"B.B. King at the Fox
Theater in St. Louis, Missouri"
August 30, 1996
Written by P.W. Fenton
The following story was originally posted in the Blues-L mail list
During the months of planning that went into what was supposed to be our first "official" gathering, there were occasional mentions of the possibility of meeting with the celebs after the Fox Theater's festival kick-off. This, of course, implied the possibility of meeting B.B. in the flesh. The mere speaking of such a possibility was enough to start my lower lip trembling, and my tear ducts pumping. I kept myself sane by figuring that it PROBABLY wouldn't actually happen.
Friday night, August 30th, I, my wife Roz, Dick Waterman, and his friend Linda arrived at the Fox Theater fashionably late, just in time for Kenny Wayne Shepherd's last few spectacular hair swings. Next was Delbert McClinton, followed by the Neville Brothers, followed by B.B. King. Dick Waterman spent half the time in his seat, and the other half in the lobby looking for the fellow who was supposed to meet us, and get us back stage after the show. We must have asked everyone within shouting distance of our seats if they were from Blues-L, but alas nobody was (I found out on Sunday that Bob Unger and Lorri Cook were sitting a just few rows in front of us).
B.B's set was excellent. He was in fine voice (he even worked in a couple of those falsetto high notes from the younger days in), and Lucille was in the best voice I've heard in a long time. Clean, mellow, and any amount of sustain required. B.B. played wonderfully, especially during the portion of the show when the SEVEN horns left the stage, and B.B., his bass player, and his guitarist pulled some chairs up to the front of the stage and sat down together (the keyboard player sat at the B3). After the show, Dick came over to our seats and told us that our backstage connection never showed up adding, "I'm gonna have to try and talk my way in." We followed him to the stage door. Dick negotiated with a security guard at the door, and managed to get his business card passed in to B.B.'s people. Eventually Dick re-emerged and told us that we would just have to wait a minute. Next a policeman let several people in including Dick, but closed the door on me, my wife, and Linda. Dick came back out a few minutes later saying he didn't want to go in without us and would wait until we all could go in. Words were exchanged, tempers flared, and the four of us were thrown out of the theater into the parking lot by the policeman. We all encouraged Dick to go back and try to at least get himself in (Dick had something to give B.B. - more on that later). So Dick disappeared back into the theater. Five minutes later he walked out the door and called us over saying, "Just follow me". We walked through some winding corridors, up a flight of stairs and straight into B.B.'s dressing room. There HE was, just a few feet away from me, sitting and joking with RUFUS THOMAS! There were about a dozen other people in the room besides him and Rufus. I just kind of hung back with a big grin on my face. B.B. looked at me several times while he told his stories, probably because I looked like the statue of someone who had grinned himself to death.
Dick had brought with him a beautiful mounted photograph that he had taken of B.B. at the dedication of the Blues Legends U.S. postal stamps. He had signed it on our behalf as a gift from the members of Blues-L. I watched as Dick, on the opposite side of the room from me, worked his way to the front. B.B. eventually looked over at him and did a double-take, "Dick!", he shouted, "Dick Waterman!" "Rufus, you remember Dick, he was my girlfriend Bonnie's manager". Rufus shook hands with Dick, and B.B. gave Dick a big hug. Dick called me up and introduced me to B.B. and handed him a copy of the songs I just finished recording. Most of the blood in my body rushed towards my vital organs in an emergency effort to keep me conscious. B.B. thanked me and shook my hand. I continued to grin, only now I had no saliva in my mouth. I could barely make a sound.
We posed, as several people took pictures of us
standing there. Me, B.B. to my left, Dick to B.B's left, and
Rufus sitting in front, with B.B. holding up the photo that
BLUES-L GAVE HIM (thanks to Dick). We stayed in his dressing room
for about 45 minutes listening to B.B. tell stories, tell jokes,
and answer our questions. I had always thought that B.B. was a
kind and gracious man, but now I am absolutely certain.
Likewise, ever since meeting him online I have liked Dick Waterman, but now I owe him the world. He single handedly gave me one of the greatest moments of my life. I am proud to say that I managed not to cry until the next day.