Townes Van Zandt and Lightnin' Hopkins -The Story Behind The Iconic Photograph
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- Опубликовано: 12 май 2021
- John Lomax III tells a great story about the day he took an iconic photo of Townes Van Zandt and Lightnin' Hopkins.
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Townes Van Zandt
Lightnin Hopkins
John Lomax III
#TownesVanZandt
#LightninHopkins 
Видеоклипы
What's your favorite Townes Van Zandt song? What's your favorite Lightnin' Hopkins song? This is a tall order, so I'm gonna have to think about it for a bit and report back.
Hard to pick a favorite Townes song. ... Guess I'll go with To Live Is To Fly due to hearing it the most through the years, but lately have been revisiting the In The Beginning album & wearing out Black Jack Momma, Hunger Child Blues, Gypsy Friday, When Your Dream Lovers Die & Waitin' For The Day. .... Such a GREAT album. .... Really love the live albums, Live At The Old Quarter & Rear View Mirror as well.
I continue to be affected by Tecumseh Valley
Waitin around to die and have you ever loved a woman
Is every one an answer? The pickin’ in Lungs gets me every time. Tecumseh Valley is the most pure, simple, real life song that’s ever been sung.
Lightning is another one where it’s a different song every time you put on an album. Lightnins Love today.
Thank you again very much Otis!
The new interviews have been great. You’re a true professional in all you do and it comes out of your work.
Favorite Lightin song today is Bring me my shotgun, Townes , the tower song, both will change in a month or so, I listen to both alot and have seen this photo online and now the story is complete. Huge thanks Otis!!
My favorite from Townes changes, some days its Lungs, some days it's Pancho and Lefty (like an epilogue to Blood Meridian), Mostly If I Needed You. I love the irony of the joke he tells about the two drunks, his songs are so beautifully sad that even his joke sounds melincholy. I'd like to hear more stories about John's uncle. I remember as a kid, maybe 12 or 13 being so into folk music, but I couldn't understand why somebody would devote their lives to documenting people like Woody, thinking everyone knows Woody why would you need to track all this stuff down- and as it turns out we so needed the Lomaxs to do this for American music (Arlo lives in the next town over from me, I keep skulking around at the local Luthier hoping I'd see him, no such luck- but the action on my guitar is perfect 😂). Thanks Otis
That luthier comment is tremendous, Rich! : )
I'm in awe thank you Otis, Mr. Lomax this is great hear history from someone who was actually there not just hear say!
Thank you, Todd!
This interview was so very, very interesting. Thanks much. As for a favorite Lightnin’ Hopkins song, I am unable to pick one. I am in awe of every recording of his I’ve ever heard. He had a spark of the divine. I got to see him once live, in 1970, in a small club in San Francisco.
Favorite Townes Van Zander song Tecumseh Valley & I’ll Be Here in the Morning. Blaze Foley, Let Me Ride in Your Big Cadillac. Thanks for the video.
Lightning’s “It’s a Sin to be Rich, It’s a Low Down Shame To Be Poor”
Man I bout cried from laughing when he talked about his dad whacking that wood and pieces flying off into the crowd 😂. Loved this story.
My fav' Lightnin' song is Merry Christmas. Great blues song.
So awesome to see an interview with John Lomax the 3rd
Can't believe this picture isn't better known. Mr. Lomax deserves much credit and I wouldn't mind seeing him make a few bucks from it too. My favorite Townes song: To Live is to Fly; though For the Sake of the Song is an awfully close second. I must listen to Lightnin' more to decide a favorite of his.
Snowin on Raton , Pancho n Lefty of course, man so many!! And Lightnin is just Lightnin…. Legend!
A national treasure. What an interesting life, and such a perceptive observer and gifted storyteller
Favourite TVZ song? Tough to choose, but, "To Live is To Fly" is a song I've listened to countless times and would be the one I'd pick if pressed. Flows like a river. Shines like the sun. Just beautiful.
Bless you for this.
Townes's fare thee well miss carousel is slept on honestly,
Lightning's it's a sin to be rich is a jam.
It was lovely to find your video on this.
Happy living sir ✨
Otis...wow! You are the only guy out here connecting these pieces of the puzzle for us. Who knew Townes and Lighting ever met? Thank you times 1000!!!
If I Needed You, No Place to Fall, The Highway Kind, Rake, Tower Song, White Freightliner Blues
Great video!!!!! My Starter Won't Start This Morning.
Thanks, Timothy!
That picture is just amazing.
Brand New Companion was a pure tribute to Lightnin’ by Townes. Gotta pay those dues.
Rake. In my opinion his best tune. Great episode Otis. Thx
Favorite lightin ? I have so many lps…I usually like the ones best where there’s a drummer trying to guess where the changes will drop…lol….he was the king of confidence, the waves just flew right through his center. He always makes it work…
When you discover a new one it’s the air in the room..he is completely is in charge …that one for international s something else too…I must have 50+ no kidding
My favorite Lighnin Hopkins song is It's a Sin to be Rich... I can probably narrow my Townes favorites down to four: Brother Flower, Flying Shoes, The Rake, and To Live is to Fly. Maybe. I really look forward to watching your videos, and listening to your own music, thank you so much!
Thank you, Susie!
No Lonesome Tune is not only my favorite TVZ, it might as well be my favorite song of all time. Not sure about my favorite Lightnin' Hopkins, but I sure do love the Les Blank doc "The Blues According to Lightnin' Hopkins." Perhaps the most stylish man to ever play music and I mean that whole heartedly. Lightnin' just exuded cool like no one else. Glad Les Blank was wise enough to capture him on film.
I've always been curious about that photo, so nice to learn this
Wow , that ‘s a great story. When I was a young ‘un, growing up in Austin, one of the highlights of every summer was a week of live music at the Hillside Theater in Zollverein Park. Families would bring blankets and lawn chairs, sit under the stars and watch a different type of music each night. One evening it would be chamber music, the next night show tunes, and so forth. And on blues and folk night, they’d usually have Lightnin’, Mance Lipscomb, and, I believe, Carolyn Hester, among others…all for free. I don’t think we realized what an amazing thing that was.
That’s “Zilker” Park, where Barton Springs is. Thanks, spellcheck!
I was in Houston in the sixties and saw Mr. Lomax II perform several times at UH. JL III sure reminds me of him. Thanks for the photos and the memories.
We really need more Townes stories from you Otis! Have watched the "Townes playlist" a hundred times now!! ;)
Big thanks Otis for posting this outstanding, brilliant and wounderful masterpiece interview with John Lomax III.
Outlaw Two Shirt Man
These interviews are just wonderful and the production of them are excellent with good camera and lighting to bring them to professional quality, thank you Otis.
Thank you, Artemis! I've been wanting to do this since last summer. It feels great to be able to slowly get out into the world again.
"Where I lead me" - Townes
"I'm going to build me a heaven of my own" - Lightnin
If I had to choose one from each.
Thanks for what you do Otis!
Thank you, Slim!
Thanks Otis for sharing these stories! Especially before they get lost. I will think about my favorite songs
Thank you, Randy!
These videos with John Lomax are fantastic.
TVZ = Flying Shoes and Lightnin w/ Sonny Terry = Drinkin in the blue's. (At least their version) Thanks Otis ! You're like an old friend I'm always glad to hear from.
Thank you, Hal!
Very very cool, was surprised he'd not made a dime from a picture so rare.
Thanks, Jim!
Your capturing the story behind it is as important as Lomax taking the picture not to mention illuminating our sketchy understanding of these times and the lives of these artists at this fork in the road of history.
This is so great. Lightnin has been my hero since I heard Mojo Hand at age fourteen his songs are in my fingers every time I touch a guitar. All these people were amazing.
Wonderful stories, thank you so much.
You are killing it Otis ... I love the interview format!
Thank you, Robert!
This is crazy. I just saw this photo for the first time today... Wasn't looking for this or anything related to it but I remember thinking 'Wow, I wonder what the story behind this photo is.' I know townes loved Lightnin' and spent a lot of time learning from his records. Incredible. Thanks, Otis.
A legend taking pictures of two Legends- "All things must pass".
Love your series , thank you for all you do...stayed with Larry Rhodes in Asheville, after i found out accidentally that he was Towes' "driver" , but he had me at Townes. Get in touch if want to talk. Keep up the awesome job you do.
I named my youngest son after Townes. My current favorite Townes song “I’ll be here in the morning” but that’s liable to change day to day!
Lightnin-Santa Fe Blues...Townes-all of them!
Highway kind is my favorite TVZ song.
Love stories/interviews such as this. ... Tis why I keeps a-comin' on back.
- Thanks & be well ✌️
Thank you!
@@otisgibbs All thanks to you kind sir. .... My cat Charlie is getting neutered right now and am anxiously waiting for the vet to call, so I know he's all good & ready to return home.
Your efforts are always appreciated, but the timing of todays upload most certainly worked out well for this dude. ..... That, & also happened to put the Townes, In The Beginning album in my car CD player a couple days ago. .... Hopefully shall be on the road & listening to it whilst picking up a drowsy, yet healthy boy shortly 🤞.
🤘
@@OldHenryLee Send my love to Charlie! : )
Thanks for the fantastic story! All music lovers owe so much to the Lomax family. Without them legends like Leadbelly and the Carter Family would be unknown. Might not have had Woody or Dylan.
The story about chopping the log in the middle of a song brings to mind the Hampton Grease Band. In Atlanta in 69 & 70 while they played a rock & roll song you heard a racket from backstage. Out comes a guy with a chain saw running full blast. Another guy rolls out a big log and they whacked away.
Col. Bruce Hampton was a unique character and a student of the blues. Now I know where the lumber-jack song came from! Brought up to date by the Colonel.
Thanks again, Otis!
That's tremendous, Mike! : )
I love his sense of humor and animation… Thanks Otis
What a great interview. The comments section is gold too, so interesting seeing how many say it's too difficult to choose a favourite TVZ, or it changes from time to time. Thanks.
Thank you, Peter!
time flys, it always seemed to me that the 1970s were modern times thnk you Otis for bringing em back makes me happy, , have a good en !
Thank you, Michael!
I love to hear Townes stories. Keep them coming. Thanks Otis and Mr. Lomax.
Thank you, Frank!
Loved this interview, learned much. Thanks!
Wow that is a great question. I’m currently having a glass of red wine . At the moment my favourite song is Loretta , tomorrow it maybe waiting around to die , The song I’m listening a lot to is a song by by Guy Clark called step into this house . Towns songs are very special,. . We are are very privileged to have you make these videos please keep them coming . God bless you 😀
Worthy of the Library of Congress. Hats Off Otis
Thank you! : )
Love your videos, Otis. One of my musical mentors claims to have been a pretty good friend of Townes and Blaze also played a lot of those places like the Old Quarter around the same time as “Lightnin’ Sam” as he calls him. So glad there is new content like this floating around out there!
Hey Otis , Just Love These Stories !!! Good Weekend ... Jimmy ....
Thanks, Jimmy!
Great pic-great story. Thanks Otis.
Thanks, Magan!
Townes. Wow. man, myth and legend. Same for lightning. A different world from today to be sure. The lomax family single handedly preserved so much music history. It’s amazing. I wish I had the $$ to support the legacy. For Townes it’s probably Rex’s blues, If I needed you and Snowing on Raton. But it’s hard to pick as I love so many. Lightning well he’s pure blues so they all are good. But I love his album lightnings boogie. Thanks Otis for sharing your friends and giving a damn
I'd love to play like Lightning! I can play the notes, but it just doesn't sound the same. : )
Townes is my favorite.
Lightning is awesome.
That finger picking style sounds like two people playing at once and I love it.
My favorite Townes song is Rake.
Can’t even explain why in words,
Just listen to it.
Thanks Townes.
My favorite Townes songs are Buckskin Stallion Blues and If I needed you. With Lightnin' it's Have you ever loved a woman and Black Cadillac.
Picking a favorite is hard, the first song I learned on guitar was If I Needed You. Waiting Around to Die was second. But I also like Second Lover’s Song and I’ll be here in the morning. Lyle Lovett turned me on to exploring Townes many years ago when he did Flying Shoes at the restaurant where I worked. He told me who wrote the song and a few others. I went out the next day and bought every Townes album I could, seven I think on the first attempt.
Cool man! Some of my buddies found a bunch of Lightnin Hopkins' 45s in a town dump in 1966 or 67 all the same and the title was Mr Charley's Blues parts 1 & 2 a real classic! Anybody ever hear of it?
That would be a great day at the dump! : )
Also snowing on Raton !
Hi Otis. Another great video mate. I really enjoy watching and finding out about the history of these musicians and their music. You are becoming the gatekeeper of this knowledge. Keep up the good work 👍
Thank you!
Love your show Otis
The Lomaxs are legendary Texans! Reading The Land Where The Blues Began changed the way I see music.
They changed American music forever! : )
Great story and picture Otis! Be well!
Thanks, Jim!
can’t thank you enough for this
because this is a vid where 4 of my fav musicians take part
BD,TOWNES, LIGHTING & HANK WILLIAMS
my fav towns song (for the next two minutes) would be „at my window“, i know theres much more really sad songs but for now
and my fav lighting song is
the sun‘s gonna shine
It's nice to see so many people from the Bob world popping in here. - Drift
Thank you!
@@whiskeycitydiggers
yes🍀
once i commented on a sun ra channel wich is kind of obscure
just to find out that there where some BD folks around⭐️
Thanks Oti, you made me look and sound good, I'm really happy for that photo to get more exposure. After over 60 years Towne3s' songs still bounce in and out of my head, unbidden. My favorite, if I had to choose one, is "To Live's To Fly" but "Quicksilver Daydreams of Maria" is a close second, mainly for the imagery - "A diamond fades quickly when matched with the face of Maria". . . and so on. Have to refresh my memory on Lightning. Thanks again for taking the time! Best, John
@@johnlomaxiii7341 Thank ya kindly, John! : )
Awesome! Thank Otis!
Thank you, Caleb!
wow John Lomax III, thats a killer guest, i can only imagine his stories. Yea both Townes and Lighntnin were huge to me, never got to see Lightnin, i was too young only about 10 when he died, but ive known a lot of people that played with him down here in TX in the 60s/70s. Its too hard to name a fav song for either of them maybe you are not needed now, but with lightnin its even harder cause most of his songs change every time, but ill say i really like his playing and he was a hugely influential guitar player even to a lot of electric players.
Thank you, Haze!
So many Townes songs to choose from but I’d say “I’ll be here in the morning” “Colorado Girl” “If I needed you” or “Rex’s Blues” would be a couple of my tops. Great video Otis.
Thanks, Boogie!
"Marie", kills me every time, as for Lightning, "Bad luck and trouble" or "Mojo hand", thanks Otis for another gem.
Thanks, Rodney!
I woke up with a backache - by the time his story was done my spine was perfectly straight and I had grown half a foot. I could watch this all day.
Thank you, Andrew!
My favorite Townes song is Flyin Shoes!
A very good story, thank you, and thank you, John.
Thank you, Robert!
I so appreciate your stories. I learn so much. Thank you Otis!!
Thank you, Michele!
All of them
Such a great story!! Thanks for sharing
Thank you, Todd!
Hey Otis ...great segment of history...amazing that this photograph exists....my favorite Townes songs are really the classics...White Freightliner blues, To live is to fly, Mr. Mudd and mr. Gold...Lightnin' Hopkins songs blend in my mind and I forget the titles but Mojo Hand definitely...it is so great that you feature Mr.Lomax and his photograph...historic documentation of the coolest level... I have an older friend who spent years photographing jazz artists and he told me the same story : he would regularly hear of his work appearing in books without photographer credit...so it goes, as Vonnegut would say.
Thank you, Steve!
Great stuff again. Really Really cool.
Thanks, William!
Two of my all time favorites! A tall order in deed, but...Townes-Rake, Lightnin'-Black Ghost Blues
This is important. Good job.
my favorite Townes song is Waitin Round to Die-it’s the song that made me learn to play guitar
Another good interview with plenty of backstory. Keep these videos coming.
Thanks, John!
This is amazing and that’s a very loaded question my favorite Townes song seems to change as the song changes 💜
Thank you, John!
All you have to do is throw a stick and you can hear a great Townes song. I've heard these stories in the past about Lighting Hopkins. The word is that they were traveling and playing and getting bye by rubbing two nickels together.
Otis, I am totally enjoying the historical road of music you are taking us down with these interview tapes. Three favorite Townes songs are If I Needed You (written one morning after waking up at Guy's house), To Live's To Fly, and of course Pancho and Lefty. Lightnin' Hopkins songs Bad Luck and Trouble and Death Bells, but enjoy his rendition of Baby Please Dont Go. I just couldnt come up with only one favorite from these iconic artist.
Thanks, Mojo! : )
Love these stories. Thank you! It makes my days at work go a little faster lol
Thank you! : )
Wonderful stuff, thanks. Baby please don't go, always got my foot tapping.
I’ve only begun listening to Townes, one album. I have yet to listen to Lightnin’ Hopkins, or Guy Clarke.
Thank you both for this video.😊
Thank you, Caper!
Check out Guy Clark's live album, Keepers. It is a great introduction to his songs.
❤️ this is a beautiful video Otis
Thank you, Cindy!
Townes-Pancho and Lefty, Lightnin'- Katie Mae.....and I would be darned glad to purchase a print of that photograph, if Mr. Lomax was of the mind to offer some up to buy...
Have always been a big Lightnin’ fan recently found out he was born near where I live, it’s a sin to be rich but it’s a low down shame to be poor!
Rex's Blues. All day, every day.
JL III was on either NPR or the local Austin broadcast a couple of months back and I happened to have caught some of these stories. I've read the biographies of the family-introduced to them as his dad taught at UT (not while I was going there). That's 3 sets of legends-Lightin', van Zandts and the Lomax clan.
In the 70s, Texas lowered the drinking age to 18 and I saw Lightin' at Mother Blues in Dallas courtesy of a forged High School Library card. My first time in a nightclub without my parents! I saw Townes perhaps 6 or so times over the years-I even have TvZ 45's!
Lightnin fav songs-Baby Please Don't Go, Short Haired Woman-He was a gem
Townes-Tower Song-stopped me in my tracks the 1st time I heard it. Marie-saddest song ever written-No Zippity do Dah there as I heard Townes once say, Mr Mudd and Mr Gold-Live in Berlin recording
I had no idea Townes 45s existed. It makes perfect sense, I'd just never thought abut it before now. : )
@@otisgibbs Went back to my 45 stacks-Found a Lightin' 45 on the Fire label-Mojo Hand 1960, and 3 Townes 45s-all are on Poppy Records in traditional 45 with the big hole format-2 are DJ copies-actually non DJ are rarer--DJ copies of Waitin' Around to Die, If I needed You and a regular non DJ copy-which must be pretty rare-of Honky Tonkin/Snow Don't Fall. Between the ages of 15 and about 25, I was actively searching/buying odd weird vinyl back in the 70s/early 80s and accumulated around 1500 odd 45s
My favorite Townes Van Zandt song has to be the Brazos River Song. And I found three different versions on the internet of that photograph. Another great video.
Thanks, William!
I am so thankful for your videos Otis, thanks to you I got heavily into townes about a year ago, the same time I started picking the guitar and guess what, my first sucessfully sang and picked songs for an audience (friends) were #1 Waiting Around To Die, #2 Kathleen and #3 Black Crow Blues
thank you and keep the videos coming
Cheers from Portugal
Thank you, Moonarka!
Thanks for this. I always associate my FAVORITE Townes release--Our Mother the Mountain--with the heaviest influence on his work of Lightning, Bob, and Hank. More minor chords in that album than maybe all the others combined, lol! And thanks, too, for bringing us folk archivist ROYALTY in John. Wow!
Thank you!
East St.louis.....1967 in a joint called the blue note.....don't think it opened till midnight...elbow ta elbow..some of the best blues bands in the world played there and I couldn't name of any of em.....mighta squeezed 100 people in at one time . never seen any one get jumped or robbed ( but I wasn't running back and forth to the parkin lot like a lot of em was). When i say the blues I'm talking stone cold major league blues bands....coming outa Chicago.....no idea where they be from.....I knew I was on my way to the nam as well as the 4 or 5 guys I was with......ta say we didn't GAF ...would be an understatement! but I been a blues since then !! musta went there that whole winter !!!
Thanks Otis! My favorite town's song is mr.mud and mr.gold and it's a sin to be rich for lightning.
Thank you, Joe!
For Townes, choosing a favorite is hard, but I would say Two Girls and Flying Shoes are in the running for my favorite. I always said that if I have a funeral, I want the live version (from Rearview mirror) of Flying Shoes played. As far as Lightnin, I think it is Penitentiary Blues. It never gets old for me. Lightning's version of Baby Please Don't Go also really got me playing guitar in a different way, and really got me interested in playing the blues back in the day.
I love hearing stories of Townes. He had to have met Bob Dylan when Steve Earle toured with him and I know there were lots of pictures taken on that tour . I was really young but me and my brother wanted to see Steve we didn't know Bob Dylan at the time, but my mom sure knew so she agreed to take us. I grew up going to Earle's chapel Methodist so we kind of had a way of getting on the guest list but the guest list didnt say we were children. HAHA So we drive to Houston to the summit . And get in line to what i guess was will call or something ( I think it would've been 88 or 89 so I'm like like 6 or 7 my older brother 10) . The person in the ticket booth says we cant come in , too young . Mom tells them some stuff about how we could come to a rockets game there why not a concert? And then she hits them with , will you see if we are on the guest list and will you go and personally tell Steve why we didnt make it inside? They called Steve and he said something about not comin out if they didn't let us in. It seemed like no time and a couple of really pretty women came and escorted us back. I remember being backstage and hearing that Dylan wouldn't meet anyone as far as fans and such because Lennon's death or something. I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure Townes was there and we met him. Bob Dylan did come and ask me my name though. I think he might have thought I was Justin or something we are the same age or I guess 6 year olds aren't a big security threat. . Everything starts to get a little hazy at that point because the whole arena is smoked out and we are high and hungry . I do remember we saw the end of the show and went somewhere . I guess the green room and we talked to steve for a few minutes and my mom got our stoned little butts out of there and to the hotel. Im not 100% but I am pretty sure townes was there . Its one of those times i wish I would've paid a lot more attention to everything and took more in . But, because being family , Steve was our hero . Now looking back that would've been huge to experience as an adult. And that was the biggest show I went to of Steve's . It was usually places like gueene hall , deep ellum live or somewhere like that, not arena shows. . But they gave us a bunch of the merch , picks , drum sticks from the dukes and bob dylans and took care of us. It was fuckin badass of Steve to do . We had lunch with him and his dad , who i saw regularly the next day and dipped out . We all loved Jack, he was awesome. Sorry not so much a Townes story but but something I have come to think about now that im older and TVZ is my favorite songwriter . I was supposed to be in Nashville this morning on JT's 40th birthday. Im gonna go put some fresh flowers on his grave or resting place since I stayed in Texas. That was a very eccentric line up of artist that i love . Were you going to go Otis ? By the way I love all your videos man! Take it easy maybe ill see you next year at JT's birthday show, covid willing..Keep up what youre doin. great content!