
Lindsey Buckingham's new album, which bears his name, is a perfect reflection of him as an artist: contemplative and complex, but also direct in its lyric poetry and melodic heart, and full of fire.
The fingerstyle rock icon talks about the power of layering clean-toned guitars, direct recording, crafting arrangements, and the lessons of survival—all part of his first new solo album in a decade.
Lindsey Buckingham's career has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. On one hand, it's full of classic albums, multiple Grammy awards, and his membership in one of the most legendary rock bands ever—and, thus, in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame—as well as a successful solo career spanning four decades. Yet it's his breakups, firings, and Fleetwood Mac's inter-band turmoil that people often focus on. And, as you'll soon read, the drama continues.
Through it all, Buckingham proves himself a survivor with immense talent and an undying drive to create. As a guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist, he has never lost sight of his unique touch and sound. And those decades of perseverance offer him the confidence and wisdom that permeate his first solo album in 10 years, Lindsey Buckingham.
The album is a fiercely personal offering about the effects of commitment in relationships and music. And Buckingham knows a thing or two about time's effect on music. He's been obsessed with the guitar and crafting great rock 'n' almost roll since the genre first shook its hips.
Lindsey Buckingham - On The Wrong Side (Official Audio)
"There are certainly any number of people who ended up playing rock 'n' roll whose lives were changed forever when Elvis Presley showed up," says Buckingham. "One day, my older brother brought home all those records. This was 1956, when 'Heartbreak Hotel' blasted on the scene. That was just a life-changing moment for me. About a year later, I got a three-quarter-size acoustic guitar. I was always sitting in my brother's room, listening to his 45s, and learning to play and sing those songs."
But early rock 'n' roll wasn't Buckingham's only influence. The '60s had something new waiting in the wings. "When the first wave of rock 'n' roll fell off, folk music took over," he recounts. "That informed my musicianship differently, in that my fingerpicking became more pronounced. The whole orchestral style of playing was something that I grasped and took on for myself quite early. But whatever originality and vision that I have now are because I was completely self-taught and didn't ever take a lesson and still don't read music."
From the rockabilly vibes of the new album's "Blind Love" to his acoustic classic "Never Going Back Again" from Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, his marriage of folk and rock 'n' roll is readily apparent. These sounds beautifully coalesced during Buckingham's historic run with Fleetwood Mac. Joining the band in time for 1975's Fleetwood Mac album, Buckingham brought a new life and new sound to an already well-established organization. He also had a little help, demanding his then-girlfriend Stevie Nicks come with him. The band agreed and cemented the future of classic rock.
"Whatever originality and vision that I have now are because I was completely self-taught and didn't ever take a lesson and still don't read music."
If you wonder how a band known for blues-rock heroism was able to evolve so quickly into chart-topping hitmakers, according to Buckingham, it was all about his songwriting chemistry with Nicks. "If you take a song like 'Dreams,' for example, the way she presented it to me was playing it with two fingers on the piano. It's the same two chords over and over," Buckingham explains. "It's a beautiful song, and the vocal placement is brilliant. But it needed architecture around it to set the sections off. That was all done through me holding onto the vision with layered guitar work. Having the architecture fulfill the potential of the song is where a lot of that comes from."
That songwriting chemistry propelled Fleetwood Mac through eight albums and for over 40 years.It also spawned such mega-hits as "Go Your Own Way," "Rhiannon," "Little Lies," and many more. But it was Buckingham's second album with the band that, in many ways, defines his legacy. And not only for the music. That album was 1977's Rumours.
Despite nearly every song being a classic, history remembers it as the ultimate breakup album. Not only were Buckingham and Nicks drifting apart, but bassist John McVie and keys player Christine McVie divorced. And bandleader/drummer Mick Fleetwood was suffering a relationship crisis of his own. Yet Rumours persisted. And thank goodness it did. Those struggles created a rock 'n' roll masterpiece.
Lindsey Buckingham’s Gear
Rocking out with his Rick Turner—a guitar commissioned by Buckingham that's become an inseparable part of his musical personality. "I asked Rick if he would design me a guitar whose sound was a cross between a Les Paul's fullness and the crispness and percussiveness of a Stratocaster," he says.
Photo by Steve Kalinsky
Guitars
- 1964 Fender Stratocaster (studio only)
- Taylor 814ce with Fishman preamp
- Rick Turner Model 1
- Rick Turner Renaissance baritones
- Gibson Chet Atkins CE solidbody classical with MIDI pickup
Strings
- D'Addario XLs (various gauges)
Amps & Cabinets
- Two Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifiers (electric)
- Trace Elliot TA 200 (synth)
- Fishman Loudbox (synth)
- Two SWR California Blondes (acoustic)
- 2x12 cab with Electro-Voice speakers
- 1x12 cab for acoustic guitar
Effects
- Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive
- Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
- Boss RC-30 Loop Station (live only)
- Roland GR-50 Guitar Synthesizer
As if time is cyclical, 44 years later, Buckingham finds himself in what might be a similar creative and emotional spot as he did back then. He was released from Fleetwood Mac in 2018 under closely kept circumstances. And once again, the split is part of the story behind a great album. "Well, ironically, this new album was done even before all this stuff went down with Fleetwood Mac. It was my intention to put this current album out so that there would be a somewhat smaller-scale project squeezed in and preceding yet another Fleetwood Mac tour," he explains. "But the politics within the band were somewhat prohibitive of my doing that. I was only asking for three months to tour and to do some TV and some press, and but not everyone was comfortable with that."
So once again, the Buckingham/Fleetwood Mac story is one of heartbreak. Today, the band is soldiering on with Mike Campbell (of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) filling the guitar spot. But many fans are asking, "Is there a Fleetwood Mac without Lindsey?" Not one to dwell in the past, Buckingham is asking a very different question: "Who is Lindsey without Fleetwood Mac?" Unfortunately, the album that now answers that question had to wait … and wait, and wait.
"It got put on the shelf after all this stuff went down with Fleetwood Mac," says Buckingham. "Then I thought, well, rather than put this new album out right now, let's do the anthology [Solo Anthology: The Best of Lindsey Buckingham]. I did that, and that was very cathartic for me, because I'd always known that I'd done a lot of good solo work. But I hadn't really revisited it and lived with all of that work in quite a long time. It was a more visceral response to everything. That was really a nice feeling to have."
TIDBIT: Onstage, Buckingham and his Rick Turner Model 1 are inseparable, but in the studio this time, he employed a '64 Strat and Taylor 814ce.
Little did Buckingham know that the anthology wasn't the only hold-up coming his way. Invasive heart surgery and the pandemic would also play a role. "Literally right after that, in the very beginning of 2019, I had surgery. We were gearing up to tour and to put this current album out, and I had a multiple bypass operation that kicked it down the road," Buckingham says. "Then COVID hit, and we had to kick it down the road even further."
Although the delays were many, the most captivating thing about Lindsey Buckingham is how timely and relevant the songs are. Every word and every note seem to point to this exact moment in time. From lyrics about disintegrating long-term relationships to father time's effects on us all, it's like 2017 Buckingham already knew where 2021 Buckingham would be.
"The album has been done for over three years. So, it's not like the last three years had any influence on the subject matter or the style," Buckingham points out. "But I think all of the things that happened enriched the subject matter for me. They've come home to roost as much more tangible elements of my life. I think people, in a way, are picking up on that."
"When Fleetwood Mac asked me to join, they actually did try to get me to use a pick. But I was 25 then, and I'd been playing for about 19 years. My style was pretty much written in stone."
Regardless of when it was written, there's no question that the new album is intensely personal. And it's not just the subject matter. Put on a good set of headphones and you'll hear a presence and energy that only Buckingham can deliver. And I mean only Buckingham. Having written, recorded, performed, produced, and mixed almost every song by himself, the album is a beautiful self-portrait of who and where Buckingham is as a guitarist and songwriter today.
But aren't those clearly female vocals on songs like "I Don't Mind"? Nope. Those, too, are reflections of Buckingham's production and arrangement techniques. "I still have the old Neve console that I got in 1986. It's the same console that we cut [Fleetwood Mac's] Tango in the Night on. And I was using an old Sony 48-track reel-to-reel that you can slow the machine down to do a lot of work with your voice. It will then come up to speed, sounding more female or smaller. That's just something I've always loved to do, and I've been using it for years and years."
By taking this truly solo approach, Buckingham had time to sculpt each song to perfection. His 6-string orchestrations of layered guitars perfectly play off each other, as do his famous vocal harmonies.
Rig Rundown - Lindsey Buckingham
"If you are working on an album with Fleetwood Mac, you've got to bring in a more or less completed song to present to them. Then, to get from point A to point B to point C, it's all got to be verbalized. It's a much more conscious set of steps and perhaps even a more political process," Buckingham explains. "When I work alone, I'm in my studio by myself. I'm engineering. I'm also playing everything, so it becomes a bit like painting. You're having this one-on-one with the canvas. The production and the songwriting become much more intertwined. You don't necessarily have to even begin with a concrete idea.
"You're free to explore as you start to put things down, record them, and start to assemble some form to what you're doing. The work itself, or the canvas, if you will, starts to take on its own life. It leads you in directions that you might not otherwise go. And the process of discovery is greatly enhanced if you're someone who values being outside your comfort zone, wanting to take risks, and wanting to discover new things."
Dressed to match his Gibson Les Paul, Buckingham digs into the low strings on tour with Fleetwood Mac in 1975—the year of "Over My Head," "Say You Love Me," and "Rhiannon."
Photo by Laurens Van Houten/Frank White Photo Agency
That process worked. The album is pure ear candy in the best way, while also covering a lot of sonic ground. Songs like the opener "Scream" are classic Buckingham. And the album even offers a few tips of the hat to his old band. "Maybe I'm harkening back to some Fleetwood Mac references to some point. You could maybe connect the dots between the guitar-chiming 'On The Wrong Side' and 'Go Your Own Way.'"
But just when you fall into Buckingham's familiar trance, tracks like "Swan Song" and "Power Down" take an inspired and unexpected turn—full of electronic drum loops, chaotic vocal harmonies, hip-hop-approved guitar parts, and angular solos. "The foundation of both of those is actually the same. I had this multi-track of a drum loop, and it had many different tracks. It's the same drum loop on both songs," Buckingham points out. "So, they are definitely soulmates. They represent the cutting-edge aspect that moves further to the left from that pop sensibility. I thought it was important to have that represented."
Of course, Buckingham's guitar tone and playing permeate every minute of the album, displaying his elegant, high-energy fingerpicking style. "When Fleetwood Mac asked me to join, they actually did try to get me to use a pick. But I was 25 then, and I'd been playing for about 19 years. My style was pretty much written in stone. The fingerpicking just became part and parcel with my own style.
"Eddie Van Halen, for instance. He was a brilliant guitarist. But you could make the case that he's playing over the track and not into the track."
"Even if you go back before the folk influences that I had, Scotty Moore, who was Elvis's original guitar player, used his fingers. There was an orchestral style that he presented on those early records, as well," said Buckingham. "And I was listening to very folk-oriented stuff, like James Taylor and Cat Stevens. Even some rock stuff that had acoustic considerations, like Led Zeppelin. Jimmy Page was a super producer."
Another Buckingham trademark is his immaculate tone. Few others have carved out a signature style with clean sounds. Though not afraid to kick in his trusty Boss SD-1 for leads, it is layers of sparkling cleans that define his guitar's voice. "The cleanliness is helpful if you're trying to approach guitar work in service of a song," says Buckingham. "Eddie Van Halen, for instance. He was a brilliant guitarist. But you could make the case that he's playing over the track and not into the track. If you really want to follow in the footsteps of the Scotty Moores or the Chet Atkinses, who always are in service of making a better record out of a song, then I think cleanliness is helpful."
Axes & Artifacts: Rick Turner Model 1 Lindsey Buckingham Prototype
Another essential of Buckingham's approach to tone is his famed Rick Turner Model 1. "The Turner has been around so long because it was something that I specifically asked Rick Turner to make," states Buckingham. "Before I joined Fleetwood Mac, I'd been using a Stratocaster, which was very well suited to the finger style I had. But when I joined Fleetwood Mac, its sound was thin and a bit too percussive. So, I started using a Les Paul, which is not as well suited for fingerstyle. A few years in, I asked Rick if he would design me a guitar whose sound was a cross between a Les Paul's fullness and the crispness and percussiveness of a Stratocaster. The Model 1 was what he came up with. That really was the ticket and has been my guitar onstage ever since."
When guitarists picture Buckingham, it's typically with one of his Rick Turners. It may come as quite a shock that none of them made it onto the new album. In fact, not a lot of gear did.Instead, he relied on a couple of other trusty guitars, plugged straight in. "I don't use the Turners that much in the studio," he admits. "I tend to use the Strats or acoustics. Sometimes it's even just a Roland synth guitar if I want to get a certain preset sound. And I don't use a lot of amps in the studio. There are no amps at all [chuckles]. I do a lot of direct. So, what you're hearing is either an acoustic direct into the console or a Stratocaster. Those would be the two main go-to guitars for sure."
Buckingham bends a note while Stevie Nicks swirls behind him on a 2014 Fleetwood Mac tour. The guitarist says the band's mega-hits during the mid-'70s were the result of the pair's songwriting chemistry.
Photo by Ken Settle
Even for effects, Buckingham only keeps two trusty Boss pedals close by: an SD-1 Super Overdrive and a DD-3 Digital Delay. "I look around at most guitar players who have 10 or 12 pedals, and I don't know what to do with them. I just stick to the basics [laughs]."
The one outlier to the album's DIY, straight-in ethos is the closing song, "Dancing," which breathes with an ambiance all its own. Even still, those pad-like chords are just Buckingham and his Taylor. "I just used some plate reverbs off of some outboard gear. I can't tell you which actual settings. And I probably used some slap echo." Buckingham notes that engineer Mark Needham added some sonic colors to the track and says, "I'm not exactly sure what Mark put on there. I think he added his own element of atmosphere to it. I just thought the mix was cool, and we went from there."
So, with Lindsey Buckingham out and free of Fleetwood Mac's demands, Buckingham now has solo dates scheduled through the end of this year and into 2022. But with COVID continuing to threaten live music worldwide, Buckingham's taking whatever may come in stride. "The way this Delta variant is going, someone could call me up in a week and say, 'Hey, we're going to cancel it.' But I don't think so. I think we're just going for it at this point."
Big Love (Live At Saban Theatre In Beverly Hills, CA / 2011)
Lindsey Buckingham rips through a version of Fleetwood Mac's hit "Big Love" on a synth-loaded Gibson Chet Atkins acoustic in this gorgeous, often close-up, study of technique and tone.
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Well-designed pickups. Extremely comfortable contours. Smooth, playable neck.
Middle position could use a bit more mids. Price could scare off some.
$2,999
Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay II
A surprise 6-string collaboration with Cory Wong moves effortlessly between ’70s George Benson and Blink-182 tones.
Announced at the 2025 NAMM show, Cory Wong’s new collaboration with Ernie Ball Music Man scratched an itch—namely, the itch for a humbucker-loaded guitar that could appease Wong’s rock-and-R&B alter ego and serve as complement to his signature Fender Strat. Inspiration came from no further than a bandmate’s namesake instrument. Vulfpeck bassist Joe Dart has a line of signature model EBMM basses, one of which uses the classic StingRay bass body profile. So, when Wong went looking for something distinctive, he wondered if EBMM could create a 6-string guitar using the classic StingRay bass body and headstock profile.
Double the Fun
Wong is, by his own admission, a single-coil devotee. That’s where the core of his sound lives and it feels like home to him. However, Wong is as inspired by classic Earth, Wind & Fire tones and the pop-punk of the early ’90s as he is by Prince and the Minneapolis funk that he grew up with. The StingRay II is a guitar that can cover all those bases.
Ernie Ball has a history of designing fast-feeling, comfortable necks. And I can’t remember ever struggling to move around an EBMM fretboard. The roasted maple C-shaped neck here is slightly thicker in profile than I expected, but still very comfortable. (I must also mention that the back of the neck has a dazzling, almost holographic look to the grain that morphs in the light). By any measure, the StingRay II’s curves seemed designed for comfort and speed. Now, let’s talk about those pickups.Hot or Not?
A few years ago EBMM introduced a line of HT (heat-treated) pickups. The pickups are built with technology the company used to develop their Cobalt and M-Series strings. A fair amount of the process is shrouded in secrecy and must be taken on faith, but EBMM says treating elements of the pickup with heat increases clarity and dynamic response.
To find out for myself, I plugged the StingRay II into a Fender Vibroverb, Mesa/Boogie Mark VII, and a Neural DSP Quad Cortex (Wong’s preferred live rig). Right away, it was easy to hear the tight low end and warm highs. Often, I feel like the low end from neck humbuckers can feel too loose or lack definition. Neither was the case here. The HT pickup is beautifully balanced with a bounce that’s rich with ES-335 vibes. Clean tones are punchy and bright—especially with the Vibroverb—and dirty tones have more room for air. Individual notes were clear and articulate, too.
Any guitar associated with Wong needs a strong middle-position or combined pickup tone, and the StingRay II delivers. I never felt any significant signal loss in the blended signal from the two humbuckers, even if I could use a bit more midrange presence in the voicing. The midrange gap is nothing an EQ or Tube Screamer couldn’t fix, though. And not surprisingly, very Strat-like sounds were easy to achieve for having less midrange bump.
Knowing Wong’s love for ’90s alt-rock, I expected the bridge pickup to have real bite, and it does, demonstrating exceptional dynamic range and exceptional high-end response that never approached shrill. Nearly every type of distortion and overdrive I threw at it sounded great, but especially anything with a scooped-mid flavor and plenty of low end.
The Verdict
By any measure, the StingRay II is a top-notch, professional instrument. The fit and finish are immaculate and the feel of the neck makes me wonder if EBMM stashes some kind of secret sandpaper, because I don’t think I’ve ever felt a smoother, more playable neck. Kudos are also due to EBMM and Wong for finding an instrument that can move between ’70s George Benson tones and the hammering power chords of ’90s Blink-182. Admittedly, the nearly $3K price could give some players pause, but considering the overall quality of the instrument, it’s not out of line. Wong’s involvement and search for distinct sounds makes the StingRay II more than a tired redux of a classic model—an admirable accomplishment considering EBMM’s long and storied history.
Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay II Cory Wong Signature Electric Guitar - Charcoal Blue with Rosewood Fingerboard
StingRay II Cory Wong - Charcoal BlueTube Amp Doctor has reissued one of the company’s mostsought-after products: the TAD 6L6WGC-STR Blackplate™ small bottle power tube is back inproduction after a 5-year absence.
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The TAD 6L6GC-STR Blackplate™ and the TAD 6L6WGC-STR Blackplate™ feature TAD’sexclusive black-plate designs, gold grid wire, double getter construction, no-noise filaments and1.2mm thick heavy duty glass. This tube is approximately 80mm high (without pins) and canreplace 5881 and 6L6WGB tubes.
The newly reissued tubes feature the original design and raw materials from old stock, availablein limited quantities as long as the old stock raw materials are available. They’re the perfectchoice for vintage tweed and black panel amps such as the 1960 Bassman, Twin, Showman orSuper Reverb. The complex midrange and sweet heights are a class of its own. The TAD6L6WGC-STR is recommended for classic tone with warm cleans and rich, sweet mids whenpushed – and it’s great for fat jazz or blues tones.
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Our columnist’s collection of moon spruce, ready for inspection—with a view.
As players get older, our instrument needs change. Our columnist shares how he designed an acoustic adapted to arthritis.
For many acoustic guitarists, playing the instrument is one of life’s greatest joys. As a luthier, I’ve seen firsthand how deeply musicians cherish their guitars, something they look forward to playing not just weekly, but daily. As any guitarist knows, some guitars simply feel different. While some are more rigid and require extra effort to play, others feel smooth and effortless. With this in mind, as our playing needs evolve, so too may the instruments we choose to accompany us.
My clientele is diverse, ranging from musicians in their 20s to those well into their 70s and 80s. One common challenge I have observed is that as players reach their 50s, many begin experiencing arthritis, which can hinder their ability to play comfortably. There are several techniques luthiers use to improve playability, such as lowering the action or opting for a shorter scale length; for instance, switching from a Martin 25.4" scale to a Gibson 24.750" scale. But, over the years, I began considering whether it would be possible to design a guitar specifically for players with arthritis, allowing them to continue playing with less strain on their hands, shoulders, and overall body.
My guitars are already designed to be exceptionally easy to play. They are not built for aggressive strumming or rugged outdoor use, though I can accommodate various styles. Recently, I took this concept a step further for a customer, creating an instrument with a smaller neck. Moving away from the traditional 1.750" nut width, I refined it to a slender 1.675". The string spacing at the bridge was adjusted to 2 3/16" instead of the wider 2 1/4" spacing used primarily for fingerstyle playing. Additionally, I incorporated a 25" scale length for a lower string tension at full pitch.
Combined with a 13-frets-to-the-body design, these adjustments made the guitar feel significantly smaller and more comfortable in the player’s hands. To enhance comfort further, I used an orchestra-class instrument, and added both an arm and belly bevel, reducing strain on the player’s shoulders. Even though I chose an OM for this build, an auditorium-class design would work well, too.
However, the most crucial aspect of this instrument was the top, which serves as its engine. I selected a piece of moon spruce, personally sourced in Switzerland in August of last year. This type of spruce is lightweight and highly responsive. More importantly, when voiced and tuned correctly, it requires minimal effort to produce sound and it has a higher level of admittance.
“Any movement on the strings, whether by the picking hand or the fretting hand, requires significantly less effort than on a traditional guitar.”
Admittance is a crucial factor when evaluating any musical instrument, whether one you are building or considering for purchase. In guitars and tonewoods, admittance is the amount of sound that can be produced with a standard level of effort. If a piece of wood has a high level of damping, it will not produce sound efficiently when built into a guitar, resulting in an instrument that is less enjoyable to play. Conversely, if the wood exhibits an extremely low level of damping, the guitar may feel responsive and lively, but this does not necessarily indicate a well-balanced instrument. Damping must be carefully controlled, particularly in the soundboard, to achieve an ideal balance. A properly voiced guitar should provide excellent responsiveness, a full and resonant sound, and treble frequencies that are rich and warm rather than thin or overly sharp. Thus, when discussing these aspects of guitar construction and tonewood selection, the key term to remember is admittance. For this build I was looking for high admittance while retaining a deep, well-balanced tone.
For the player, this means that even with standard tuning at A440 and regardless of whether they choose light or medium strings, though light gauge is preferable, the guitar remains incredibly soft to play. Any movement on the strings, whether by the picking hand or the fretting hand, requires significantly less effort than on a traditional guitar. This is due to the top’s high flexibility and responsiveness, allowing for a soft touch while maintaining a respectable level of volume.
For those dealing with arthritis or other hand-related challenges, selecting a softer-playing guitar is essential. Shorter scale lengths can be beneficial, but having an instrument custom-built by a luthier who understands these considerations can make a significant difference. For my customers facing these issues, my goal is to ensure they can continue playing for as long as possible. I recognize how important the guitar is to their lives, and I want to help them keep playing without unnecessary discomfort. If you are experiencing difficulties, there are options available, and solutions worth exploring.
In challenging times, sometimes elemental music, like the late Jessie Mae Hemphill’s raucous Mississippi hill country blues, is the best salve. It reminds us of what’s truly essential––musically, culturally, and emotionally. And provides a restorative and safe place, where we can open up, listen, and experience without judgement. And smile.
I’ve been prowling the backroads, juke joints, urban canyons, and VFW halls for more than 40 years, in search of the rawest, most powerful and authentic American music. And among the many things I’ve learned is that what’s more interesting than the music itself is the people who make it.
One of the most interesting people I’ve met is the late Jessie Mae Hemphill. By the time my wife, Laurie Hoffma, and I met Jessie Mae, on a visit to her trailer in Senatobia, Mississippi, she’d had a stroke and retired from performing, but we’d been fortunate to see her years before at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage festival, where she brought a blues style that was like quiet thunder, rumbling with portent and joy and ache, and all the other stuff that makes us human, sung to her own droning, rocking accompaniment on an old Gibson ES-120T.
To say she was from a musical family is an understatement. Her grandfather, Sid, was twice recorded by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress. While Sid played fiddle, banjo, guitar, harmonica, keyboards, and more, he was best known as the leader of a fife-and-drum band that made music that spilled directly from Africa’s main artery. Sid was Jessie Mae’s teacher, and she learned well. In fact, you can see her leading her own fife-and-drum group in Robert Mugge’s wonderful documentary Deep Blues(with the late musician and journalist Robert Palmer as on-screen narrator), where she also performs a mournful-but-hypnotic song about betrayal—solo, on guitar—in Junior Kimbrough’s juke joint.
That movie, a 1982 episode of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood (on YouTube) where she appears as part of Othar Turner’s Gravel Springs fife-and-drum band, and worldwide festival appearances are as close as Jessie Mae ever got to fame, although that was enough to make her important and influential to Bonnie Raitt, Cat Power, and others. And she made two exceptional albums during her lifetime: 1981’s She-Wolf and 1990’s Feelin’ Good. If you’re unfamiliar with North Mississippi blues, their sound will be a revelation. The style, as Jessie Mae essayed it, is a droning, hypnotic joy that bumps along like a freight train full of happily rattling box cars populated by carefree hobos. Often the songs ride on one chord, but that chord is the only one that’s needed to put the music’s joy and conviction across. Feelin’ Good, in particular, is essential Jessie Mae. Even the songs about heartbreak, like “Go Back To Your Used To Be” and “Shame on You,” have a propulsion dappled with little bends and other 6-string inflections that wrap the listener in a hypnotic web. Listening to Feelin’ Good, it’s easy to disappear in the music and to have all your troubles vanish as well—for at least as long as its 14 songs last.“She made it clear that she had a gun—a .44 with a pearl handle that took up the entire length of her handbag.”
The challenge I’ve long issued to people unfamiliar with Jessie Mae’s music is: “Listen to Feelin’ Good and then tell me if you’re not feeling happier, more cheerful, and relaxed.” It truly does, as the old cliché would have it, make your backbone slip and your troubles along with it. Especially uptempo songs like the scrappy title track and the charging “Streamline Train.” There’s also an appealing live 1984 performance of the latter on YouTube, with Jessie Mae decked out in leopard-print pants and vest, playing a tambourine wedged onto her left high-heel shoe––one of her stylish signatures.
Jessie Mae was a complex person, caught between the old-school dilemma of playing “the Devil’s music” and yearning for a spiritual life, sweet as pecan pie with extra molasses but quick to turn mean at any perceived slight. She also spent much of her later years in poverty, in a small trailer with a hole in the floor where mice and other critters got in. And she was as mistrustful of strangers as she was warm once she accepted you into her heart. But watch your step before she did. On our first visit to her home, she made it clear that she had a gun—a .44 with a pearl handle that took up the entire length of her handbag and would make Dirty Harry envious.
Happily, she took us into her heart and we took her into ours, helping as much as we could and talking often. She was inspiring, and I wrote a song about her, and even got to perform it for her in her trailer, which was just a little terrifying, since I knew she would not hold back her criticism if she didn't like it. Instead, she giggled like a kid and blushed, and asked if I’d write one more verse about the artifacts she’d gathered while touring around the world.
Jessie Mae died in 2006, at age 82, and, as happens when every great folk artist dies, we lost many songs and stories, and the wisdom of her experience. But you can still get a whiff of all that––if you listen to Feelin’ Good.