One of my favorite recent gigs was at Teddy’s Juke Joint in Zachary, LA, near the famous Blues Highway 61. Teddy’s is a true blues joint, with a rich history, full of decades-old memorabilia and stories (mostly told by Teddy—Lloyd Johnson, Jr.). My wife was a little nervous about my going in alone—it’s pretty deep in the woods and a friend who’d played there told me, “The back bedroom ain’t great. I’d spring for a motel.” We did.

As I said, my wife was nervous about my safety, so I drove over before the gig to check the setup and meet the owner.

Teddy (Lloyd), who looks a little like Bo Diddley, couldn’t have been nicer. He showed me the stage and PA, pointed out the stuff—some of it priceless memories—hanging from every wall and most of the ceiling, then said “C’mon over here and take a picture. I think I can make your wife feel a lot better.”

Teddy was right. The photo she saw is the color one, below. The other one was taken that night by Teddy’s son.