bjsbash

I doubt that I can say much about the Billy Joe Shaver birthday bash weekend that Miss Lana has not covered, but I'll add my observations anyway. In short, it was a weekend that I'll never forget.

I got to visit with some very nice and fun BJS fans from all over the Great State of Texas and the Good ol' USA. I got to see Billy Joe perform twice in one day. I got to see and hear a really great band. And best of all, I got to visit with Billy Joe and learn firsthand what a hell of a nice guy he really is.

The first show was at Half Price Books where KERA was conducting an interview. The crowd was quite large for a Friday noon. At first Billy Joe performed solo, as his band was missing in action somewhere on the rainy streets of Dallas. Billy Joe entertained us by singing and sharing interesting and often hilarious stories of his life. Soon band members Jesse Taylor and Bob Brown arrived and set up to play. And man, can they play. They performed acoustic versions of several of his classic hits, like " I'm Gonna Live Forever"and threw in a few lesser known gems as well. These three talented gentlemen created a very full sound with their acoustic guitars. The diverse audience responded enthusiastically.

Later that night Billy Joe and full band played at Poor David's Pub to a standing room only crowd. Of course, in Billy Joe's heart and ours, no one will ever replace Eddy. Unfortunately for us all, Eddy's gone. Fortunately, Billy Joe is still here, and he has assembled a top-notch band that can be counted among the best in Texas.

Jesse Taylor played lead and he is a guitar wizard. He played and recorded with Joe Ely for years along with many other notables. He also has recorded several solo albums and his latest "Texas Tattoo" finds it's way to my player frequently. If you read my review of it, you will know I hold him in pretty high esteem among Texas guitar slingers. After this show I am even more in awe of his playing than before. He provided lots of thrills and received thunderous applause throughout the three hour show. I don't know anything about Bob Brown except for what I heard Saturday night. So what I do know is that this guy can play damn right wicked slide guitar. His slide solos were as awesome as any I have ever heard live and I've seen a lot of the best. This guy smokes and when he and Jesse dueled out (several times) it was rock'n'roll nirvana for me. They even brought Billy Joe to his knees to honor them. Bob also excels on keyboards, fiddle and who knows what else. Kind of a Bob of all trades..master of all. I'll see what I can dig up on his past. He's too damn good not to have been playing with some known artists. The rhythm section of David Carroll on bass and "Tall Tom" Lewis on drums kept things moving including my feet, hands and fat ass (more info than you wanted, right?). Playing with a musical legend and two masterful slingers didn't daunt these boys at all. The band was hot and tight and were the perfect accompaniment for THE MAN.

Billy Joe seemed to be having as good of time as we were. He smiled, laughed, recited some lyrics, told jokes and wonderful stories about his songs, their inspirations and many of the legends that have recorded his songs. Some of these stories were a bit more risque than the ones told during the radio interview. Also he sang and sang and sang. All of those great songs poured out of his mouth like honey over gravel. If someone had given me a dollar for every goosebump he raised on me that night, I'd be on some exotic island right now. He sang all of his classic best known songs, numerous old and new songs from his albums and a few I've never heard him do. Even when he announced they were going to take a break after almost two hours, he stayed on stage and sang some more. There were times, when he was being reflective or singing softly, that the huge crowd quieted into total silence, hanging on every word. And there were times when every member of the crowd was hootin', hollerin', singing along and/or flipping Amarillo the bird. It was his birthday and it was a party. Dana provided a cake with a picture of BJS on it for all. She also assembled and presented him with two beautiful scrap books of letters, pictures, mementos and much more provided by his fans, friends and peers. He was genuinely touched and seemed surprised that he was loved and admired by so many people. It was a great night for all and a great performance by a master of his art.

But my favorite remembrance of the weekend came the following afternoon while partying with those wild and crazy (and very nice) Shaver E group folks that had gathered from all over to celebrate Billy Joe's birthday. We were visiting, laughing, drinking Lone Star and other beverages and eating Miss Lana's now famous seven layer dip when there was a knock on the hotel suite door. In walked the man himself. He visited with his friends and fans, gave hugs, posed for pictures, signed autographs and played with the kids. Again he said he was overwhelmed by all the love he felt from the group. And I will proudly admit I do love the man. I've enjoyed his music for almost thirty years, and I admire him on professional and personal levels. He has faced a lot of adversity and tragedy in his life yet still holds steadfast to his faith and beliefs. He is my Honky Tonk Hero. Thanks for sharing your birthday with all of us, Billy Joe, and providing a weekend I'll always remember. Take care, my friend, and please visit us again soon.

Written by Jim Hughes, August 23, 2001

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