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Preston Shannon was known as The King of Beale Street. There was and is some great blues on Beale Street.
When Preston Shannon played a gig in Wichita, I had the opportunity to chat with him and tell him I played one of his songs. He invited me to play a set with him, which was one of my best experiences as a guitar player.
If you are Caucasian, you are likely to be in a minority ethnic group in a bar on Beale Street. That can be uncomfortable. I learned that lesson when a (Black) friend of mine was the manager of Zanzibar (just west of 13th and Hillside) and Jerry Hahn was playing a gig there. A different friend I was with and I were the only two Caucasians in the bar and it was obvious that we were - let's say "uninvited".
That gave me my first significant understanding of discrimination. Beale Street isn't a good place for those who are uncomfortable in that environment, even though Lonnie Mack was featured there for years. Beale Street is also a tourist attraction, so it's more comfortable to be there as long as you are dropping $$.
When Preston Shannon played a gig in Wichita, I had the opportunity to chat with him and tell him I played one of his songs. He invited me to play a set with him, which was one of my best experiences as a guitar player.
If you are Caucasian, you are likely to be in a minority ethnic group in a bar on Beale Street. That can be uncomfortable. I learned that lesson when a (Black) friend of mine was the manager of Zanzibar (just west of 13th and Hillside) and Jerry Hahn was playing a gig there. A different friend I was with and I were the only two Caucasians in the bar and it was obvious that we were - let's say "uninvited".
That gave me my first significant understanding of discrimination. Beale Street isn't a good place for those who are uncomfortable in that environment, even though Lonnie Mack was featured there for years. Beale Street is also a tourist attraction, so it's more comfortable to be there as long as you are dropping $$.
