One of my motivations to get Joe to play Oklahoma City was simply just to build his fanbase here so he would return and I would no longer have to make these roadtrips. He would come to me. I was in the middle of one of my most successful periods in my own contracting business which proved to be also one of the most stressful times as well. Joe I guess was my therapy. I had something else to occupy my mind after 5:00 when I would often resort to the worries of the upcoming day.

The few shows I attended during this time I would arrive early and have a chance to talk to Kenny Joe’s drummer at the time and Roscoe his tourmanager. I never really wanted to bother Joe who was alway cordial but I would say warry of this new fixture at their shows. He was a little perplexed that someone would travel distances to see him and possibly wondered at the state of my sanity. I gave him his space because I wasn’t in to guitars which is a common language he speaks I just dug the band.

Roscoe Joe’s tour manager at that time was very gregarious and easy to talk to so I did strike up a relationship with him and Kenny. A few thing came together in the late summer and fall of 2003 which got the ball rolling for Jim Moody concert promoter. The first was an interview I had obtained a copy of with a Canadian radio station. Someone on the forum and I struck up a relationship and sent me a copy on CD also his yet to be released Blues Deluxe Album. In the interview something was mentioned how at the time Joe had aquired a taste for Johnny Walker Scotch. If you were to buy him a drink that would be what he was into at the time. Of course there is Black, Red, but if you really wanted to impress him and the Bar stocked it Johnny Walker Blue Label was it.

My son Colin was dating a liquor wholesaler’s daughter and Blue Label was retail over $200.00 I decided to call in a favor. I forgot what I actually paid for it but I planned to give it to him in Paola Kansas where he was playing the roots festival. No big deal just had heard the new album and knew it was going to do well. Upon arriving I looked up Roscoe and told him I had something for Joe. He brought me back to the green room which was a travel trailer I was invited in while they were discussing the stage setup and other show related subjects.

I presented him with the gift which he was obviously taken aback by and told him to save it till the album was announced #1 on the Billboard Blues charts that would be out later that month. I told him I had a feeling it would. Of course SILT had debuted there so it wasn’t a far fetched prediction but at leat Blues Deluxe was more of a blues album. I excused myself and went out to enjoy the show. Again I wasn’t there to intrude I just wanted to wish him well. I did have a motivation for the gift though. I had already contacted his management about allowing me to promote a show in Oklahoma City. I don’t think I was takin seriously at the time. I thought the gift would show that I could get things done. From the knowledge that it was something he was fond of at that time and I had connections to aquire it at a discounted price.

Around that time I had been contacted through Route 66 Blues Society which my brother founded and I was one of the officers, by the Rose Bud Agency, a boutique agency from San Francisco representing Tommy Castro, David Lindley, Johnny A and Duke Robillard inquired if we would be interested in a routing opportunity for Duke in the fall. The agent at the time talked me through the process and I secured a venue ant put on my first show. We did 80 paid on a Thursday night which I thought was kind of lame. The reality a blues guy on a Thursday night is lucky to draw 40. Still I was and have never been satisfied with less than a capacity show. Any way I was now a concert promoter.