Anyone who liked Memphis Rock and Roll knew the name Charlie Feathers.
It was there under the Elvis track " I Forgot to Remember to Forget."
But it wasn't until the mid-60s that I knew anything more. The earliest
Sun Records listings in the UK, put together by Breathless Dan Coffey,
showed that Charlie had had one single out on Sun and one on Flip but
it was impossible, in my part of the north of England, to find anyone,
in the mid-60s, who had them or who had heard them. The same was true
of the King singles that I began to hear about. That is not to say they
were unheard anywhere in the UK. Breathless Dan certainly had copies
and so did fans such as John and Glyn Morris. I am sure there were others.
In
1967 I left high school and went to college at University of Wales,
Swansea. In August 1967 I traveled to Swansea, from Manchester, to find
accommodation. On the train back I took a break at Newport and went
to spend a few hours with Breathless Dan. Dan was recently back from
a visit to the U.S. and brought with him stories and 45s. One of the
45s he played me was Charlie's Meteor 45-the first track I ever heard
by Charlie was "Get with it" and I did! I asked Dan to play
it over and over and when a copy appeared in one of Dan's auctions I
bid and won. These many years later I still can place myself in Dan's
front room when I first heard that track. I became more than a fan.
In the next couple of years I managed to obtain, through Dan other of
Charlie's records ("Wild Wild Party", "South of Chicago",
"Deep Elem Blues") but not the King, Kay or Sun/Flip. One
of the King's I got from somewhere in the U.S. in 1968 but others were
heard only because friends had been able to get through bootlegs. I
sent a Xmas card to Charlie, through Dan, in 1968.
In
the summer of 1969 I came to the US for 3 months on a student work exchange
program. While many UK students remained in the north-east I, along
with a friend, headed south. We did find work in Nashville and lived
just off Music Row. But Memphis remained my Holy Grail. I had Charlie's
address from Dan. The first time I visited Memphis I got so lost that,
but for a friendly police patrol car, I may still be wandering the streets
of Memphis!! The second time I planned my search a little better. It
was late afternoon when a bus dropped me a few blocks from Charlie's
house on Watson (Watson was one these roads that split so if you were
looking at the wrong part you'd no chance!). As I walked towards the
house, Charlie walked out. It was pretty clear it was him. I introduced
myself and he seemed to remember my name through Dan. I am sure I took
him completely by surprise. First Breathless Dan, then a 20 year old
college student from the UK.
It
could have ended there-a thanks for the great music, a picture or two
and then back to the bus and to the Greyhound Station. But it didn't.
Charlie and his wonderful family, Rosemary, Bubba, Wanda and Ricky invited
me in and I stayed 5 days (Wanda may know exactly how long) and it wasn't
the only time I was a guest. For those days I just tagged along. Charlie
took me over to Select -O-Hits,(where one morning I managed to get a
picture with Charlie, Wayne McGinnis and myself) and to one or two evening
recording sessions at Studios up at North Chelsea. Charlie wasn't recording
but he was a welcome presence. One evening we went to see a drag race
but other times Charlie just drove me around Memphis and introduced
me to his brother and friends. Each morning Rosemary, Charlie and I
would sit and talk at breakfast and the talk often was not of music.
This was 1969 after all, I was from Britain, Charlie and his family
were southerners. There were a lot of differences and a lot of cultural
bridges to cross. I don't want to make too much of this. I loved every
single minute of it but my point is that I didn't really care about
just discussing music: it was his family's friendship and hospitality
that touched me. I have tried to explain this before and it never comes
out right but I don't think I spent all my time telling Charlie how
great an artist he was. I didn't think I needed to do that. I know I
explained just how much the records I had of him meant to me. At that
time Charlie was in the one of those periods where he wasn't performing
much, but he remained involved in the music scene and had recorded some
sessions at Select-O-Hits organized by Breathless Dan in 1968. Once
or twice Charlie offered to try and track down some of his old records
and he did offer me a 78 of "Peepin' Eyes". I wasn't interested.
I would rather remember him singing "Peepin' Eyes" in his
front room than have the 78. Or watch Charlie and Bubba play guitar
together. Bubba at that time was just getting into guitar playing. I
did find some of Charlie's records I didn't have at various places during
my summer in the south.
I
stayed with the family once more that summer and then had to head back
to UK and college. I wrote during the year and heard back. In the summer
of 1970 I went back to Tennessee on another summer work exchange and,
while I had a better job offer in Nashville, I headed to Memphis often.
It only took a phone call ahead of time and Charlie would meet me at
the downtown Greyhound Station.
In
1971 I began some graduate work at University of Tennessee (where I
was to meet another Sun artist, Dick Penner) and you would think that
my visits to Memphis would continue. They did for a few years but my
life in East Tennessee became full and hectic and I didn't get to Memphis
as much as I had hoped. I do remember going to Memphis and we all went
to see a show with George Jones and Conway Twitty. Fats Domino was supposed
to also play but didn't. Well not all of us went. Charlie didn't and
I probably really didn't realize at the time just how difficult it must
have been for him not to be performing. I also remember a visit in spring
of 1973 when I took Martin Hawkins and Colin Escott out to see Charlie
perform (Martin will remember where-he remembers these things). It was
the first, and only time, I saw Charlie Feathers, Wanda and Bubba together
on stage. How about that for odd? I have a memory of the door man looking
at these strange youngsters with longer than normal hair; but then Charlie's
brother appeared and we were safe!
I
have said once before that I regret, more than most things, losing touch
with Charlie's family. There is a long story but the gist is that the
address I had was the wrong address and I could never find the new one.
Years later I discovered it was in fact right all along and that someone
had told me, erroneously, that Charlie had moved.
I
last saw Charlie and Rosemary in 1981 and then I moved to California
in 1985. It was with real sadness that I heard of Charlie's death. I
remember that I spent some time along remembering those wonderful times
of 1969 and 1970 when I was invited to be a part of this family. I am
so glad to have reconnected with Rosemary, Wanda, Bubba and Ricky. I
saw Bubba in 2001 when the Rock and Soul Museum opened and Bubba was
playing at a club near where the Old Eagle's Nest was located. I also
went by to pay my respects at the grave.
I
still listen to a lot of Charlie Feathers' music and when I do it always
takes me back to hot Memphis summer nights in 1969 and 1970 when I was
invited in to spend some memorable time with a wonderful family. That's
the way I remember Charlie.