Ron Herd

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Don't Memphis probably presents the Ben Johnson Show.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Let me say, Beth, I've done, I've gone Stop me, sir,
let me.

Speaker 3 (00:18):
You say.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
She's gone epistop game.

Speaker 4 (00:29):
No matter of the problem, she can show.

Speaker 5 (00:33):
All the phone.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
A moments on your mind.

Speaker 6 (00:38):
She understand to be in the hair by chilling you
to just keep the fair man went a wrangle, a
pegging up and nothing show because well.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
I've got nothing.

Speaker 4 (00:55):
Gay fun here. Every day you need I ain't.

Speaker 6 (01:02):
My bill got them missed talking Yay, good morning, good morning,

(01:49):
good morning, and welcome into w d i A.

Speaker 4 (01:54):
The BB Johnson Show.

Speaker 6 (01:56):
It is indeed a pleasure to have you with us
once again on this Thursday, June fifth, twenty twenty five.
Enjoy this bad dealous day to day. Get ready to
put your ears on as we share the good news.
I'd like to say June is Black Music month, so

(02:18):
we'll be talking about black music. Yeah, from our expert,
I'm glad this brother boy, he has a lot of
knowledge of music. He is back in the house. Our
friend and brother brother Ronnald Hurd, is in here to
give us a little history in black music.

Speaker 4 (02:36):
So when it's your turn to talk, you know you can.
All you need to do.

Speaker 6 (02:41):
Is dial these numbers nine zero one, five three five,
nine three four two nine zero one five three five
nine three four two eight hundred five zero three nine
three four two eight hundred five zero three nine three

(03:03):
four to two eight three three five three five nine
three four two. We'll get you in to me. And
if this day, this day, Thursday, June the fifth, twenty

(03:26):
twenty five, is your birthday. Happy birthday to each and
every one of y'all out there who may be celebrating
a birthday on this day, we say God, y'all go
out and celebrate your life. You better better When we

(03:47):
come back, we'll talk to our brother Ron Hurd as
we celebrate black music mind right right here with me.
Bev john said on The Bev Johnson Show only.

Speaker 4 (04:03):
On do w D I A.

Speaker 6 (04:56):
Good morning and welcome back to w d A The
Beth Johnson Show.

Speaker 4 (05:02):
It is indeed a pleasure to have you.

Speaker 6 (05:04):
With us once again on this Thursday, June fifth, twenty
twenty five. Enjoyed this five ulous day to day. As
I said earlier, I've been saying all month, June is
Black Music month.

Speaker 4 (05:21):
Yes it is.

Speaker 6 (05:22):
And I tell y'all go get you some black music,
learn about some black music. Well, I have a brother
in here, he knows a little bit of black music.
And I told the brother I was gonna bring him
back so we could talk black music in this month
of June. The brother is back in the house, Ronald.
Ronald heard, bride heard what's up?

Speaker 4 (05:44):
Brother?

Speaker 1 (05:44):
Sister Queen bel Johnson is a plum pleasing pleasure to
be back on. And I want to say congratulations for
you be recognized for the National Black Radio Hall of Fame.

Speaker 7 (05:55):
Gonna be inducted later on this in September in Saint Louis. Yes,
Louis Blues baby gotta love it, I know.

Speaker 6 (06:04):
Well, thank you, Ron And I thank you for coming
back and sharing with us because I know my audience
they always enjoy you when you hear you give us
a lot of great, great, great great information and black music.
Ron And And when I started off this month, I

(06:24):
think this week I was telling our listeners it is
Black Music Month June, and I was telling for some
of our listeners because we are being heard around the country,
and I said, we are known for here in Memphis.

Speaker 4 (06:40):
Stacks Music Roll Studios.

Speaker 7 (06:43):
You know, we we the.

Speaker 6 (06:45):
The black music was here, and I'm sure other independence
was here, and I was telling some people who who
who Ron don't know about, you know, Stacks, And I
hope that they got to see the documentary. Oh it
was awesome, you know. It tells the story about Stacks.
But I always like to have these little snippets I have.

(07:05):
And when I played the snippet of Stacks Ron this week,
and matter of fact, yesterday, one of my listeners emailed
me and said I missed it. My friend was telling
me about the snipper. I want to hear it. So Ron,
before we start with you, and I think you would

(07:25):
appreciate this Black Music Month, y'all. I'm going to do
a snippet again of Stacks music because we're in Memphis, Tennessee.
For those who don't know about Stacks, it tells a
little This is a little history. It is a great
genre in the music history of Stacks. So Ron stand by,

(07:48):
We're gonna give you a little history of stats music.
Nine twenty six East Macklemore in Memphiast, Tennessee.

Speaker 4 (07:57):
And I hope this is the right one.

Speaker 8 (08:00):
Stax Records was established in nineteen fifty nine by Estelle
Accident and her younger brother Jim Stewart.

Speaker 7 (08:06):
It began as a.

Speaker 8 (08:06):
Tiny record store in an old movie theater on the
corner of Macclamore Avenue and College Street in Memphis. The
music it cranked out was rawed, down home soul. It
was called Solsville, USA. Called In nineteen sixty five, former
Memphis disc jockey Al Bell was hired as executive vice president.

(08:27):
With his leadership and writers like Isaac Hayes and David Porter,
Stax Records became a force to be reckoned with and
home for many unknown artists that would become music icons.
So let's visit Solsville, USA.

Speaker 3 (08:47):
Shramp what shramp? Now?

Speaker 4 (08:50):
I'm just gonna sit at the dock of a please.

Speaker 3 (08:54):
Thanks.

Speaker 9 (09:00):
Thinking that the gold Catch Shepherd a bad mother, you
would bring.

Speaker 10 (09:07):
It down to.

Speaker 3 (09:10):
Love and you is wrong.

Speaker 4 (09:13):
I don't hold I mean right, what you see?

Speaker 11 (09:17):
What do you see?

Speaker 4 (09:18):
It's what you get?

Speaker 3 (09:22):
Who do you think you are?

Speaker 4 (09:24):
Somebody?

Speaker 8 (09:31):
That's a trip to Soulsville, USA?

Speaker 4 (09:34):
Yeah, now that's a trip right souls Now? You like that?

Speaker 7 (09:38):
I love it?

Speaker 6 (09:38):
Oh?

Speaker 7 (09:39):
I need that.

Speaker 6 (09:40):
Every time I hear that, I think about Ron the
hits that came off of nine twenty six East.

Speaker 1 (09:48):
Maclamorees right south South Memphis and USA.

Speaker 4 (09:53):
Oh my god.

Speaker 6 (09:53):
And every when I hear that, I get chills because
I think, as a young child, my grandmother had a
house over there. You know, we lived in that neighborhood,
and I think about passing those studios and and hoping
we get to see Isaac has or you know, we
were kids and hoping we see some of those artists.

(10:15):
And we did in that neighborhood. But it's such a
rich history. It's such a rich history. So we took
you a trip down Soulsville, USA.

Speaker 1 (10:27):
Now that's it's interesting to talk all thinking about what
you just said. And I actually had the pleasure of
going to Clarksdale down Highway sixty one for the Centers
premiere in that town, and I'm thinking about you know,
that was a big thing to do. But I'm thinking
about Memphis still, like you know, like Reverend ct Vivian
told me one time, this is the capital of the Delta.
He said, Memphis is the capital of the Delta. You know,

(10:48):
it's the capital.

Speaker 7 (10:48):
Of this region.

Speaker 1 (10:50):
And the first black, all black Hollywood talkie was done
in Memphis and that same neighborhood.

Speaker 7 (10:55):
Hallelujah.

Speaker 1 (10:56):
It came out in the nineteen twenties. King Vidor was
a white dude from Galvinz. Then he directed it. He
got nominated for an Oscar for Best Director for the movie.

Speaker 7 (11:04):
And it premiered.

Speaker 1 (11:05):
The debut of Hollywood's first black sex symbol, Nina McKinney.
She's about like seventeen years old. But it was done
in Memphis over there on Halloween. It's great to watch too.
It's an interest.

Speaker 7 (11:17):
It's like it's a musical and stuff like that.

Speaker 1 (11:19):
But you think about, you know, all the stuff that
came out, but Memphis is always I always tell people
Memphis is the birthplace of modern America.

Speaker 7 (11:26):
Yeah, you don't have modern America with our Memphis.

Speaker 1 (11:28):
You even think about, like I said, well, Pigley Wiggler
was the first modern supermarket, the premier back in September
nineteen sixteen in Memphis. You think about Tennessee. Williams aarga
league America's greatest playwright. His first play he did, he
premiered it in Memphis over there, you know what I'm saying.
In the neighborhood he got a historic market, no Glen View.

Speaker 7 (11:45):
Yes, historic neighborhood.

Speaker 1 (11:48):
And then you got also Holliday Inn came out August
fifty two on Summer Avenue back.

Speaker 7 (11:53):
In the day. So you got Holliday, got FedEx was
born here.

Speaker 1 (11:56):
There are more songs recorded in American history by Memphis,
and of the place in the country. You got more
songs about Memphis than any city in America recorded about Memphis.
Bout Memphis, about Memphis. Memphis is like at the second
second largest cargo airport behind Hong Kong. So it's a
distribution hub. So really our streets and I have all

(12:16):
these potholes. If we are the distribution hub of America,
we should have great streets to drive down.

Speaker 4 (12:22):
Yeah you know, wow, See that's history. Gosh, I didn't
know that about a movie over there?

Speaker 7 (12:27):
Yeah, look it up. You can find Hallelujah. It's worth watching.
It's amazing Hallolu.

Speaker 6 (12:31):
Because I don't know if I told you I am
a big movie bluff, especially black and white movies. I
love Turner classic movies, and so Turner classic movies.

Speaker 4 (12:42):
Ron they will show a lot of those black film
from back in the nineteen.

Speaker 6 (12:46):
Thirty before that you see some of those those actors,
and but I don't think I've ever Halleluja.

Speaker 4 (12:54):
I will look at it.

Speaker 7 (12:55):
It's worth watching.

Speaker 1 (12:56):
We actually showed it a couple of years back at
the Gymy Lungs for Jim Bree Festival week.

Speaker 7 (12:59):
We show that.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
Their stacks on your Hallelujah movie, you know, and MACAELM
Moore and people loved it and like, it's so much
stuff that people don't know about Memphis, like, for example,
the Super Bowl.

Speaker 7 (13:09):
You know, people arguably said that.

Speaker 1 (13:10):
Kendrick Lamar's Health Time show it's the greatest, but you
got Michael Jackson, got Prince.

Speaker 7 (13:14):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (13:15):
It's up there, but it's the most watching history for
people don't understand. They criticized Serena Williams for doing the
crypt walk right, but the Crip Walk was invented by
brother from Memphis named Henry crip Hurd. He invented the cryptball.
He was a double empute. Look him up. It's on YouTube.
Take a look.

Speaker 7 (13:31):
It's all online. Henry Crip heard he got my same
last name. I like your dance too.

Speaker 1 (13:36):
He might be relative for the same plantation. But he
invented the cript ball. It was called the criptball because
he was a cripple. He was double emputy. He was
dancing on stage. There's clips of him online. God and
then also the woman who did the National Black Anthem Legacy. Yes,
her father is from Soulsville. His name is Johnny H.
John Marshall Alexander Junior. What a grandfather? Excuse me, ugubly

(13:58):
the first black rock and rolls He was the most
popular male singer of the nineteen fifties. In the early
nineteen fifties, he was signed the Duke Records, which was
not started in Houston by Don Robe. He took it
from a white dude named Dave Maddis who worked at WDI.
He started it here at Memphis and Don Robig just
you know, he gangsted it, you know, in the music business,
you know. But Johnny a John Yeah, he's from South Memphis.

(14:20):
He was from South Memphis. His home is still over
there in so that got grandfather grandfather. Wow, her grandmother
was a side chick though, that's the start he was.
But Johnny Ace is the guy that if you wanted
to get him as your headliner back in the day,
you got to get either Little Rich or Bobby Blue
blaying as his opening act.

Speaker 7 (14:40):
That's how big he was back in the day. But
he died crazy.

Speaker 1 (14:43):
What happened was he was doing a Christmas concert down
in Houston in the City Auditorium this December twenty fifth,
nineteen fifty four. He was known for playing around with
his guns on the road. They drive like one night
he'll be shooting signs with his gun. Sometime he'll point
the gun that people and just pull the trigger just
to play around with it, and people thought he was crazy.
The Big Mama Thornton was his band mate. Label mate,

(15:04):
you ain't nothing but a hound dollars, he.

Speaker 4 (15:05):
Said, trying to put that gun down.

Speaker 7 (15:07):
Johnny, when you heard somebody you need to stop playing
with that gun.

Speaker 1 (15:10):
He said, okay, everybody, wait a minute, cause he had
his girlfriend mine he was married his girlfriend on Living
Gibbs on his lap.

Speaker 7 (15:16):
He said, look the gun.

Speaker 1 (15:17):
No, I'm a point at me the gun and then
it went off. Oh my goodness, you know like Johnny
Johnny otis I believe He said that the hair stood
up on end on Robert John He had a shocked
look on his face. Johnny a shot himself in the head.
He had the processed hair.

Speaker 7 (15:31):
But he had his funeral. Guess where he his funeral at?

Speaker 12 (15:33):
Where?

Speaker 1 (15:34):
January second, nineteen fifty five. He had his funeral at
Claybourne Temple. Five thousand people came out. Now Ernest Willers
did the publicity for the for the funeral. He was
hired by Don Rodway to do the publicity. So he
took a picture of johny As in his casket, laid
out just twenty five years young.

Speaker 7 (15:51):
He was on Christmas night, but he did the thing.

Speaker 1 (15:53):
Well, he's buried in New Park Memorial. His birthday's coming
up June. The Knife and he did a song called
Pledging My Love, which was like his biggest hit. They
came out that he was dead, Like you know, back
in the day they used to take black people songs
like little Riches and stuff and her white folks like
Pat Boone and himself. Yeah, but nobody could do a
better version of their song than Johnny eight. So it
was his biggest hit. He was number one with a

(16:13):
bullet as they say, so like so, like, how is
he forgotten about? He's not anybody hall of fame, no
brass note on Bill Street. That's ridiculous, nothing, nothing, but
that's Letters's grandfather.

Speaker 4 (16:26):
Wow.

Speaker 7 (16:27):
You know, I interviewed his dad, I interviewed his widow.

Speaker 1 (16:30):
I interviewed his sister, and I met his brother, Saint
John Alexander. Now it was interest because it was like
coming to one on the anniversaries of his death.

Speaker 7 (16:38):
Was back in two thousand and nine. I called him
on the phone. He said, man, health A man. I said,
he's like a man to me.

Speaker 1 (16:44):
So I went to his home in South Memphis where
he lived with his baby sister. He was missing the
lower hell for his body. And the reason what happened
was he was what they call an a bomb veteran.
Where he was out in the military back in the fifties,
was stationed out in the desert and they would do
all these a you know.

Speaker 7 (17:00):
Exercises whatever.

Speaker 1 (17:02):
So he had these old gas masks from World War
II that was worn out that was given to him
and his fellow soldiers. The commander officer told them after
the exercise was done, said, look, y'all have been exposed
to high levels of radiation.

Speaker 7 (17:16):
Y'all won't make it till forty.

Speaker 1 (17:17):
If you make it to forty, you're gonna have all
type of health complications and you're go passing on to
your family, your kids and whatnot. He made it our
way past forty and he now. The commander also said,
y'all gonna get a letter of CUMMI dation commendation you know,
from President Eisenhower.

Speaker 7 (17:33):
He never got the letter.

Speaker 1 (17:34):
So back in the mid nineties, he started having issues
with his lower positive body, well, his base his legs
I guess exploded on him with some type of way,
you know, they just burst out. So when I met him,
he was missing lower health his body, but he was
still animate about keeping his brother dream alive.

Speaker 7 (17:48):
So what I did was I researched what happened to him.

Speaker 1 (17:51):
I wrote the Congressman Cohen, try to give him some
benefits cause I found out that the A bomb veterans,
who were people who are exposed to these type of
radiations doing military they were given like I guess maybe
seventy five eighty thousand dollars payout. So I wrote the
congressman call in office. They looked into it, said, yes,
he is that, but we don't have no money to
give him. Wow, I said, you have no money to

(18:12):
give him, but he confirmed that he was an A bomber.

Speaker 7 (18:15):
I did that for him, but he died. He died
a little bit after that.

Speaker 4 (18:18):
Wow, that's history.

Speaker 6 (18:20):
Yeah, and you right Ron there are no notes that
they have never have they ever recognized no Johnny as
the rock.

Speaker 1 (18:29):
And so no they I talked to some of the
people that are organized, See this Shimph's a crazy place.

Speaker 7 (18:36):
It's not the only place. The people that actually make
the history don't get to tell the history.

Speaker 1 (18:40):
You know what I'm saying. The creators don't get to
tell their story. So of course they didn't know who
Johnny Ace was. I've been telling them for several years.
Some of them people on the committee ain't gonna name
their name.

Speaker 7 (18:49):
But who is that?

Speaker 1 (18:51):
I said, man, y'all said, y'all know everything about Memphis music.
Johnny As is one of the most important artists of
the twentieth century in terms of transition from the blues
and stuff to the rock and roll, think the mainstream.
Johnny A pledged, my love, make sure that we had
Ray Charles and the sam cooking them come along with
Jackie Wilson and the oldest rend and all them guys
had a chance. Because you know what's interest by Johnny

(19:12):
A say is like he was raised in South Memphis
in the home that his family is still own to
this day.

Speaker 7 (19:16):
I believe it's still you know, Mark out there to.

Speaker 1 (19:18):
Be honest with you. But Elvis was raised in the projects. Yeah,
he's from North Memphis raising the project. Johnny from South
Mems raising the home soon as Johnny Doll, Elvis the Sins,
and Elvis' last song was Pledging My Love by Johnny As.
The last song he recorded in the studio before he
passed was Pledging My Love.

Speaker 4 (19:35):
Get out of here. And you're right, yeah, he Elvis
was was raised over there.

Speaker 7 (19:42):
That's right.

Speaker 1 (19:43):
And no enough thing about Elvis. People get it wrong.
Black folks love Elvis, man. I mean, think about the
Jackie Wilson, James Brown, BB King, Ike Turner, Al Green,
Isaac k they all love and defended Elvis. And you
know what's crazy, I'm gona tell you about Claiborne. They
got burned down, right. They didn't need to keep their
eyes on Mason Temple. Yeah, because they were Bishop Mason's

(20:06):
and tarred his body. And not so doctor King's last speech.
If something happened to their place, the Saints gonna come
down on Memphis head. The Saints will be in town
because i'ma tell you something. Well, they don't talk about
what happened last year. We talked about Elvis. Elvis used
to love doctor William H. Brewster East Trigg Baptist. He
used to be over there on a lot of Sundays
before he became big time to listen to doctor Brewster

(20:26):
and his singers to even participate. Yeah, and that cop
fire last far. Somebody set that building on fire, Old
East Trigg. Yeah, like you know, not the new one,
but the old one. But they're all their history there
because doctor William Brewster is one of the fathers. Not
this Thomas Dorset is doctor Brewster. Move on up a
little higher. He wrote that you know Mahea Jackson, he

(20:47):
had the great Queen See Anderson, who probably was better
than Mahea Jackson to a lot of people, because like
people don't even understand how powerful Memphis is. Why I
talk about doctor King's connection to Memphis. His favorite singer
was not Mahea Jackson. It was Jay Robert Bradley from
South Memphis. Mister Baptist, y'all listen to j Robert Bradley
because even maheyes said he once he do something, they

(21:07):
can't do it like him. Does he do amazing grace?
Nobody could do it like mister Baptist. He was trained
by Lucy Kimmel, the mother of gospel music, who taught
at for decades because he watched in high school, who
also trained the opera singer Mary Anderson and the gospel
singer Mahea Jackson. This is Memphis. We are the homes
of the master teachers. Yeah, y'all want to focus on
negative and bad notes. I'm talking about the good notes. Yeah,

(21:29):
you know what I'm saying. I'm talking about we come.
We produced some phenomenal people. Yea that help you know,
modern America would not exist wi Memphis. It just don't happen.

Speaker 4 (21:37):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (21:38):
And I love Ron how you try to You try
to educate people on on the history of Memphis music.
And you were the You correct me if I'm wrong,
the only one that put to forefront.

Speaker 1 (21:51):
Let us know who Jimmy Launceford was. I mean, I'll
give credit what credit due. Like mister Amson Abe with
Junior God rest is soul. He passed away this year,
be ten years ago, this summer. I can't believe it.
And mister Abel was an advocate for Jimmy Lawnschon because
he grew up and he went to Manasas and Jimmy
Lawnson he became big time. Will always come back to
Manasais do musician clinics and free concerts, And I mean

(22:14):
mister Able said he was so mesrized by Jimmy Lnsper's
tennis saxophonist from Kansas City named Joe Thomas, great tennis saxophonists,
but he would end up becoming the music educated in
his own right, a great one at that. And he's
the co founder of the Southern Heritage Class in his
own home with Fred Jones.

Speaker 7 (22:32):
He found he did the logo because he was a
band director, knowledge at.

Speaker 1 (22:34):
The high school, Bostle on the college levels, and he
was alarm with Tennessee State, so you had to help
him in the mix to make that happen. I always
let people know that he is one of the co
founders and one of the most important parts of making
the Sudden Heritage Classic.

Speaker 7 (22:46):
But it is today. But he was a big fan
of Jimmy Lnster.

Speaker 1 (22:49):
He sent a lot of kids to college because of
his love of music. I remember I was friends with
Dick Gregory and he would tell me wrong what I
tell young parents to make sure you get.

Speaker 7 (22:58):
Your kids to learn an instrument. They'll pay their way
to college.

Speaker 1 (23:02):
Mister A will help a lot of kids go to college,
not to become this musicians, but good people.

Speaker 7 (23:06):
Yeah, and professionals and family peoples.

Speaker 5 (23:08):
Wow.

Speaker 6 (23:09):
If you've just tuned in this morning, we are talking
with my brother Ron heard. We're talking black music today.
This brother knows his black music history. June is Black
music Month. When you have a question or two, we
do invite you to call nine zero one five three five,

(23:30):
nine three four two eight hundred five zero three nine
three four two eight three three five three five nine
three four two will get you in to us.

Speaker 4 (23:41):
You're listening to Double You d I A.

Speaker 3 (23:46):
The betht Say Show.

Speaker 7 (23:59):
Don't go away.

Speaker 13 (24:00):
Bev Johnson Show returns after these messages.

Speaker 4 (24:25):
You need no over the.

Speaker 14 (24:29):
Working hard to bring you out days never saying.

Speaker 6 (24:55):
And welcome back. I'm talking with mister Ronherd. I like
to talk call him. He's a music historian. Here, this brother,
he knows his music. We are talking music because June
is Black Music Month.

Speaker 7 (25:09):
Ron.

Speaker 6 (25:10):
I'm going to our phone lines to talk with al
Hi Al.

Speaker 15 (25:15):
Yes, yes, yes, I'm sitting here listening to you from
from Hampton, Virginia and I'm.

Speaker 12 (25:20):
Listening to Wow.

Speaker 15 (25:22):
The speaker, the speaker of talking about their music and
he was he mentioned up Wim Willim Brewster and I
and I just I just had to come home. Calls
the Mahala Jackson the song that he was saying that
the music that he was that he made in Mahala
Jackson and Payday, and and I also wanted to plug
in that he mentioned about the church and uh, the

(25:44):
church that just got burnt up. But Brewster also got
burned up, and he like he said also too, we
need to watch the next church because that's something that's
going on in myphics. And I just want to say
about Willim Brewster. This is the one hundred year Willim Brewster.
One hundred year we will be celebrating in Memphis and August. Oh, Okay,

(26:05):
Bruce at yes, Bruce is one hundred is the one
hundred year. You know they named the school after him too.

Speaker 16 (26:12):
But this is all related to their music.

Speaker 15 (26:13):
And church and the preacher and everything. But I just
want to call in because I was listening. I'm here
at Hampton, Virginia, and they do have a seminary school
that people need to know about it in Memphis. It's
it's they really need to know about Bruce or Theological seminary.
It's one of the best schools in the world and
they need to check into it if they're looking for

(26:34):
to go to a seminary school. But I'm calling about
the music, calling about Willim Bruce because he mentioned about it,
and I was sitting here listening in Hampton, Virginia, and
I said, let me call it in and thank you
for all that information, and all that information is really
really need to be put out in Memphis, Tennessee.

Speaker 4 (26:52):
Thank you, Alan, Thank you listen for listening in Virginia.

Speaker 6 (26:56):
We appreciate your bye bye.

Speaker 4 (27:00):
You know what Ronnie talked about one hundred years.

Speaker 6 (27:03):
Also, when we think about black music and music, we
can't forget about this legendary radio station, w d I
A and and and Ron This year will celebrate BB
King turned to Hunt one hundred this year.

Speaker 4 (27:20):
Wow.

Speaker 7 (27:20):
But you to think about it. You gotta put that in perspective.

Speaker 1 (27:22):
It's like a lot of people one hundred or centennial
celebrations because you got not only B. B. King Bosso
Mega while they Evers would have been one hundred in
July the second.

Speaker 7 (27:30):
Now. BB King used to do the Mega Evers Blues
Festival every year.

Speaker 4 (27:34):
Yeah, but his his brother.

Speaker 8 (27:38):
Was great.

Speaker 4 (27:38):
I love still may because that was in Mississippi.

Speaker 6 (27:42):
He was mayor. It was a little town. But yeah,
but he would do that. He loved his brother. He
was his brother's keeper, coming, he went to the radio station.
He got big pictures of his brother everywhere. Yes, and
he was a gangster to Peter, he was. He was
the real smoking stack.

Speaker 11 (28:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (28:01):
He was a big time gangs and educated though.

Speaker 6 (28:07):
Yes, yeah, you know what, right, I'm so glad you
mentioned that because when I lived in Jackson, you know,
I learned all the rich history and uh about America Evers.

Speaker 4 (28:19):
And then when I.

Speaker 6 (28:20):
Met Mayor Charles, I learned a lot of good information.
Then you know, he became and then like you said,
he owned radio station, and he owns radio station in Jackson.

Speaker 1 (28:32):
He was definitely enterprising man because like he really was
his own person. He was a maverick of every sense
of the word. If you look up the definition of
if a maverick was a real person, it will be
Charles Evers. Because he took a lot of risk and uh,
he don't get a lot of credit for the stuff
he did do.

Speaker 7 (28:47):
Because I remember.

Speaker 1 (28:48):
Sama, just like the sixtyth Auna verses Sema this year
bloody Sunday, I member. I met him a rine, a
retired white man who's like an elderly white man, and
he was like, we was in Selma doing up.

Speaker 7 (28:58):
I guess it was at the fifty found Niverse war.
Obama came down to speak.

Speaker 1 (29:01):
So I just decided to last being to drive down
the Salmon after we get experienced at snowstorm in Memphis.

Speaker 7 (29:06):
And this white man, this elder white man, was looking
for anybody seen Charles Evers.

Speaker 4 (29:12):
Anybody's seen Chack.

Speaker 1 (29:13):
I said, well, sir, so I know Charles. I record
something you want to Yeah, I'm a marine. I survived
ewe GiMA. He did something for he saved our lives
in Selma. Wo this white marine dude said, he talked
about how Charles Evers saved his life protected them when
they went from the airport into the fields. And I
shared that message with Charles. I went to his station

(29:35):
and down at Jackson he had this little devilish grin
on his face. Oh yeah, it ain't nothing, man, And
he said he went to Salma. He got like a
three hundred dollars speeding ticket or something like that. And
the dude found out who he was. Just do your job,
I sped, Just give me the ticket. And then he
used to tell me run. I was close to doctor King.
When Doctor King used to come to Jackson used to

(29:56):
not run. He was not not walked. He would run
to my house. He would say, he'll tell me this.

Speaker 17 (30:02):
Run.

Speaker 7 (30:02):
He said, well, Charles, I feel so comfortable because you
got all the guns.

Speaker 3 (30:06):
The gun.

Speaker 7 (30:08):
And then Charles ever pulled his gun out of his dress.

Speaker 1 (30:11):
Job, You're like, run, I believe in the three g's God,
guns and guns.

Speaker 7 (30:17):
Wow, you think about like Mississippi produced some gangs.

Speaker 1 (30:20):
To guy, he was like the real smoke Stack dude,
that was real because like when Mecca got killed Mississippi.
He jumped on the plane to you know, Chicago, Memphis.
He had guns on the plane. He checked his guns
in on the plane with him. What he was ready
to go to war in Mississippi. Like smoke Stack, like
stuff like smoke in this movie. I mean, people like
it's so much stuff like with the Senters movie. They

(30:42):
said it's not based on true advent. I said, this
stuff did happen, like that. There was shootouts with the
Klan and miss I could talk about several over them
that people don't even know about.

Speaker 7 (30:50):
Really they should know about, matter of fact. Uh. This
year's the centennial birth year of Eddie Nole.

Speaker 1 (30:55):
He was his light skinned white man, a white I
mean light skinned black man, a short guy World War
II veteran from Holmes County, Mississippi.

Speaker 7 (31:04):
Second week end of January fifty four.

Speaker 1 (31:07):
He went to a juke joint. It was ran by
a white man that his wife worked at. This dude
was known as one so like. He was a crack shot,
a trick shot. He used to could shoot a cigarette
out of his wife mouth and long range, long distance.
He was that great of a shot. So he had
confronted the white man, said look, i'ma take my wife home.
She ain't working for you. And a white man tried

(31:27):
to intimidate them, trying to bully him, try to embarrass
him from everybody.

Speaker 7 (31:30):
So he did.

Speaker 1 (31:31):
He came back and got his gun and shot him up,
shot him. His daddy shot the sheriff deputy, and it
initiated one of the largest man hunts in Mississippi history,
like two thousand white man looking for this high yellow
dude doing an ice storm. You know, the commercial pill
covered it's archives commercial pill. They covered the story, so
you know what he was doing. He was hiding down
in the woods. He would see these white this white

(31:52):
mob looking for him, and sometimes he would shoot at
the mob. He killed another person, but he could have
killed so many other people, but he decided not to
do that.

Speaker 7 (32:00):
He was just trying to survive at this point.

Speaker 1 (32:02):
What came out later was that black and white families
knew his situation with his wife and the juke joint owner,
and they had sympathy for him, so they hit him
out in barns and gave him food and stuff. He
ended up turning himself into the authorities with one of
his family's white friends. They scored him to Jackson. They
put him in a whitfield. Yes, and for the criminalians

(32:23):
saying whatever, Yes, they did electrics, shot therapy on him right.

Speaker 4 (32:27):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (32:28):
Now, magine, this is nineteen fifty four Misissippi. This is
a year before the mmit Tills situation. This black man
World War two guy did this and before they gave
him lobotomy. The white part of his family stopped everything.
There was no trial and this was happening. He spent
almost twenty years in prison. They led him out back
in nineteen sixty nine. He died with his family up
in Indiana. Back in ninety four at the age of

(32:49):
sixty nine years old, he'd be one hundred years and
this summer he would turn one hundred. But what happened
was that he was named Eddie Nole. Edmund Nol was
a white Governormsissippi. It was his grandfather. So the White
party his family protecting him. And you know, think about it,
he didn't go to prison. He kill all these white
people to go to prison. He went to prison, he
didn't go to trial. He didn't get the death sentence. Yeah,

(33:10):
you know, so we need to know about stories like this.
You know, the life of Tom Eddie Nole, this white
dude who was a retired lawyer from Misissippi.

Speaker 7 (33:18):
He was a teenager at the time that happened.

Speaker 1 (33:20):
I actually interviewed him some years ago and that was
an amazing story.

Speaker 7 (33:23):
This should be better known. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (33:25):
And then Joe Pulling from Drew, Mississippi. This happened back
in the early twenties. Drew, Mississippi was where the Manny's
from the football dynasty Archie Manny. I think all his
relatives was evolved in this story because Joe Pulling.

Speaker 4 (33:36):
It was a dude, Dame Manning there was evolved.

Speaker 7 (33:39):
I was like that.

Speaker 1 (33:40):
But there's also what they tortured ed mattild that was
in a shed in Drew, Mississippi. It was there, but
like what happened was he got into it with his landlord.
He was a tenant farmer, sharecropper and Uhldy were arging
on some money. I guess the dude was about to
get killed by the landlord. He shot the landlord self defense.
That led to a large man hunt. He was hiding

(34:00):
down in the swamps whatever like that. He killed anywhere
from eight to twenty three or thirty two white people.
And the reason why we know about this story because
Marcus Garven his United Negro Approven Association paper cover everything
that made him a fol k hey role and then fam
Lou Hamm was talked about it. They knew all the
black people knew about this dude named Joe Pulling. He
got killed at the end, but he took a lot

(34:20):
of them with him. Wow, this back in the early twenties.
I mean it's well documented, but it's different versions of it.
But it's another guy from Mississippi. Missippi guy's a gangsters man.
He gotta think about Larry Hoover's from Mississippi. Jeff Ford
is from Mississippi, and they big time game or it
was back in Chicago back then.

Speaker 7 (34:37):
But I'm saying it's something about the South.

Speaker 1 (34:39):
Bumpy Johnson from Charleston, the Frank Matthews, Frank Lucas Akison,
Sergeant Smack, they from North Carolina. Something about the South.
They produced these type of dudes, man like, they just whatever.
But Robert Charles was a back to Africa dude. He
followed Bishop Herery McNeil Turner from Georgia who believed that
God was black and he wanted everybody to go back
to Africa.

Speaker 7 (34:58):
Whatever.

Speaker 1 (34:58):
So he was sitting outside this residence waiting for his
girlfriend to come out with his roommate, and then the
cops approached him, trying to harass him in his roommate.
They try to, you know, do other things, know how,
you know how the story goes police brutality.

Speaker 7 (35:13):
But Robert Charles fought back.

Speaker 1 (35:14):
He shot at them, He killed like several cops and
then like it's called Robert Charles Race riots and New
Orleans Rioders of nineteen hundred took place July twenty third
to July twenty seven, nineteen hundred. So you had white
folks from not only New Orleans, but from around the
state and even from several states come down to New
Orleans just killing anything black that you can see. Then

(35:36):
it was a black guy they snitch on where Robert
Charles was hating. Now because black community loved Robert Charlie,
they sad him as a fol key role. So it
was a medical student end up killing Robert Charles. They
burned him out, they burned the house out, they dragged,
you know, they mutilate his body. He's buried in the
whole cemetery where Buddy Bowden, the first king of Jazz,
is buried in New Orleans. And then like the blues
and jazz guys had a song called the Battle of

(35:56):
Robert Charles. But according to Jillero Morton, the great you
know is that he was. He said, we had to
forget about this song because it pissed off the white patrons.
So every time we talked about Rabbit and Robert Charles.
Even Ivy Welles documented what happened to Robert Charles. And
it was a profession named William Ivy here from l.

Speaker 7 (36:12):
S U.

Speaker 1 (36:12):
I believe he wrote a book called Carnival Fury. Both
of the ida by Welles documented who started in Memphis,
and also that book Carnival Fury would be a great
reading for people that want to know about the resistance,
because I'm tired of people saying they're not I'm not
my ancestors.

Speaker 7 (36:27):
There were a bunch of cowarities compared to our ancestors,
you know what I'm saying. They threw down many. But
getting back to the music, was Tim Lawster.

Speaker 1 (36:37):
He's a Mississippi guy and he took on the mob
from Fort Mississippi.

Speaker 4 (36:41):
From thinking he was from Memphis, he's from.

Speaker 1 (36:44):
I mean, you know how he is, like he was
born in Mississippi and raised in Denver, came back here.
But he's a Mississippi guy and he took on the mob.

Speaker 7 (36:52):
His own way, like he he refused for them to
try to control his career.

Speaker 1 (36:56):
And you know, he was very animate, stood on business.
But the thing about Jimmy Launster I love is that
he will always give back. Like I said, like mister
Abel and them were inspired by this guy, and he
believed in investing in the community because not only was
he doing stuff for kids. But towards the end of
his life he was looking for real estate to buy
the start of a community for retired Black musicians.

Speaker 10 (37:17):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (37:17):
So he was a me major in social work at
Fisk University, class of twenty six. But he was about
the village concept from the get go, because I remember
I tought to Cathertain Perry Thomas but NASA's class in
nineteen thirty two.

Speaker 7 (37:28):
Her brother was Andrew Perry.

Speaker 1 (37:30):
He played saxophone and Jimmy Launcher's man in turned pro
with him. He said, by the time tho kids guys
being around he got, they were grown men.

Speaker 7 (37:38):
He had them kids like he got there were twenty
five thirty years old.

Speaker 1 (37:41):
But he had like he used music as the rights
of passages to help develop people's character and skills. And
this is what we're missing right now. And it's like,
you know, funny things coming full circle because jim and
Launster started jazz studies. He was the first person credit
was starting jazz studies in a formal educational setting. He
did it with black kids North Memphis at manasas you know,
you look at what happened in Central High School.

Speaker 2 (38:03):
You know what.

Speaker 10 (38:06):
You run?

Speaker 6 (38:07):
How do you feel about what what what what? Central
High School. I'm so proud of them.

Speaker 1 (38:11):
It's a way, it's a it's a win for Memphis
that I really felt that they should have been given the
key to the city.

Speaker 4 (38:16):
They should probably should.

Speaker 7 (38:17):
Now they should have got I mean the.

Speaker 4 (38:19):
Politics, but.

Speaker 1 (38:23):
Yeah, but they should have got a key to the
city too, because like that's something positive sentuation. Cause I said,
we come from master teachers and the brother who runs
the program, he's from Mississippi.

Speaker 7 (38:32):
Yeah, and he's like I talked to him. I went
to the spring concert.

Speaker 1 (38:35):
It's probably the most packed our spring concert that every did.

Speaker 7 (38:38):
It was like a rock concert going to Central High School.

Speaker 1 (38:40):
I love it, I said, man, y'all reversist so well, man,
you're like, he's like Jim lu I know about jim
and launch with I love Jimmy. But here's the thing though,
I started, you know, shout out to him. Uh and
also to doctor Steve Lee of the Memphis Jazz Workshop.
They had they trained fourteen students. That was a part
of the history making band. I remember when I first

(39:01):
taught to doctor Steve Lee, when I was starting.

Speaker 7 (39:03):
The Jimmy Lunch for Jimmer refesteral week.

Speaker 1 (39:04):
This is back in twenty seventeen and I was at
McDonald's Kyieville in the PoCA. We talked and I told
him about Jimmy Launcher. Because he ain't hear about jim Lunch.
He never heard a lot of these a lot of music.
They don't know about these things. But I told him
about the excellence and stuff. We actually honored doctor Steve
Lee as one of our homecoming court princes back in

(39:25):
I won't say twenty eighteen, I believe. I believe it
was twenty eighteen. Maybe with twenty seventeen, I don't know,
but we honor him early. And he's a visionary. But
like I love talking to these music educators and people
like that to know that hey man, y'all come, y'all
part of a tradition, y'all a part of a continuum,
and that we want y'all to had them standards, keep

(39:47):
them high because you come from a great people, and
Memphis deserve to know how great Memphis is. It's crazy
as I go to different places and I tell him
I'm from Memphis, they always expect great things from me.
They said, we know you know about so and so
they they doing this and new I said, I don't know.
So so a lot of people don't want to talk
about being from Memphis because of the trauma being from Memphis.

Speaker 7 (40:06):
How you I treated?

Speaker 1 (40:07):
You think it's you because I'm just realizing it's a
lot of people don't really like me like that.

Speaker 7 (40:11):
I thought, I thought, I'm trying to do good stuff.

Speaker 1 (40:14):
But you know, it's a spiritual thing because this is
a very powerful energy portal we are in. And I
believe by honoring Jimmy Lunsford, it's help educating educators. By
Jimmy Luster, they could pass on their standard to their students.
It was your guy, agree what not? Dve Williams had
to say on our first Black radio This jockey and

(40:34):
a visionary in his own right in terms of the
music and the culture and stuff. And he says something
very powerful that stayed with me. That's why words create words.
I mean words create world, you know. And and the
past has never passed. I don't believe in death. It's
been a finalogy because energy never dies. So Natie Williams
is proof of that. We on him a couple of

(40:55):
years back with his daughter, Miss Naomi moved. He shout
out to her, but I just want to show what
he said in his words. I want to make sure
I gave his words right.

Speaker 7 (41:04):
Okay, this is what that D.

Speaker 1 (41:05):
Williams said. This is what that D said. Jimmy Lunsford
was buried here in Memphis. The spot he occupies should
have something of a special significance. He took a group
of relatively unsophisticated Memphis color boys and wildered them into
an organization which scaled the heights of musical eminence. He
presented something new in the way of musical presentations by

(41:28):
Negro orchestras. Lansford and many others like him chose to
remain at home and with their people. His depth should
have meaning and inspiration and guidance to others. If we
permitted Lunsford's burial in Memphis can mean this, not D Williams.
So those words stick with me. So I started, you know,
we started doing Jimmy Lunscher stuff. Back in two thousand

(41:49):
and seven. I was inspired by an article I read
in the Memphis Fler written by Preston Lotabach, who's a
full time author and music historian in his own right.

Speaker 7 (41:58):
And I said, it was stared at me.

Speaker 1 (42:00):
I was pumping gas like he said back back back
by unpopular man. I said what I said, Wait a minute,
I read this. We could do something, so I you know,
I decided to do something. Within in six weeks we
had something at Manasas. Yeah, and we and after I
reached out to the people that Manassas they didn't have
like a operational music program. And Manas, I said, this
is it's like if Alabama didn't have no football team. Right,

(42:21):
you know, he got the Yankees. You know what I
saying from y'all probably is amazing tradition. You know, Isaac
Case is from Manasas. You to Mana, A lot of
great musicians come out Manasas.

Speaker 7 (42:29):
So we did.

Speaker 1 (42:30):
We brought in the late great Jeffrey Huddleston out of Overton.
I think it is Jeffrey Huddleston. He band directed there.
We busted their jazz band. We brought in Kenoth Pastor Whalem.
His father was Jimmy Lunsch's best friend. I mean his grandfather.
H Steve Whalem was Jimmy Lunsch's best friend. He sung
at Jimmy Lunsr's funeral and on the way back home

(42:50):
and got killed. The cocain that was July twenty first,
nineteen forty seven.

Speaker 4 (42:53):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (42:53):
Cause Jimmy dad July twelve, forty seven. He died Aly
twenty first. Both of the guys from Mississippi. But they
were best friends. So they buried not too far from me.

Speaker 7 (43:00):
You're in the mwood.

Speaker 10 (43:01):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (43:01):
So we had him involved, mister Abralovov's, a couple other people,
David last. They pressed a lot of back people were involved,
and I remember, like, you know, the kids was amazed
by the music and about you know, the presentation they wanted.
The teacher said they don't know nothing about that said,
you don't know nothing about this zither though, and you
to educated. I remember I reached out to the news
media about this event. I ain't gonna never forget. They
was like, you know, it was like a positive event.

Speaker 7 (43:22):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (43:23):
Then the next week a classmate shot another classmate by accident,
like one of these Katrina train Katrina, Hurricane FEMA, Katrina
twentieth anniversary in August, So this is Katrina. A New
Orleans transplant shot won his friends by accident in the classroom.
I remember, like when the media, a teacher did the
tapes for me.

Speaker 7 (43:43):
I went back there. The next week was police everywhere,
news everywhere. I said, Wow, it's like it was all
good just a week ago.

Speaker 1 (43:50):
And then I wrote them my mass email at the media,
I said, man, like we had did some positive stuff
the week before, but yeah, yo, your body bit and
then like all of a sudden, this happened.

Speaker 7 (43:59):
Then some of them said, you.

Speaker 1 (44:00):
Know, you're right, but if it bleeds, it leads, like
you know, we know that we don't cover everything that
we should cover it.

Speaker 7 (44:05):
We don't balance it.

Speaker 1 (44:07):
It's like you look at Memphis, how you on that
two percent of population run over nine eight percent of population.

Speaker 7 (44:12):
So that's a problem. It's a it's a perception problem.

Speaker 4 (44:15):
It is.

Speaker 17 (44:15):
You know.

Speaker 6 (44:16):
Yeah, we're talking to brother Ron heard today. I am
going to our phone lines to get you. W D
I a high caller.

Speaker 11 (44:25):
Oh Ben, yes, I'm well yourself.

Speaker 7 (44:28):
Oh great, thank you?

Speaker 18 (44:29):
All right, Yeah, y'all speaking on one of my pet
teas that today we just they just don't push this
music around here like they should, like especially on our
local PBS station.

Speaker 16 (44:44):
And you know, they they play country in Western all
the time, but they never played the rhythmic blues or
blues and they get on my nerves right there.

Speaker 18 (44:54):
And another thing that we I want to point out
is we got one of the as guitar players in
the world right from Memphis, Tennessee play rock.

Speaker 16 (45:05):
His name is Eric gill Oh, yes, sir, and man,
it just urged me to know end that that man
do not get any kind of mentioned or a recognition
round here in the situay because he's one of the
best guitar players in the world, a black man, and

(45:26):
they don't. We don't push him around here. That no think,
we just don't push myth music. And that's been on
my That's what I want to talk about. Yeah, but
uh but yeah, uh I forget your guest name, but Ron,
you've got some books out because.

Speaker 7 (45:46):
I'm I'm gona work. I'm working. You know what you said,
Eric Gales, I saw.

Speaker 1 (45:50):
I treated myself for my birthday to see him in
Nashville back on April twenty third of this year. He
is phenomenal. People understand how powerful black music is. You know,
you said, Eric, girls, I was thinking about Larry Lee.
Larry Lee was Jimmy Hendrick's best friend. He actually got
he went to Hampton High School, used to work at Stacks,
actually did some stuff in Stacks, went to Hampton High School,

(46:11):
was gifted in baseball, got a baseball scholarship to go
to Tennessee State. End up meaning Jimmy Hendricks in Nashville,
and the rest is history. Because Jimmy was at the
the hundred first Airborne, so he was stationed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Got this charge because you Jimmy Hdcky was dropping out
of airplanes for Uncle Sam.

Speaker 7 (46:26):
Y'all't know how a soldier.

Speaker 1 (46:29):
Yeah, he was at the first Airborne for Campba, Kentucky.
So you know, to Nashville and Larry him hooked up. Larry,
you know, did it every time. They was like the
backup band for whatever act came into Nashville.

Speaker 7 (46:39):
You know that.

Speaker 1 (46:39):
You know the Nashville black club scene, you know that area.
So you like Retha, Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, all these people
come into town.

Speaker 7 (46:46):
And Jimmy, all right, thank you West, We'll back them up.

Speaker 1 (46:50):
And the thing about it is Larry got drafted in
Vietnam War, so before he left, he gave Jimmy his
best winter coach. So when Jimmy Hendry was a homeless
for six weeks in New York, the only thing that
kept him wong was his coat before he went to
England and the rest of his history, you know, like
Jimmy is supposed to have been signing. You know, people
like Jimmy Henders played for everybody. He played behind like

(47:10):
Sam Cook, the Eyes of the Brothers, Little Richard, everybody.
He was a rhythm and blues guy from Seattle or whatever.
But he couldn't nobody want to hear him like play
like they want. Mean, he was a star, like even
Little said, he I'm the star. He's gonna take all
my shine. You know you gotta go. But like as
the Brothers played with Jimmy Hendrix everybody, so he went
to He went overseass like the white folks came from

(47:32):
England over here, and then he had to go over there.
And like B. B. King was asked one time, like what
did you think about the Beatles? All they did was
reinmport the blues because B. B. King and all them
guys think about all the great Little Richard. He used
to go overseas all time. Little Richard had both the
rolling Stones and the Beatles open for him. When they
were living out of vans and stuff and sharing French
fries and stuff. That's how big Little Richard. You know,

(47:54):
we don't understand how great were then Little Richard had
to open for him Johnny Ace, And we don't even
talk about Jenny. Yeah, he was the opening act for
Johnny A's Little Richard, Little Richard, all about it, Blue Blad.
But Johnny as the one was the big time. Now
we don't even talk because we don't write our stories.
Because even with Jimmy Lunsford, he was the number one
band for black people in America. He was bigger than
Duke Ellington, he was bigger than Count Basie.

Speaker 7 (48:17):
It's hard to believe.

Speaker 1 (48:18):
Now we don't tell our stories because the people that
witnessed that they're dead now and them stories a lot
of times died with them. But Joe lewis the great
heavyweight boxer. He said Jimmy lum was the best band.
He said that was my favorite band. That's Brown Mama
saying that the greatest article. I mean even how at
least said he's the greatest heavyweight boxer. But the thing
about it is, we don't tell our stories. Like the
creates don't always tell their stories. You don't get a

(48:40):
chance to do that. So you got, you know, was
Jimmy Lunsford. You got to put him back in the
proper place. Because like even Glenn Miller, who was like
the Taylor Swift of his time, Glenn Miller was a
music superstar like no other. He loved Jimmy Launster like
if Jimmy Lunsker was Maggie Johnson, then he was Larry Bird.

Speaker 7 (48:57):
But Glenn Miller.

Speaker 1 (48:58):
Said that Jimmy had the best of all band. He said,
Duke is great, count is remarkable, but the Launsker tops
them both and terms his showmanship and presentation and his sound,
because Jimmy Lunsker had, you know, his guy's wore tailor
made suits. The trumpet section would throw their trumpets in
the air and catch them and play where they left
out at. They could dance, they could sing, they could
tell jokes. They were very athletic because he got to

(49:20):
think about a lot of the guys in his band
was his high school students, so he trained them a
certain way. If you think about Duke Elton, Duke Etherton,
I love Duke Elden. When the guy was not gonna
be dancing doing all this stuff, they walk up they
were doing the drugs and drinking all this stuff and
hanging out.

Speaker 7 (49:33):
They will sleep with it. They were wife swapping in
the Duke Elton band.

Speaker 1 (49:36):
It was a lot of craziest that I loved and
Duke kept that band going for almost fifty plus years.

Speaker 4 (49:40):
Wow.

Speaker 7 (49:41):
While the craziness going on, he was a tourist too.

Speaker 6 (49:44):
You know how we do it. We get the most
out of people, we regulate them. Oh wow, Rod heard
is my guest today. We are talking music, black music.
It is Black Music Month. Hold on, callers, please, I
am going to get you in. I know you want
to ask ron some questions five three five, nine three

(50:05):
four two eight hundred five zero three nine three four
two eight three three five three five nine three four
two will get you in to us. We're going to
the other side of the Bev Johnson Show right here
on doub d Ia The.

Speaker 3 (50:23):
Bev Johnson Show.

Speaker 13 (50:30):
Whether you're in Arkansas, Tennessee, or Mississippi on Facebook, Twitter,
or Instagram, thank you for listening to the Bev Johnson
Show on Double d I A Memphis.

Speaker 5 (51:06):
Be doesn't show belts time with this talking and home away.

Speaker 3 (51:14):
How you go you go?

Speaker 4 (51:16):
Don't getting ready.

Speaker 3 (51:19):
In time to say show.

Speaker 2 (51:24):
Show?

Speaker 3 (51:24):
Let's go. That doesn't will.

Speaker 4 (51:27):
Make Gordy by here, Ron t you.

Speaker 5 (51:32):
D listen to what to Pay You know, it's time
of the Belt Show, Tap of the Belta Show.

Speaker 3 (51:43):
Lucky, Let's go.

Speaker 4 (51:45):
We are rocking and rolling on this Thursday, June fifth.

Speaker 6 (51:48):
Twenty twenty five. It's Black Music Month. I'm talking to
music history Nick Guess, a historian period brother Ron Heard
is here.

Speaker 4 (51:59):
We're talking with him.

Speaker 6 (52:00):
We'll be telling you more what they're doing tomorrow for
mister Jimmy Launceford for that hold on, callers, I am
going to get to you. But it's lunchtime in the city.
And let me tell you about my favorite place. It's
the Rocking Chair of Memphis. Well we rock with the
best entertainment in town, best soul food around fifteen forty
two Elvis Presley. You can dine in or take out.

(52:24):
The Rocking Chair is open on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,
Saturday and Sunday and get some of the best soul
food you can get and also at the rock and
Chair the best entertainment in town. It is Thumping Thursday
for tonight. Join my brother John Disco Hound will be
in the house for Thumping Thursday at the Rocking Chair.

Speaker 4 (52:47):
Doors will open at six o'clock.

Speaker 6 (52:49):
It's free until six till seven, and very special guests
talking by some history. Tonight will be our own herb,
the K kneeling Yo need.

Speaker 4 (53:00):
Herd and K will be in the house at the
Rocking Chair tonight.

Speaker 6 (53:03):
Y'all go by and say hello to her, give him
a big hug and rock with him at the Rocking
Chair with John disco hound thumping Thursday tonight at the
Rocking Chair. So when you want good entertainment, good soul food,
to go to the Rocking Chair of Memphis.

Speaker 4 (53:21):
Fifteen forty two.

Speaker 6 (53:23):
Elvis Presley Open Monday to Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Speaker 4 (53:29):
Closed on Tuesday.

Speaker 6 (53:31):
Dine in or take out nine zero one four two
five five two six four nine zero one four two
five five two sixty four. When you go there, y'all,
you better tell him Bev Johnson sent you to the
Rocking Chair of Memphis. We are talking to historian to

(54:00):
Ron heard run before we go to our phone lines.
You know it is black music money. We kind of
clipped Ron and you talked about We talked about Stacks
nine twenty six East Smacknamore. But another city, Ron, another
city made musical history. I want you to listen to this.

Speaker 2 (54:18):
Run.

Speaker 6 (54:19):
Listen, callers, I'm coming to you, but this city ron
and you probably know some history on this.

Speaker 4 (54:24):
I'm gonna play this so you can tell. Here we go.
Run you ready, Yes, ma'am, Here we go.

Speaker 8 (54:30):
DELLI International Records was formed in nineteen seventy one by
the most successful song writing and producing team of the seventies,
Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, who prior to that had
success writing and producing songs for artists like The Intruders,
The Soul Survivors, Archie Bell and the Drells, Wilson Pickett
and Jerry Butler with their arrangements, and a group of
session musicians called MFSB Mother Father, Sister Brother Philly International

(54:55):
Records Sword.

Speaker 3 (55:00):
Stopping.

Speaker 4 (55:02):
So let's make our way.

Speaker 7 (55:03):
To still be international.

Speaker 19 (55:08):
Nothing mister, mister Joe, I can't drop some people.

Speaker 2 (55:30):
God tell me your name, just tell your talking after.

Speaker 7 (55:42):
It's just like a nother love TK.

Speaker 3 (55:44):
You know you don't make me love.

Speaker 4 (55:51):
Somebody won't shut this.

Speaker 2 (55:57):
World.

Speaker 10 (55:57):
I said that word says.

Speaker 7 (56:00):
Now that's what you called T S O P. The
sounds of Philadelphia.

Speaker 6 (56:05):
Yet it is the sounds of Philadelphia. They made some
music ron gambling, huh.

Speaker 1 (56:12):
But Philly is got a phenomenal black history that's not
really appreciated even in the city of Burdally Love. Think
about this year and they won the Super Bowl. Yeah,
but nobody talks about the forty fi anniversary of the
move bombit move You hear about move bombing?

Speaker 10 (56:28):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (56:29):
Yes, thirteenth nineteen eighty five got bombed John Africa and
the people got killed, the whole city block whatever, twenty
and fifty people left homeless, some people left dead. And
it was a black mayor at the time, Woodrow Wilson.
Good the fact that his name Woodroow Wilson should let
you know. He got an issue with black folks allegedly.
But John Africa was a brilliant legal mind.

Speaker 7 (56:50):
John. You should look up the move bomb.

Speaker 1 (56:52):
This is the second time the city was bombed after
what Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Speaker 7 (56:56):
Yes, both of these.

Speaker 1 (56:57):
Things happened in May. You know may third team for
move eighty five. They in nineteen twenty one for Tulsa.
But the thing about it is John Africa had a
brilliant legal mind. They would constantly put them in court
on all types of charges, and he would represent himself
as his client. He would represent himself and be the
client and win. As matter of fact, he was so
brilliant that mumi our Buu Jamal won our political prisoners.

(57:19):
He wanted John Africa to be his legal counsel and
it got it. Couldn't beat him in court, so they
just killed him.

Speaker 7 (57:25):
You know.

Speaker 1 (57:25):
It's unfortunately like some of the Move victims who died,
these women and children. Yes, their bodies were stolen by
universities and other institutions for a medical study and research.

Speaker 7 (57:35):
Wow, I could google that up.

Speaker 1 (57:36):
They stole these people bodies and use them for medical
research and stuff. I mean some very renowned institutions. This
was a big thing. This is not just a couple
of years ago. A lot of this stuff got uncovered,
but just used Google, use your smartphone, looked at stuff
up about how they used the Move victims as science.

Speaker 7 (57:54):
You know, projects didn't know that.

Speaker 4 (57:57):
Now that's some history. We are going to our phone
line to talk with you. W d I a Prince
of the Jolls, the dear Slayer, the Croppie Killer is
back in the house.

Speaker 17 (58:11):
Hey brother, why are you doing?

Speaker 20 (58:13):
Love?

Speaker 17 (58:14):
How you doing today?

Speaker 4 (58:15):
I'm fabulous today, Prince how are you.

Speaker 17 (58:18):
I'm on the top chef and it sounds like you
on the top chef alone, mister Heard. You know, he's
always he's on.

Speaker 7 (58:23):
The top shif appreciate it.

Speaker 17 (58:26):
Thank you, Hey, mister Heard. It's so great to hear
you this morning. I'm listening to you right now.

Speaker 12 (58:31):
Bell.

Speaker 17 (58:31):
That's always good afternoon to you. You guess your calls
and to your listeners, mister Hurt, if I may, can
I elaborate Jess a little bit what you were talking about,
if it's okay with you, Okay? When you talked about
the movie Centers, I wanted to do many people because
I did go see the movie. To me and now
this movie may not be for everybody, but I did
enjoy it. Uh beb Memphis has a connection to this

(58:54):
movie that a lot of people may not know about it.
And the connection that it has to this movie that's
our own great two times Grammy Award winner Bobby Rush.
Now people like that what you talk about, Prince, Well,
if you listened to the music and there are leto
that's his name playing the harmonica. Actually that was Bobby

(59:14):
Rush playing the harmonica in that movie. A lot of
people didn't know that and I just wanted to share
this because Bobbie Rush is as an outstanding bluesman and
just as always on top of his game, and I
wanted to share that. Ohso when you spoke about gosh,
Jimmy Hendricks back in the day, I was a big

(59:35):
Jimmy hen Jimmy Hickricks fan because that was possessed me
to go play the guitar myself. I'm not as good
as Jimmy for the rest of the guys, but Bell
Jimmy Hendricks also played. But I can Tina Turners. They
so quick I said he could, he could not, he
could not, deal wasn't because he was just so from
Boyant and the way he played the guitar. So I

(59:56):
wanted that to be known. And also when I did
my research, you Eric Clapton considered Jimmy Hendrick as one
of them. They could actually called Jimmy Hendrix the King
of the sixth three because he was just far ahead
of the time. Now there's only two people that I
really a mind when it comes to that, as Jeff
Beck that's one of my favorite guitars, and Jimmy Hendry.
But I just wanted to bring that up and you

(01:00:18):
made a mentioned how black artists had to go to overseas,
to Europe to get that claim to fame. When I
was doing my research, I came across Mahelia Jackson. You know,
she was more popular over in Europe than she was
here in England, I mean here in America. I'm sorry
about that bell. She couldn't even leave out of a
hotel because there were tons and tons and tons a

(01:00:40):
Europeans who loved her singing. And so mister hurt when
when he said that, he was absolutely right. There was
the same that they had to go through that that
type just to get that music across but overseas still
to this day. But to her, they still appreciate the
music of Stacks, Motown and the rest of the music
company that brought black music to the world. So I

(01:01:04):
just wanted to bring that and I just wanted to
thank you for that and one mass statement, mister Hurd.
I'm trying to think of that that recording studio down
at Florence, Alabama where a lot of them went to
the music you know the did you do you know
the name of the studio that a lot like Aretha Franklin.

Speaker 4 (01:01:22):
Was one of the.

Speaker 6 (01:01:26):
Yeah, muscle shows shown.

Speaker 17 (01:01:30):
Muscle shows, Yeah, I know Florida, Florence, Florence, Alabama, and
muscle shows are right there again like Westmith.

Speaker 4 (01:01:37):
Yeah, it was muscle shows studios.

Speaker 17 (01:01:40):
Okay, and they produced at a ton of black music
as well. But mister Hurd, thank you once again. I
appreciate you coming on and sharing your music with us.
We can always use them musicology when you step on
on the stage as always. Now, thank you and have
a beautiful, blessed, safe and healthy day. Take care everyone YouTube.

Speaker 1 (01:02:00):
He missed Florence, Alabama. That's also just the hometown of W. C.
Handy and Sam Phillips who played upart of Memphis music
history as well too.

Speaker 6 (01:02:08):
And folks don't know Sam Phillips, who who we kind
of say discovered Elvis, but he was owner of Son Records.

Speaker 7 (01:02:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:02:14):
But his thing was he was trying to make black
musicians famous, like.

Speaker 6 (01:02:17):
Yes, yeah, because he starts, because I think Rufus Thomas
recorded as Son, ruff.

Speaker 1 (01:02:22):
Is, Muddy Waters, holland Wolf, all of them, guys. I
remember he did an interview before he died. It was
a commercial pill. He said, the greatest talent he ever
you know, encountered why in his business was like Holland
Wolf and the other guy Johnny Cash was he like
to the greatest artists. Know it's like Elvis everybody or
all these guys. But he said Elvis, not Elvis, but

(01:02:43):
it was Johnny Cash was the great ones for him.
But like even was like you know Eric Gales and
somebody mentioned him. He plays left handed by Jimmy Hendrick
and so like also Lee. He came back from Vietnam
and he almost got killed in Vietnam. I think he
had a metal Playton's head. Jimmy him on the phone,
say hey, man, when you want to play this gig
called Woodstalk. He did Woodstock just thinking about what stock. Yeah,

(01:03:06):
he called him and he was there the days before
Jimmy died.

Speaker 7 (01:03:10):
Under question circumstances. I interviewed Larry Lee's widow.

Speaker 1 (01:03:13):
I did an article for the Memphis tri State Defender
when he passed back in two thousand and seven. So
I got a chance to talk to his widow and
I saw I did my own interview of her. She
talked about how Larry told her that before Jimmy passed,
he was there with Jimmy. He saw these weird people around,
like weird strange women. They could have been intelligence officers
because like Jimmy did not die the way people think

(01:03:34):
he died.

Speaker 7 (01:03:35):
And his manager was Mike Jeffery who was British intelligence.

Speaker 1 (01:03:39):
He was like a CIA officer for Britain and he
disappeared at the airplane crash. They never recover his body,
but he was always Jimmy's estate. Jimmy was just twenty
seven when he died, which is interesting. But Jimmy was
a bit contributed to the Black Panther Party. He spent,
he gave a lot of money to the Black Panther Party,
so he was on the government surveillance. Like I said,
he used to jump out the planes for Uncle Sam.
But him and uh named John Lennon, they were always

(01:04:01):
giving You know, they were major problems because music is
used as.

Speaker 7 (01:04:05):
A way to control people moods and stuff like that.

Speaker 1 (01:04:07):
You know, you know, like they came out with the
Warren Commission report, right, you know what happened that got
folks distracted from.

Speaker 7 (01:04:14):
The Warren Commission report. They brought over the Beatles, you
know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (01:04:19):
And I remember Gregory told me because Dick Gregory detox
John Lennon and Yoko Ono. He got mind for drugs
for good and John Leonard shared that with the reason
why they brought us over here, Dick was to get
kids who thrown drugs. Listen to the song Lucy and
the Sky with Diamonds. That's lsd Hey Jujus by Heroin.
You know what I'm saying, Like, you know, and he

(01:04:40):
knew what they were being used. John Lennon want used.

Speaker 7 (01:04:43):
His powers for good. They got rid of him.

Speaker 4 (01:04:45):
Wow.

Speaker 7 (01:04:45):
You know he's talk about imagine and all that stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:04:47):
And Dick Gregory helped him write that because Dick Gregor
gave him a prayer book that he used to write
that that song. Wow, So he gave dig credit for that.
But I mean, I knew Dick Gregor for six years.
So he told me these stories and he was He's like,
you know, you can't believe this of like, because black
history is better than science fiction or any superhero movie.
You told the truth about our people. You couldn't believe
that we actually did that. Don't and survived that? But

(01:05:09):
we did.

Speaker 7 (01:05:10):
We did, we did.

Speaker 6 (01:05:11):
Yeah, And Ron I had the pleasure of interviewing Uh.

Speaker 7 (01:05:16):
It was interesting, it was good.

Speaker 4 (01:05:19):
I have to go back and find find that interview.
You're talking all w D I A Hi mister James,
Hello Bell Johnson.

Speaker 15 (01:05:31):
How you doing.

Speaker 4 (01:05:31):
I'm doing.

Speaker 20 (01:05:33):
Great, great to hear it, thinking about great information, interesting information, and.

Speaker 12 (01:05:38):
It's always good to hear you.

Speaker 11 (01:05:40):
Do you treat music because every better love to everybody's
going to music.

Speaker 21 (01:05:44):
Music is the universal language and nowhere years ago, music
is going to connect people together. But I want to
I got two questions for you, and I want to
pick it back on what you said about how serious
they don't they don't appreciate the legacy of their music.

Speaker 20 (01:05:59):
Uh, the same thing can be said about Memphis. How
this city, how people politicians who are from this city
seem like they don't appreciate the legacy of music.

Speaker 11 (01:06:12):
Of Memphis music.

Speaker 20 (01:06:14):
You would think that people that are in politics that's
from Memphis, that know the legacy of the music here
in Memphis would set aside tax dollars to grow more
to keep this music going. So my first question is
why do you think that's so? Why do you think

(01:06:34):
that we don't have politicians taking Memyshis music as serious
as they should. First, of a street should be set
aside purposely for music. A street that you can just
walk up, walk up and down. No automobiles or anything
like that, but just a street that people can walk
up and down and invest in Memphis music.

Speaker 11 (01:06:56):
Here in Memphis music.

Speaker 20 (01:06:58):
And that's the first question I want to ask you.
Why do you think that a politicians don't take Memphis
music as serious as they should? And my second question
is this. We heard so much about w DIA and
the white guy that established w VIA that that said,
you know, the radio stations were for country in Western
I can't remember his name now, what is his name?

Speaker 10 (01:07:20):
Is?

Speaker 6 (01:07:20):
John Pepper and Bert Ferguson. When they started wd IA
in nineteen forty seven, it was a country station, mister James.
They were not making money. Now, listen to me. They
were not making money. They went to a radio convention

(01:07:40):
and talking to folks and this somebody was saying, as
the story goes, that maybe you should broadcast to back
then it was the colored folks. So they came back
working their ideas and heard about Nat D.

Speaker 4 (01:07:56):
Williams who was so popular and popular on Bill.

Speaker 6 (01:07:58):
Street, and then w d IA in nineteen forty eight.
October twenty fifth, nineteen forty eight became the first for
matted black station in the United States of America, so
they were too they start off country what they weren't
making money. And I have to say this in radio,

(01:08:22):
radio is business and entertainment, and it's business first.

Speaker 12 (01:08:30):
Now I hope I answer that.

Speaker 6 (01:08:32):
Question, mister Ron don't have but so Ron can answer
your first question about politicians and the music.

Speaker 20 (01:08:37):
But I also want to ask him about birds Ferguson
and of his people still around, I would love to
do Yeah, yeah, I think.

Speaker 6 (01:08:45):
His daughter, he had a daughter, his daughter, I think
Diane is still around when they said to get the
call letters from, but I think his daughter is is
still around, mister James, and her name was Diane, and
they always said that that's what they got the d from.

Speaker 7 (01:09:02):
Like Wendy's. Yeah, yeah, I.

Speaker 20 (01:09:05):
Would love to hear something from some of his off
strings if they are. It would be interesting to hear
something how they viewed their father as what he was doing,
and you know, get some insight on that. But those
are the two questions.

Speaker 10 (01:09:20):
That I have.

Speaker 20 (01:09:21):
I hang up and I listen, and again, it's always
good to hear hear people talking about our culture, our music,
because it's all our culture, our music. So thank you
so much.

Speaker 6 (01:09:33):
Thank you, mister James. And Ron you can answer curse
he's a politician. Well, I want to say this, tell
mister James that, you know, we had a Memphis Music
Commission and Mayor Strickland and they decided to get rid
of it. So I don't know, Ron, they decided to
get rid of the Memphis Music Commission. I don't know why,

(01:09:54):
but hey, well.

Speaker 1 (01:09:56):
You know like politicians, they said policy, right, Yeah, at
least are the po enforces, you know. And the thing
about politicians is is that people mistake a politician for
a leader. The people that put them in that position
are the leaders. So if we don't fund our politicians,
we don't If the community don't come together invest in
these politicians, you don't have no say at the table

(01:10:18):
because they represent the interests of the people that put
them there or the entities that put them there. These
politicians are not leaders, they're representatives. They call them representatives.
They advocate for whoever put the most money in their
bank account or write the biggest checks that don't bounce.
That's how it goes in America. But until we get
people that we run from our community, that look like us,
that sound like us, that go through our experiences, you're

(01:10:39):
not gonna get the proper change. And a lot of
us are ignorant. Ignorant. Ignorance don't mean stupid, You just
don't know. Like Harry Truman, the President said, the only
thing new is the history that you don't know. A
lot of these people don't know, a lot of these
music educators I talked to, they don't know.

Speaker 7 (01:10:55):
I'm not a music educator.

Speaker 1 (01:10:57):
I mean, I just came from the I came from Saturn,
the Sunrow Festival. It's down in Birmingham, and some Row
say you from Saturn. He from Saturn. So Birmingham was
saturning for a whole week at a first annual Sunrow Festival.
You cannot hell. You could not tell the history of
funk music with our son rock. But yet a lot
of folks don't know who the hell he is. This
man was playing on electric sensitizers and all this stuff

(01:11:18):
in the forties. He was doing the stuff that you know,
Parliament for the Dells, all those guys. He was doing
it in the forties. I saw the thing he was
working on. I went to the Alabama Jazz Hall of
Fame Museum down there was the Sunrow Orchestra play. You
know the man who leaves that orchestra is named Marshall Allen.
He turned one hundred and one years old on May

(01:11:40):
to twenty six. He's still playing at a high level.
He just had his debut album come out on Valentine's
Dad at one hundred years old this year.

Speaker 4 (01:11:48):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (01:11:48):
And he's a back dynamic. He invented instruments. But some
Row look at the footage. Some Row were playing sensitizers
back in the fifties and this stuff is so far
out there, but it's full part of us, like he's not.
He had a gospel quartet in Birmingham. He left Birmingham
at thirty two to make it big. And I met
his relatives and like his sister said in the funeral coverage,

(01:12:10):
she said, you know, I don't know who this son
Raw is that you know. You know she knew to
her a brother, but Snraw was a different entity. But
my thing is, we don't know who we really are,
you know what I'm saying. We confused about what our
assignments are. With the politicians, like they're not the leaders
though you gotta you know whoever put them in that place.
It's like the problem with politics is just too much
of money, and then you got to answer to the

(01:12:32):
people that put you.

Speaker 7 (01:12:33):
You can't.

Speaker 1 (01:12:34):
I told a prominent politician here, I'm gonna say, God say.

Speaker 7 (01:12:37):
His name or I say his name.

Speaker 1 (01:12:39):
Fine, okay, Paul Young, Okay, I said, I thought to
Paul Young, Paul Young, good guy.

Speaker 7 (01:12:44):
I met him back on March. No, he was introduced
to me before that.

Speaker 1 (01:12:47):
But when he was running for mayor March to twenty
twenty three, he was at Lamar one doing a meet
and greet. I had a chance to talk to him
one on one. I can tell he loved Memphis. He
knew a lot, He loved Memphis. He understood the issues
of Memphis. When I told him this, I said, Man,
I don't know, may I don't think you could tell
them folks know you took all their money from what

(01:13:12):
cause I got. You know, you think about Kennedy, think
about doctor King. You can't tell certain people No, the
ain't gonna set but it as a known so I
mean the mayor, like, what's going on right now in
the city is unfortunate, you know. But the thing about
it is is that if he had the support from
the people like you know. My thing is he didn't
get he got less than thirty percent of the vote.

(01:13:33):
You know what I'm saying, the vote was split when
Harrington and Bonner and all that stuff. My thing, if
he got fifty percent of the vote or fifty one
percent of the vote, man, you go people's president on
people's mayor, you could do some things.

Speaker 7 (01:13:45):
But he don't have that, you know.

Speaker 1 (01:13:46):
Political capital from the people to be able to do
those things, and so people complain. I mean, they did
things behind his back. I think, you know, like certain
things that we complain about now. My thing is that
if we ran a candidate that spoke our issues and
stopped being afraid of people. Because Memphis is a very
clicks town yesterday, I'm not in divine science. I'm not amazing.

(01:14:06):
I don't got the right last name, so I don't
get the right support, and people don't like me for
whatever reason.

Speaker 7 (01:14:11):
It's not even a good and you had a good
reason not to like me.

Speaker 1 (01:14:14):
I respect it, but it's like it's a weird reason
that people don't want to mess with me in this town.
I thank god people like Beab Johnson for allowing her
platform to do what I'm doing. But My thing is,
if you don't have that type of stuff, it's not
about the issues. At the end of the day, Memphis
is a great place. Atlanta has lost its ranking as
the black city. This is what kanda. Memphis is wakanda.
They got y'all thinking that y'all kids are Frankenstein, But

(01:14:37):
the real Frankenstein is doctor Frankenstein.

Speaker 7 (01:14:39):
The real monsters are the.

Speaker 1 (01:14:40):
Systems and entities and people that keep this stuff going.
And it starts with our music. Memphis is a powerful
energy portal, the vibrations, the chakras. Some row understood that,
you know, God gonna judge you by the music you produce.
You produce some low vibrational stuff affecting people's chakras. That's
the problem. You can't talk about Memphis if you run

(01:15:00):
with for Memphis. If you're a rapper or whatever, you
talk about Memphis being chaotic and mayhem and you afraid
to walk down the street or live in Memphis, you
probably the problem. You know, take back the music, take
back our story. But my thing is, we got a
lot of resources here that everybody else want. They got
just thinking that we don't want ourselves. It's like, you know,
the NACP Image Awards. They took a lot of money

(01:15:20):
from Wells Fargo. They have their image high quality Grammy
Oscar level. But guess what, Wells Faga got a lot
of black folks homeless in Shelby County after the House
and bubble, Wells Fag prayed on black people in this county.
And yeah, you know, because we can help, Caesar said
the best, give them bread and circuses.

Speaker 7 (01:15:37):
You could do whatever you want.

Speaker 1 (01:15:38):
You know, who care you talking about celebrity news, that's
the top news, and you want you worry about what
KNYE got to say and who's doing who and all
this stuff, and they taking everything from you right before
your eyes.

Speaker 7 (01:15:48):
Now you got a great.

Speaker 1 (01:15:50):
City in Myphis was a great narrative with great people
and great resources that everybody want except for Myphis. Eggpay
will say, myth fights, my thing, My thing is that
doctor King. This still is not cursed.

Speaker 7 (01:16:03):
They killed President Kennedy in Dallas, Dallas booming right. You know,
members ain't curse because King got killed.

Speaker 11 (01:16:09):
Here.

Speaker 1 (01:16:10):
Memphis is cursed because we do not know who we
are as a collective, and we're not acting our interest
and we are afraid to be ourselves God cannot bless
a city or blessed individuals less you show up as you. No,
if I'm gonna be hated, I'm be hated because I'm me.
I'm gonna be loved and be loved because I'm me.
But it's started with me loving myself enough and standing
on something to know that this can't keep on going down.

Speaker 7 (01:16:31):
We were losing a lot of good people over bs
and partying bs. I'm sorry, I don't got my soul.

Speaker 6 (01:16:36):
Buch, that's all right, that's all right, that's all right,
definitely U D I a high caller.

Speaker 12 (01:16:42):
Good afternoon, sister Bev.

Speaker 4 (01:16:44):
Good afternoon, mo Lee. How are your.

Speaker 12 (01:16:46):
Brother very much enjoining the conversation? And brother heard, kudos
to you. I look forward to hearing you whenever you
are on. My mother was classically trained in voice and piano.

(01:17:09):
However I grew up listening to Jimmy Lunsbert on seventy
eight RPMs what and and and and my. I had
an address of East Tremont Avenue in the Bronx, so

(01:17:32):
that is that is not my home ground. However, even
though I was playing sports, I was also in a
high school band in orchestra and then had had to
play the piano for the teenage choir. Uh, there was
another sister who played the organ. She was a couple

(01:17:53):
of years older than I, was extremely more talented than
me and majored in music at that's how good she was. However,
music training helps develop language and reasoning, so students who
have early musical training will develop the areas of the

(01:18:16):
brain related to language and reasoning, and the left side
of the brain is better developed with music. Music also
helps to increase and enhance the mastery of memorization, so
even when students are performing with sheet music, they are

(01:18:40):
constantly using their memory to perform, so the skill of
memorization conserve students well in all their education. Then there
is the matter of increased coordination. Students who practice with

(01:19:02):
musical instruments can improve and they do improve their hand
eye coordination, So just like playing sports, children can develop
motor skills when playing music. And then, of course there's
that sense of achievement when you learn to play pieces

(01:19:22):
of music and you see them something far off and
they become somehow an achievable goal. So students who master
even the smallest goal in music will be able to
feel proud of their achievement. I like that aspect of

(01:19:44):
emotional development with respect to music, because students of music,
I believe are more emotionally developed than those who are
not because with empathy, they have empathy towards other cultures.
And that means you think of Yusef Latif, Herbie Mann,

(01:20:05):
Eric Dulfi, Dizzy in terms of Afro Cuban, Hugh Masechila,
Michael Alatunji. The students of music have a tendency to
have a higher self esteem, better able to handle anxiety,
and feel more comfortable in terms of dealing with folks

(01:20:29):
of different cultures. And then there is a pattering recognition.
The children can develop their math and pattern recognition with
the help of music education, but that ends up with
better SAT scores. The results for all that students who

(01:20:50):
experience music appreciation score an average of sixty points higher
on the verbal and the forty five points higher on
the math s a ks for students who have had
the music appreciation courses. And then lastly, music can develop
that concept of spatial intelligence, and that is that how

(01:21:14):
it's able to They're able to perceive the world uh
through mental pictures. They don't have to have that object
in their hands and to feel it mentally, they can
conceive of it, they can develop it in their mind,
and they can work with it. And bless you, my brother,
for for exposing us to uh this, this tremendous concept of.

Speaker 16 (01:21:39):
The world of music.

Speaker 12 (01:21:41):
And may you both continue to thrive.

Speaker 4 (01:21:44):
Thank you, Mole, Thank you w D. I a high caller.
Oh hi on the air.

Speaker 11 (01:21:53):
Yeh, Bill both you're doing today?

Speaker 4 (01:21:57):
Doing well?

Speaker 7 (01:21:58):
Call it is?

Speaker 11 (01:22:00):
Look I all fine? Thank you. The reason I'm calling
says this amusing month. I like to talk about two
musicians African Americans that people do not I think are underappreciated.
Those two individuals are Clifton Davis and Melvine Moore.

Speaker 6 (01:22:18):
Now, yeah, I had the pleasure Carl of interviewing mister
Clifton Davis. Yeah, I had the pleasure of interviewing mister
Clifton Davis and Melvimore on my.

Speaker 11 (01:22:34):
Show, Bell Johnson. We need to get to you a mellow.
You know how to get people on your show. Well,
let me say this about Melvine Moore. I believe she
still holds a record for carrying the lowest note as
a female singer in her song Falling. As for mister Davis.

(01:22:56):
He's the one that wrote that hit song never Can't
Say Goodbye, and he is an enconscious actor and writer.
I also believe if the rectors will, I'm not sure.

Speaker 4 (01:23:06):
Well, you know, Carl, did you know, Carl?

Speaker 6 (01:23:08):
He is in the new black soap opera that's on
every day on TV channel on CBS. Oh, really check
him out. That the black soap opera is called Beyond
the Gates.

Speaker 4 (01:23:20):
He is starring in. It comes on at one o'clock
on CBS. Black black soap.

Speaker 6 (01:23:25):
Opera, the first one in what thirty something years black
soap to.

Speaker 11 (01:23:29):
Ger rations, I believe is he playing the patriarch? Yes
he is, Yes he is all right there. So I'll
like get your opinion both of those singers, and I'll
hang up and listen.

Speaker 6 (01:23:43):
Thank you, Carl, Wow, Thanks Melbourne ball At Clifton Davis.
You know a little bit about him.

Speaker 1 (01:23:49):
I used to look at a man growing up. He
was like real man, you know, like you know he
was passed on a man. And I know I never
can say goodbye? And I sold sister Melville Moore, a
star on Hollywood Walker Fame was sponsored by Kat Williams.
He talked about her deserving that star and being honored
a lot of times when people say underappreciated, who are

(01:24:10):
they underappreciated by? He definitely has a great appreciation for
Clifton Davis and Melbourne Moore. I think people just like
last time we talked, was somebody talk about Miel Guru Miller,
the piano player from the Delta from Greenwood. It's your
job to advocate for these people. It's like I'm advocating
for Jimmy Lunsfor That's right, he's very undervalua, but he's
not undervalued by me and I.

Speaker 7 (01:24:30):
You know, once you.

Speaker 1 (01:24:31):
Start advocating with stuff, you can speak whatever you want
to with the existence words create worlds like well, if
you focus on so men, I don't think they underappreciated.
It depends on where're trying to get their validation from.

Speaker 6 (01:24:43):
And I'm smiling also run because gave Mount Moore, who
was as jockey on w d A. He told he
said Melboure was his daughter. Now I don't know if
that's so, but he told us that. Yeah, so wow,
we never know. Hold on, callers, We're gonna go get
more history from mister Ron heard. He's gonna also tell

(01:25:07):
y'all what he's doing tomorrow for Jimmy Longsford. So stick
and stay five three five nine three four two eight
hundred five zero three nine three four two eight three
three five three five nine three four two.

Speaker 4 (01:25:20):
You're listening to.

Speaker 6 (01:25:22):
The legendary w d IA the Bethtsshow.

Speaker 13 (01:25:49):
You're listening to Tennessee Radio Hall of Famer Bev Johnson on.

Speaker 11 (01:25:54):
W d I A.

Speaker 13 (01:26:26):
You're listening to the Bev Johnson Show. Here's Bev Johnson.

Speaker 6 (01:26:30):
And we're talking with music Historia and Ron heard Ron.
We're going to our phone lines going out to California.

Speaker 10 (01:26:38):
Hi, Shirley, Well, good morning, good morning, good morning. It's
afternoon there.

Speaker 6 (01:26:43):
I know.

Speaker 10 (01:26:44):
However, mister Harper is no no, no, I am. I
was on my way out the door, but it threw
me back like a blast to hear this young man.

Speaker 12 (01:27:00):
I'm seventy three.

Speaker 10 (01:27:01):
Beth and maulgrew Miller and I played in the same
group through high school. And actually I was classically trained
by my mom, who was a well known musician in Greenwood, Mississippi,
where I'm sure you guys know the area of Emmitt Till. Now,

(01:27:23):
with that said, I grew up in an environment in
a Catholic environment of Saint Francis of Paris there, who
was strictly into teaching us music and of course things
about love and all the good stuff. Okay, but anyway,

(01:27:44):
fast forward. I moved to California years and years ago,
and just recently I happen to have a group of
young rock stars over just visiting, and they were looking
around then, so they saw these albums, and so I
happened to ask one of the young men, who must

(01:28:05):
have been in his early thirties, I said, are you
guys familiar with a guy named Margrew Miller? And they
looked at me. Right now, these are rock musicians. They
looked at me, and they say, Margrew Miller. If you're
into music and you don't know Maulgrew Miller, you don't
know anything about music. And this threw me for a

(01:28:26):
loop because Margrew came to my mother to try and
get some musical, you know, instructions, and she told him immediately, no,
you go to school, go to Tennessee, get you some education.
Put that behind you and then you you know.

Speaker 17 (01:28:47):
That will take you far.

Speaker 10 (01:28:49):
Now, Margrew was a man, a gentle, a gentle giant.

Speaker 12 (01:28:53):
Mister Hurt did you know Maulgrew.

Speaker 1 (01:28:56):
I know, no, ma'am. I know people that I knew him.
I know people that knew him.

Speaker 10 (01:29:00):
Oh my goodness. Well, you know what I'd like to
do once this program is over. I'd like to get
back with you at a phone number where we can
just check.

Speaker 11 (01:29:12):
I have a lot of musical.

Speaker 10 (01:29:14):
Information that you might be appreciative of. But I heard
you guys speaking about music appreciation or appreciation about something
maybe about yourself.

Speaker 12 (01:29:26):
And you you are so right.

Speaker 10 (01:29:29):
Let's stop saying under appreciate it because we spread the
news about these musicians and they are appreciated. Oh well,
I guess you hear this big old train that's trying
to deliver let's trying to deliver some of this Trump lumber.

Speaker 12 (01:29:46):
Oh my god, please excuse it. Okay, please excuse it.

Speaker 10 (01:29:50):
But the thing is, mister Hurd, what I'll do, taking
away from my concentration.

Speaker 6 (01:30:05):
I was gonna say that you can go back on
the podcast and Ron will leave all his information how
you can get in touch with Johnnie.

Speaker 10 (01:30:12):
Okay, great, but I wanted to let you know the miss,
miss Jocker, I try and catch you before I leave
out every morning, and I'm gonna tell you are my heart.
I don't know how old you are, but you cover
everything from the time it seems like I was born,
which is nineteen fifty two. But let me tell you,

(01:30:36):
I spread the news about your guys there at w D.
I a and to and to hear this young man.
I hope I'm saying it right.

Speaker 4 (01:30:45):
Yes he is.

Speaker 10 (01:30:47):
He's a he is on top of it, and it
warms my heart and it makes me have chills because
I'm trying to figure out how come we out here.
I'm not hearing much about this man. I mean, I'm
gonna talk with him. I'm gonna listen. I'm gonna spread

(01:31:07):
the word. And you guys at WDA keep doing what
you're doing. Memphis, Memphis, Memphis, Memphis. I loved Memphis when
I was growing up.

Speaker 21 (01:31:19):
My mother loved Memphis.

Speaker 10 (01:31:21):
And to see what I don't want to say it,
but to see what has happened with me coming back
and forth, it brings tears, I mean actual tears. And
I'm a strong person, and it brings tears because I
know it can be better. I know it can be better.

Speaker 20 (01:31:39):
We need some more music.

Speaker 10 (01:31:41):
And like you say, that young man that called in
if we can put some music, it would spread some love.
I mean, music puts different things on your mind when
you're playing. I play. I played piano only, and my
mother used to emphasiz put yourself into it. And I

(01:32:03):
didn't understand what she was talking about until I left
the music world and now this world, if we could
get more music into our schools. See, I went to
all white high school only because we had to go
after doctor King was killed. Okay, I didn't want to

(01:32:25):
go because I knew they were going to put me
over there in the music class. And sure enough, my
music teacher from the black school to all this instructor
that I played piano. Well, they put me the first
black pianist found all these white kids.

Speaker 12 (01:32:44):
And let me tell you, it changed the.

Speaker 10 (01:32:46):
Whole lot of stuff because I was able to communicate
with kids that really wanted to communicate and you know,
get to know each other, and that's what music does. Okay,
hanging there, and I love you guys, and mister her

(01:33:07):
you will hear from Miss Shirley, okay saying I will
be calling back on another day because I'm still trying
to find out how did my mother know that who
we harry Bellafante and Sidney Poitier was gonna speak. They

(01:33:29):
brought that money from Robert Kennedy there. But we woke
up one morning and there they were, and believe it
or not, they were her two heart drops. Okay, you
never no, no, no, we never knew that we would
see someone like that. Okay, this was the height of
the civil rights movement.

Speaker 15 (01:33:48):
We woke up in here.

Speaker 10 (01:33:50):
Okay, we woke up and here's Harry Bellafante, Sidney Poitier,
and she's acting like, oh, this is something I do
every day. And we're trying to figure out how does
she know they were coming?

Speaker 11 (01:34:01):
Who kept that secret?

Speaker 10 (01:34:04):
I'm still trying to find out how did she know
that they were coming? And if somebody could tell me that,
because she's gone. Okay, but I do think if she
had told us, something would have gone wrong because we
would have spread the news that they were on their way.

Speaker 6 (01:34:19):
I know, well, you know what, Shirley, I feel like
your mother because when I had the pleasure of interviewing
mister Harry Belafonte, oh he touched my heart. Oh so
I know what you're talking about.

Speaker 7 (01:34:31):
Sister.

Speaker 10 (01:34:32):
Thank you have a wonderful day, and you'll hear from
me again and stay blessed, blessing.

Speaker 12 (01:34:41):
Okay you later.

Speaker 4 (01:34:44):
Bye bye. I know what her mother was talking about.

Speaker 6 (01:34:47):
When I met Harry Belafontaine and then when I interviewed him,
and when he said to me, he and his wife,
I invited her and he said, Bev Johnson, you need
to be in New York.

Speaker 4 (01:35:00):
Hold me that wrong?

Speaker 6 (01:35:01):
Oh my, so you know I spell out he He said,
bab Johnson, you need to be in New York.

Speaker 4 (01:35:08):
Harry Belafonte told me that.

Speaker 7 (01:35:11):
You got on take too right, got it?

Speaker 4 (01:35:15):
Yeah?

Speaker 17 (01:35:19):
How are you doing?

Speaker 4 (01:35:19):
I'm doing well?

Speaker 22 (01:35:20):
How are you to your guests as well?

Speaker 15 (01:35:24):
I want to know.

Speaker 22 (01:35:25):
If it's okay for me to ask you a question
not pertaining to your type of tom today, but it
was something you spoke of on the other day. But
I was just trying to get some quick information, if
you can. What was that was that there's supposed to
be a seminar I believe today with Attorney Bradley at
the Benjamin Hooks Building.

Speaker 4 (01:35:46):
A seminar today you know the public.

Speaker 10 (01:35:50):
Library, Yes, ma'am.

Speaker 22 (01:35:53):
You know happened speaking with him about uh, you know,
people taking care of loved ones and then they can
help you with.

Speaker 6 (01:36:01):
All the h Let me try to find that and
and I'll sit on the air if it's so, and
I'll sit on their before we get out.

Speaker 12 (01:36:08):
Yeah.

Speaker 20 (01:36:08):
I think it's today.

Speaker 6 (01:36:09):
I believe it was, Yeah, because I had the folks
on talking about Yeah, the elder care.

Speaker 22 (01:36:17):
Yeah, but you don't know what Lord.

Speaker 6 (01:36:19):
Gosh, if you if you call the library, call them
Brenda and they can tell you and they can tell
you what time in the floor, in the room and
all that.

Speaker 17 (01:36:29):
Okay, man, all right, okay, thank you.

Speaker 11 (01:36:31):
Yeah, I have a blessed you.

Speaker 4 (01:36:32):
You're welcome. Bye bye w d I a.

Speaker 9 (01:36:36):
Hi caller, my most beautiful African vitor. How you doing today,
my sister.

Speaker 4 (01:36:42):
I'm doing well, my David, how are you?

Speaker 9 (01:36:46):
I'm doing well, Sirs. I appreciate you taking a call.
I'm gonna try to be uh.

Speaker 7 (01:36:51):
Try to be quit.

Speaker 4 (01:36:52):
Yeah. So yeah, there't be no.

Speaker 14 (01:36:54):
Today, No, not not x l t X. I got
a new name expell t I got boy.

Speaker 11 (01:37:04):
That was so funny. How you doing great? Man?

Speaker 7 (01:37:08):
You doing great as well?

Speaker 14 (01:37:10):
Man? Yeah?

Speaker 9 (01:37:11):
Man, let me let me just tell you you gonna
always be good with me because you ain't want to
Bear's boyfriend strin me.

Speaker 11 (01:37:20):
But let me say this.

Speaker 16 (01:37:26):
Okay, I won't leave that alone alone, but.

Speaker 9 (01:37:31):
Let me first say because I called for one specific
point and then some other comments, and I'm I'm gonna
be out of here. Thank you, young brother, for what
you've done for us and making sure mister Lumpey's name
is kept a lot embarrassing. So I didn't even know
mister Lunxel. I think I saw him as part of
the jazz Ken Baron's Jazz series, but I'm not sure

(01:37:54):
about that. But you came on Bell Show, I believe
for the first time, and you had something down at
the New or Old Days, I can't remember which one, Okay, Yeah,
and I came by as well and had a great
time that night.

Speaker 11 (01:38:13):
So I appreciate you.

Speaker 9 (01:38:15):
I love history, and I just told Bart we need
to protect it and protect those who protected like doctor
Happer and other brothers. But so I'm a little bit
ashamed that I didn't know who Mr Lunch for them
being a jazz fan like I am. On the on
brother Hendrix, What's interesting, I knew some of you know.

(01:38:36):
You know about the star Stangle banner, and you know
about his greatest purple purple haze but I didn't find
Little Wing until Steam covered Little Wings and I looked
up to say, well, who wrote this, and it's Hendricks
and then I went to find his version. And I

(01:38:56):
love both of them, frankly, but it's just shows you
and what he's been talking about, Sister Bell is the
genius of black people, the absolute genius of us through
through the music that we've created, the original art forms
we created for this country. And we keep giving this
country gifts and we keep getting open boxes back and

(01:39:20):
that's sad. But let me just say again, brother God,
keep you, thank you for what you've done for us
to make sure. And I need to start on mister
Lunford and finding his music and listening to it. And
I don't know where to start, but maybe you can.

Speaker 11 (01:39:37):
You can.

Speaker 9 (01:39:38):
When I hang up, you can give me an idea
of of of how we can do that. So thank you, Bell, Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:39:47):
Yeah, yeah yeah, Ron. Where can you find his music?

Speaker 7 (01:39:49):
Find it everywhere? Now streaming platforms?

Speaker 1 (01:39:51):
Will it be Amazon Prime or Spotify, iTunes, Go, YouTube
is everywhere?

Speaker 7 (01:39:57):
They use his music for cartoons back in the day.

Speaker 1 (01:39:59):
You know, have rhythm in my nursing round, rhythm in
my nurse around, all like tell me, Jerry Show a
lot of time.

Speaker 7 (01:40:05):
To use lunch for music, music and stuff to do
that stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:40:09):
So I mean he's everywhere, like you know we like
we the people, we everywhere, but we nowhere.

Speaker 7 (01:40:13):
Like you know, we everywhere, but we know where.

Speaker 1 (01:40:15):
Like Dick Gregor used to say, or when a universal
god chooses you sometimes leaves no evidence, leaves no fingerprints,
but we everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Speaker 7 (01:40:25):
So it's like music is everywhere. I mean, like the
standards and stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:40:29):
It's like you know, you know, you think about like
they talk about free jazz, right people like all that's crazy,
it sounds weird. All that is is going back to
the past. It's going back to why the group improvisational
stuff they were doing New Orleans, everybody playing their little
line whatever like that. There's nothing new under the sun,
Like like Harry Truman said, the only thing he knew
is the history that you don't know.

Speaker 7 (01:40:49):
So like even when.

Speaker 1 (01:40:50):
Launchfer, I mean, there's no shame in not knowing about
who this man was because the people who loved him
the most, they didn't leave the evidence behind that they
loved them the most. A lot of times like you
got to go back in the archives, and like the
history is always told by whoever got the agenda and
the resources to tell it, so well I'm doing right now.

Speaker 7 (01:41:09):
I've been doing this for a long long time.

Speaker 1 (01:41:10):
Like the fact that he talked about the Old Daisy
Show where we did the Legacy Awards back in twenty seventeen.
It's almost almost a decade ago, and I think by
all the stuff I went through, maybe I didn't know
any better. But I started going back in my own
family tree. I found out that my father's mother, when
she was in high school, she was parbat of a
female singing group. When Jimmy Lungs with them came to Kansas,

(01:41:31):
she performed with them. I didn't know that until twenty thirteen.
She told me I performed with Jimmy Nuns feeling in
the King and that's how popular was then her folks.
They grew up with Charlie Parker in Kansas City. So
Charlie Potter played for some of my great uncle's establishments
like restaurants and clubs, and then her sister hoboed her
way to Detroit when she was disguised as a man

(01:41:53):
at the age of thirteen or whatever, fifteen hobo her
way up to Detroit and became her own little interesting character.
She used to cook and cook food for the jazz
musicians coming into Detroit, like Dizzy Gelessie. Those people like
that will come by our house to help food and
the smoke some weed.

Speaker 7 (01:42:11):
My grandma's sister.

Speaker 1 (01:42:12):
But I'm saying, even like with this this music thing,
like you gotta go on your trees. I found out
on my father's side through his mom my cousins like
Curtis Mayfield sister, Rosetta Thark, Marvin Gay, Big Miller from
Kansas City, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, the famous gospel singing for Detroit.
These my people. But we all got people like that.
We all just really kiss and cousins. Yeah, like we

(01:42:34):
all from different plantations, all mixed up. But I'm saying,
just know that you come from people like that. Greatness
is in our DNA.

Speaker 7 (01:42:41):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (01:42:42):
You just got to access it and figure out what
to do with it on your own term. It's like
with Ryan Coopler coming back to the Delta or whatever.
He ain't come to Mississippi. He was a grown man
to work on this movie. But you know his uncle
James implanted that history in him, that connectivity to his store.
So you look at whatever you thought about senters. I

(01:43:03):
think senators like how Steven Spielberg viewed his shitlanch List,
like this is the story about his people been told
him as a kid.

Speaker 7 (01:43:11):
Yeah, and you know he's probably that's probably his favorite movie.

Speaker 1 (01:43:13):
It ain't the most like got the biggest budget, of
the most cgi stuff, but it's because it's a story
about his people, and it meant that much to him
to tell that story and to preserve that story. And
I feel like we all our storytellers in our own right,
Like everything is about basically telling stories. So with mister Lunsford,
you know, he died of the question of circumstances of
July twelve, forty seven, at forty five years old up

(01:43:34):
in the Oregon somewhere where they didn't they said in
that constitution that blacks can own, live on property, to
live and work there. It's like in that constitution before
two years for the Civil War, you had this black
man who's a son of the South, standing ten toes
down saying, I am a man.

Speaker 7 (01:43:51):
You will respect me as a man, and you know
it is what it is.

Speaker 1 (01:43:55):
But My thing is like what nat Dee William said,
the Righteous Ancess Star. Don't forget this man, he thought
enough of Memphis be buried here. Don't let his legacy
be buried with him in the Nwood Cemetery.

Speaker 7 (01:44:06):
And we'll be there tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (01:44:07):
N They'll be at noon the Nwood Cemetery out on
Dudley Street whatever in South Memphis, you know, in the
Soulsville area.

Speaker 4 (01:44:16):
Is like, yeah, it's in Soulsville.

Speaker 7 (01:44:18):
Yeah, So like we will be there at noon. By
the hours. How we doing.

Speaker 1 (01:44:21):
We're doing this for a long time, just giving this
man his flowers on his birthday, which would be as
one hundred and twenty third birthday tomorrow.

Speaker 10 (01:44:28):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (01:44:29):
Sometimes I'm only there my mom and I and then
sometimes be groups of people there. But it's like we
just got to make sure that we acknowledge this greatness
because keep his legacy going, because like I promise you
central you know, Memphis jazz worship was the reason why
I connected with doctor Steve Lee at that time in
twenty seventeen where he talked about well, we talked about
Jimmy Lungs for the greatness, launch for it. And I'm

(01:44:50):
always like, you know why am I the person chose
to do these jobs?

Speaker 7 (01:44:54):
I mean, I don't want the job.

Speaker 1 (01:44:55):
I don't want to think people think he's smarter than
he just think he's so smart. I ain't about me
so smart about if God puts something in me, it's
not supposed to be kept with me for be given out.
But I you know, I like some reciprocation and stuff.
But like, you know, it gets to like a point.
I'm forty five, now you know I'm in the same
age Gamy Launster left the planet whatever, became an ancestor.

Speaker 7 (01:45:15):
So I think about stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:45:16):
I was like, man, like, what is the most important
thing for me to be doing right now? Is it
for me to try to fit in and try to
do what people think I should be doing, or it
is for for me to allow God to use me
as a tool for whatever a bigger agenda that's bigger
than my imagination.

Speaker 6 (01:45:32):
I was gonna ask you Ron if you say it
was a bonanza, do they have a portrait of him
over there or.

Speaker 7 (01:45:40):
It's weird.

Speaker 1 (01:45:40):
I'm like when a Twilight Zone they don't have nothing
over there. It's like I come there and they're like, ah,
he just doing this for free. We'll give him some kids.
And I mean that's how people treat me in this town.
It's like, yeah, you know what I'm saying, said, yeah,
I already know the town be cause Memphis is a
place where you train the town when you develop it.
You got to leave though. That's the whole you know.

(01:46:01):
You can't stay here because if you stay here.

Speaker 7 (01:46:02):
You just be whatever.

Speaker 1 (01:46:04):
You know, but you got to lead because like even
like now, men think about some raw. When I went
to his Saturday, you know, in Somenraw in Birmingham, it
was a spiritual like I was looking like a sound
quest like I'm trying to connect with the ancestors because
Sonorrow being exposed to him twenty seven years ago, going
on twenty years ago in college, saved my life. It

(01:46:24):
turned my life around, gave me some type of purpose
and understand that I come from a great people and
that you know, I don't need nobody to validate my
greatness because I was created by the most heart to
do his work, you know what I'm saying. So like
my thing is, I'm looking like, you know, let me
just do what God wants me to do, and God
gonna take care of the rest. I can't you know,
I can't worry about like all this stuff that's stressing

(01:46:45):
people out. I lost too many people over the last
several years. But no, this is Man's Mental Health Awareness Month.
A lot of dudes be suffering in silence. Yes, Like
when I ask somebody in the public, like how you doing,
I really do want to know how you doing.

Speaker 7 (01:46:57):
No, I can't help you not. I don't. Are you crazy? Okay?

Speaker 1 (01:46:59):
I just but it's good to know. But God gonna
be good. But that I am concerned about people.

Speaker 6 (01:47:05):
Yeah, But you know what, Ron, I appreciate you because
and I'll be honest with you, before I met you,
you coming on show, I didn't know who Jimmy longs. Okay,
and you gave me and you gave me a history,
which I love because I'm a music person.

Speaker 4 (01:47:18):
I love music. Music. I always tell people growing up, music.

Speaker 6 (01:47:23):
Helped saved my life, saved it and shaped it. And
I love music and I always tell people, ron, I
came from two best worlds of music, motown and status.
I so, you know, going up in Michigan motab then
I come home the summer time stack soul music shaped

(01:47:44):
and saved my life. So I appreciate you. But because
you give us history, you tell us about these musicians
I love, and we're going to get out of here.
I know, I know it's long, But when you tell
the story because people because somebody has people don't know
story that you told about Louis Armstrong and his wife
came from Memphis.

Speaker 1 (01:48:04):
Yeah, born by Bill Street, February third, eighteen ninety eight,
near Bill Street, Lil Hearted Armstrong. I didn't know that
the mother of modern American music really, and you think
about it because even think about country western, we invented
that too. Because like Het Williams singing is the king
of country music. His mama hired a dude named Rufus
t Top Payne, who was a multi instrumentalist, very gifted musician.
He taught Heck Williams how to do the country and

(01:48:27):
stuff before Hank Williams died at twenty nine years old.
I think on the question circumstances, he gave credit to
t Top you know, and then he's buried in Lincoln Cemetery.
T Tid is outside of Montgomery. And what his son
did and grant On Opry, they raised money and put
an opolisk outside in the front interest of the cemetery
because he even buried in the unmarine.

Speaker 7 (01:48:46):
Great, they don't know where he's buried at.

Speaker 1 (01:48:47):
But even his son, grand On Oper had a knowledge
the fact that the guy who taught their guy was
a black man.

Speaker 4 (01:48:54):
Wow.

Speaker 7 (01:48:54):
And you know his son did a song called te Top.
They talk about t Todd or even Jimmy Rodgers. I
love like Jimmy Rodgers from Marindi in Mississippi.

Speaker 1 (01:49:03):
He did a song called Blue Yoda number nine that
everybody should listen to.

Speaker 7 (01:49:07):
It got got through his armstarle On Champing or Cornell
or whatever. You got my wife and little house on
song on the piano.

Speaker 1 (01:49:14):
And it's set in Memphis. It's like on the corner
of Bill Lamine. What's on the corner of Bill Lamine?
The orphan that I was shooting craps and I sitting
out on around his home. I love that song and
I love country music. That's our people, like Ray Charles,
those our people. That's our stuff. Everything that they say
is not our stuff is our stuff. But what I
fear because I went to the song Row Festival. Now,

(01:49:35):
it's not a bad thing. It's a whole lot of
white people there, but not enough of us there. And
the thing about it is like I told them, I said, y'all,
y'all gonna make song white song raw white like Jesus
and Beethoven and people lay us. And now they gonna
know they gonna make Tupac white because we don't understand
who we are and everybody in the Bible white.

Speaker 7 (01:49:53):
Matter of fact.

Speaker 1 (01:49:53):
You know, it's think about it with Jimmy Carter the president,
he announced this this Black Music Month, and everybody got
all they months now. But Jimmy Cotter's cousin is Berry Gordy.
That's his blood cousin. His blood cousin Barry Gardy. What
yeah on his mama, founder of Motive. Yeah, he's related
to Jimmy. Cottage is out of town from Georgia. Wow,

(01:50:14):
I can look that up.

Speaker 7 (01:50:15):
That's a history.

Speaker 6 (01:50:17):
Well, well, Ron, you know what, I appreciate you and
and sharing and and I don't know for this months over,
I have to get you back.

Speaker 4 (01:50:26):
You've got a lot of history that we need to know,
music history.

Speaker 6 (01:50:30):
And thank you so much and give our folks the
time that you're going to be doing the reef laying
ceremony tomorrow, em Wood.

Speaker 4 (01:50:37):
For Jimmy Law.

Speaker 1 (01:50:38):
It could be at noon and by one and y'all
can reach me if y'all got you know, do that
for so I gotta follow and text you can. This
is my personal whatever. I don't have no personal life,
I guess, but it's Nazera one two nine nine four
three five five. That's NA zero one two nine nine

(01:50:58):
four three five five. You can reach me there with
your questions whatever support you know.

Speaker 7 (01:51:03):
I run a non profit. We run a non prophet
that we all be grouping.

Speaker 1 (01:51:06):
Come and speak to your children, do whatever, you know.
I'm working on some books now. I got a book
out called James Jazz Lieutenant. It needs to be updated.
I self publish it back in two thousand and five.
I wrote and illustrated it made his Fisonian book recommended
jazz book for kids and young adults back and then.
But it's so much stuff that happened since James eure
that he's better well known now. So I got to
update the book, you know.

Speaker 4 (01:51:29):
But I appreciate you, brother. Likewise, mister heard always thank you,
thank you, thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:51:36):
You know what.

Speaker 6 (01:51:37):
And before we was gonna tell mister James, mister James
Rung was saying that we need a street that we
can walk down.

Speaker 4 (01:51:42):
Mister James, we have a street. It's called Bill Street.

Speaker 6 (01:51:46):
But we don't know what has happened. Yeah, we know
what has happened, but we have the street. Well we
got we need to make it more what it was.

Speaker 7 (01:51:53):
We need to reclaim the street. We need to.

Speaker 4 (01:51:56):
We need to reclaim Bill Street. We need to reclaim
We have a street like New Orleans has a street.

Speaker 12 (01:52:04):
We have a street.

Speaker 4 (01:52:05):
So as brother Ron said, we need to reclaim our
Bill Street.

Speaker 1 (01:52:09):
We have a music street. So yeah, yeah, and I
so we got an arts. Our arts are named the
Marcus Shrugs. He was hired late last year.

Speaker 7 (01:52:19):
Get in touch with him. He got some things going around.

Speaker 4 (01:52:21):
Yeah, I talked to I interviewed him last week.

Speaker 11 (01:52:24):
They know.

Speaker 6 (01:52:24):
Yeah, so well, thank you for bringing up now you
and you you you know you triggered my memory. And
you talked about Mayor Evers. Oh my gosh, Charles Evers.

Speaker 4 (01:52:33):
I know, I know.

Speaker 7 (01:52:35):
Gregon couldn't stand on though. I couldn't Digregor couldn't stand
on me. I didn't love him. I love Charles Evers.
But I saw Deborah swinging.

Speaker 1 (01:52:44):
She was a queen we owner this year she got
the sunset jazz thing going on downtown. I think the
next concert is June June eighth, Okay, on Sunday, shot
out to her.

Speaker 4 (01:52:54):
Yeah, so it's good.

Speaker 6 (01:52:56):
And we talked about a lot of folks and I
got to tell one and y'all, I worked for Sam Philip.

Speaker 7 (01:53:03):
I work at his radio. How was that it was?

Speaker 10 (01:53:06):
You know what?

Speaker 6 (01:53:06):
He never he never could remember my name when it
because you know, Sam like to drink and so when
I work. I worked run at w W E E
W l B S at the country station which George
Klein work and every day he had a story about Elvis.
But when when I come in, mister Sam would say, Barbara,

(01:53:27):
you did a good job today.

Speaker 4 (01:53:31):
Thank you, mister Sam. We gotta get out there.

Speaker 6 (01:53:35):
We got some stories to tell. Brother, We're gonna tell
some stories. Thank you, mister Rod. And I appreciate you.

Speaker 4 (01:53:42):
I do, I really do. I want to thank you callers.
I had fun today.

Speaker 6 (01:53:49):
I want to thank you listeners for joining us this
day on the BEB Johnson Show.

Speaker 4 (01:53:54):
We do, we really do appreciate you.

Speaker 6 (01:53:58):
So until tomorrow, please be safe, keep a cool head, y'all.
Don't let anyone steal your joy. Until tomorrow, I'm Bev Johnson,
and y'all keep the faith.

Speaker 7 (01:54:15):
The views and opinions discussed on The Bev Johnson Show
are that of the hosts and callers and not those
of the staff and sponsors of w d I a

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