Re: Hugh Messenger got MUGGED!

[hippo@xxxxxxxxxx (Hugh Messenger)]

At 3:34 PM 2/20/95, Tim Moody wrote:
>I cracked open my latest
>addition of Harmonica World, which came in the mail Saturday, and there was
>Hugh's story.

Oh jeez.  OK, own up, who's been talking to Harmonica World?  David Michelsen?

How can I get hold of a copy?  I'd like the opportunity to defend myself!

>    Yes it's true our own Hugh Messenger was mugged in the Greyhound bus
>station in NY.

If you've ever had to spend from 9pm till 3am in the Port Authority bus
station, fresh off a trans-Atlantic flight, you'll understand how this can
happen.  When asked to decribe the folk concerned, the only thing I could
come up with was "sufficiently menacing".

>He is OK and he got to keep his harps, and I'd like to point
>out this happened some time ago. It's all part of his blues-trip thru the US
>in Betsy-K with $20.00 dollars in his pocket.

Betsy-K, the Kursed Krysler K Kar From Hell.  Mind you, she only cost $300
and she did 18,000 miles through 20 states in less than three months.  And,
of course, if she hadn't dropped a half shaft here in Huntsville I wouldn't
be here two years later, happily married and thriving.

I almost regret having her crushed, but I did warn her.  "If you don't
start this time it's the crusher for you and $50 for me" I said.

>PS Ask him about the bikers!!!!!

Which ones?  I used to be one, so I know quite a few and have had bizarre
experiences with most of the ones I know.

If it's one of the U.S. road trip happenings, it was probably me and David
doing our harmonica duo thing at a biker bar called J's Lounge.  We only
got out alive because J's is the home of The Saints MCC, and we do a
cracking version of When The Saints Go Marching In.

>And some very humourous parts.

That's for sure.  We had a lot of fun, and met a lot of crazy, kind and
generous musicians who helped us out with everything they could.

A bunch of these people are either on this list or known to it.  Now the
subject has come up, I'll just thank a few ...

Buzz, Joe Filisko and the hardier of the Windy City Harmonica Club who made
it through a wicked snow storm to the club meet.  I seem to remember
meeting Al Fiore and some other equally distinguished gentleman as well,
but my brain went numb around that time.  The club took up a collection for
us, and Joe put us up at his house (Joes basement is a harp players
dream!).

Chiam-Bar (sp?) Huang, who let us stay at his house till we could replace
our totally shot disk brake rotors.  We burnt them out driving through
Pennsylvania in the worst snow storm in living memory, arriving in New York
just as it was designated an official disaster zone due to flooding.  CB's
stories, insight and knowledge of the harmonica are endlessly fascinating.

Madcat Ruth, who made his house our house and is just one of the nicest,
kindest souls I have ever met.  "You'll be here at 4am?  OK, the key is
under the ...".

Tom Barker, a Huntsville native, wonderful harmonica player and one of the
folk who instantly made Huntsville a home for me.  I signed him up to the
Internet last week, so he should be reading this - Hey Tom.  Thanks.

Scores of other like minded musicians helped us out in similar ways.  Music
truely is a brotherhood (sisterhood?  bristerhood?  siblinghood?).

>Tim Moody

   -- hugh