[Harp-L] R.I.P. Eddie Kirkland

[Bobbie Giordano <bobbie-g@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I was about to post about something more upbeat, but am instead reporting 
sad news I received Monday via a blues society mailing list I'm 
on.  Another of those uniquely renowned blues musicians has been lost; 
singer, guitarist, harp player Eddie Kirkland died Sunday morning as a 
result of injuries sustained in an auto crash in Tampa, FL.  He was 
ironically on his way to his final gig on his Florida tour when it 
happened.  Below is an article link recounting the tragedy.  He was 88.

As I recall, I'd only seen him perform a couple or so times, but I'd love 
to see him again if I could.  These are comments I posted to the other 
group a bit earlier:

================
What heartbreaking news! I was just watching a YouTube of Eddie's, Slow 
Drivin', I think it was. Two thirds of the way into it, he breaks a 
string, but as always, the consummate blues man carries on, not a beat 
skipped. He was a true gem, a legend. Left it all out on the floor every 
time I saw him.

I've always imagined a kinship with those like the "Gypsy of the Blues", 
admiring their grit and determination for taking their musical love on 
the road, day after day, year after year. In my own little SUV, an 
ornament dangles from the rearview mirror that says "Life is a Journey", 
and I've even dubbed my ride "Gypsy". But, those like Kirkland truly are 
gypsies, driven by heart and soul most of us will never know, much less 
imagine. And, what's more, they do it to give it all away.

One quote of his I love says it all about the man:
"If one person appreciates what I'm doing it's just as good as a million. 
A lot of places we've played, after I paid the band I didn't have a dime. 
But it was a good show. I was happy. That's it for me. It's my life."

Peace to you, Eddie, on your last long, slow drive, obviously with tons 
of good company. We'll miss you, but your memory will linger on with fans 
like me forever. R.I.P. You have definitely earned it.
================

Most of the time, he'd play guitar and sing, but he was a harmonica 
player as well; first in fact.  Check out this YouTube 
recording:  http://tinyurl.com/6jr7afw
More info on Kirkland from an article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 
is below, and the link for that is here:  http://tinyurl.com/4kkub5q

================
Kirkland, who was born on a cotton plantation, moved with his mother to 
New Orleans when he was a year old. The two later moved to Mobile and 
southwest Alabama.

"That's where I came to hear the blues . . ., " Kirkland told the AJC in 
1989. "My first experience with the blues was when I was a little baby 
about 2 years old. My mama used to take me to the cotton field and put me 
at the end of a row in the shade. You'd have people coming down the row, 
and it was a long field, and you could hear them singing. As a little 
baby, the music got into me."

His mother gave him a harmonica when he was 4, he said. At 12, he played 
guitar with the Sugar Girls Medicine Show before heading to Detroit.

In 1949, Kirkland traveled to Macon while on tour with Hooker. The middle 
Georgia town would later become Kirkland's home.
================

One other article link is here:  http://tinyurl.com/4ojnt6b

My most vivid memory of Eddie is from a show he put on at the 
Bradfordville Blues Club here quite a few years ago.  He always kept on a 
'gypsy'-like scarf tied on his head, but by the end of the night he was 
out of his jacket and shirt and down to a vest.  Sweat had been pouring 
off him all night, and when I went to give him a hug, he gently warned 
me, "Darlin', you may not wanna hug me just now," smiling to note how 
sweaty he'd gotten.  Of course, I winked and hugged him anyway - "It 
don't bother me!"  And his shoulders felt so slick and cool, not heated 
at all as I expected.  We talked a bit, mostly about harp, of 
course.  Although I was sad he didn't play one much that night, it was 
still a lively, fun show, and I'm glad I got a chance to experience it, 
and him.

Some, like Eddie Kirkland, have had many years to share themselves with 
us, but even he was still full of vitality and skill.  So, for me, he and 
far too many other artists are taken from our world too soon.  My deepest 
heartfelt thanks to all you other road warriors out there, but seriously, 
please be extra careful in your travels.  It would be awful to be missing 
you, too.

Bobbie G