Johnny Greer’s Blues - Part 11

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Johnny got a telephone.

He wasn’t sure if Mr. Gold’s suggestion was really just that or if it was more in line with a formal favor. Either way, Johnny didn’t want to take a chance. His first call was to his parents. He had not done a good job of keeping up with them since he left Alabama, and they were as happy just to hear from him as they were to hear his news about the record deal.

“You let me know as soon as it’s out, baby. I’ll wear that record out,” his mother said.

“Proud of you,” his dad said, which was high praise from him.

He gave the number to the receptionist at Mr. Gold’s office. Even that brief interaction with her made Johnny’s knees turn to jelly. He gave it to Pete and Bones in case he got any information on the release.

Johnny kept working at the Silver Palace at nights, but his heart wasn’t in it. One night as Johnny was sweeping up the remnants of a broken bottle, Pete put an arm around his shoulders and said, “Son, I think you’ve pretty much worked off your debt here. Why don’t we just call it even?”

“No, Pete, I still owe you for that car.”

“Tell you what. The night that album of yours comes out, you do a set here, I think that’ll square us up.”

“I’d love to, Pete. But I’ll still pay you back.”

“Finish cleaning up then get on home. I don’t need to see you again until they release that thing.”

About a week later, Johnny’s phone rang. “Johnny, turn on ‘DIA right now!” Honi practically screamed at him.

“What? How did you get my number?”

“Bones gave it to me! Turn on the radio, fool!”

Johnny turned on his small transistor radio, which was already dialed into the radio station. What he heard blew him out of the water. He heard himself singing with Honi and Goose backing him up. It was his electrified take of Boogie Chillun’, and it sounded amazing to Johnny even over the radio’s tiny speakers. He only caught the last minute of it, and his heart jackhammered inside his chest. As the song faded out, the DJ said, “That was Johnny Greer with John Lee Hooker’s Boogie Chillun’. This is Johnny’s first album, and he recorded it right here in Memphis at Delta Sounds studio. We’re going to be hearing a lot from this young man. His album, ‘Johnny Greer’s Blues’ will be available tomorrow at Pop Tunes. You want it, you better get there early. I hear quantities will be limited.”

Johnny forgot he was holding the phone to his ear; he almost forgot to breathe.

“Johnny. Johnny? You there?” Honi asked.

“Oh, yeah. That was…”

“Amazing. Yes it was. Congratulations, Johnny. I’m so happy for you,”

“Honi, you sure about…”

“Get back to me in a year if you still want to. But for now, enjoy the ride.”

Johnny thanked her for calling and hung up the phone.

“Boogie Chillun” played on the radio a couple more times that day. Callers were requesting it throughout the day.

The next morning, there was a knock on his apartment door. A delivery man dropped off a box with 20 copies of “Johnny Greer’s Blues”. The cover was a picture of Johnny sitting on a stool in an old suit, holding an electric guitar. The photo had a blue tint to it, and the large letters on the cover were in all blue.

A red envelope sat on top of the albums. Johnny hesitated to open it, worrying that whatever was in that would put a major damper on his day.

After a pause, Johnny opened the envelope, and found a card that simply said, “Congratulations. Gold.” Johnny set the card down with relief.

His phone rang and Johnny answered. It was Pete asking him to make good on the show that night. Johnny said he would be there.

Johnny drove Downtown to a small brick building on Poplar and Lauderdale with a red and blue sign marking it as Poplar Tunes, even though everyone shortened it to Pop Tunes. He parked the Impala and walked into the record shop. A few customers were flipping through albums in the bins. Johnny couldn’t help himself, and looked for his own album, but there was no space for it with the other albums.

Johnny was disappointed. Maybe the delivery was delayed a day or two. He started to walk out the store, but stopped when he noticed a sign scrawled in magic marker at the counter. “Johnny Greer’s Blues. As heard on the radio.” Johnny’s breath froze for a moment, and he found himself approaching the counter. A stack of around ten of his albums were on the counter. Johnny picked one up and looked at it. It was identical to the ones that he received at his apartment earlier in the day, but there was something about seeing and holding them inside an actual record store made the whole thing feel more real. He let out his breath and shook his head.

“You ought to check it out,” the man behind the counter said. “It’s really good. I’m not even sure that Boogie Chillun’ is the best song on there. You want to take a listen to see if you want a copy?”

“No, I’m good,” Johnny said. “You sold a lot of these?”

“About twenty this morning. Those are all we have left. I imagine we’ll get more in next week. These will be gone today, maybe tomorrow.”

“That’s amazing,” Johnny said.

“It’s good, my man. You may want to get it now while you can.”

Johnny said he’d think about it and walked out of the store. He was grinning from ear to ear. Things were alright.

Johnny went back to his apartment at the Rat Palace and spent the afternoon plucking at his uncle’s guitar. He started playing a song he’d never heard before. He was making it up as he went. The words and tune came to him as he fiddled with the strings. He was writing a song, and it wasn’t half bad. He wouldn’t play it tonight. Tonight he’d give Pete and the folks at the Silver Palace songs off the album. He didn’t have an electric guitar, but he thought that audience wouldn’t mind hearing his acoustic versions.

As Johnny played, his mind wandered to his trip from Birmingham to here. He was happy and not a little proud. That only lasted for a moment before his mind strayed to Mr. Gold.

He owed the man for getting him his first deal and giving him some confidence. But Johnny was worried about what else he owed Gold; and when he might be asked to pay up.

Part Eleven will follow in the next installment.

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