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Ernie K-Doe: Ain t Gonna Be No Stoppin |
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Wednesday, 01 February 2006 20:25 |
Ernie K-Doe
Ain t Gonna Be No Stoppin
By John Sinclair
Unlike so many knowledgeable native New Orleans music lovers, this writer never had the pleasure of seeing Ernie K-Doe in his prime, back in the early 1960s when he was cutting a succession of great 45 rpm singles for Minit Records and tearing up stages everywhere he appeared.
But his incredible performance at WWOZ's Mardi Gras Party in Congo Square three years ago provided a thrilling glimpse of the K-Doe of legend. Backed by Tommy Ridgley & The Untouchables, K-Doe overcame the visible ravages of time and hard living to deliver a driving, emotionally-charged set that lifted the audience up a few feet in the air before it was over.
The well-known Charity Hospital baby was born Ernest Kador Jr. on February 22, 1936. His story is well told by Jeff Hannusch in I Hear You Knockin , from his early training in the church to his first recorded efforts for Savoy Records in 1954 and subsequent singles for Specialty and Ember.
In 1960 Ernest Kador hooked up with Allen Toussaint and Joe Banashek at Minit Records and unleashed a torrent of hits like Make You Love Me / There's a Will There's a Way, Hello My Lover / Tain t It the Truth , the immortal Mother-In-Law (the first and last #1 pop hit out of New Orleans), Te-Ta-Te-Ta-Ta, I Cried My Last Tear / A Certain Girl, Popeye Joe and Beating Like a Tom-Tom.
After Minit folded, K-Doe signed with Don Robey and Duke Records for a handful of 45s and then lapsed into undeserved obscurity, working small neighborhood joints and the occasional nostalgia show without the benefit of additional recordings.
By Mardi Gras 1993 Ernie K-Doe was turning 57 and at a seeming dead end. He made frequent appearances on WWOZ as a regular guest of DJ Tootie, but little actual work was forthcoming, and when there was a scheduled engagement there was often reason for concern about its outcome.
Then there began to appear a few hopeful signs of change in the fortunes of Ernie K-Doe. A pair of new recordings, American Children and Night Fox II, suddenly appeared on CD, followed by an entire album of live and studio performances, I m Cocky But I m Good, produced by Milton Batiste and issued on his tiny DuBat label.
In the summer of 1995 K-Doe announced the opening of his Mother-in-Law Lounge at 1500 N. Claiborne in the 7th Ward and introduced his new romantic and business partner, Ms. Antoinette Fox, to the world by means of a major story in the Times-Picayune.
In the fall DuBat released a second K-Doe CD, Fever, now gaining considerable attention, and announced its intention to bring the rejuvenated performer back to national and international prominence through projected record licensing deals and regular touring activity.
On January 10, 1996, Ernie K-Doe took another major step in his return to personal and professional stability when he and Ms. Antoinette were wed in a simple afternoon ceremony conducted at the Mother-in-Law Lounge.
The next day he sat down with Milton Batiste and this writer to talk about his roots, his career resurgence, and his plans for the future.
As Batiste pointed out to begin our discussion, not many artists, after the age of 55, come back from the deepest waters that he's been treading, and those deep waters have to do with physical and mental anguish, so this is almost like being born again it's almost like getting started again in the business.
Ernie K-Doe: This is a brand-new Ernie K-Doe, with a period about it. Because I can t do what I used to do, but I do what I have to do at any particular time. I have to do this, ya know, and I m glad I have a second chance to go around.
But you know one thing, though: I look back on my life, and I look back on the things that I came through, and thanks to the people that believed in me, I made my mind up that I want to come back. Thanks to Milton Batiste, and Ruby Batiste--they walked with me about three-and-a-half weeks, I believe, and said, Hey, man, look: you got it let's go for it.
I had got to the place at one time that I just didn t want to come back again, but they brought me back and showed me what I had to offer--not only to New Orleans, but offer to the country again.
I ll tell you one thing: I think I made a major step in my life when I chose Milton Batiste and Ruby Batiste to handle my business as far as my singin and makin records-wise. And I made another choice last week when I chose Antoinette Fox--better known as Antoinette K-Doe now.
OffBeat: Of course we want to congratulate you on your recent marriage, but I know everybody's got to be after you now about having a new mother-in-law.
You know one thing? The first mother-in-law I had, I didn t know about her, that she was that particular way. Thatﾕs why I could sing that Mother-In-Law song. But my new mother-in-law, I know all her feelings, and I m gonna write a song about her, because you look for the little things that--you learn from your mistakes. That's how you get great, by your mistakes. All I wanna do is do what's right now. So I can t go wrong.
How did you discover this lady who just became your wife?
I m gonna tell the truth like it was: I saw this lady in 19....in 62. I was on my way--I just had bought my brand-new Cadillac--and I was on my way to the Apollo Theatre in New York, and I stopped in this place on Touro and St. Claude. She was workin behind the liquor counter--she had the liquor store--and she was bendin down, and during that time I said, Oh no, I ain t gonna mess with her.
She was dressed nice, in a white dress--I never will forget thisﾑ--and I wouldn t mess with her. I just ordered my drink, and she had somebody else behind the bar to fix my drink, while she was puttin up the liquor behind the bar. I never did forget her, but I never did think that me and her would tie up together, because back then--hey, she wouldn ta liked me, and then again, I wouldn ta liked her, because I was....ooh, man, look, I was doin my thing.
You were rollin --you had the Number One record in the USA.
Yeah, I was doin my thing, ya know. But I d like to say this one thing: that me and Milton Batiste, and Ruby Batiste, along with Antoinette Fox K-Doe now, we gonna make it. We gonna make it, and we goin back to the Apollo Theatre. And what's gonna shock me, and a whole lotta people: I got two things goin for me.
The two things I have goin for me: the youngsters that has never saw me is gonna come out to see me, and the elders remember me--how I used to dance, how I used to drive a band, and the whole bit. They gonna come out to see if I still have that drive. You understand what I m talkin about? And I m gonna feel good shakin everybody's hand, ya know?
I wanted to ask you about growing up with Walter Wolfman Washington. He tells me you grew up together, in the same household.
That's my first cousin. His mother was my mother's sister--we two sisters chirren. My mother was named Laurie, and his mother was named Mary. I grew up on Derbigny Street, 2419 South Derbigny, between First and Second. My church is New Home Missionary Baptist Church.
Like, a whole lotta people say, K-Doe, how you get that spirit? I say, I was born Baptist. I was born Baptist. You catch any Baptist, sanctified, and they got that--they got that--they got that--Seventh Day Adventist--they got that--they have that...that movement. And you just got to go along wit em, because they get along with the crowd. And once you get along with the crowd, you got it all goin .
But I was raised half in Baton Rouge, Louisianaﾑ--722 North, Baton Rouge, on 38th Street. I was baptized in Pecan Grove. Um-hmm. That's Reverend Pitcher baptized me, okay? That's in Pecan Grove. And when I came down to New Orleans, my first pastor was the one and only--New Home Missionary Baptist Church, on Prieur and Jackson, Reverend Bud Smith. We had the one and only -he's done passed away now, too--Reverend Freddie Dunn.
See, I was staying on Derbigny between First and Second, and the Rhythm Club--better known as the Club Rocket--was on the corner of Derbigny and Jackson. And Mr. Fields, he had the house behind there, and we used to go upstairs and step off the balcony, off from Mr. Fields house--two-storey house--and look at the band and look at the people.
They had a big old window fan was there, and I used to see Count Basie, Duke Ellican [Ellington]. But I was lookin at what the band was doing, what the artist was doing. That's the first time I ever saw Billy Eckstine in my life. And I appreciated him.
The people that learned me how to tap dance was Pork Chop and Kidney Stew. I did see Sammy Davis Jr. at the Ritz Theatre, when I was a little kid, but he was a little bit older than I was, with his father and his uncle, and they was dancin , and he was in the middle.
I remember all these things. They had a young lady, never got a shot--not a actual shot--she used to sing with Paul Gayten, years ago--I remember her: Annie Laurie. I remember Sam Cooke--Sam Cooke used to stay at my house, when they wouldn t look for no hotel or nothin like that.
You take, like, the greatest singing group that ever was come out of the United States of America. I remember em, because I wanted to be a singer all my life, and I wanted to be one of the greatest. But the greatest singing group I ever heard in my life--and when I call out their names, you will know what I m talkin about--and heard em at one time, that was at the Palace Theatre, and I heard em: Billy Ward & The Dominos.
See, I ve been wanting to go back into the beginning of my career, when I used to sing gospel. So the next project we have planned will be a gospel album. And the most important thing: I d like to do the whole album of Archie Brownlee and the Five Blind Boys, because I can--I know em. See, Archie used to stay at my house on Derbigny Street, with my auntie.
Yeah, Jerry Brock told me to be sure to ask you about Archie Brownlee.
I can do Archie, but I wanna do Archie in Archie's key, ya know, with the music that Milton is gonna put behind it. Do the same song, but do it in Archie's key. Because I know Archie, ya know--I came up neatha Archie.
See, Archie died at Charity Hospital. Whole lotta people don t know Archie was from here, but he stayed in Alabama--ya dig where I m comin from? And by them rehearsin at 2419 South Derbigny Street, I remember Archie. You know? And that's where I get that power from. Because a whole lotta people don t know why, when I hit that stage, how I can throw my voice like that.
But I wanna do Archie--I wanna do it in his same key, I wanna do the same thing that he did, but I d like for Milton Batiste to arrange it, you understand? Don t change nothing, you know? Put a good singing group behind me,that will listen to what I say, because I remember Archie.
See, we goin back now. We goin back to the Two Winged Temple, back on Rushablade [Rocheblave Street] where they used to have the Two Winged Temple. Now, I have saw Mahalia Jackson, Brother Joe Mays, I have saw the Staple Singers I ve saw em all. I have heard em, and where they made their mistake at--and some people do me that, they always bring me on last, but I don t like that. I like to open up a show, or come in the middle, but they always keep me to the last.
And that's how they did Archie. After all of em had sung, and made people--back then they didn t have no air conditioning, they had window fans, and fans that you fanned with, you dig where I m comin from?
Now what happened was, they brought Archie Brownlee up last, and the Five Blind Boys, and the people almost tore the whole church down. The man say, I got two wings that's what he was singin --the Reverend Utah Smith, you understand what I m sayin ? I m tellin ya what I done saw with these eyes, and I was lookin through the window.
But when Archie got up there and sung, it looked like nobody never been up on the stage--what I call the stage--they didn t go up in the pulpit then, they stepped down--but I never saw a red man sing like that. And he was weighing about a hundred and what, 145 pounds, and I said, I wanna be another Archie Brownlee. I wanna be him. I m gonna get that I m gonna get that sound.
And he's still going within me. You know, Archie had a feeling that, whoever it was, you couldn t beat Archie Brownlee. You dig where I m comin from? And I m doin this. And one day everybody gonna understand: what I have cannot be beaten. Ya dig? When I hit that stage, I m comin behind Archie. When I hit that stage, I m electrified. I don t care who be up on the bandstand, who done sung--they can never beat Ernie K-Doe. Because I m cocky, but I m good.
You also wrote a lot of your own material, didn t you?
Oh yeah. Well, actually, the ones that my name wasn t on, it was my idea. It was my idea. Right back there in Cabbage Alley, it was my idea. Because I just, like--I hear different beats, and my old lady say, Man, why don t you lay down and go to sleep? I be on the side of the bed just jumpin , and jumpin , ya know, but I be hearin that movement.
I d like to do all my songs all over again, but I d like for Milton to do a different arrangement, but still do em. Because they re my songs--I can do my songs all over again. Ya know, like you remember a song called Make You Love Me? I d like to take all my things, and just sit down with Milton, and just work them out with him.
But you know what I d like to do? I was tellin my wife last night, Antoinette. We was sittin on the side of the bed. See, I like peanut butter and jelly, and she like peanut butter and jelly. We re sittin on the side of the bed, and I said, You know what I m gonna do? From nine until twelve, we gonna start every Sunday, we gonna have church in the Ernie K-Doe Mother-in-Law Lounge. And we gonna have different preachers.
And another thing that I came up with the idea of doing, it's never happened before in the history of the United States of America: You have ten ministers. Each one of the ministers preach the Ten Commandments. First Commandment, Second Commandment, and the whole bit. But I wanna record it, with Milton, and I m gonna pick out the ten ministers to preach.
You know another thing that I m very proud of? I stay in gym a whole lot--and a whole lotta people don t know that I lives in the gym. If I don t be at the YMCA on Dryades Street, I be at the Riviera Health Spot on Bienville Street, and I stays in the gym.
We heard you were working out pretty heavy.
Yeah, and you know why? I m gonna tell you why: because of Batiste. He want me to give the best performance. If I m in shape, I can give the best performance. If I m not in shape, I can not give the best performance.
Some people see me walkin up and down the street--I walk almost all over the city--just walk. I done walked from my house [in the Sixth Ward] all the way back to his house [Batiste's DuBat Records studio at St. Anthony and Fillmore] and walked back. Because for the simple reason why, I gotta keep these bones, my legs, and everything in shape. And if I don t do it--you know, can t nobody tell me what to do, but I gotta keep my self in shape.
Well, you re such a dynamic performer that the physical aspect must be considered, I can see that. Because when you get up there, you don t hold nothing back.
No, no, no, no, no, it s--to me, drive is a drive, you know. Although you have a good band behind you--like I have the Magnificent 7ths be playin behind me--but K-Doe, how can you ax another human being to play, really play behind you, and you not doing what you supposed to do?
You drive, so you can ax them. And I never look over my shoulder when I m on stage, at no band, but the Magnificent 7ths, they be playin , and they be pumpin behind me, because I be drivin in front of them, just like a general or a lieutenant, whatever, a captain, you know....
That's right, and I ve seen you at times when you ve lifted the crowd above the turmoil of this earthly plane and had everybody reaching for the heavens.
Well, everything we have done, we have done it real good. But one thing I really wanna say is this: When we really hit it, it ain t gonna be no stoppin . It ain t gonna be no stoppin , ya know, because I am an original don t nobody sound like me out there.
--New Orleans
1996
(c) 1996, 2006 John Sinclair. All Rights Reserved.
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