go upstairs and play while listening to records we collected. Listen to this very influential one, thanks to You Tube. Ian and Sylvia, a twelve string, and harmony: “Ole Blue” - a folk tune at its best. Ole Blue
PP&M songs led to Gordon Lightfoot, ….In The Early Morning Rain
& Bob Dylan………I was lost but was found….Blowing In The Wind
One led to another - Jesse Fuller, Jim Kweskin, Spider John Koerner, Doc Watson, Gid Tanner, Dave van Ronk, Lightnin’ Hopkins , San Francisco Bay Blues
So off I went. Jeff his way and me mine. Still connected, I bet, over this thing called music. I play often, and I bet he does too. I suspect they pushed us slightly off center of the keel.
So Much More
January 12th, 2011 at 10:55 am
Wonderful Chris! Please write more!
J
January 12th, 2011 at 5:04 pm
even though i have heard all of these stories and songs from you , i loved seeing it put into words!