Guitarist Thackery plays workingman's blues

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Guitarist Thackery plays workingman's blues
December 4, 2009
Laura Blackley
Take 5

immy Thackery has earned the reputation of being one of the hardest-working blues musicians in the industry. That's a heck of a title, considering the grueling pace kept by Thackery and many of his colleagues. Getting his start in 1972 as the guitarist for the Nighthawks, the D.C.-based roots outfit, he regularly would perform 300 shows in a year. Thackery's blue-collar work ethic has paid off, leading to coveted blues festival spots, multiple recordings and more of the wide open road. Thackery and his band, the Drivers, make a stop in Asheville for a Mo-Daddy's show Friday night.
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Question: People have cited your longevity in the blues world as a strong point. What do you attribute this longevity to?

Answer: That's a nice way of saying that I'm old, older than dirt! I'm really pretty tenacious about this stuff. I've been doing it for 40 years. I don't know any better, I just love doing what I do. I mean, that rock and roll lifestyle just isn't for everybody. I hired a bass player once, and all he wanted to do was practice in his room until he got good enough to see the world through a bug-spattered windshield. Two years later, he was the most miserable guy on earth. He just hated being on the road and everything that comes with it. It's really a situation where there are 22 hours of hell and two hours of fun. And if the two hours of fun aren't worth it to you, then you're probably not cut out for this life.

Q: You still stay pretty busy, it seems.

A: I've been on the road since the '70s. I've been playing since the '60s. I really do enjoy it. I just finished up a six-week tour across the U.S. Six weeks! For an old guy like me, that's really humpin' it. I feel like we really accomplish stuff. I enjoy reconnecting with friends and meeting new ones. Staying in it; that's where it's at for me.

Q: What drew you toward blues to begin with?

A: Some people liken it to a sort of “blues baseball bat” that hits certain people over the head and makes them ask themselves, ‘What is this noise, and how can I make it?' I don't think we knew exactly what we were playing at first. We just knew we liked it. People started telling us, ‘That's the blues, you're playing the blues,' and we just said, ‘Well, we like it, we're gonna keep on playing it.'”

Q: What role do you think that blues music has in today's modern world, with the industry that we have today?

A: I think the industry is mostly a way to exploit artists to make money. But I also think that it's important to remember that there wouldn't be a Britney Spears if there weren't a Robert Johnson. The blues changed people's understanding of popular music. Had there not been a Charley Patton, a Howlin' Wolf, a Muddy Waters, then our pop music would probably be something entirely different.