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Wednesday, August 31, 2011Honey Boy Edwards Was the Real Deal Honey Boy Edwards died Monday at the age of 96. He toured and played up until the end. I got to meet and see him play numerous times in Mississippi. I was even featured in a documentary on his life -- "Honey Boy" -- about ten years ago. He traveled with Robert Johnson and played with many of the greats later in Chicago. He played simple songs in a deeply emotional way. His sweet, gravely voice was unforgettable. Everytime I'd see him, I'd remind him we shared the same birthday -- June 28th. He thought that was pretty cool. The Chicago Tribune adds: Born in Shaw, Mississippi in 1915, Edwards' father, a guitarist and violinist, bought him a guitar for $4 from a plantation worker. It led to his leaving home at age 14 to travel with bluesman Big Joe Williams. Edwards went on to play with a number of noted musicians, including Johnson, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter and Muddy Waters. Among Edwards' hit songs were "Long Tall Woman Blues," "Gamblin Man" and "Just Like Jesse James." Edwards won a 2008 Grammy for traditional blues album and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award in 2010. A funeral is planned for Thursday. Wednesday, August 24, 2011Paul Newman Drinks Coffee and Tries on MustachesA few weeks ago, I posted an advertisement with one of my favorite actors -- Steve McQueen -- selling cigarettes. A few people asked me about my other favorite actors doing commercials. Here's Paul Newman selling Maxwell coffee in Japan. For some reason coffee goes really good with a nice mustache on the side. Tuesday, August 23, 2011Johnny Cash 1963Sunday, August 21, 2011Nick Travers Returns   Earlier this month, we released CROSSROAD BLUES on kindle to see who'd be interested in following the adventures of Nick Travers on these crazy devices. Well, the month isn't even over and the response has been pretty incredible. We're looking forward to releasing the second Nick Travers story -- LEAVIN' TRUNK BLUES -- in September, DARK END OF THE STREET in October, and DIRTY SOUTH this November. If the interest continues, we're thinking of a short story collection out this Christmas with some all-new Travers stories. In Ranger news, check out this insightful review that hit the wires today by book scholar/reviewer Don Noble. Wednesday, August 17, 2011Elmore Leonard in Rare Photos Thursday, August 4, 2011Author Walks Tall  2 Series, 2 Times the Fun for Ace Atkins By Chris Talbott, AP Entertainment Writer Ace Atkins walks out of the Buford Pusser Museum with a big smile on his face and two large hands wrapped around a genuine "Walking Tall" souvenir stick. The author of the "The Ranger" and new caretaker of Robert B. Parker's iconic Spenser series has spent the last hour touring the former home of the famed but doomed small-town Tennessee lawman whose story captured the imagination of Hollywood and the nation in the early 1970s. Atkins is on a research high as he heads to lunch at the nearby SawMeal Restaurant on a sunny, sultry afternoon. As he sits down to a club sandwich and fries . . . MORE
Tuesday, August 2, 2011Steve McQueen Unaware Cigarettes Aren't CoolSince I'm hard at work on the sequel to The Ranger, I don't have a lot of extra time to blog. As I continue to write, please enjoy this collection of ads Steve McQueen did for Viceroy cigarettes during his Wanted: Dead or Alive days. I still don't know what a thinking man's filter means but McQueen still looks cool shilling for the man.
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