I was at The Broken Spoke, in Austin, TX to hear Asleep at the Wheel when my friend, Nancy Coplin (my dear friend and legendary Austin music advocate!) grabbed my sleeve and pointed at an elderly black man sitting nearby. She said “Do you know who THAT is?”…I said “No”. She said “It’s Pinetop Perkins.” I said “Oh! I know who HE is!”. Willie “Pinetop” Perkins played with Sonny Boy Williamson, Earl Hooker and B.B. King and spent many years with Muddy Waters band. He also played with Eric Clapton and Jimmie Vaughan.
Nancy told he that he wanted to “sit in” with Asleep at the Wheel and asked if I could introduce him to Ray. I have known Ray Benson as long as I’ve been in Austin. I knew of Asleep at the Wheel well before I ever moved to town. He is also an East Coast transplant. He came here from Philly in 1973 and I came in 1979. Ray has always been a gracious pal and I’ve recorded with him a couple of times at his Bismeaux Studio. (Yep, lucky me!)
I walked up to the side of the stage where they were preparing to go on and, basically, just repeated what Nancy had just told me, verbatim. I told Ray that Pinetop would like to “sit in”.
Of course Ray said “Yes” and for a few minutes I was right between 2 musical legends, introducing them.
Ahhhhh……Only in Austin!
My Entertaining Life-Steve Carter 