He was just a really cool guy. He would sit there, backstage or in the dressing room, quietly strumming the strings and going over songs in his head. He was easy to talk to, and once I asked him how he got his nickname. "Was it because your fingers are so fast on the banjo?"
"No," he explained, "When I was little I was a kinda slow, and my daddy would always say to me, 'C'mon Lightnin'!'"
"That's how you got your nickname?"
"Yessir, I was slow."
- Today I was reading a friend's blog and he mentioned a blues musician he loved, and how he used to see the guy play parties in his hometown. The guy, Lightning Boy Steve Malcolm, most recently played with Jimmy Buffett. I love Blues Musicians and there names. (Ralph Macchio's character in Crossroads was also called Lightning Boy!) Anyway it made me think of a man I met when I was in school down in North Carolina. He was a musician brought in to accompany, and perform in a play we were doing at the time - Dark Of The Moon. It was a crazy show; witches, hillbillies, and lots of music including hymns, spitrituals, etc. This guy - his name was Mike Lightnin' Wells - was a great character, friendly, and, if I remember correctly, knew my dad's family. I like him so much that I named a character in my first play after him in tribute to the above conversation.
I googled him and found his website. Looks like he's doing well these days.
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