LA
“BABY, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?”
Earlier this evening my wife, along with our good friends, “Cohort” and his wife, Phyllis, went to see the play “Memphis,” at the theater for the Performing Arts in downtown Nashville.
The theme of the play is about a disc jockey and the music of that time, the 1950s’. For you young folks, the term, disc jockey, applied to a radio personality who was sitting live in a studio talking and playing records. In our home area Mike and I well remembered a local DJ named J.A. on station WBOW. J.A. ( Jim Austin) was a piece of work.

For thousands of white kids it was our first exposure to black culture, or what was then called, “Race” music; we loved it and still do. Today I still love to hear Jimmy Reed with songs like, “Baby, What Do You Want Me To Do,” or “Honest I do.” Sitting not far from me right now in my record collection is every album Jimmy made on the Vee-Jay label.
Isn’t that often the case, we hear another’s “Music,” but we know nothing about their “Pain.”
That happens far too often in life; we enjoy another’s gift, but seldom listen or think past their talent and know nothing of their needs.
November 15, 2011
Keep on
Larry Adamson