[Harp-L] Prodigal Son (was Madcat's new YouTube video)

[Michelle LeFree]

Gary Lehmann wrote:

> I knew I had heard that song before!
> http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-rolling-stones-prodigal-son-a-song-confusion-19690301
> Madcat did a fabulous job with the music, and the video is also nicely
> done, but if the song sounds familiar, it's because the Rolling Stones
> covered it on Beggar's Banquet.
> According to the link above, the rewrite was done by the original artist,
> and the Stones are just covering it.
> No harp content, as you were.
> Gary

One of the most exciting musical events of my life involved the song, 
"Prodigal Son," by the Rev. Robert Wilkins. It's always been one of my 
favorite Rolling Stones songs, so I like to play it on harmonica.

The occasion came several years ago for my mentor and friend, Phil 
Wiggins, to perform at the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival with the 
Rev. John Wilkins, Robert's son. I had made arrangements to meet Phil 
after their set so I picked him up and drove up the scenic San Juan 
River valley and found a spot where we could sit, catch up and jam a 
little. Now, as you might imagine, jamming with Phil Wiggins is an 
exciting and humbling experience in it own right, but that's not what 
I'm writing about. When we were wrapping up, Phil extended an invitation 
from Mark Galbo for me to join Mark and his family for dinner with Phil 
and Rev. John. Mark was the organizer of the now defunct Telluride Blues 
and Brews "Acoustic Blues Camp," which I had the extraordinary good 
fortune to have been able to attend several times before its demise, a 
couple as one of Phil's students. Mark also co-authored a popular book 
on "Beginning Fingerstyle Blues Guitar."

After dinner while Mark was frailing a mountain song on his backless 
banjo, Phil and I jumped up and grabbed our harps and as we brought them 
back to the dinner table I wisely snagged the Reverend's guitar. Long 
story short I had the tremendous honor of being able to accompany the 
Good Revered all by my lonesome.

I can thus lay the claim to having accompanied The Prodigal Son of the 
man who wrote "The Prodigal Son" as he played his Daddy's most famous 
song.     8^)

Michelle