Singin’ the Blues

Re “ ‘Southpaw Jones’ Quirky Tunes Offer an Unflinching Critique of ‘White’ Culture,” Valley Life, Feb. 23.

A 23-year-old singer named Southpaw Jones performed out in North Hollywood. He’s a native Texan who writes and sings about “white boy’s blues.” The classic symptoms: He’s wasted half a Saturday playing Nintendo, he’s carelessly left a pound of food on his plate and he fears for his life because his bungee cord feels strange.

Then I read the obits, and here is another blues musician who, at intermission, stepped out behind the theater where he was performing to have a smoke and was stabbed to death. That was at the Ontario Airport Hilton. Can you imagine being the one who had to inform the audience after the intermission that Neal Newman has left the building? Make that the universe.

But wait, here’s another one. John Fahey, folk guitarist, died of kidney failure during a heart bypass attempt.

Now, what I want to say to Southpaw Jones is, “Man, you ain’t seen no blues, yet,” white or otherwise.

CHARLES W. DIGGS JR.

Calabasas