Devils & Blue Dresses: My Wild Ride as a Rock and Roll Legend

guys in Oklahoma and that part of the country, and also in Michigan while we were under direction of Barry Kramer with the band Detroit.
    The Association : They are always on the higher priced oldies act circuit. You didn’t know there were different levels of oldies acts did you? I’ve done a few performances with them over the years. What is interesting is that my former bass player, Mark Gougeon, had a brother who worked with them.
    Chet Atkins: I had the pleasure of meeting Chet Atkins at a guitar clinic that I attended with Jimmy McCarty. Here was an opportunity to watch a mature artist work his craft for a bunch of uninformed young aspiring musicians. This did not happen too many-timesin my life. Everyone there knew what Chet had done for the guitar. He was fast, innovative, and not being a guitar player per se, I sill had a huge appreciation for his skill. What was impressive about it was that he wasn’t a peer. He was a level above me. He was one of the masters, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn for him.
    Bachman-Turner Overdrive and The Guess Who: I’ve met all of these guys and played on bills with them in all of their different incarnations. They are nice people, maybe because they started out in Canada.
    Badfinger: The only one left is Joey Molland, and we’ve done countless shows together. I admire Joey’s vision of his future in entertainment. He is humble when it is appropriate and arrogant when it is necessary.
    Long John Baldry: I worked with him when I was in exile in Canada, and he is a marvelous student of R&B. Like many on this list he is no longer with us, but that never takes away from his contribution to music. Never.
    Hank Ballard and the Midnighters: I saw Hank Ballard perform when I was first coming up at the Village. Talk about a man who got screwed over. Chubby Checker wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for Hank Ballard.
    The Band: I have worked with Levon Helms at his studio in Woodstock. More than anything else, I remember how their
Big Pink
sent the British running and hiding when it was released. This came as a great surprise to me because I always held Levon in great esteem. I remember feeling it was an honor beyond belief when I was invited into his home to work in his home studio.
    The Barbarians: They make me wonder whether or not the band Detroit was the most uncontrollable band ever produced in America.
    The Beach Boys: Brian Wilson once paid me a high compliment as he wondered aloud about the magical qualities of my voice. I’ve also performed with The Beach Boys minus Brian. I did that performance blind in one eye because the retina on my left eye became detached. As it was a Sunday gig, no doctor was available. My doctor told me that happens to some people and someday it might happen to the other eye. He “wallpapered” it and reattached it with a laser. He did such an excellent job that I can see out of that eye perfectly. I also find it disconcerting that a band of so many unique players such as The Beach Boys could remain broken and never come back together, but then again, that is the same thing that happened to my group and me.
    The Beatles: I’ve already commented on John and Ringo and George. I don’t know that much about Paul except that he loved Linda with all of his being and I will say nothing to make that any different. I wish I were capable of finding such a deep love.
    Jeff Beck: I’ve also spoken of Jeff, except to comment on his passion for American muscle cars.
    Archie Bell and the Drells: When I performed with him and his group I asked him if he really was from Houston. It was an oldies show but, when you take into account the age of most of the people on this list, any of them could be considered oldies shows.
    Brook Benton: What a deep soothing voice. I was happy to hear it up close on the same bill.
    Chuck Berry: He taught generations of American youth how to make rock ‘n’ roll and how to not get screwed. I’ve worked with him many times and understand how an ego such as Keith Richards might become upset with an ego as big as Chuck’s. My fondest memory of Chuck was a date we did together in Louisiana. We were sitting backstage waiting for him. He was late and the house band was nervous because they had not rehearsed with him. This was because Chuck said anyone who doesn’t know Chuck Berry songs doesn’t deserve to play with him. Just before show time, down a dusty road came a long black Cadillac. Chuck stepped out and