Comments on: Masters of Louisiana Music: Henry Roeland Byrd a.k.a. Professor Longhair http://www.offbeat.com/2001/05/01/henry-roeland-byrd-a-k-a-professor-longhair/ New Orleans and Louisiana Music, Food, and Art News Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:46:53 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1-beta2-17056 By: Paul Thorne http://www.offbeat.com/2001/05/01/henry-roeland-byrd-a-k-a-professor-longhair/comment-page-1/#comment-15137 Paul Thorne Thu, 16 Dec 2010 19:19:00 +0000 http://offbeat.com/artman/publish/article_269.shtml#comment-15137 I have never understood what is meant by ..,'his style seemed dated'.Who or what makes it 'dated' I play music from 40's and 50's but I never call it dated.It's simply the music I love.I have nevr bought anything recorded by Irma or Lee D because it never appealed to me,but moderrn? I have never understood what is meant by ..,’his style seemed dated’.Who or what makes it ‘dated’
I play music from 40′s and 50′s but I never call it dated.It’s simply the music I love.I have nevr bought anything recorded by Irma or Lee D because it never appealed to me,but moderrn?

]]> By: Patty McGehee http://www.offbeat.com/2001/05/01/henry-roeland-byrd-a-k-a-professor-longhair/comment-page-1/#comment-14703 Patty McGehee Thu, 11 Nov 2010 22:30:00 +0000 http://offbeat.com/artman/publish/article_269.shtml#comment-14703 I was one of the lucky people who got to see Fess up close fairly regularly at Jed's on Oak Street in NOLA way back when. I was 19 years old. ( I am now 56.) I was actually able to lean up on his piano at his right and watch him. He kicked the piano so hard underneath there was a piece of plywood there to protect it! I heard people say it was there to cover the hole he had made in it! The feel of his music was a revelation to me. I was hooked from the first time I saw him. I sought out his shows in local places and attended as many of them as I could. I got to see him close down Jazz Fest when I was on my honeymoon there. By chance, my husband and I stopped into Tipitina' around 5:00 one Monday afternoon (in 1980) to get a Dixie beer. Professor Longhair was onstage being interviewed and filmed. No one was there except a bartender, the videographer, the interviewer, my husband, and me. It was wonderful! Fess died just a few days after that. I will always cherish that memory. Thank you for the wonderful article! Patty Fuller McGehee I was one of the lucky people who got to see Fess up close fairly regularly at Jed’s on Oak Street in NOLA way back when. I was 19 years old. ( I am now 56.) I was actually able to lean up on his piano at his right and watch him. He kicked the piano so hard underneath there was a piece of plywood there to protect it! I heard people say it was there to cover the hole he had made in it!

The feel of his music was a revelation to me. I was hooked from the first time I saw him. I sought out his shows in local places and attended as many of them as I could. I got to see him close down Jazz Fest when I was on my honeymoon there.

By chance, my husband and I stopped into Tipitina’ around 5:00 one Monday afternoon (in 1980) to get a Dixie beer. Professor Longhair was onstage being interviewed and filmed. No one was there except a bartender, the videographer, the interviewer, my husband, and me. It was wonderful!
Fess died just a few days after that. I will always cherish that memory.

Thank you for the wonderful article!

Patty Fuller McGehee

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