Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Who Is Tyrone "Shortleg" Johnson?...and why do we care?

I first met "Shortleg" when I was having a rum and seven at a undisclosed blues bar in East St. Louis. He was trying to wait out some fellow card players who were hanging out in the parking lot hoping to "catch up" with him for some gambling debts. He was pretty wasted, and mumbled on and on about his mother, Gert, and the hair salon she ran that was a front for a numbers racket...he claimed to be a blues singer...but could only remember the words to "Oh, Do You Know The Muffin Man?".

Though I was very impressed with the many variations of "Muffin Man" he entertained all of the patrons in the bar with that night, I did not think I would see or hear of him again. Looking at the guys waiting for him in the parking lot also convinced me that Tyrone, may not be long for this world. Well,....I was wrong...it seems that Tyrone "Shortleg" Johnson is still around and oddly enough will be a part of a webcast coming from Expressions College on Sunday, January 10th at 3:30 pm. Now from what I heard, he will not be singing about the guy from Drury Lane...but may be persuaded to kick out "The Hootchie Cootchie Man" during the broadcast....we can only hope.

Tyrone will be appearing with the best Rock, R&B, Blues, Country and Bugle Band in the East Bay "The Intones"....and as "ShortLeg" says...."I'll be there if the creek don't rise and the warrants don't catch up with me..." Well, lets hope he makes it.

When: Sunday, January 10th @ 3:30 pm

Where: Live Web broadcast @ http://mediasource.expression.edu/liveCast.htm

1 comment:

  1. I have heard about that guy...something to do with the ponies at Santa Anita and a knife fight with a midget!...I hear the dude can sing...but I wonder if he will make it to the gig. The one time he was to appear with BB King, as we all know, ended in disaster with that church fire and riot. No one really blames Shortleg...but BB King says he will never share a stage with him again!

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