Lonnie &Roosevelt Twitty

By: Paul G. Vickers

  One of the most influential blues players in my life is someone most of you have probably never heard of. His fluid singing voice and ragged “Lightnin’ meets B.B.” style of playing moved me in directions I had never gone before musically. His gentle demeanor endears him to the hearts of all who meet him, and all are insured of a wonderful experience when it comes time for him to play and sing. To hear him sing “Sittin’ Here in My Dark Room” is like getting your own little piece of Blues heaven sliced off and handed to you on a silver plate. His sometimes smooth, and silky, sometimes stinging and slashing guitar lines are text book “old school”, simultaneously channeling Jimmy Rogers, and Little Milton. “Rosey” loves the blues, and you can hear it when he plays. He’s fond of saying things like “I’m just a common player”, when, in all reality, he’s far from common. His rare amalgam of diverse styles mixed so fluently is, in fact, very uncommon. Rosey goes passed just “Texas” Blues, his playing represents the full scope of Blues, in general. In his music, you hear the hardships he has undoubtedly suffered (but never speaks of openly), and the love and respect he holds for his mentors, Uncle Lonnie, and his dad. “Dad was kinda private,” he says, “he never played in front of people too much.” Uncle Lonnie, on the other hand, is a player who is not ashamed to play for anyone. Lonnie was heavily influenced by Lightnin’ Hopkins, but now lives in the small West Texas town of Littlefield and plays primarily in church. “I gave up that Blues stuff”, he says, but, even his “Church” music reflects the influence of Lightnin’ and Muddy. Uncle Lonnie was the most profound teacher Rosey had, and, in Rosey’s words, was the only one who really took the time to show the fledgling guitarist any licks, and now, Rosey carries on that tradition of teaching and sharing his gift with anyone willing to listen.

  I met Roosevelt in April of 2002 at a Blues Jam he was participating in with his young apprentice, Tyler. I had just recently moved to Paris from Fort Worth, and a few of the locals, upon discovering my love of Blues, had urged me to seek out Mr. Twitty. Although I had been actively seeking him, it was quite by chance that I found him when I did. I had no idea that he and Tyler were calling themselves “the Blues Buddies”, and that was how they were billed for this show. When I arrived at the park, Rosey and the then 12 Tyler were just getting ready to take the stage. I had heard of Roosevelt’s tutelage of the child prodigy, but I had not heard either of them play before that day. As they played, I was aware that I had never heard any one who was so distinctly down home blues as Roosevelt was in person. Rosey squeezed some of the most gut wrenchingly beautiful and painful licks from the old modified Gibson Melody Maker he held on his lap that I had ever heard. As I watched their short set unfold, it began to dawn on me what I was witnessing. This was real. Every note that came from that Vintage Cherry Burst finished Melody Maker was authentic and from the heart. Equally at home on the original, Chuck Berry-esque rocker “Steppin’ Out”, to the slow grind of Elmore James’ “The Sky Is Cryin’”, Rosey was testifying the Blues. While every other eye was on the kid (who put on quite a display in his own right, with plenty of S.R.V. inspired pyrotechnics), I was watching the man do his thing, and loving every minute of it. When it was over, I had to go introduce myself (which is something I usually will not do), and, that first meeting was as pleasurable as the first listen! I had just introduced myself to the greatest friend and mentor I would ever have, and my life will always be better for that day.  I walked away from that first meeting with a phone number and an open invitation to visit Rosey at his house to jam any time I wanted, which I followed through on.

  Just a few short weeks after Roosevelt and I met each other, he invited me to go to Littlefield, TX with him to meet Uncle Lonnie. We carried guitars and amps, and headed out for West Texas. We drove all night long in pouring rain, talking music, and life, in general. It was a great experience just spending seven hours in a car with the man! When we arrived at Lonnie’s house, we unloaded the guitars and talked for a couple minutes, before long, Lonnie asked us to play a few licks. We obliged, and Lonnie was obliged to show us some of his old school chops. As Lonnie played, I was transported back to a Texas way before my birth. A time of dust bowls and Great Depressions, when men had character, and that character showed through in the music they made, and the work they did. I imagined, as I listened to Lonnie playing, Paris, Texas during the time he was there. It must have been a completely different place at that time. Lonnie reflected a time when people made music solely for their own satisfaction, and others’ entertainment was secondary to them. They learned to play what they heard in their hearts and minds, not what some book or teacher said was “right”. It was the Blues, and even when they played songs that weren’t necessarily “Blues”, it still sounded like Blues, because they played it with heart, and the Blues, after all, is just what’s in a man’s heart.

 In the few years that have followed, I have grown to count these two stellar players not only at the top of my favorites list, but also at the top of my friends list. These two men have gifts beyond compare. The music they make may, to an “educated” musician, sound primitive and rough, and even so-called Blues players may listen to them and criticize their timing. But, they have an ability that is sadly absent in today’s music, the ability to play what’s in their hearts, and not sound contrived when they do it. The music these two men make is real, and no one deserves any higher accolades than they do when it comes to playing Blues and Rural Folk tunes, because they’re as good as it gets. The simple honesty, and sincerity they display is refreshing to me, and I find it regretful that most of the world may never hear Lonnie and Rosey, but, my life and playing have been enriched for knowing and understanding these players. Lonnie told me in a recent conversation about a guitarist from his youth who was the envy of Paris TX, and how, when pressed to teach someone anything, he always declined. Lonnie said he told himself then, “If I can ever learn how to play just one thing on that guitar, nobody’ll ever have to beg me to teach ‘em!” This shines through in Rosey, who took his first guitar lessons from Lonnie. Once, in a television interview for a local station that we did to promote the Blues Buddies, Rosey told the interviewer, “If I had just one wish, I’d teach the world how to play the Blues.” Never intent on elevating themselves or seeking praise, just wanting to share this gift they’ve been given, these two men are two of the greatest gifts I have ever received. Thank you, Lonnie and Rosey, for teaching me what the Blues are really all about.