I think it was 1980 that I first heard The Skeletons. In those days, it was customary to write to an act that floored you and I duly ordered a box of 45s to spread around people that I figured would like them. This was the first time I came into contact with the force of nature that was Lou Whitney. Recipients of these 45s included Lux and Ivy who subsequently name checked the band in ZigZag as a result.
When it came to the point of getting the chance to start a
label, the band was the obvious choice. To my mind they should have been bigger
than something like The Eagles. A+R people loved them but they didn’t know what
to do with something so pure. So somehow, Lou granted me the wish of compiling
the singles plus other tracks for “Rockin’ Bones” which was later followed by
their debut “proper” album, “In The Flesh”.
In August 1992 I made the pilgrimage to Column One in
Springfield, Mo. I clearly recall Randy and Donna dropping me off for the
adventure that would entail travelling with them to shows in the Chicago area
including a memorable night in DeKalb, Illinois. I stayed with Lou and Kay
during those days and enjoyed their wonderful hospitality.
The Heartbreak Hotel in Malmo played host to the Dave
Alvin/Scott Kempner/Skeletons ensemble during the Skeledanavia 1992 was like a
dream come true. The guys from Uncle Tupelo were there that night also and
somewhere I have a tape.
We kept in touch over the years and I always hoped I’d get
out to see him again. Never imagining that there would come a day when that
wouldn’t be possible. Last time I spoke to Lou was when Mary McBride made a pit
stop in Glasgow with the Rt. Hon Joe Terry and she graciously called him.
Then there’s the music that he and the guys made. They
should have been a household name. Their chemistry made them utterly unique and
that’s why other great artists gravitated toward the buckle on the bible belt. Listening to Ben Vaughn’s “I’m Gonna Miss Me
When I’m Gone” the other day, it was if he was channelling the big guy and it
made me plotz.
To tell the truth, I’m finding it difficult to process the
fact that he’s taken the final taxi. The music he made with the band and with
others will live for all eternity. Lou’s alt-Wrecking Crew was always ready to
work up their magic when the need arose.
They broke the mould after this one popped out and we’ll
never see his like again. Hey may not have been rich in monetary terms but the
guy was a veritable gazillionaire in terms of being a wonderful human being. It
was impossible not to love Lou Whitney. Lou inspired everyone that he ever came
into contact, being the archetypal gentlemen in every sense of the word.
The big fella never compromised his integrity for one second
over the years and it is an utter privilege to have been able to call him my
friend. A world without Lou in it is a
daunting prospect. His wisdom and forthright manner gave him a quality that
made him a natural leader. He was someone you could believe in and someone you
could believe. He made his mark alright.
My condolences to Kay and his immediate family, to his
compadres - Lloyd, Joe, Donnie, Dave,
Andy, Scott, Eric, Amy, Ben, Robbie and Syd and everyone else that will miss
the hell out of the guy.