It was Saturday night, the last night of Cherokee Creek Music Festival , and we were sitting in the back lounge of the bus. We had been working on the videos we were about to put up on the Music Fog site, getting ahead for the guys to take the long drive back to DC. Earlier, Denise and I had gone to the after party, where Paul Thorn was singing Sam Cook's "Bring It On Home To Me" with Stonehoney and friends backing him. It was about 4am and we were about to call it a night when we heard a rustling sound outside the window of the bus. Then a plastic Jesus appeared against the darkness on the window sill. Beans asked in his gruffest voice "Who's there?" and a tiny one came back, "Jesus. Can I come up?" And John Fullbright, with his pocket Jesus, came aboard. He asked for a guitar, and wanted to sing for us, there in the quietude of the wee hours, in the still of the Cherokee, TX night. Can you imagine? But we had no guitar, and so an impromptu jam session was not to be. (Dang!) But the good news is that we had already recorded him earlier! So we used the time to engage in deep conversation and song writing stylings.
A word about John Fullbright. His music is a calling, rooted deep in his soul. He walks the path tentatively, scarcely believing that he is on it. I can't wait to see him get discovered by the world. His is a voice of the common man. Asking questions his town mate, Woody Guthrie, might have also asked. John is from Okemah, OK, too. Looking at him, well, if truth be told, he doesn't even look like he is old enough to know about any of this stuff. But don't let that fool you...he knows it well. His voice is a revelation. His playing is eye opening on every instrument that he touches; guitar, harmonica, piano and accordion. I can't wait for his album to come out, produced by Kevin Welch!
John slept on our bus the last night of Cherokee Creek Music Festival. In the morning he woke up and came to me with concern that he had lost Jesus. I told him Jesus was still in his bed, which He was. So John found Jesus again. And John, you are welcome anytime---we'll save you a bunk.
- Jessie Scott