It's Good To Be King.....

Shelley King's decision to quit her day job in 1998 and play music full time launched  a series of events that would place her firmly in the bedrock of the Austin Music scene.  Having played in the area since 1992, King took some time off in the mid 90s to focus on writing songs and eventually record and release her first CD, Call of My Heart.  Two songs from that release, including the title track, would be covered by Toni Price on her 2001 release, Midnight Pumpkin, and “Call of My Heart,” would win Song of the Year at the 2002 Austin Music Awards. Fast forward to 2008 when King would be named Texas State Musician – the first woman to ever be able to claim the title.

“It was almost ten years to the day of me quitting my day job,” said King, when we spoke of the award.  People will sometimes say to me, “Oh, you’re so good. Why haven’t you made it?” In this kind of business, these days, every single little victory adds up. You’ve got to appreciate every single little blessing. I think it’s a blessing that I get to play music. It’s a blessing that I get to play at Cypress Creek. I think I’ve made it. I count every little blessing. Not everybody gets to be Blake Shelton, I guess, or whatever the flavor of the month is. And I don’t think we all want that. We all kind of dig our life around here.”

King tours solo, as a duo or with a full band and additionally there are other projects that also keep this power house singer songwriter up late at night, including SisDeville (with Carolyn Wonderland and Floramay Holliday) and Texas Guitar Women (which features Wonderland, Cindy Cashdollar, Sarah Brown and Lisa Pankratz). You're only as good as the company you keep, and King is definitely in fine company with these legendary women.

A new CD is scheduled to be released at the beginning of 2013. And if that's not enough to keep a gal busy, King has also managed to find some time for a serious labor of love called HOME; Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers.

In its infancy, HOME is a non-profit that was started by several Austin music industry leading ladies, (King, Susan Antone, Marcia Ball, Carolyn Wonderland, Nancy Fly and Nancy Coplin to name a few) when one of Austin's premier blues singers recently became homeless. [I have not included the name of this artist in order to protect privacy.]

“This is to help aging Austin entertainers,” said King. “We have HAAM, [Health Alliance for Austin Musicians] and we’re keeping our musicians healthy. They’re going to live longer and they’re going to need help with housing later. This is something we need so much.  We have set up a bank account and are starting to solicit donations. We are also planning on putting out a CD to benefit HOME and hope to have it out before the holidays when everyone will be thinking about home."

[A benefit will also be scheduled at Antone’s at a later date and we will keep you posted as the information becomes available and links to pertinent pages will be added here later.]

As King continues to blaze her trail, her songs continue to inspire and uplift. Her character and her love of what she does is reflected both on stage and off and she will continue to reign supreme for a long, long time. - TR

www.shelleyking.com

Shelley King 

Saturday, August 4

The Buzzard Bar 

Cypress Creek Cafe

Wristbands, $10

A (Southern) Gentleman and a (Blues) Scholar

WC Clark is called the godfather of the Austin blues for a good reason. Blues greats from Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan, Marcia Ball, Lou Ann Barton and countless others have all fallen under his tutelage at some point.

A multiple award winner, legendary guitarist, singer and songwriter, when I asked him about his career defining moments he said, "playing at Rockefeller Center and seeing the signs advertising some of the great blues and jazz players that had performed there...that was a big one for me." Having his crowds be a mix of young and old is also one of the things he says defines him most.

He is also defined by his southern upbringing in Austin, Texas. His stories to me included several about his grandmother, who was half Cherokee, and who taught him about love and respect. "I'd go to the store with my mother or my grandmother, and if there was someone struggling with their groceries, they'd tell me to go ask them if they needed help. I still do that now. You see somebody that needs help, that’s what you do."

Clark comes from a world that for the most part, no longer exists, but he has not forgotten it. His music harkens back to a time of gospel, family and struggles met head on with grace and kindness. "I never even went to a doctor until I was 17. My grandmother always cured us of everything. I remember her rubbing sardines on my chest to cure us of diphtheria." 

Clark's road has been one traveled once and then again, always with a story to tell. "One time, we were coming back to Austin. It's was my turn to drive so some of the guys asked if they could drink beer in the van. I told them, no!" They told me they wanted to get a hotel room so I dropped them off and that's just what they did; got them a room so they could drink beer and drove back by myself!"

"These young players coming up have to decide if they want to play for a living or if they want to do it as a hobby," he said laughing.

"My grandmother told me that 'music is love just looking for a home,' and I never forgot that." For Clark, who says he has no intention of slowing down after touring for 40 years, finds a home with his muse in the clubs, theaters and stages all over the world. "When I played in Russia, Turkey and the Canary Islands, I was representing Austin. That's a good feeling."

Since the early 80s, Clark has been bringing his blues and love to the bar at Cypress Creek Cafe and we will greet him once again with open arms, Saturday, July 14. 

Welcome, home, WC!

-Temple Ray

WC Clark website

Show starts in The Buzzard Bar at 9pm, wristbands $10.