[Harp-L] Re: Sonny and Brownie

[SONNYTONE@xxxxxxx]

Here is a story of two great men, together for 45 years, who gave us such  
wonderful music, which is what we should be focusing on. I spent many days with  
Brownie McGhee, Sonny basically stayed in bed all day, he was 65 ish, had  
arthritis, and really did not care to explore due to his blindness. So I spent a 
 lot of my time playing, seeing whatever I could of the city we were in, but 
my  job was to be there for Sonny when he needed me. Remember, this was 1977, 
no  cells phones. We ate breakfast and dinner at restaurants we both could eat 
at, I  was into being a meatless vegetarian at the time. I had to watch his 
sugar  intake, as he had gout, and needed to take medication which eventually 
destroyed  his organs, causing he death in March, 1986. Sonny was a very simple 
man,  willing to show me whatever he could, as bad as I was, only playing 2 
years, he  had patience. Our duets were unique in that he would call this young 
white boy  up, "I gots my driver here, he been playing a little bit, but I'd 
showed him  somethin every day, now he's just gone wild. He's gonna come up 
here and we's  gonna do a harmonica duet. You all here of a harmonica duet 
before. Well here  you go." Like it was yesterday. We did, Mean Woman Blues, Ol 
Jabo, where there  were distinct lines we played exactly together, he made me 
sound good. Then The  Things I used To Do. He gave me a solo where I started off 
with Summertime on a  minor harp, I as listen to the old cassettes, it was 
painful, but then I would  do a 5 minute or so solo, then Sonny would kick my ass 
with one of his, and then  we did a line and ended up on that 9 blow, and 
just hold it, the audience would  go mad. Brownie was a very philosophical man, 
deeply rooted in his experiences  of the times, the prejudice, the hatred he 
felt against him for the color of his  skin. Not being recognized for what he wa
s, a great guitarist and singer,  always second to the Sonny who was the 
showman and got all the adoration for his  whoops and flamboyant playing. To know 
Brownie was very special, he wanted  more from the music, he wanted to take it 
to a different level. People came to  hear Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee 
perform their original music, Brownie wanted  more. Sonny, as great as he was, 
could not venture out into any other  styles, he was not a Chicago player, he was 
Sonny. I think after 40 years of  hearing the same Sonny over and over, that 
same 9 blow on the top, never played  anything else up there, Brownie would 
cringe when it was coming. Brownie played  angry, yet he put on a facade that 
everything was "Outa Sight". I tried once to  explain to Sonny where Brownie was 
coming from, to get them together, and Sonny  said, Boy, you work for me. 
Enough said, I never brought it up again. Yes it was  painful to watch them 
struggle. Brownie stopped singing with Sonny before I got  there, he never 
vocalized with him, stopped doing the harmonies that made their  music what it was. 
The show consisted of Sonny doing His songs, where he sang  and took the lead on 
the harp, Brownie just plucking away here and there, then  Sonny turning it 
over to Brownie where he did his stuff, sang and led, often  times berating 
Sonny for stepping out on his song. After Brownie was done, Sonny  would call me 
up and we would do our duets, then Brownie was supposed to come  back up and 
close the 60 - 70 minute show. Sometimes he never came back. It is  documented 
that Sonny had to quit drinking in the 60's when the doctors told him  he 
would die, which he did. He was married to a great woman named Emma, who I  just 
tried to call but am afraid she may no longer be with us either. If anyone  has 
confirmation of that, please let me know. I can contact the agency who was  
handling her affairs, as I tried to see if they were interested in my live  
cassettes, I am probably the only one with them. Just a cassette recorder of the  
day, some good stuff though. Brownie continued to drink to kill his internal  
pain, he lived into his 80's. He never settled down with anyone, seeing Sonny 
 with his nice church going wife, not hanging out drinking together, they 
drifted  apart. That is why Brownie did the CD with Sugar Blue, a great CD if no 
ever  heard of it, he got out of the element with Sonny and adventured out. 
What  actually caused them to stop talking to each other, they must take that 
with  them. Enjoy them for their music. I loved them for who they were. Peace. 
Sonny  Jr.