D.C. Bender

[stefanwirz]

Illustrated D.C. Bender discography

[Admin]

and a real inspiration to early rock and roll...

[alanbalfour]

I knew that somewhere amongst my many ancient "floppy disks" I'd find this OCR from the 80s.

BEER BOTTLE BLUES

At Ivory Lee's little studio on the corner of Lyons and Jensen (in an area described locally as Pearl Harbour due to its reputation for violence), I was introduced to a small, stocky, somewhat incoherent man with one bad eye. This is "D.C. Bender" said Ivory, and left us alone to talk in a corner. Thus began one of my most fascinating interviews in Houston.

D.C.'s real name is Bendy and he was born at Arbana, Texas (his spelling I can't find it on my map) on June 19, 1919 and was raised on a farm in Polk Country, where he learned to play guitar as a child, taught by a local boy named Hardy Gibson. D.C. eventually became a typical, wandering bluesman, playing around Texas and Louisiana, using Houston as a home base. When in Houston, he would play on the streets or in the joints with people like Luther Stoneham, Smokey Hogg, Wright Holmes and Lightnin' Hopkins. Hopkins, his first cousin, got him his first recording session, taking him to Bill Quinn who issued one record as by D.C. Washington. This record made no difference to D.C.'s life at all and he carried on scuffling as before. In 1953 he teamed up with Big Son TiIlis and they decided to try their luck on the West Coast. In 1954 they were spotted by J.R. Fullbright and they were both recorded for the Elko label along with Son's 'wife' Lillian. Again nothing much happened and in 1955, D.C. returned to Houston.

During the last few years, he has continued to drift around Houston and recently joined Ivory Lee's band with whom he is still playing. D.C. has recorded for Ivory, but his only other session was with Mabel Franklin for Ritzy back in 1964. He remembered that Big Mama's brother, C.W. Thornton, was used on drums. Finishing his talk, D.C. picked up his guitar and broke lose. As the strains of 'Big Leg Woman' boomed out of the door, loungers wandered in to egg him on. Excited enough to want and see more, I made arrangements with Tom Stern to see this man in action with a band.

We headed out that evening for 'George's' on Cavalcade where Ivory's band was playing and when we arrived the band had already started a set. 'George's' is a large, wild, tough beer joint and we sat as close to the band as we could. Ivory had told me that D.C. could sing, drink beer and play guitar all at once and this 1 had to see. To the hypnotic beat of 'Boogie Chillen', D.C. tipped back his head and, somehow, by clenching an open bottle between his teeth (broken), and by shouting out of the corner of his mouth did he impossible. Due to too much booze, D.C.'s voice is now little more than a hoarse cry, but his weird guitar playing, relying heavily on tremelo effects, is quite something as are his gymnastics. Laying down a pounding, rock rhythm behind D.C. were Big H. Williamson bass, Earl Gilliam on organ and Ivory beating beautifully on drums. All the musicians took turns to sing and by 9.30 most of the customers were hip shaking round the tables. There was no room to dance, but everyone stood up, shook all over and yelled. One couple, far gone, had a noisy if futile attempt to make love, half on a table and half on a chair, behind Tom's head. As D.C. burst into another wild blues, we decided to quit and headed home reeling from the staggering session.

What more can I say to end? D.C. Bender is a voice from the past, yet still a very vital bluesman. He deserves to record again and his wild stage act would liven up any European audience. Get in the alley Bobby Dee give us more! Mike Leadbitter (Blues Unlimited 45, August 1967 (p8-9)