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The Making of
a Legend by Rod Stewart (Reader’s Digest/Dec/
2004)
Long John Baldry launched me on my musical career.
I was 18 and playing harmonica and singing a Muddy Waters
song in a railway station, when Long John Baldry ran
over to me from the other side of the tracks. I had just been
to see him play at a club; he was one of the top Bluesmen in
England. But John didn’t sing Muddy Waters songs – he
knew Muddy Waters, had performed with him and with
Ramblin' Jack Elliott too.
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And
now he was asking, ”
Would you like to join the band?” For me, just
shaking his hand – knowing all the great musicians whose hand
he’d shaken before – was mind-blowing. But so was John.
Picture this elegant man with a proper English accent, never
without a tie, a towering six-foot-seven. I was a huge fan and
I was intimidated by his offer. Rod Stewart wasn’t in demand
in those days; no one was interested. I immediately said yes.
John had a knack for discovering talent. Ginger Baker,
Jeff
Beck and Brian Jones all worked with him early on.
Elton John played piano in one of his bands, other
Rolling Stones too – Charlie, Ron Wood, and
Keith.
In 1962, when The Rolling Stones were just getting started,
they opened for him in London. Eric Clapton has said many
times that John was one of the musicians that inspired him to
play the Blues. And for their internationally televised
special in 1964, The Beatles invited John to perform his
version of 'I Got My Mojo Working'. In those days the
only music we fell in love with was the Blues, and John was
the first white guy singing it, in his wonderful voice. It was
the true Blues and everyone looked up to him. I wasn’t very
good on the harmonica, but my gravelly voice caught his
attention. He was the first person of any stature to tell me,
“You really have the gift. You have what it takes”. He turned
some of us into musical legends, but it was never what he
expected from himself. You didn’t hear John on the radio or
see him on TV. He just played these clubs that I started going
to when I was 16. At the time I hadn’t thought much about
performing except as a way to meet girls. John put me on an
amazing wage, close to $100 a week, which in the early ‘60s
was an astronomical amount. I remember thinking, "If this
lasts for 6 months I’ll be able to buy a little sports car
which I’d been saving for. Of course, that would help me get
some girls". We didn’t rehearse before my first performance
with John’s band and I was very nervous so I had a few drinks.
John introduced me as an 'up-and-coming' new singer and I sang
John Lee Hooker's classic 'Dimples',
which died a death! There was a horrible silence after my
performance. But John was great. He’s one of the kindest guys,
reassuring and positive. He just said, "Well come away, don’t
worry about it." Then he had me come to his apartment
the next day and go through some songs on the guitar to get the keys
worked out. |
