All posts by Woodstock Whisperer

Attended the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in 1969, became an educator for 35 years after graduation from college, and am retired now and often volunteer at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts which is on the site of that 1969 festival.
Black history

Otis Kimball Kills Clinton Melton

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Otis Kimball Kills Clinton Melton

Otis Kimball Kills Clinton Melton

Site of Clinton Melton murder, Glendora, Mississippi

Otis Kimball Kills Clinton Melton

Clinton Melton

On December 3, 1955, Clinton Melton was working in a gas station in Glendora, Mississippi. Otis Kimball, a cotton gin operator, drove in and told Melton to fill up his car. Something about the transaction angered Kimball and he threatened to come back to the gas station and kill Melton.

Ironically, Kimball was driving the automobile of J. W. Milam, one of the men a jury had acquitted of killing Emmett Till just the previous August.

Kimball returned with a shotgun and with no provocation and in full view of the gas station owner and other witnesses, he shot and killed Clinton Melton .

Kimball charged

Authorities charged Kimball with the murder. Kimball’s lawyer argued self-defense. Lee McGarrh, the filling station owner, white, and Melton’s boss, testified that Melton did not have a gun and did not provoke the attack; John Henry Wilson, a black man testified that Kimball said he was going to kill Melton and would kill Wilson too if he got in the way; a third witness, standing ten feet away at the time, testified he did not see a gun in Clinton Melton’s hand.

Otis Kimball Kills Clinton Melton
Medgar Evers speaking with Clinton’s wife Beulah.
Otis Kimball Kills Clinton Melton

Witnesses

Witnesses for the defense – none of them eyewitnesses – included the sheriff, a deputy sheriff, and the chief of police. Kimball claimed Melton cursed at him during the argument. He claimed he had a scar from a bullet wound that came from a gunshot by Melton, and he produced a doctor who claimed it was indeed a gunshot wound. An all white jury acquitted Kimball after deliberating for four hours. (NYT article >>> Acquitted)

Beulah Melton

Just before scheduled commencement of the trial Beulah Melton, Clinton’s wife, died in a car accident. She drowned after her car ran off the road into the bayou.

Additional information about Clinton Melton case
Otis Kimball Kills Clinton Melton
Anniversary, Beatles, Music et al

My Generation Rubber Soul

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My Generation Rubber Soul

December 3, 1965

Quite a day for rock history. On December 3, 1965 saw the release of both the Who’s My Generation and The Beatles’s Rubber Soul.

The albums’ arrived before FM rock stations and I for one did not realize the importance of what was happening.  If someone had said that Nicky Hopkins had sat in on The Who’s album, I’d have returned a blank look. There was no Rosko on New York’s WNEW-FM to guide me. Not yet. In the meantime…

My Generation Rubber Soul

1965

1965 was the beginning of the 60s music that will lead to the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. Bob Dylan has gone electric and he wasn’t working on Maggie’s farm no more. Bob shared his herbs and spices with the Fab Four (Bob Dylan Introduces the Beatles). Pop musicians were realizing that they can write what they feel, not just what they think you feel. And many musicians followed Dylan’s lead and wrote their own songs.

 

My Generation Rubber Soul
My Generation album cover.
My Generation Rubber Soul

When the Who released their first album on December 3, 1965 (in the UK; the US won’t hear it until April). Keith Moon was 19; Pete Townshend 20 ; Roger Daltry and John Entwistle both 21.  According to their site: The Who’s debut album was …recorded in short bursts in April, October and November 1965, and for many tracks The Who were joined by Nicky Hopkins on piano. (for more, click through >>> My Generation)

I could give you a video of from the 65 album, but let’s jump ahead almost four years to that little field party called the Woodstock Music and Art Fair.

My Generation Rubber Soul

Rubber Soul

My Generation Rubber Soul

The Beatles were off the road and staying in the studio where they could find solace from fans.  All of Rubber Soul‘s songs were written after their last tour. The Beatles management knew about Christmas shopping and often released a new album in time for parents to get “that new album.”

Nowadays, this might be my favorite of the album. I guess it’s the most appropriate for my generation’s rubber soul.

My Generation Rubber Soul
Music et al

Glen Hansard NYC

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Glen Hansard NYC

My wife and I have been fans of Glen Hansard since seeing him the 2007 movie “Once” (NYT article). Glen and his co-star Marketa Irglova won the Oscar® for Best Original Song (“Falling Slowly”) from that movie.

The movie became a play and my wife and I saw it. The play won Tonys in 8 categories, including Best Musical in 2012. (NYT article)

Glen Hansard NYC

Beacon Theatre

By 2015 we figured was about time we saw Glen Hansard live after hearing so much of his music in movies, plays, and both studio and concert recordings. We finally did just that on December 1, 2015. It was about time.

I am equally embarrassed to say that  this was our first visit to the famed Beacon Theater. We have to get out more.

How many artists do you know who can stand in front of a sold-out theatre audience, sing without any amplification or accompanying instrument, and fill the house with a great voice. Gen Hansard can do that.

Beacon Theatre
Glen Hansard NYC
Glen Hansard NYC

Plenty of musicians

At other times, there were as many as 11 musicians on the stage, as well as the indefatigable peripatetic guitar technician Nick (the only tech I know who the audience called to the stage for an ovation). Two string players, a three-man horn ensemble, a piano player (who used both the keys and the strings), second guitar, drums (amazing with simply a basic kit), bass, a guest fiddle, and Glen. At times it was just Glen.

But Glen Hansard, no matter how many or few were on stage with him, always filled the hall with amazing sound. And he gave each of the band members a chance to shine. A great night.

The night ended with the whole band, Nick, and the stage crew standing side-by-side singing a capella “The Auld Triangle.” The whole audience stood and sang along. It was the best singing audience (without ever being obtrusive) I’ve ever heard.

Here’s a video to a similar encore from a 2013 Hansard Concert Muziekcentrum Enschede, The Netherlands.

Glen Hansard NYC

Thank you Glen

Get to see him the next time you can. Thank you Glen.

Glen Hansard NYC
cover for Glen Hansard’s “Didn’t He Ramble” 2015 album.

Postscript: we saw Glen again on September 14, 2016 at Carnegie Hall. Another great concert in another famed hall. Unlike the Beacon (which we still have not gotten back to), we’ve been to Carnegie Hall before.

And we saw him again in January 2018 at the Town Hall in NYC.

A nice habit to develop.

Glen Hansard NYC