Jonas “Mr. R&B” Bernholm´s journey in USA 1968 plus bonus material (121.622 words) This is the complete book (version 1) from my research trips 1968 (plus a little from 1978). (Version 1 is basically a translation of articles written in Swedish and published in Swedish magazine Jefferson (Worlds oldest blues magazine) plus a summary. Version 2 will be a completed after checking my original interviews and diary) Version 1: (Correction 2016-11-17) Chapters: a) Introduction (Page 2) 1) New York (I) (Page 2-12) 2) Chicago (Page 12-54) 3) Memphis (Page 54-96) 4) Atlanta (Page 96-110) 5) Miami (Page 110-130) 6) New Orleans (Page 130-180) 7) Houston (Page 180-206) 8) Los Angeles (Page 206-246) 9) San Francisco (Page 246-266) 10)Detroit (Page 266-270) 11)New York (II) (Page 270-291) 12)Conclusions/Summary (Page 291-309) 13)Joe Tex (Page 309-317) 14)Wilson Pickett (Page 317-321) Copyright Jonas Bernholm ©. [email protected] Blekingegatan 25, 11856 Stockholm Sweden 046-8-6426358 I was born in 1946 in middleclass surroundings outside Stockholm, Sweden. Piano lessons in my youth went without any real progress. Culturally Sweden was isolated with a state owned radio and later television with very limited output. It was like the eastern European states behind the iron curtain. At best, perhaps once a year a song with Louis Jordan or Big Joe Turner was heard on the radio. Around 1956 records with Elvis Presley came to Sweden. Through my four year older brother I became absolute fascinated and soon had two other favourites whose records I also started to buy: Little Richard and Fats Domino. Still it was very rare to hear Jerry Lee Lewis or Chuck Berry on radio or in somebody’s home. With Elvis in the army and Little Richard quitting R&R I lost interest around 1960 but after seeing the Beatles live in 1963 – while in England studying English - I started buying records again and Chuck Berry in particular. Back in England in 1964-65 and 67 I was exposed to many English blues-cover-bands like Manfred Mann, Pretty Things, Tridents, Ten Years After, John Mayall and I saw the Rolling Stones, Animals, the Who and Jimi Hendrix while they visited Sweden. I started buying the originals with blues artists like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James and Bo Diddley. From 1964 I was attending the American Folk Blues Festivals yearly. Around late 1964 I heard Soul records by Otis Redding, James Brown and Solomon Burke. I was not yet aware that these were brand new recordings while the best blues now released in Europe in most cases were recorded in the 50-s. In the spring of 1967 the Stax-Volt tour came to Sweden. Up until that time I was not that much different from other record collecting teenagers. Collecting records have been the number one hobby in Sweden for decades. If you heard a great song on the radio chances were that you might never hear it again unless you bought it. Having bought a fair number of recordings with Otis Redding, Sam And Dave, Arthur Conley, Eddie Floyd, Booker T & The MGs and the Markeys I know what to expect. But it was much better. I was ecstatic and made up my mind to go to America as soon as possible. A few months later James Brown came to Sweden. It was showmanship at a level never witnessed in Europe before. NEW YORK (I) The English weekly music newspapers Record Mirror, New Musical Express and Melody Maker reported about the British invasion in USA in 1964-65. Artists were given a chance to fulfill a dream - to go to The Apollo Theatre. The Rolling Stones were completely ecstatic and Mick Jagger? and Keith Richards? said these famous words after seeing the Hardest Working Man in Show business, "You can put Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard on one half of the stage. No one is going to notice them when James Brown comes out on the other half. " Elvis visited The Apollo Theatre, with Bo Diddley headlining, at his first time in New York when signing contract with RCA Records. Then the Beatles arrived and when exiting the airplane in England George Harrison carried a Major Lance album under his arm while John Lennon praised soulsinger Timmy Shaw’s Gonna Send You Back To Georgia when the group guested Swedish Radio host Klas Burling.. George Harrison was a true soul-connoisseur and voted for Bob and Earl´s Harlem Shuffle as Record of the Year in Record Mirror’s yearly poll. (1964/65). At the same time Tom Jones (in the audience) was invited by Chuck Jackson to join him at the Apollo stage. Lennon had to wait until 1971 to debut there. USA 1968 On June 9th, a Sunday morning, the plane landed at the Kennedy Airport. It was two hours late and through a student counsellor I got the address to a cheap hotel – The Times Square Motor Hotel on 8th Avenue and 43rd street. Despite very little sleep I didn’t stay there long. I soon found myself walking in the direction of Harlem. I stopped outside Jack Dempsey’s bar in Times Square. The champ had not yet turned up to welcome his patrons. The early summer-sun was filtering through the glass windows on a few guests. I passed by Madison Square Garden. The debris from a huge boxing gala lay in droves on the sidewalk. As an avid reader of boxing oracle Nat Fleischers columns in Swedish newspapers and his book 50 Years at Ringside I stopped again for a minute of silence and reflection before I continued to Central Park. The sun was at its zenith and the park was full of people. The notes from the Intruders Cowboys to Girls, (a Gamble and Huff song) found its way from a transistor radio. The wind and the distance prolonged the interval between voices and accompaniment into a cosmic back beat. Everyone there; cyclists, thick girls and baseball players of different skin colors merged into it. I loved it - and soon found myself on the other side of the park. Robert Kennedy had been shot a few days before, and was buried today. Three months earlier, Martin Luther King was assassinated. Many sad and hung over people were in a state of shock on Lenox Avenue. Nobody cared that a white guy was moving in on prohibited territory. Water hydrants had been opened and acted as public showers. A single luxury sports car slid slowly by. 80 blocks and a couple of hours later, I passed through people standing outside the Apollo on the side walk all the way up to the corner. Many were half asleep and stood perfectly still except that their heads nodded occasionally; at this meeting place for junkies. I was in front of the Apollo Theatre on 125th Street. Time was around three O’Clock in the afternoon. I read the following names on the classic marquee outside: Jive Five, Jean Wells, The Spinners, the Delfonics and topping the bill: JERRY BUTLER. I quickly hurried in, past this week’s artist’s publicity pictures, and bought he cheapest ticket at 2 usd. I had had already spent $ 14.75 for the hotel and given 50 cents to a beggar. Not to mention the bus and taxi from the airport. It was expensive in America. (A freelance reporter for English Soul magazines with a combined circulation of maybe 2000 copies did not get paid). In the hall there were also larger lobby cards with popular artists from the R & B and Soul Hall Of Fame. I ran up the stairs to the second row balcony. It was a very steep balcony – Stories exist about ecstatic spectators standing on the railing to the tunes of One O'Clock Jump or Flying Home. Earl Hines Second Balcony Jump was based on a real event, it was said…. I had timed my entrance perfectly in the middle of the opening act’s first song. On stage were the Jive Five. But they were only four, and these four men were moving in beautiful, intricate, synchronized movements poetically emphasizing the content of the lyrics. Their leadsinger was Eugene Pitt. He was one of the founders of the group. They had lost the fifth member during their journey. When they performed their last hit Cry Like A Baby (Musicor) they moved their arms tenderly from side to side, as if cradling/rocking a baby; without standing still for a moment. A young man, with a clean shaven, polished and shiny head (probably 2nd lead singer Richard Fisher) was given more room on Sugar (Don't Take My Candy Away) or “Strawberry Kisses” as I first thought it was called - after a prominent line. This was a very strong opening act. They had started as a doo wop group but now moved into soul. Jean Wells, a rather short, young lady made her debut at the Apollo with two great songs Try Me And See and Have A Little Mercy. The latter was perhaps the highlight of the whole show. It contained dramatic lines such as the opening “I never ever thought I'd live to see the day”. Her performance was even better than the recording. She walked from one side of the stage to the other with the microphone cord hanging behind her. What an afternoon! All fatigue was blown away. The next group on stage were The Delfonics.