Our friend Frank Brown (who passed away in August of 2005) had been B.B. King's bus driver for 20 years. We only knew Frank for a year and a half, but he became one of our very best friends, and it was truly a blessing to have him in our lives. During our friendship with Frank, we became familiar with a photograph of B.B. King, his band, and crew on Beale Street in front of their brand new tour bus in the 1950's. We saw the photo in several books, and when we showed it to Frank, he got excited and pointed himself out. We learned that the photographer was named Ernest C. Withers.
A year after Frank's passing, we were in Memphis for a Tom Waits concert. Our stay was very brief, and about an hour before we had to hit the road for Nashville, we talked to a lady at the Center for Southern Folklore and she told us the location of Dr. Withers' studio at 333 Beale St. We wanted to purchase a copy of the bus photograph, and thought it would be very interesting to meet Dr. Withers if at all possible. We went to the studio and it was locked up, but there was a business card taped to the window. I called the cell phone number with a sinking feeling in my stomach. We had to leave soon and this didn't seem promising.
Dr. Withers answered the phone and was quite pleasant and friendly. I explained about Frank and that we were heading out of town very soon. He said that he would be at the studio in 10 minutes, and lo oand behold, he pulled up in his car just a few minutes later. He unlocked the studio and brought us inside. It was a treasure trove - a museum with the look of a rummage sale. Photos were piled up everywhere, and each one was incredibly significant. He rifled through the piles looking for a copy of the bus photo. He didn't find one, but we enjoyed seeing the large black and white prints of Martin Luther King, key event sin the Civil Rights Movement, music icons such as Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Rufus Thomas, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Ace...it was amazing. He said that he could get a copy of the photo printed up and mailed to us within a couple of days, and we said that was great; the only condition being that he promised to sign it. We paid him for the photo and he said he was uneasy to accept our money without having something tangible to hand to us. This was a testament to his integrity. He wrote up a detailed receipt and promised to send the photo out soon.
He paged through his book "The Memphis Blues Again: Six Decades of Memphis Music Photographs" and told us anecdotes about each photo. We enjoyed it so much! The time flew, and we got the feeling he would have continued talking with us for hours if we didn't have to set off for Nashville. Our meeting with him was totally unexpected, and is an experience we will forever cherish. Less than a week later, the signed photo showed up on our doorstep. It is proudly displayed in our dining room.
Rest in Peace, Dr. Withers, and thank you for being so kind to us.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Ernest C. Withers Sr. Historical Photographic Foundation, P.O. Box 152, Memphis, TN 38101, for the preservation and restoration of his works.
obituary from the Memphis Commercial Appeal
obituary from the New York Times
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