Rory Block

Productieve Amerikaanse singer/songwriter en bluesgitariste die begin 1989 een Top 20-hit scoort met 'Lovin' Whiskey'. Opvolger 'Gypsie Boy' haalt de Tipparade. Beide nummers zijn terug te vinden op Best Blues & Originals (1987). Het album is een verzamelaar van covers en eigen liedjes uit de jaren '80. Geen van de opvolgers leveren hit(je)s op. Rory Block kent als geen ander de blues en zingt o.a. over haar aan alcohol verslaafde (ex-)man ('Lovin' Whiskey') en haar verongelukte zoon ('Spider Boy').

Rory Block in haar eigen woorden: I left home at 15, I struck out on the road There were three of us to start with, driving through the dawn We lost control and spun out in a field at 2 AM The police looked us up and down but they did not take us in They did not take us in My mother didn’t want me, she told me not to stay My father was the same you know, they drove their child away They both were living separate lives, they had no use for me I ended up in Berkeley, as lost I was free I was lost, but I was free The hippie thing was happening, but I just played the blues The drug culture was raging, LSD was news But I was never tempted, cause I had my good guitar They said it was a dead end street, that I’d never be a star I’d never be, I’d never be, I’d never be a star I played the blues with Son House, Skip James and John Hurt too I hung out with the Reverend and Bukka passing through I shared the stage with Fred McDowell, I was his biggest fan Someone jumped up shouting: “She plays just like a man!” Plays just like, plays just like, she plays just like a man Whatever that might be… I dropped out of music to raise a family I knew I’d never make it, I was told repeatedly Thiele was born just four days after turning seventeen A little ray of sunshine so few and far between So few and far, so few and far, so few and far between The music started calling me even in my dreams It sounded like a whisper, it turned into a scream It brought me back a feeling, I’d just about forgot They wanted me to write some songs, so I gave it my best shot I gave it my, I gave it my, I gave it my best shot They said they could not market me, they didn’t like my song They said I sounded soulful, that I came on too strong I knew that I was standing in a place at the wrong time So I went back to country blues, let your light so shine Shine so brightly… shine on! Now the world is changed it’s true and country blues is king Everybody’s reaching for the Robert Johnson thing If he was only here today I hope he would approve ‘Cause he was just a quiet man, alone and on the move Alone and on, alone and on, alone and on his soulful move! Tragedies have come and gone, but I’m still rolling on I lost my first born baby when he was almost grown My younger son’s a credit to his mama that’s for sure And I’m too small to understand the reason that I’m here You got to keep on singing, keep on singing, keep on singing God’s song! You got to sing it from the heart, sing it for the love No matter what you do, you got to keep on, for the love Rory Block – ‘Life Story’