I was thinking about Memphis yesterday. Blues and Stax and Sun and Elvis. What a birthright, and what a heritage to immerse oneself in. I was researching the clubs in Memphis long distance, trying to get a feel for that scene from afar. I know and love several Memphis bred artists; Kelley Mickwee from The Trishas, Cory Brannan, Jimmy Davis, and Keith Sykes. Todd Snider moved there in the mid 80's, where he had a residency at a club called The Daily Planet. That is where he was discovered by Keith Sykes, who signed him to his first label deal. Keith was then a member of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band, and the label was Jimmy's Margaritaville Records. In Todd's song "Vinyl Records" he pays homage, as in the piles and piles of albums around him on the floor, he names names: "…I got Rita, Kris, Keith Sykes and Country Joe when he was singin' with the Fish you know..." We love Todd Snider; it is so good to see him doing well. His show during the Americana Fest last month in Nashville totally rocked. And we all know he has a softer side too.
A friend of mine, Laurie Strongin, wrote a book about the heroic process she and her husband Allen went through to save their son Henry from a rare illness, though tragically, he passed. The book, Saving Henry: A Mother's Journey, came out earlier this year, and in one of the chapters Laurie quotes lyrics from the Todd Snider tune "Beer Run." Todd read the book, and graciously offered to play at a benefit for the Hope For Henry Foundation, which helps seriously ill children. "Hope For Henry Rocks" is set to take place on November 13th, at The Rock and Roll Hotel in Washington, DC. I am happy to report I will be there too, to interview Todd during the 'meet and greet.' See you there?
Ahhh, but now to revisit Memphis...how it felt to be there in the chill of February during Folk Alliance. How wonderful it was to have so many artists come aboard the Music Fog bus. Keith Sykes was one of them. His has been a storied career. Eyes on the prize, always writing, collaborating, gigging, keeping moving. We often link to people's websites, and especially this time, I encourage you to click-through and read about Keith's life, as he has had a phenomenal ride in these 40 years. We think this is a brand new tune, because as we researched it, we were unable to find it on an album. I did find it listed on the BMI database with the spelling "Grey Beard and Wiskers," though. Keith references a new album being in the works; maybe this song will show up there, and he says there may be a tour with Todd coming up...we'll for sure keep you posted!
- Jessie Scott
