Nelson Mandela. (22)
How could Gandhi have achieved so much by being passive? It must be the total commitment that made him a formidable force. Passive doesn’t mean inactive. But as someone who has been so active I find this intriguing and almost impossible to imagine.
Keep your thoughts positive, because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive, because your words become your behaviours. Keep your behaviours positive, because your behaviours become your habits. Keep your habits positive, because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive, because your values become your destiny.
Mahatma Gandhi.
One of the women I have admired is the American entertainer Josephine Baker, who fought for emancipation on several fronts. She was a spectacular presence: famous for erotic dancing, stage nudity and her diamond-collared pet cheetah that used to escape and terrorise the musicians. She was the first African American to star in a major film; she insisted on integrated audiences; she helped the French Resistance, receiving the Croix de Guerre. She worked for the Civil Rights Movement and was held in such high esteem that she was offered leadership of the Movement after the death of Martin Luther King. Josephine Baker used her talent and her sexuality courageously and her life was a testimony to her ideals. She adopted a “Rainbow Family” from all over the world to live in her chateau in France.
On a smaller scale than any of these outstanding acts of freedom-fighting, I’ve come to realize that even fairly mild acts of individuality can have a strong reaction. Some people are very scared of any threats to the status quo. There are times in your life when you have to do something. I remember Mike Slaughter, a fellow blues enthusiast, onetime lawyer and full-time philanthropist walking down Oxford Street distributing hundreds of pounds.
He was arrested. “Ain’t bad for a pink!” I thought.
Notes: Section Seven
(1) Des Parton, interviewed by Sandra Gibson, May 2006.
(2) Zoe Johnson, interviewed by Sandra Gibson, 26th April 2007.
(3) Linda Johnson, interviewed by Sandra Gibson 4th November 2008.
(4) Zoe Johnson, interviewed by Sandra Gibson, 26th April 2007.
(5) Ibid.
(6) Brochure for The 14th Nantwich Jazz Blues & Music Festival 2010.
(7) Extract from letter sent to the BBC by Graham Roberts, 24th July 2000.
(8) John Darlington, interviewed by Sandra Gibson 3rd January 2007.
(9) Andy Boote, interviewed by Sandra Gibson 4th September 2006.
(10) Ade White, from a conversation with Sandra Gibson at The Oddfellows, Nantwich. 27th February, 2010.
(11) Sam Molony, 13 years, interviewed by Sandra Gibson at Brine Leas School, Nantwich, in October 2006.
(12) Dec Higgins, 16 years, interviewed by Sandra Gibson at Brine Leas School, Nantwich, January 2007.
(13) Josh Bailey, 16 years, interviewed by Sandra Gibson at Brine Leas School, Nantwich, January 2007.
(14) Phil Doody from a conversation in Custom Amplification, 19th March 2009.
(15) Andy Smith: e-mail sent to Sandra Gibson, 19th February 2010.
(16) Sam Molony, 13 years, interviewed by Sandra Gibson at Brine Leas School, Nantwich, in October 2006.
(17) Wayne Davies (Slim ) interviewed by Sandra Gibson 30th January 2007.
(18) Andy Boote interviewed by Sandra Gibson 4th September 2006.
(19) It’s all in the body language and there’s a look in the eye. Perhaps the two guys were too drunk to notice or too arrogant to take heed. You have to be either stupid or extremely confident in your own powers to put yourself in physical danger. This reminds me of an occasion when I watched in fascination while my roadie was playing about with one of those karate weapons called a nunchucks. Now this irritated another bloke – an ex-mercenary who had been kneecapped – so he grabbed hold of the device and snapped the chain. He must have been confident in his hardness to do something so provocative because he wasn’t going to be able to run away!
(20) From the tribute in the Middlewich 3rd Folk & Boat Festival Souvenir Programme, June 1992.
(21) Doctor Jacob Bronowski: The Ascent Of Man: Knowledge Or Certainty. BBC.
(22) Nelson Mandela, 20th April 1964: opening defence statement in Rivonia Trial.
Acknowledgements
The telling of these stories is an acknowledgement to all those who created them. The following are mentioned for their actual contribution to the writing of the book, with apologies to anyone missed.
Andy Boote, John Darlington, Dave Evans, Zoe Johnson, Melvyn Allen, Fred Watts, Andy Smith, Slim (Wayne Davies), Linda Johnson, Des Parton, David Rushworth, Phil Doody, Ian Moore, Ade White, Jim Farmer, Matthew Johnson, Sam Molony, Geoff Edwards, Dec Higgins, Josh Bailey, Barry Bray, and Jonty Ellwood.
This has been a long, extensive project. What began as a booklet grew into a book and it couldn’t have happened without generous support. We would like to thank everyone who gave time, effort, humour, inspiration and intelligence to create the light and life of this kaleidoscope of memories. Let’s raise a glass to absent friends. Let’s raise a glass to those phenomenal musicians whose rhythmic songs of joy and sorrow inspired rock ‘n’ roll.
Ain't Bad for a Pink Page 39