Larry Williams & Johnny 'Guitar' Watson

 

Chapter 3   I STRIP FOR GOD  Part 6 

  Larry Williams & Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson written 12-16-21

 

Larry Williams & Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson were working as a team at a club in Los Angeles.  My girlfriend Ginger chose Johnny, I got Larry.  Larry was great on the outside but stunk on the inside, Johnny was average as far as face - he had a nice body I discovered later - & was a good soul inside.

 The two had houses way up on a hill – beautiful ones – with gorgeous fancy new furniture & round vibrating beds.  It seemed to be a segregated area for affluent blacks.  They apparently shopped together as they bought houses a block from each other & both had brand new Cadillac Eldorados, same year but different pastel colors.  It was late 60’s, maybe 1968, Larry’s hit I heard & liked:

 

I got a girl {he sang ‘gal’} named Bony Moronie

She's as skinny as a stick of macaroni.
Ought to see her rock and roll with her blue jeans on.
She's not very fat, just skin and bone.
But I love her and she loves me.
We're all happy now as we can be.
Making love underneath the apple tree.

Well, I told her mama and her papa too
Just exactly what I want to do.
I want to get married on a night in June,
And rock and roll by the light of the silvery moon.
'Cause I love her and she loves me,
We're all happy now as we can be.
Making love underneath the apple tree.

She's my one and only, she's my heart's desire.
She's a real upsetter, she's a real live wire.
Everybody turns when my baby goes by.
She's something to see, she really catches the eye.
I love her and she loves me,
We're all happy now, as we can be.
Making love underneath the apple tree.

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Larry Williams

Bony Moronie (Digitally Remastered) lyrics © Nelchell Music Co.

 

          Looking at his Wikipedia, there’s a lot about other songs he did & many greats did his songs but I only knew him by this one, saw him perform it & he & Johnny worked the same stage & did something together at the end, holding arms around each other’s shoulders.  My gal pal & I were impressed.  {Ginger saw my shindig with James Brown also & was taken with me on his plane to Ohio.  She was sharing my house in Beverly Hills at the time.} 

From Wikipedia {Not the entire article}: 

          Larry Williams (born Lawrence Eugene Williams, a.k.a. Lawrence Edward Williams; May 10, 1935 – January 7, 1980)

 

 was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, producer, and pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana. Williams is best known for writing and recording some rock and roll classics from 1957 to 1959 for Specialty Records, including "Bony Moronie", "Short Fat Fannie", "Slow Down", "Dizzy, Miss Lizzy" (1958), "Bad Boy" and "She Said Yeah" (1959).^[2] John Lennon was a fan, and The Beatles and several other British Invasion groups recorded several of his songs.

Williams' life mixed tremendous success with violence and drug addiction. He was a longtime friend of Little Richard, with whom his life intertwined personally and professionally from their meeting in 1955 to Williams' death in 1980.^[3

 

Williams returned to New Orleans in 1954 and began working for his cousin, singer Lloyd Price, as a valet. He played in the bands of Price, Roy Brown, and Percy Mayfield.^[1] In 1955, Williams met and developed a friendship with Little Richard, who was recording at the time in New Orleans.^[6] Price and Little Richard were both recording for Specialty Records. He was introduced to Robert Blackwell, Specialty's house producer, and was signed to the label.^[1]

In 1957, Little Richard was Specialty's biggest star, but he left rock and roll to pursue the ministry. Williams quickly was groomed by Blackwell to try to replicate his success. Using the same raw, shouting vocals and piano-driven intensity, Williams scored with a number of hit singles.^[1][6]

Williams' three biggest successes were "Short Fat Fannie", which was his bestseller, reaching No. 5 in Billboard's pop chart, "Bony Moronie", which peaked at No. 14, and its flip "You Bug Me Baby" which made it to No. 45. "Short Fat Fannie" and "Bony Moronie" each sold over one million copies.^[7]

After 1957, Williams did not have much success selling records. He recorded a number of songs in 1958 and 1959, including "Dizzy, Miss Lizzy," which charted at No. 69 on Billboard's Pop chart in 1958. "Heebie Jeebies" was recorded with band members such as Plas Johnson on tenor saxophone and Jewel Grant on baritone, René Hall and Howard Roberts on guitars, Gerald Wilson on trumpet, Ernie Freeman or Williams himself on piano, and Earl Palmer on drums. After he was arrested for possession of narcotics and guns in 1959, he was dropped from Specialty.^[8][9] He recorded for Chess Records but no hits were produced. Williams then served a three-year jail term, setting back his career considerably.^[1]

Above, Larry Williams was handsome but ugly inside - filled with hate 

 

Williams made a comeback in the mid-1960s with a funky soul band that included Johnny "Guitar" Watson, which paired him musically with Little Richard who had been lured back into secular music. He produced two of Little Richard's albums for Okeh Records in 1966 and 1967, which returned Little Richard to the Billboard album chart for the first time in 10 years and spawned the hit single "Poor Dog".^[10] He also acted as the music director for Little Richard's live performances at the Okeh Club. Bookings for Little Richard during this period skyrocketed.^[10] Williams also recorded and released material of his own and with Watson, with some moderate chart success. "Too Late", the B-side of 1967 single "Two For The Price Of One" became one of the biggest songs on the Northern Soul scene in England, and remains prized due to its rarity as the single failed commercially.

Williams also began acting in the 1960s, appearing on film in Just for the Hell of It (1968), The Klansman (1974), and Drum (1976).^[11]

In the 1970s, he briefly was involved with disco music.

 

Williams' lifestyle involved recreational drug use and abuse which resulted in trouble with the law.^[8] By the middle of the 1970s, the drug abuse and violence were taking their toll. In 1977, Williams threatened Little Richard over a drug debt with a gun. However, he showed compassion for his longtime friend after Little Richard repaid the debt.^[12] This, with other factors, led to Little Richard's return to born again Christianity and the ministry.^[9]

Williams was married to Ina Marie Williams, although they were eventually estranged.^[13]

On January 7, 1980, Williams was found dead by his mother at his home in Los Angeles, California from a gunshot wound to the head.^[1] He was 44 years old.^[13] His death was deemed suicide, though there was speculation that he was murdered because of his involvement in drugs and allegedly prostitution.^[1] No suspects were arrested or charged………………….. {End Wikipedia}

 

Ginger & I lived together, danced in the same go-go bars & clubs & sometimes stepped out for entertainment.  We went to see these two guys one night & hooked up with them.  I picked the handsomer one, Larry, & she got ‘second dibbs’ with Johnny but as usual, the handsomest one is the ugliest inside, & I envied her for picking Johnny.

 

They were proud of their fancy houses & each demonstrated the round vibrating beds.  Ginger spent the night with Johnny, I with Larry - & I know I saw him again but can’t recall details.  All I know is he would not give me his phone but in those days they had the number written right on the phone.  I looked at it & memorized it & wrote it down later.  He was dumbfounded when I called & harassed me until I gave up how.  Next time I noticed the number was taken off the phone.  Obviously he was married, his wife lived with him & was working when he banged me.  Maybe she was in the adult trade as it mentions that on his Wikipedia – when we saw them it was night, so she was working a night shift.

 

          One day I called to get a date & he rejected me in a cruel way – can’t recall what he said, but it hurt.  I connived how to get even with him.  I decided to pretend I was a girl Larry banged who got pregnant, now wanted money for an abortion.  I knew I sounded white so I convinced my roommate to make the call – to get the wife & tell her the phony story, & we laughed our heads off.  She got hysterical & screamed,’

“You ain’t nothin’ but a hoe he got some scanky cock off & didn’t want no moe!”

{Black people in those days, in that area called women’s vagina’s ‘cocks’ – I don’t know why.}

Here is the weird, maybe funny punch line of the last time I saw Larry.

There was a fancy club right on Sunset Blvd. called the ‘Whiskey a Go Go’ – Many famous people performed there, including I think Otis Redding.  It wasn’t a big place but I guess they charged a good buck at the door so made some bread.

Luis Armstrong outdoing himself on the horn back in the day - this is around 1938....And me age 65....Nobody said I was Anna Palvlova, this is what we do in our business.

Anyway, there was a black female singer performing there one night – wish I could recall her name but she was more of an ‘insider’s star’; a person with great talent that was not real famous but big reputation among those who understood music.  I went there, not sure why, just to be out maybe.

So I pay my way at the door & around the stage there are seats, maybe VIP seats.  The manager tells me,

“I’m sorry we have no more tables or seats but there is just ONE seat left, at the stage,”

And he took me there & seated me next to LARRY WILLIAMS.  The manager thought Larry would be pleased that he got such a beautiful woman next to him, but of course ugly Larry gave me the most hateful stare.

Lol.  It does not make me sad to know how his life ended at age 44, a bullet in his head.  He was too evil to commit suicide, it was probably drug related as many suspect.  I hope he repented or else is in a tropical dystopia.

 

After writing this I went outside to get sun & exercise on my lawn by the woods {It was 60 degrees F on Dec 16 – Global warming!}. Figured I’d channel Larry & also Johnny.  Here goes:

 

ME:  Where are you Larry, Heaven, Hell or Purgatory?

LW {Larry Williams}:  I’m in No Man’s Land

ME:  Are you satisfied with what you did in life? 

LW:  I lived, died, it was enough.  Did what I had to do.  Didn’t commit any major sins.  It could have been better or worse.  It was alright.

ME:  I turn to Johnny ‘Guitar’Watson, his good buddy, & ask him {I feel more comfortable with talking to him than Larry, his energy is higher.}  What does Larry mean, ‘No Man’s Land?’  Is he in Hell or Purgatory?

JGW {Johnny Guitar Watson}:  He’s in some sort of Purgatory.

ME:  How about you, where are you?

JGW:  I’m in a good place because I loved the Lord – Larry didn’t.  Larry was hurting from what was done to him as a black man.  He couldn’t forgive.  He was angry & bitter, hated white people.  That’s why he was cruel to you.  I knew the Lord, He taught me not to be revengeful, to forgive.  I followed him.

 

ME:  OK thanks.  This is about Johnny from Wikipedia, my account of him will follow – This is not the entire article:

 

John Watson Jr. (February 3, 1935 – May 17, 1996),

 

 known professionally as “Johnny Guitar” Watson, was an American musician and singer-songwriter.^[4] A flamboyant showman and electric guitarist in the style of T-Bone Walker, his recording career spanned forty years, and encompassed rhythm and blues,^[1][2] funk and soul music.

Watson recorded throughout the 1950s and 1960s with some success. His creative reinvention in the 1970s with funk overtones, saw Watson have hits with "Ain't That a Bitch" and "Superman Lover". His highest charting single was 1977's "A Real Mother for Ya".^[5]

Watson was born in Houston, Texas.^[6] His father John Sr. was a pianist, and taught his son the instrument.^[3] But young Watson was immediately attracted to the sound of the guitar, in particular the electric guitar as played by T-Bone Walker and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.^[3]

His grandfather, a preacher, was also musical. "My grandfather used to sing while he'd play guitar in church, man," Watson reflected many years later. When Johnny was 11, his grandfather offered to give him a guitar if, and only if, the boy didn't play any of the "devil's music".^[3] His parents separated in 1950, when he was 15. His mother moved to Los Angeles, and took Watson with her.

He toured and recorded with his friend Larry Williams, as well as Little Richard, Don and Dewey, The Olympics, Johnny Otis and, in the mid-1970s with David Axelrod.^[3] In 1975 he was a guest performer on two tracks (flambe vocals on the out-choruses of "San Ber'dino" and "Andy") on the Frank Zappa album One Size Fits All.^[12] He also played with Herb Alpert and George Duke. But as the popularity of blues declined and the era of soul music dawned in the 1960s, Watson transformed himself from southern blues singer with pompadour into urban soul singer in a pimp hat. His new style was emphatic – wearing the gold teeth, broad-brimmed hats, flashy suits, fashionable outsized sunglasses and ostentatious jewelry.

The shooting death of his friend Larry Williams in 1980 and other personal setbacks led to Watson briefly withdrawing from the spotlight in the 1980s. "I got caught up with the wrong people doing the wrong things", he was quoted as saying by The New York Times.^[15]

Below, Johnny Guitar Watson in 1977 - I saw him in 1968

 

Jimmie Vaughan, brother of Stevie Ray Vaughan, is quoted as saying: "When my brother Stevie and I were growing up in Dallas, we idolized very few guitarists. We were highly selective and highly critical. Johnny 'Guitar' Watson was at the top of the list, along with Freddie, Albert and B.B. King. Watson influenced Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, Etta James, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.^[19]

Bobby Womack said: "Music-wise, he (Watson) was the most dangerous gunslinger out there, even when others made a lot of noise in the charts ～　I'm thinking of Sly Stone or George Clinton".

Etta James stated, in an interview at the 2006 Rochester International Jazz Festival: "Johnny 'Guitar' Watson... Just one of my favorite singers of all time. I first met him when we were both on the road with Johnny Otis in the '50s, when I was a teenager. We traveled the country in a car together so I would hear him sing every night. His singing style was the one I took on when I was 17 – people used to call me the female Johnny 'Guitar' Watson and him the male Etta James... He knew what the blues was all about...".

James is also quoted as saying: "I got everything from Johnny... He was my main model... My whole ballad style comes from my imitating Johnny's style... He was the baddest and the best... Johnny Guitar Watson was not just a guitarist: the man was a master musician. He could call out charts; he could write a beautiful melody or a nasty groove at the drop of a hat; he could lay on the harmonies and he could come up with a whole sound." Pearl Jam recorded a song entitled "Johnny Guitar", about Watson, for their 2009 album Backspacer.

Watson's 1976 song "Superman Lover" features on the soundtrack of the video game Grand Theft Auto V.

Watson died of a heart attack on May 17, 1996, collapsing on stage while on tour in Yokohama, Japan.^[16] His remains were brought home for interment at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California and buried in the Great Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Enduring Honor, Holly Terrace entrance. {End Wikipedia article}

 

          OK as I explained Larry Williams & I fell apart & somehow I connected to Johnny – can’t recall how.  So we had a date in my King-size bed at 1860 Heather Court, on the edge of Beverly Hills {off Coldwater Canyon Drive.}

          He was a nice man, a gentleman, just normal, not evil & mean like Larry.  Nothing happened after that – we were both busy with divergent careers & went our ways.  I don’t think he saw my friend Ginger again, either.  {End Chapter 3}

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