Tony Joe White episode

Tony Joe White arrived with his famous Stratocaster guitar (1961) straight from Nashville, Tennessee. Ricky Peterson met him at la Tour Fondue and they boarded a taxi boat to travel to the Island of Porquerolles. That Band was very happy to see Tony Joe and soon everyone was standing around the stage, watching him check out the guitars and amplifiers.

Soon after “Chef” Laurent served wine from the Domaine de la Courtade and guided Tony Joe on a tour through the winery and the cave, tasting here and there. This year, that color….

Despite his long travel and unexpected plane changes, Tony Joe White, accompanied by our friend John O’Brien, played some tunes in the Chimney Room with Hans’ Martin guitar. Tony Joe loved the guitar, “ The best acoustic guitar I ever heard. . .” So, Hans offered Tony Joe his guitar, “You like it, just keep it”. They must have been friends before…..

A definite highlight was Tony Joe’s rehearsal with That Band. A few privileged people, mainly the production team, had the chance to assist the Master of Swamp, and jammed with the band. The music was great, the atmosphere perfect, everyone could feel that something very special was happening . . . After all, it was Ricky Peterson’s birthday. What a party! The cake was wonderful and Tony Joe was there, Ricky couldn’t have imagined a better birthday dinner.

The next day, we decided to go fishing. Why? Well, Tony Joe is a great fisherman, and his Tennessee neighbor Chad Cromwell is as well. They sat with Ricky “on the dock of the bay” and tried to fish out of the Porquerolles harbor. The boys enjoyed telling stories from “back home”, but unfortunately the fishermen left empty handed. Luckily Tony Joe White had brought a cookbook, (yes, he came with a cookbook), that contained recipes from his mother and her grandmother called: “Polk Salad Annie's Food for the Soul”.

On the way back to La Courtade, we walked by our friend, Roland’s, bar, “Cote Port”. Roland happens to be a great fan of Tony Joe White so we had to stop and say hello. We ended up interviewing Tony Joe there on Roland’s terrace. The interview started with talk of fishing, but eventually Billy Peterson and Tony Joe found themselves in a deep discussion about what “makes” an artist.

That night was Tony Joe’s concert. It was a memorable concert. The frogs were singing with Tony Joe, and believe it or not, they were “right on the click” when he performed his famous song “Polk Salad Annie”. Don’t worry; we’re keeping the frogs in the mix so you will hear them. Next he played “Rainy night in Georgia”, which many of us may have heard from other artists such as Ray Charles. “I want my Fleetwood back”, “Cold Fingers” and “Gumbo John” were all on the set list.
Eventually the wonderful concert came to an end, but no will forget Tony Joe White’s “frog” concert at La Courtade, on the Island of Porquerolles.

PS: As agreed, Hans (on his birthday) personally delivered his Martin guitar to Tony Joe in Nashville, where he “smoked” the guitar over the campfire at his house…an old Indian tradition .....