Hey everybody.
I finished this entry to my blog as my Daddy, JW Whitten, and I head home from Bluesville, a great performance venue at the Horseshoe Casino in Tunica Mississippi. We just saw a terrific show by our old friend Merle Haggard. As it turned out, this was a real family affair as Merle's older son Noel opened the concert for his Dad and Ben, Merle's youngest son, played rhythm guitar in the band. I'll say it; those Haggard boys don't take a backseat to anyone when it comes to pure talent.
Beforehand, we all went backstage and visited with Merle. As you can imagine, this country music legend is very laid back and incredibly gracious. He made sure that his manager, Frank Mull, took extra special care of us. I have included a picture of my daddy and JW sitting in the audience watching the show. JLL was offered a chair on the stage – in the wings – but my Daddy wanted to go sit out front in the crowd and just be a regular fan of a performer that really has earned his respect.
Down the street from the Horseshoe Casino, Tanya Tucker was playing and after her gig, she dropped by Bluesville and spent some time with my Daddy and Merle. JLL and Tanya have known each other for many years.
Overall, it has been a fun spring so far here in Nesbit even though it has felt like summer, actually reaching a sweltering 97 degrees almost every day with stifling humidity. Hey, that’s Dixie for ya! Usually, when we are not on the road or doing an appearance or a special event, we just hang around the ranch and relax but this spring, my Daddy and I are more active than in the past. A few weeks ago, 
we decided to go pay a visit to BB King who was also performing locally. JLL and BB found some time to hang out with one another prior to the show. It was great to see those two together again. Both BB and my Daddy are always so busy so when they have time to catch up, it is special. We caught BB’s performance and it was really fantastic. My Daddy and I agreed that BB is playing and singing better than ever and that’s no exaggeration. We had a wonderful time.
The weekend before the BB King show, JW, Mary Jo Pritchett, and I headed down to Beale Street in Memphis and saw the Rowdy Friends Tour with Hank Williams Jr. and Lynyrd Skynyrd. For those of you who do not know this about me, when I was a teenager, and tucked away at a boarding school in the north Georgia mountains, I became a huge fan of Lynyrd Skynyrd and even had a crush on guitarists Gary Rossington and Ronnie Van Zant. Fast forward to the Rowdy Friends Tour from a couple of weeks ago; during the show I yelled, "Free Bird" and I drank beer too! My daddy says I'm going to have to quit drinking that beer because I'm getting a little wild lately. OK, let's look at this. Jerry Lee Lewis is telling me that I'm getting wild!!!! Sorry daddy, you got no room to talk there.
So anyway, we went backstage before the Skynyrd show to say hi to the band. Hank Jr. had not arrived yet but we did have a chance to visit with Gary Rossington, Rickey Medlocke, Johnny Van Zant, and the boys from Skynyrd. Honestly, I felt like a teenager all over again being around those guys. They could not have been sweeter to Mary Jo and me. Rickey Medlocke, a longtime fan of “the Killer,” asked about my Daddy and I thought that was so sweet of him. Rickey’s granddaddy was the great Shorty Medlocke, a delta blues legend and someone of whom I am a big fan. But, I gotta’ say, meeting 
Gary Rossington backstage that night was definitely one of the highlights for me and is way at the top of my list of cool. Given where he came from, the hard work he put into his art and what he has been through...I am just so grateful that he is still around and kicking that guitar. So many people just don't know how tough many performers have had it during their careers. Life on the road is brutal and unforgiving. There's a lot more down time than you can imagine and then there is just an hour or so on stage to do what you love and came to do. As someone who has seen my own father's life up close and personal, believe me, it is a rough ride for musicians. Real rock and rollers are the toughest guys I know and I admire and I love them for being true to their heart. Let me add that I don't know a single performer that would go back and change what they chose to do to make their mark on the world. They really do love the music and perhaps this is why we have such strong feelings about them and why their legacies are so enduring. Musicians really are ALL THAT and more.
June 15 was Fathers Day and like all good daughters, I bought my Daddy a bunch of presents to celebrate. With some of the gifts, I tried to pay homage to his intrepid spirit and rugged demeanor. For starters, I got him a genuine (synthetic) coon skin cap. I also went to our local sporting goods store and told the salesman I wanted to buy my Daddy a knife for Father’s Day. He asked me what my Daddy did with knives; hunt, fish, etc., and I said no, “he throws them and sticks them up in his bedroom door.” The young man behind the counter was a bit taken aback and kind of looked at me nervously and said, “well, sounds like that man needs one of our best throwing knifes.” “Yeah, that's it” I said, so, I got him one. Then I saw this gorgeous Browning Liberty Tree knife. It is a real collectable. I am pretty sure my Daddy likes it but in case I am wrong, I am going to keep it for myself – it is gorgeous!! For those of you who are interested, you can read all about the fascinating story of this limited edition knife at: http://www.beebusyoutdoors.com/lihilitrlied.html. Hey now, I am all about American History.
Finally, If you don't hear from me before the 4th of July be sure and watch Jerry Lee Lewis perform on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC as he honors America at the annual Fourth of July Concert broadcast on PBS. Here is a link for more information: http://www.pbs.org/capitolfourth/concert.html. Everyone please enjoy a healthy and safe Independence Day celebration and watch out for those fireworks as they can be dangerous!! Let’s leave that stuff to the pros.
God Bless America.
See y’all soon.
Phoebe
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