My freaking mom!

PopTodd · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2005 2:00 pm

She grew up on the South Side of Chicago.
Her parents (my grandparents) had good friends that owned a record label and recording studio.

So, when she was a wee lass in the 1950's, she used to play with her friend in the waiting room of the studios and sometimes go watch the artists record their songs.

The family's name was Chess.
It was the 19 freaking 50's!
Let me remind you who recorded for Chess in the 1950's:
Muddy Waters
Chuck Berry
Willie Dixon
John Lee Hooker
Ike Turner (I think)

My mom WATCHED rock n' roll being invented right in front of her eyes.
And her comment?
"I didn't know or care who they were. I was just a little girl. They were just a bunch of black guys with guitars."

DAMN.

(forgive me if I told this story before.)

Kabob · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2005 2:04 pm

postpixplsthx.

shmoo · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2005 2:05 pm

Dunno about Ike Turner, but you forgot Bo Diddley.

PopTodd · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2005 2:05 pm

shmoo Wrote:

Dunno about Ike Turner, but you forgot Bo Diddley.

I knew I was forgetting somebody huge.

Kingfish · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2005 2:08 pm

Cool story todd.

My grandmother has a pretty cool story too. She was born in Italy and danced for Mussolini as a young girl. Later she went to the Olympics as 200 meter runner. She was 15 and the youngest competitor. Later her mother burned all of her running memorbilia because she ran for the communiss party and she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to come to America.

HaqDiesel · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2005 3:06 pm

she didn't say "black guys" did she, todd? DID SHE?

tehobner · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 8:48 pm **Posts:** 4479

To give her the benefit of the doubt, she probably meant something less offensive like "darkies"

Cotton · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:12 pm **Posts:** 17155

that is absolutely incredible. that you didn't notice this until now.

I think my favorite Chess story is when the Stones first came to america and made a point of visiting the Chess studios and recording there and as they arrived there was a guy on a ladder out front painting the sign. He climbed down off the ladder and introduced himself as Muddy Waters. Just so impossible to imagine anyone in music today hanging around painting the sign for his label's studio.

legonads · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2005 3:37 pm

PopTodd Wrote:

(forgive me if I told this story before.)

PopTodd Wrote:

On the South side my grandparents were good friends with the Chess family. Yeah, Chess Records. And my mom and aunt would play with their little girls at the studio sometime. This was in the early-mid 1950s. Of course, she was completely clueless as to who all these "black men with guitars" were. But just the thought of the history my mom witnessed --- and then forgot.

legonads · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2005 3:37 pm

You're forgiven, though.

Radcliffe · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2005 4:10 pm

You should introduce her to Hegel-oh's.

red · **Joined:** Fri Jun 17, 2005 5:34 am **Posts:** 5009

Your story triggered the disgust I have at Checkerboard Lounge #2 opening somewhere in the city.

Great story, though.

PopTodd · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2005 4:21 pm

g Wrote:

PopTodd Wrote:

(forgive me if I told this story before.)

PopTodd Wrote:

On the South side my grandparents were good friends with the Chess family. Yeah, Chess Records. And my mom and aunt would play with their little girls at the studio sometime. This was in the early-mid 1950s. Of course, she was completely clueless as to who all these "black men with guitars" were. But just the thought of the history my mom witnessed --- and then forgot.

Yeah, but it was only recently that she let me know that she actually watched the recording sessions.

Crazy.

My freaking mom!

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