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Roi,

Sorry it took me a while to get back to this thread ... thanks for the comments on the blues/memoirs articles of mine that you have kindly taken the time to read.
http://hawkeyeherman.com/articles.htm

... other hearing Lightnin' do his own version of "Motherless Children" ... I never heard him play any gospel/sacred music.

I do remember Lightnin' telling me about his many years (off and on) of working with (accompanying) the great early blues singer Texas Alexander (Alger Alexander) in the 1930s in the Houston area ... then Alexander did some prison time in the early 1940s for murdering his wife (1940-45) ... and after his release in 1945, Alexander resumed his blues singing and touring, and Lightnin' frequently backed him up from 1945 up into the early 1950s (Alexander died in 1955) ...

... and I remember Lightnin' making a rare reference to his own prison experience ... having served time (he never stated what the crime he was convicted of) in the late 1930s at the Houston County Prison Farm.

... by the way ... many great musicians, besides Lightnin', worked with Texas Alexander ... Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lonnie Johnson (rec. OKeh label), The Miss. Sheiks (rec. OKeh label), seminal jazz trumpet/cornet great King Oliver (OKeh label), Howlin' Wolf, and Lowell Fulson, to name a few

... if you haven't listened to Texas Alexander ... please take the time to do so ... there is good reason why so many great musicians were attracted to being his accompaniest.

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Alger ("Texas") Alexander
Birth: Sep. 12, 1900, Jewett, Leon County, Texas, USA
Death: Apr. 16, 1954, Richards, Grimes County, Texas, USA

Known as "Texas" Alexander, he was one of the most important blues singers of the 1920's to the mid 1950's. He was born in the Brazos River area of Texas, the son of Sam Alexander and Jennie Brooks. He began his career by singing at a number of different functions ranging from fish fries to county fairs. In the late 1920's, he journeyed to New York City where he recorded for the OKeh Record label with the King Oliver Band. He later returned to Texas where he performed with such notable blues musicians as Howlin' Wolf and his cousin, Lightnin' Hopkins. In 1940, he was convicted of the murder of his wife and was sentenced to serve at the Texas State Penetentiary in Paris, Texas. After being released from prison in 1945, he resumed his performing in Texas. He died in obscurity in 1954.
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As his name implied, Blues singer Texas Alexander was from the Lone Star State. He started performing at local parties and picnics in the early 1920s, sometimes working with Blind Lemon Jefferson. In 1927 he started recording and made some very good Blues records with such Jazz luminaries as Lonnie Johnson, Eddie Lang, Clarence Williams and King Oliver. He continued to record until 1929 and then after a five year break made a number of recordings in 1934. He didn't record again until 1947. Throughout his career Alexander often performed with his guitarist cousin Lightnin' Hopkins. During the Depression and afterwards Hopkins and Alexander often resorted to working as street musicians or outside of music altogether. Alexander didn't play an instrument so he always performed with accompanists or in a band setting. In the late 1930s he worked with Lowell Fulson and Howlin' Wolf among others. In 1939 Alexander murdered his wife and was sentenced to prison from 1940 to 1945. When he got out of prison he hit the streets again with Lightnin' Hopkins and the pair recorded in 1947 on the Aladdin label. Texas Alexander made his last recording in 1950 with Benton's Busy Bees and died of syphilis in 1954.
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Click here to view the attachment

Roi,

So glad you're (more than) hip to Texas Alexander ... I'll try to answer whatever questions you might post ... but to be honest, the time I spent with Lightnin' we either played pool and joked around/small talk ... or I was sitting as close as possible watching him when he performed or picked up the guitar backstage ... Lightnin' liked to glance at young players like me as he was about to launch into a guitar solo ... and say, "You cant touch this!"
... And I remember responding to him one time by saying, "Well, no harm in my spendin' the rest of my life trying!"
Made him laugh and shake his head ...
... and I'm still tryin' ... I need a couple more lifetimes, maybe?

dick deluxe,

Welcome, good to see ya here. I've been hangin' at this forum for a couple of years now ... and enjoy the 'company' ... more than any other blues forum ...good folks, good times, good humor, good information ... no negativity.

... yes, I moved to S. Oregon, from Oakland, CA in '99 ... since I began touring nationally in the early 1980s I was always looking for a more peaceful place to come home to ... finally, in 1999, I relocated to the Ashland, OR area ... no regrets ... and when not on tour ... very bucolic/pastoral area to live in.

There are some articles that I've writtten about the 'old days' in Oakland/Berkeley and my encounters with Lightnin', Mance, Son House, Bukka White, Furry Lewis, etc. that might bring some memories to ya:
http://www.hawkeyeherman.com/articles.htm

... Lighnin' could be a real trip ... to be sure ... he kicked my butt in eight-ball pool in the backroom of the Keystone (later called The New Monk) on University Ave. at Shattuck ... one night after his performance ... took my money ... like a good winner ... and then gave me a private guitar lesson to cheer me up.

Good to see ya hear at TBBF.

Enjoy the blues comraderie.

bluesslave,

... sho you right! Sometimes my memory for such details is not as good as it should be ... I lived near Shattuck in Berkeley (toward Oakland) ... about seven blocks away for the club ... on Fulton and Derby streets (for about 20 years) ... it was The New Monk ...first ... and then The Keystone.

The back pool room was vacant that night ... after Lightnin's performance ... I went back to shoot some pool ... and finish my drink ... I put my coins into the slot ...pushed the handle in to release the pool balls ... and the minute the balls tumbled down ... the little back room door opened and Lightnin' stuck his head out to take a look at who might be back there playin' pool ... whe he saw it was one guy, me, alone ... he slowly walked out of the 'dressing room' ... leaned against the wall ... and watched me hack around on the table for a few minutes ... then he asked me if I wanted to shoot a game with him ... we agreed on 50 cents per ball to the winner... he proceeded to kick my butt by four balls (I think it was) ... he gave me a second chance ... to get even ... second game ... same result ... I paid him off ... he smiled ... he was in a good mood (compared to some of the other times I'd seen him) ... and he knew I was a guitar player 'cause we chatted a bit about blues and guitar playing while we were shooting pool ... me being the 'loser' ... and him feeling good aboutwinning a few bucks from me ... it was a good opportunity for me to ask him to show me 'a little something on the guitar.' He nodded in agreement ... went and got his guitar out of the dressing room and we sat in the back room together, jsut the two of us, for about an hour while he played snatches of various songs and repeated some licks that I questioned him about ... and I watched intently ... he then asked me if I wanted to shoot some more pool ... I said something like, "No thanks, Lightnin', I think I learned my lesson not to shoot pool with you." He laughed, and put his guitar away ... I thanked him for the pool and guitar lessons ... and we cordially bid each other goodnight.

I remember seeing/hearing lots of great music at the The New Monk/Keystone ... Freddy King, Muddy Waters, James Cotton, Michael Bloomfield, Dr. John, John Hammond, etc. ... and also lots of great music at Ruthie's on San Pablo Ave. (big shows with Bobby Bland, Johnny Otis' allstar reviews, Lowell Fulson, Sun Ra, etc.) ... and hanging out numerous times with Brownie and Sonny at Mandrake's on lower University Ave. ... and of course, more than I can remember of great performances at Eli's Mile High.

We probably were standing/sitting/dancing near each other many times in those days ... but it took the BBF to bring us ... together ... after all these years.
Thanks for the correction ... and memories.

... Blake below Telegraph? ...I must have walked my dog past your place every evening for many years, my usual route, up Fulton to Blake, Blake to Telegraph, down Telegraph to Carleton, and home, just following my dog on his favorite evening trek ... Comrade! I was active in the People's Park 'rebellion' ... on the streets ... occupying the park ... helping to plant gardens, etc. I have an old news photo of myself and some friends in the front row staring down at National Guard bayonets from about arms length away ... flowers sticking out of some of the Gaurds rifle barrels, having been placed there by a brave 'hippie chick' ... got gassed a few times from helicopters above during the anti-war demostrations centered on Telegraraph and Sproul Plaza on UCB campus ... was busted in Berkeley ... but not for my political activity ... and now I'm getting light-headed
... we shared some unbelievable times ... without knowing it ... and survived this long to talk about it