[Harp-L] (19) Buddy Greene - Orange Blossom Special 1994!!! - YouTube

[The Iceman]

<<As for Charlie, he has a 'winter patio home' here in Ft. Myers Fl.>>
Got to know Charlie in the mid 90's through booking him to SPAH - Bob Williams and I even allocated extra $ for his appearance (I believe he did it for free, but wanted his "Hunting Dogs" to be taken care of financially) in order so he could also bring along his steel pedal player. His appreciation at this gesture turned into a nice relationship over the years. Sadly, his winters were spent touring the RV Parks in the South, playing to the white haired crowd and stuck with whatever local acoustic guitar player was provided. Vicki and I went to see him and were saddened by this situation and the sub-par musicianship of the guitarist, but Charlie was a total WV gentleman and professional and carried on as if he was playing for a concert crowd with the best back up. The happy revelation that he revealed to us was his annual trip/tour to France, where there was still a huge following and he could play these large festivals and be treated like the accomplished musician that he is. I also booked him and his "Hunting Dogs" for a concert in Orlando that was, sadly, not too well attended, but did get to spend a bunch of time with him and his wife. What was fantastic was the rehearsal at the venue before his show. He hadn't worked with his hand picked "Dogs" for quite a while, so it was a combination of happy reunion that turned deadly efficient and focused as he worked them with razor sharp intensity during that rehearsal - truly something to behold. The few that attended the concert were blown away - said it was like being at the Grand Ol' Opry!
Aside from a few of those "Tribute to Charlie" recognition gigs, he is sadly under-appreciated these days.