Music and Family

    I have grown up hearing stories about my maternal great grandparents' love of music and the parties they would throw, particularly around Christmas time. Large neighborhood get-togethers, always topped off with plenty of guitars and booze. My grandmother, Debbie, is the oldest of four, and her and her brothers and sisters adore recounting stories of their father’s parties every time they get together, especially to the younger generations. My great grandfather, John Watson was a gifted guitar player and vocalist and music was a bonding element of his friend group. My grandmother most fondly remembers him playing country artists such as Conway Twitty and Johnny Cash. During every one of these Saturday night parties, the children would be tucked away in the back bedrooms, my grandmother, the oldest, naturally tasked with keeping them in check. But of course curiosity would give in and she would stay up into the early hours, peaking around the corner, and listening to the group. One of her favorite memories to tease her younger siblings of is the time she convinced them on one Christmas night that if their parents stayed up partying all night long Santa would not come by. She recounted one of the sons of her father’s friends being her first crush as a young teenager. She said that he would always play Al Green on the radio, to the dismay of the country-loving older men, and to this day his music brings her back to fawning over the cooler, older neighborhood boy.

   

    By the time my grandmother was old enough to buy her own records and develop her own taste in music, she dove head first into soul and the blues. Al Green remained one of her favorites, along with James Brown and Aretha Franklin. In high school she learned to play the saxophone from being in the band and she learned the guitar from her father. Her love of country music prevailed, diving more into the outlaw subgenre with artists such as Waylon and Willie. Her first concert was for her 18th birthday, when her high school sweetheart took her to see Charlie Pride. 

    When asked if she had any song that strongly reminded her of an important memory, without hesitation she told me the story of the morning of the day of her first wedding. She remembered her sisters helping her get ready and particularly my Aunt Julie being an irritable wreck. My grandmother just thought her bad mood was the funniest thing ever and decided to poke the bear. She began loudly, and poorly in her own words, singing Tonights the Night by Rod Stewart, a song my Aunt Julie vehemently hated. In between laughs while recounting this story, she advised me that if I ever want to annoy my aunt that to this day this song will do the trick.

    Although my grandmother will be the first to let you know that she is not the most musically inclined, I have always known that it was vital to her happiest childhood memories. Showing off her favorite songs has always been one of her favorite pastimes and you'll be damned if you try to take away her aux cord.