Pinetop Perkins

“The blues will always be because the blues are the roots of all American music” Willie Dixon

Pinetop Perkins played piano with Muddy Waters after Otis Span left the band. I used to go see him at the Yale, at the time (mid-90s) it was a blues institution on Granville Street. One time, I invited him over for dinner and he said yes. I asked him what he wanted for dinner. He said fried chicken. I didn’t know how to make fried chicken and there was no internet to consult.

I invited my mom over. I picked him up downtown. He wore a suit and a hat and when he got to my place, showed us an electronic ankle bracelet. I think it was for a DUI, though according to him, it was a misunderstanding and a miscarriage of justice. His grandson was driving the van, Pinetop wasn’t even in the vehicle but he owned it and it was registered in his name.

PIANO STUDENTS

I was teaching piano at the time and invited some students over. The writer Trevor Carolan caught wind, I taught his kids. He was so excited because he was a big Muddy Waters fan so he brought his old records over for Pinetop to autograph. Thanks to Trevor, there was a photograph in the local Deep Cove newspaper – Trevor, Pinetop and me.

Pinetop played Little Red Rooster on my Nordheimer upright. I still haven’t discovered how he can make a wolf whistle come out of a piano. I’m sure the handful of young students didn’t know the significance and history of what they were hearing at this impromptu performance. Neither did I. It was the mid 90s, Pinetop was in his eighties. Born in Mississipi in 1913. He died in Texas in 2011 and was the oldest ever Grammy award winner.

THE BLUES

When Pinetop and I walked down to the water in Deep Cove, he told me a few things. He loved McDonalds. One of his sons was shot and died in Chicago. His wife was dead. He started playing piano because a woman sliced his arm with a knife and he couldn’t play guitar anymore. He knew the blues firsthand.

He was pissed off at the Yale management. They picked him up in a limo but wouldn’t shell out the extra 200 or so dollars that he got charged for crossing the border. He thought it would be the last time he would play there. He could have gone in a limo to the airport but instead chose to go with me. My husband drove, I recorded the interview on my Sony Professional Walkman. I was glad my husband was there because he came up with better questions than I did.

YEARS LATER

He did play the Yale again years later. This time he was with Willie “Big Eyes” Smith but he had some handlers with him so I couldn’t get too close and when I joined the long line of autograph seekers to talk to him, he was somewhat incoherent and repeated a religious mantra to me. It may have been after a train hit the car he was driving. I asked him if he remembered me. He didn’t. His handlers wouldn’t let me interview him, can’t say that I blame them, so I interviewed Willie instead.

THE LAST TIME I SAW PINE

The last time I saw him was in Seattle at Dimitros Jazz Alley. He didn’t play as long but he was still in his suit. He couldn’t really talk at this point but he could still play piano. I don’t think he sang at this gig.

I remember him as a humble, quiet, gracious man which contrasted with the force of his blurred fingers flying over the keyboard.

I had a living legend sitting in his suit and hat in my living room and playing on my piano. He asked for fried chicken and I made Shake and Bake, he didn’t complain but didn’t eat much. Maybe I should have gone to Kentucky Fried.

Moral of the story – have gumption – people may say yes and learn how to make fried chicken.

POST SCRIPT

I plan on making a video about Pinetop and my unique experience with him. I ran into Little Mike (and the Tornadoes) and Rusty Zinn at other musical events and they both played with him.

Filed Under: Audio, Blog, Creative Journeys, Music, Video