My dad gave me this CD after getting back from a trip to New Orleans. An academic conference I believe. I never really thought about the inscription — how it’s addressed to Bill (my dad) and not David (me).

Two possible scenarios come to mind: He saw Brown perform, decided he’d get a CD signed for me and simply answered “Bill” when Brown asked him what his name was. Or he saw Brown perform, decided he wanted a CD for himself and then realized later he wanted even more to give me a souvenir from his trip. Both strike me as incredibly sweet. My dad was a sweet guy.

Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown — “Rock My Blues Away” [Spotify/iTunes]