Re: [Harp-L] blind owl's biography

[Gary Calahan <glcalahan@xxxxxxxxx>]

Winslow,

I believe you are correct!  I got mine a week ago. The book illustrates
great insight to Alan and his life.

Enjoy!

Gary C
On Feb 4, 2013 2:59 PM, "Winslow Yerxa" <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I bought a copy off the author's website and it arrived in the mail a few
> weeks later (last week).
>
> I think print runs are on-demand in small batches, which might explain the
> long waits. Evidently I got lucky in the order-to-print cycle.
>
> Winslow
>
>
> Winslow Yerxa
> Author, Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
>             Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS
>             Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7
> Resident Harmonica Expert, bluesharmonica.com
> Instructor, Jazzschool for Music Study and Performance
>
>
> ________________________________
>  From: Michelle LeFree <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Friday, January 18, 2013 10:07 AM
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] blind owl's biography
>
> "John" wrote:
>
> >                Hi. Every one,
> >                         has anyone got a copy of " Blind Owl Blues"-
> Alan Wilson's Biography for sale or can you tell me where I could buy a
> copy?
> >                                           Regards -----------
> jumpjive65jive
>
> John, I have a signed copy of "Blind Owl Blues," though it's not for sale,
> unless... ;-)
>
> There's a funny little story about how I came by it and, in the process,
> discovered its author, Rebecca Davis Winters. It was at a blues venue in,
> of all places, Grand Junction, Colorado.
>
> She was gushing over the performance of my former mentor and HarpBuddy,
> Harry Harpoon, who had boogied duo-style with veteran bluesman Bobby
> Walker. We were both sitting in the front row a seat apart and I couldn't
> help but notice her obvious enthusiasm. At the end of the show she said, "I
> just love blues harp. In fact I wrote a book about Blind Owl, Alan Wilson."
>
> OK, here I am in backwater Western Colorado in the back room of a little
> radio station and this little whisp of a lady bubbling with enthusiasm
> makes a pretty wild claim about one of the most influential harmonica
> players ~ever~ in my mind. As you can imagine, I was a tad skeptical when I
> sort of probed her a little about the way he retuned his harp to play "On
> the Road Again." She immediately detected that I too was a Blind Owl fan
> and knew a thing or two about harmonicas and replied with the correct
> answer, "Oh yes, he raised the 6 draw reed by a semitone..."
>
> She went on to explain that she had gone on a solitary, self-funded
> sabbatical -- no, more like a pilgrimage -- to research every aspect of the
> elusive Alan Wilson. Though she let me find out by reading her book,
> Rebecca had visited and photographed the ruins of the home of Bob Hite
> (Bear) where Alan was found dead. She had interviewed everyone she could
> find who knew Alan, including his sister who lined up behind Rebecca and
> helped her in many ways to get access to Alan's friends and relatives who
> in turn shared many photos that had never been published before. Though a
> completely self-taught investigative reporter and author, she had conducted
> what seemed to me to be some thorough, professional research and translated
> into a very interesting and captivating read. She did it all on her
> lonesome, including self-publishing the book.
>
> Back to the night I met Rebecca. After leaving me a bit speechless with
> her obvious knowledge of harmonicas and Alan Wilson, she asked me if I'd
> like to buy a copy of her book. After running out to her car, she produced
> a beautiful paperback with a blue-tone picture of Alan on the front. That
> wasn't quite the end of the story.
>
> The book itself is very well written and contains a host of details and
> photographs that paint a very intimate portrait of the elusive musician.
> Much of the content has never been available to the public and for a fan of
> Canned Heat and its legendary musicians and songs, it is riveting. If you
> are a fan I can't recommend it highly enough.
>
> But, a little more about my (then) new-found friend, Rebecca Davis
> Winters. She is quite a hoot! Raised in Green River, Wyoming (read very
> isolated, near desert location), she has the rabid curiosity of a
> lighting-quick mind and insatiable appetite for things she holds dear. It
> isn't often that I run into a fellow lady harper, and I have surely never
> met anyone like Rebecca. She was on Facebook for a while, posting a host of
> interesting links about Owl, The Heat, and related subjects. Turns out
> she's also a rabid Stephen Stills fan, too, though I don't think she's
> written a book about him. After a few months pf enjoying Rebecca's FB
> posts, she announced that she was leaving the area and disappearing from
> sight as she was being harassed by her estranged husband. That's the last I
> knew of her.
>
> Back to your question about the availability of the book, John, I see that
> Amazon and Barnes & Noble ~had~ it and now offer it for an exorbitant price
> used. However, I do see that Rebecca's web site,
> http://www.blindowlbio.com/ <http://www.blindowlbio.com/>seems to still
> offer it via Paypal. I wish you good luck finding a copy; it is a keeper.
>
> Oh, and say Hey for me if you do succeed in contacting Rebecca.
>
> Michelle
>