Don’t Let Tires Flatten Your Travel Plans
June 6, 2019
SUMMERTIME QUESTIONS
June 6, 2019
Please note: My columns are factual They all happened a long time ago and I am too old to worry about being embarrassed for faux pas and failures in my life, so I report warts and all but only the things that are reportable in a family newspaper. Please follow the Nashville story in The Times ahead.
“A bunch of the boys were whooping it up, in the Mala-mute saloon. That’s the opening line from the famous poem “The Shooting of Dan McGrew” by Robert Service.
Not my story? Actually, we were only five and it was the Bellevue Hall in Cut Off, not the Malamute Saloon in Alaska, just friends enjoying a drink while discussing a forthcoming trip to Nashville, Tennessee.
Nobody named Dan McGrew got shot, but hopefully, I’ve caught your eye, so read an.
That night, Harry Simoneaux, Sr., and I were explaining to friends, Bellevue manager Raleigh Pit re, musician Dudley Bernard, and boat builder Leonce “Fee-ran” Duet, how we were invited to Nashville by Peer International Music Publishing executive Troy Martin to spend four days in Nashville producing demonstration recordings of me for Decca Records who were interested in signing me.
Vin Bruce had been recording for Columbia Records for over a year and was showing great promise, so Decca Re-cords was looking for another Cajun/country artist. Even knowing this, Vin had recommended me to his agent Troy Martin who had come to New Orleans to make the arrangements. That’s a friend!
Dudley said, “I’d like to go,” and Raleigh added, “I’ve never been there. I can drive us all in my new car.”
Leonce added, “Boys, I’d like to get away for a while and you’re bringing the Martins some seafood, so you’re going to need a cook.”
I said. “Fee-ran”, why does an old married man like you want to get away for?”
“I’m an old married man! That’s why I need to get away for!” He answered.
“Fine” I said. “That makes five and leaves room for the ice chest. Full crew! Mission accomplished! We leave Sunday.”
Not since Athos, Parthos, Aramis and D’Artagnan Victor Hugo’s three Musketeers had a more enthusiastic group of Frenchmen (Cajuas) planned such a trip. The stakes were not as noble or nationalistic, but of great importance, especially to me.
There was great preparation.
Calling past favors, we obtained enough frozen seafood to fill the car trunk, leaving only space for our luggage, and Sunday morning we were off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of… Nashville?
There was no yellow brick road, just East on the “Old Spanish Trail” — U.S. Highway 90L then north on Highway
U.S. Highway 31, which is 800 miles of two-lane highways. There were no Interstate highways, yet at that time. That would have to wait until Eisenhower was elected President. We only stopped to refill the gas tank and ice chest. Finally, above our heads appeared no rainbow, just a sign that said. “Nashville, Music City, USA.
We unloaded at the Tulane Hotel, informed Troy Martin we bad arrived and hit the sack.
The Martins had arranged a picnic in the park and Dudley, “Fee-ran” and Raleigh would cook them a different High each of the four days. Gumbo, jambalaya, fried shrimp, catfish and oysters. Yum Yum! The Martins didn’t know it but they were about to enter “Cajun Food Heaven.”
I had contacted my friend, Mrs. Jimmie Rodgers, who informed me she would ask Ernest Tubb to give me a spot on his “Midnight Jamboree” broadcast from his Record Shop She had called me back saying that Ernest could not make me a promise, but he would consider it after talking to me the day of the broadcast. She had previously invited me to the “Ralph Peer Testimonial’ that Saturday evening at the Nashville Auditorium. She said that there would two tickets for me at the box office and I should wear a suit and tie.
It seemed that our dance card was pretty well filled out for the week. More next week! BYE NOW!
