Atomic Mama, of KNBA's 9th Alley Blues and Living Blues magazine, tells us about meeting Georgia Tom (the Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey, one of the earliest stars of gospel music) and Tampa Red. By Atomic Mama
www.teemings.net – Atomic Mama Meets the Fabulous Hokum Boys
by Atomic Mama
Who's Atomic Mama?
I am one of the people who started up Living Blues (LB) magazine in Chicago, back in 1970. The others included:
Jim O'Neal (once my spouse), of Rooster Blues and Stackhouse Records, and an all-around world-class blues writer and researcher;
Paul Garon, surrealist philosopher, author of books about the transcendental Memphis Minnie and the weird, occasionally boring, but fascinating St. Louis pianist/guitarist Peetie Wheatstraw, and a dealer in rare books;
Bruce Iglauer, CEO of Alligator Records, which he began after a short job at Delmark Records under owner/producer Bob Koester (where I had also worked - twice).
Who Were the Hokum Boys?
There were quite a few!
According to R.M.W. Dixon and J. Godrich, compilers of the prewar discography, Blues and Gospel Records 1902-1943, "This name was used for a number of different groups on various labels." The record labels mentioned (including Paramount, Okeh, Gennett, and Vocalion) are all highly collectible 78s.
The Hokum Boys I met were Georgia Tom and Tampa Red.
Georgia Tom was a piano player who came out of Villa Rica, Georgia, whose father was a preacher. Tom, however, went into show business, learning the ropes by playing piano in silent movie theaters and demonstrating sheet music. He went on to work with blues singer Gertrude "Ma" Rainey on the T.O.B.A. ("Tough on Black Artists") vaudeville circuit as her music director and pianist.
Tampa Red (born Hudson Woodbridge, but taking the surname Whittaker to honor the grandmother who raised him) was from Florida, of high yaller complexion and red hair: thus his moniker. Professionally, he was also known as "The Guitar Wizard" and "The Man with the Gold Guitar," after his beautiful National Steel guitar.
How, Where, When
Living Blues (a.k.a. Jim and Amy) interviewed Georgia Tom (a.k.a. the Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey) in 1975. I recollect meeting him in a tidy bungalow located in Chicago's black South Side neighborhood. He proudly answered our questions. We were mostly interested in the way-long-back years of his blues life, when he was "Georgia Tom." However, he wanted to make sure that we knew of his success in the gospel world ? a term that he created and defined. He took us down into his basement, where there was a pretty white upright piano. He sat on a pillow that was placed on his "leaving trunk" (painted with his name, address, and gospel tunes), and played and sang for us. It was unique. A private concert with the Rev.!
I also met Tampa Red in the mid 1970s. He was living with a friend/caretaker, Miss Effie Tolbert. This was an informal "assisted living" setup. I remember that one Christmas, Effie generously gave Jim and me some really potent (albeit curdled) eggnog.
Effie died, but others also looked after Tampa Red, including 1930s piano player Blind John Davis and pianist Little Brother Montgomery of "Vicksburg Blues" fame.
Tampa Red was then moved into a series of nursing care facilities, before he passed away in obscurity and abject poverty. A poignant note in the Chicago Blues News section of LB #30, November-December 1976, noted: "Blind John Davis, Sunnyland Slim and Erwin Helfer gave a free concert in honor of Tampa Red on Nov. 26 at Sacred Heart Home, where Tampa has lived for the past two years. The music of his friends inspired Tampa to try to sing and play piano, but he found it too difficult, both physically and emotionally, and sadly returned to his chair."
When I met Tampa, he was frail, frail, frail. His delicate fingernails were tinged yellow with nicotine. He spoke very quietly, and never seemed quite "all there." When we would leave after a visit, we'd always ask, "Can we bring you something?" Tampa's request was always and only for some cigarettes and beer. We never brought him the beer.
Tampa Red's funeral, which I attended, was very sad. Blind John Davis broke down. Author Studs Terkel (Division Street and other works) spoke. Studs and I shared a cab back to downtown Chicago afterward.
Tampa Red's career can pretty much be summarized by what was printed on the front of the funeral bulletin (as written by Amy O'Neal ? and I had forgotten that I had done this):
OBITUARY
Mr. Whittaker, who performed in many South Side Night Clubs from the 1920s through the 1940s, died Thursday in the Central Nursing Home, 2450 W. Central.
He made many recordings on the Vocalion and RCA Victor Bluebird labels, according to Amy O'Neal, co-publisher of Living Blues magazine.
He composed and recorded such songs as "Don't You Lie To Me," "Crying Won't Help You" and "It Hurts Me, Too," which were recorded by such well-known performers as B.B. King, Fats Domino and Chuck Berry.
Not Quite Now
Fast-forward to 2008. I was living in Alaska, and had been going with C. to hear the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra on a frequent basis. C., although an accomplished musician (various saxes, bassoon, banjo, guitar, and Irish harp), knew virtually nothing about the blues. I was about the same with classical music.
It was time for C. to find out who and what I really was. I decided to give him the book The Voice of The Blues: Classic Interviews from Living Blues Magazine and attached a note asking him to read the foreword (by music writer Peter Guralnick) and the introduction, since those two bits of the book would explain me pretty well. I also flagged the story about Georgia Tom. (C. is an active church-goer. I was something between a backsliding American Buddhist and an atheist.)
Around this time, C., who lives in Palmer (the "Colony" town 40 miles north), decided to get us a Costco membership. There are no Costcos up in the Mat-Su Valley. So off we went to Costco.
At the customer service counter, we co-applied for a business membership. The clerk asked to see the business license. "But I'm a freelance writer! Freelance writers don't have business licenses!" I protested. I went out to the truck and retrieved the book I'd given C., the current issue of Living Blues, and an Anchorage Daily News story I had written. "See? Do you know the song 'Precious Lord, Take My Hand'? Elvis Presley sang it, and I interviewed the composer ? here's the story, in this book."
No go. We were only allowed to purchase a regular Costco membership.
But C. was impressed.
I really hadn't thought about it much, but maybe it was a big deal that I had met Georgia Tom and Tampa Red. Even though this did not happen in the same room at the same time.
So, I pondered. I decided to enter the church talent show, and do a presentation. I had spotted "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" in the hymnal, and felt it was somehow important that the congregation should know about the composer and his earlier years.
It went like this: I brought along a (non-collectible) 78, so that the young kids would know when and where and how recorded music was played, pre-iPod. I put out two photos from the '70s. I had scans of old Chicago Defender race records ads, and told the stories of the much younger Georgia Tom and Tampa Red, how they had a monster hit with their song, "It's Tight Like That," that it must have sold over a million copies ? quite the accomplishment for that time (1928). I described the Hokum Boys as rogues and scoundrels, the rappers of their day. I made quite sure that my audience understood that the song was impolite and risqu?.
Then I told about each man's later life, and how our paths had crossed. How Tampa Red's career and health faded, and that he had died in obscurity and poverty. How Georgia Tom, after the tragedy of losing his wife and newborn child, had turned to writing religious music, and called it "gospel song." I showed them hymn #611, and concluded by playing Elvis Presley's version of "Precious Lord, Take My Hand."
I was applauded. I blushed and sat down in the pew.
But Wait! There's More!
The emcee of the talent show (a minister from another church in Palmer) called me out from the pulpit: "You're Atomic Mama! I've listened to your show ? it's on KNBA." Several other members of the congregation also thanked me. A Fish and Wildlife guy told me that he would listen to my show while counting fish during the summer solstice. And everybody loved hearing Elvis singing gospel. A year later people were still talking about my presentation.
And then there was Christmas 2008. C. found me one of the two Document CDs of Thomas A. Dorsey. He also gave me the Deluxe Edition DVD/CD set of "Say Amen, Somebody!" (1980), the film documenting Dorsey's career.
For Christmas 2009, C. presented me with the other Document CD, with all the Georgia Tom and Tampa Red tunes. Do you detect a theme here?
Now (2010)
The night before Valentine's Day, C. and I become engaged to be married. Georgia Tom and Tampa Red had brought us together. In heaven, I hope they know. Maybe Elvis does, too.
"Atomic Mama" has broadcast on the radio in Chicago, Memphis, Oxford and Holly Springs, Mississippi, and Anchorage, Alaska for over 30 years. Her early shows in Chicago featured interviews with Bobby Bland, Lonnie Brooks, Eddie Clearwater, Snooky Pryor, Sunnyland Slim, Houston Stackhouse, Muddy Waters, and More...