The Death Of A Legend
In one of those weird coincidences of life that can sometimes fool you into thinking you’re clairvoyant, I’ve been thinking of posting a remembrance of Antone’s, Austin’s Home Of The Blues, for some days now, and today comes the sad news that Clifford Antone, the man behind the club, has died at the age of 56.
Antone’s still exists, in a 5th Street incarnation, but it’s not the Antone’s I remember. The one I remember was at 29th and Guadalupe (but even that was its third location), and it was a blues club par excellence. More than that, it was a true nightclub – though it couldn’t have had more than twenty tables, and the capacity of the club must have been 200 people, tops, the small venue operated the way a club should operate. There was a house band – and oh, what a house band! The great Mel Brown, Denny Freeman, Derek O’Brien, frequent guests Kim Wilson and Jimmie Vaughan of the Fabulous Thunderbirds – they were worth the price of admission alone. There was an emcee – Clifford himself, always respectful, frequently drunk (in those days – he later gave up the booze), and a bit scary.
Oh, yeah, he was intimidating…it was no secret the man knew a little bit about the underbelly of things. I never understood how such a small club could bring in the true blues legends (Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Otis Rush) and make any money. Well, Clifford did some time for money laundering and drug dealing – and I know now how ridiculously little money these legendary musicians made. Not that Clifford shortchanged them – the world did. It’s an insult to humanity that Justin Timberlake is a millionaire while these towering figures worked themselves to the bones well into their old age just to make a decent living.
More often than not, the nights of my freshman year at the University of Texas in 1986-87 were spent in the hallowed club on Guadalupe. There was the lenient door staff, who never looked too hard at our fake IDs, to be sure – but that’s not what brought me back. I have so many memories of that time, and it’s amazing how many of them involve that club.
There was the night that Albert Collins, the Iceman himself, marched off the stage, with what had to be the world’s longest guitar cord, and walked through the club and out into the parking lot to thrill the dozens of people who couldn’t make it into the club, but listened from outside the doors (!!), all the way jabbing that Telecaster in that way that only he could, and did we feel the blues? Did we ever!
There was the incomparable Buddy Guy, singing and playing with simultaneous delicacy and wild abandon, teasing the strings, whipping up the crowd, while I stood next to a tipsy Clifford at the side of the stage, and Clifford yelled his encouragement – ‘Play the blues, Buddy’…’That’s the way we like it’, while handing Buddy shot after shot from the liquor bottle in his hand. And did Buddy send chills down our spines? Did he ever!
There was the night that U2 played the Frank Erwin Center on the Joshua Tree tour, and we KNEW we should have gone to Antone’s, yet we didn’t – and dammitall, there it was in the papers the next day – Bono, the Edge, and Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan played until the wee morning hours – and did we kick ourselves? Did we ever!
And there was the greatest incarnation of the Joe Ely Band, with the great Bobby Keys (he of the immortal ‘Brown Sugar’ saxophone solo) and David Grissom on lead guitar, and nights standing on chairs and screaming and ‘letting our fingernails grow so they clicked when we played the piano’. And did Joe rock? Boy, oh, boy – did he ever!
Great memories, all of these – time capsule stuff. Legendary nights…and of course, there were more. In the years preceding my time in Austin, there was a whole ‘nother scene, with Stevie Ray Vaughan, the boy guitar whiz who later outgrew them all, and Lou Ann Barton, Marcia Ball, and Angela Strehli…
Oh, it was a time. And the time had a place. And the place had a face – and that face was Clifford’s. And now he’s dead at the age of 56. Whatever life is, it ain’t fair.
Rest in peace, big man, and thanks for the beautiful memories…
UPDATE 11:26 p.m.: I’ve intentionally avoided further posts tonight in a small tribute to the great Clifford Antone, but I did want to share this great youtube clip that shows a bit of what the fuss is about that was sent to me by a lifelong friend…
A sad day indeed Mark, but boy this brings back some great memories. I’ll always be greatful that you got me to go to those shows.
I remember the Albert Collins show like it was yesterday. David Grissom (still my favorite Austin guitarist over Eric Johnson, Charlie Sexton, and others) was there that night in the audience. He followed the band outside as did most.
I recall that we took Fred and Dugans (up and coming Austin guitarists for others out there) to a show. I think it was Buddy Guy. Those guys thought the show would be a joke — some old guy (pun) playing outdated music. It didn’t take too long before they had worked their way up to the front right in there by the speakers. They couldn’t get enough.
I think my first Joe Ely show was there. We were standing on chairs stage right. Grub met a gal there that night, right?
I also remember seeing Gatemouth. He sat on a stool the whole time. Didn’t think he had another year, much less 15+!
One random note and trivia. My wife grew up a few houses from Antone’s old house. Evidently he had one or two big German Shepherds that really barked and scared to death everyone in the (affluent) neighborhood. What’s become of Antone’s house? His house, along with the two on either side were torn down in the mid 90’s (during Cliff’s last jail sentence?) and two larger houses were put on the three lots. The semi-famous and infamous have lived in those houses, including Lance Armstrong, George Kozmetsky’s son (UT’s IC2 Institute), and Gary Bradley.
The last I saw Clifford, he was MC’ing a Texas Songwriters showcase at the Bob Bullock State History Museum. He did a great job, except that he got Bob Schneider to play. The show was broadcast on radio, and Schnieder decided it would be fun to play “Hanging’ Out with the Horny Girls” during a commercial break. If those lyrics were put off as comments on this site, you wouldn’t allow them. Of couse there were a number of kids, including my daughter in the audience. My wife and I were livid, and Clifford was obviously upset — he had not OK’d it. We would have left, but Joe Ely was the headliner so we had to stay.
Thanks for the comments, Trey…we’ll never get those days back, will we?…
We saw quite a few good shows at Antone’s back in ‘86 & ‘87, Mark. Buddy Guy was awesome, Otis Rush was fantastic & Albert Collins was phenominal. The house band with Denny Freeman was absolutely second to none. Clifford Antone will definitely be missed, and Antone’s will always be “Home of the Blues” for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ukA4-wMN5I&search=clifford%20antone
Speaking of Albert Collins, when is/are the label(s) that holds the rights to his classic recordings going to get around re-releasing them (preferably on vinyl)? To date, the only Alber Collins records I can locate are poorly recorded greatest hit/ live records of dubious legal quality.
Well, I have a copy of Ice Pickin’ on mp3 – but it wasn’t exactly, um, obtained in the preferred manner…but it sounds great!
My goodness!
I remember going to Antone’s on Guadalupe on more than just a few occasions.
Many late nights on the drag.
In fact I was introduced to the blues there.
Joe Ely! Angela! SRV!
Wow, truly a great place to hear the blues.
Cliff will be missed, both as a man AND the man behind the club.
I hope the family keeps Antone’s alive and kicking.
Sean–Try Alligator Records. They have a lot of great Albert Collins recordings.
Great post, BTW. I have seen most of the musicians you mention, but I wish I had had regular access to a place like Antone’s.
Sean, try Truckin with Albert Collins on CD… it’s a compilation of the singles that Albert cut in Houston in the early sixties. It’s instrumental, and the Iceman is on fire! Dig this clip of the Iceman at youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t94-PQLHnGQ&search=albert%20collins
[...] Not since the passing of Stevie Ray has Austin, collectively, felt a loss as keenly as that of Clifford Antone. I posted my thoughts yesterday on the sad news, and I just wanted to bring you some updates: viewing of the body will be tomorrow and Friday at Cook Walden on Lamar, and Antone’s the club remembers Antone, the man, tonight with Stevie Ray’s rhythm section, Double Trouble, the great Charlie Sexton, and Guy Forsyth (and you can bet there will be special guests galore). [...]
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