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

didn’t say a word to anyone. Instead, he looked around, walked to young man, and asked for promoter. The young man said, “That’s me.” Chuck opened the trunk of car to get his guitar, then he turned without a word and put his hand out. The promoter understood then that he had to pay right then or there would be no performance. Chuck played exactly sixty minutes, as contracted. There was thunderous applause from the audience, and the promoter said, “Why don’t you do another.” Chuck again held hand out. The promoter rounded up a few thousand dollars and Chuck played two more.
    Elvin Bishop: I first met and performed with Elvin when he was with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. When I heard him play I had a deep sense of his ability to go well beyond where he was at that particular moment as far as his stature as a guitar player, and he did.
    The Black Crowes: Obviously someone else loved Otis Redding besides me. I opened for them outside of Lansing Michigan at a show where both our bands totally thrilled the audience. I enjoy playing with Southern bands because they think the same way about African American music as I do. I believe it is a labor of love for them, as it is for me, and clearly it is an inspiration.
    Bobby “Blue” Bland: The first recording I bought of Bobby’s was “Two Steps From The Blues. His “Turn On Your Lovelights” became a staple in my early shows. I also learned to appreciate the use of string arrangements in blues thanks to Bobby.
    Blondie: I was at a gig in Michigan standing on the side of the stage when “Blondie” became upset over something and was leaving in the middle of the performance. The band stayed on stage while I convinced her that the right thing to do was to go back out and let the audience enjoy the rest of her show. She did. It’s not uncommon for something to occur on stage between musicians that cause one to want to leave, but you have to understand that the public isn’t aware of it and shouldn’t be denied a professional show for which they have paid money. How do I know? I’m the guy who did walk off stage, and it caused a riot where people were hurt.
    Mike Bloomfield: Our paths crossed many times, as documented in this book. The last time I saw Mike he was headlining a show in Colorado and his opening act was Steve Martin. I borrowed forty-two dollars from him that night because I was broke. Then I heard he died from an overdose while sitting in his parked car in L.A.
    The Blues Brothers: Barry Kramer took me to see them perform at Pine Knob in Michigan. Between sets we went back to meet John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. This was the same John who had ridiculed me when I was under Bud Prager’s punishment, but that was in the past. Now he was coming out of a shower with a towel around his still wet body trying to freshen up for the next show. He was very cordial and happy to see me. I believe he had come to a point where he understood what I had been through and was applauding me for coming back to entertainment. Then I went down a hallway while Barry and John spoke and came to Dan Aykroyd’s dressing room. Dan showed the exact opposite of John’s behavior. He sat alone in a darkened room with dozens of empty and half-filled bottles of alcohol. The room was filled with smoke and there were cigarette butts all over the place. He stayed in his soaking wet and wrinkled clothes and waited for the next set. Dan was also very cordial but I was struck by the difference. In the future, Dan would invite me up to his hometown in Kingston, Ontario to perform and would proclaim it one of the best concerts he had ever witnessed.
    Gary U.S. Bonds: I hadn’t made my first recording when I first heard Gary’s music. I loved the energy and grooves he was working with. In the future I would do many shows, sometimes just he and I as the only two acts on the bill. Gary is a very nice man.
    Booker T and the M.G’s: Beyond what I’ve already stated, was the Southern hospitality that still existed when I did
The Detroit-Memphis Experiment
with them. I stayed at Duck Dunn’s house and at Steve Cropper’s house rather than being locked away in some cheap motel for the project. I’ve been on charity golf outings with Steve since then, but people change and life becomes something less than we hoped for.
    James Brown: One of my early teachers. James once said on a national TV show that in his estimation Mitch Ryder was the most soulful white singer he could think of.