GINGER LEIGH

And the award goes to Rob Sheffield for having written a one-of-a-kind, can’t-put-it-down love and music story, where music in the form of mix tapes is the narrator. Rob, hands down a brilliant story. I felt you the entire way through. I adore you.

I plan to purchase 4 copies of this book to send out to my sister-flanks with whom I have always shared mix tapes and mix CDs.  Back in high school the two angels on either side of me were Kristin and Kelly, affectionately, we were the KGK!  The mix tape took us everywhere together.  The songs on the tape would screech out through small speakers in Kristin’s VW Rabbit with the top down while we drove, hiding Miller Lite cans between our knees, singing at the top of our Marlboro lungs to Madonna or R.E.M., driving out to the lake, down to the beach, across the Mexico border or up into the mountains in New Mexico.  I still have a mix tape that Kristin mailed to me from Italy after we had graduated from high school and she went to study abroad. Kelly had gone off to school in Lubbock (God help her and the mix tapes I listened to for 8 hours while driving through the flatland to visit her one Halloween weekend). Kristin was the furthest away, across the pond, the little brat, living in Lecco, on Lake Como. I was still stuck in San Antonio.  I treasured this cassette so much. One of my best friends was living out her adventure in one of the most beautiful places in the world and she took the time to make me a mix tape. And god knows that took twenty times longer than making a mix CD. The tape featured 10,000 Maniacs, Elton John and much more, but one thing that I remember vividly, and always will, is that there was either a glitch in her dubbing or an intentional use of space, but right at the end of “rolling like thund(ah), under the covers….” suddenly it slips right into the one big drum hit that leads Whitney Houston’s massive voice into the modulated moment…”AND eeeeyyyyyyyeeeeeeyyyyyyyy will always love you(oooo,ooooo), eeeeyyyyyyeee, will always love you.” And the song is over. That the only part of the song that made it on to the tape. Every single time I hear that Elton John song, I sing the last lines of Whitney’s genius performance (not as well, I might add) .  I cherish that tape, though it was played so many times in my VW Rabbit convertible that the tape itself is a little loose and doesn’t play very well these days.  I thought about the KGK so much while reading his book. Most of it takes place in the 1990’s which is when the three of us were running buddies and when Kurt Cobain died.

As what happens to many friends, we are now all split up again, much like our freshman year of college. One K is in Chicago, the other in Portland, but the KGK is always with me in my heart and in R.E.M., Depeche Mode, Madonna, Morrissey, Abba, Nine Inch Nails and of course, Whitney.

Skip forward to the late 90’s and you find me again flanked by two new best friends with whom mix tapes were shared on a frequent basis. Sarah Dashew, Vera Salamone and I were world-traveling buddies and stage-mates.  Though my time spent with Sarah is chronicled on two CDs we released together, the private side still lives on in the form of cassettes that the three of us made while traveling together in Italy.  Back when I still traveled on the train in Europe (now I drive), we carried with us a boom box that we would strap to one of our backpacks.  Funny enough, the KGK did the same thing when we traveled Italy together.  But in the late 90’s and at the very beginning of 2000, MP3 players were on the market, but not as accessible as today. And what was so great about traveling with a stereo is that we could return to our hotel room or our rented room in some old ladies house, pop in a tape or a CD and rock out together in unison.

Vera, Sarah, and I would find our way to a sleepy beach town in Southern Italy and spend an afternoon on the pebble beach with our stereo, a few books of CDs, and three blank cassettes. The game was that whoever had her turn would plug in the headphones and make a mix tape out of the handful of CDs we had with us. Surprisingly enough, we rarely all chose the same songs or the same order. Once the tape was ready, we’d all listen to the mix. I believe we spent more lira that summer on big fat batteries and blank cassettes than we did on pasta and wine. But it kept us busy, sharing music with each other, even off the stage. The picture here to the right is in Cesena, Italy at sound check when we performed with Michelle Shocked, who showed up a few times on some mix tapes that Sarah made.

Though we rarely communicate these days, I have boxes of mix tapes from back in the day, full of Meshell Ndegeocello, Joe Henry, Neil Finn, Chris Cornell, Ani DiFranco and so much more. All of the music we shared (our own and from others) took this trio all around the country, Europe, and New Zealand. I miss those times, but am very thankful to have had the years and the mix tapes together. (For more on Sarah, visit http://www.sarahdashew.com – she’s dropping a new CD this month!).

Technology today makes it so easy for us to take music for granted. Each song is at our .99 fingertips. We can place them in playlists, delete them from playlists when we get sick of them. With real live cassette tapes, you’d actually have to fast forward through a song you were bored with or you’d actually have to rewind to hear one again. You’d actually have to choose carefully the songs you wanted to put on a cassette. You’d have to record them real-time, all 3 minutes of the song would have to pass by before you could add the next song (or the next partial song like when Whitney took the encore for Elton). It took so much more thought than today. But that’s not to say I don’t appreciate modern technology. Due to the mad invention of MP3’s, Internet, iTunes, and iPods, I can distribute my music very easily.  And very importantly, my pals and I can’t ever get bored with the amount of songs that can fit onto one iPod or on disc in the 6-CD changer.

But I have to admit reading the pages he wrote about his love and his loss while integrating the music of his mix tapes into the narration of the story hit the nail on the head: Love is indeed a mix tape. I feel nostalgic for the process of ordering songs onto cassette in just the perfect way so that the songs can flow and shine against each other. I miss giving those mix tapes to my sisters. Instead, I’ll send them each a copy of the book.  Gladly.

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It’s easy to see why Ginger Leigh’s fans completely obliterated all the competition in the February voter’s poll. She deserved it. The Austin songbird’s popularity continues to skyrocket and her schedule gets busier by the day as her fan base grows to monstrous numbers. With appearances booked from Amarillo to Italy, she’s on a frenetic and exciting course to stardom that is truly fitting for an artist of her caliber.

Leigh brings a new dimension to the music business with her material, a total vocal warrior whose bawdy, soulful voice is seamless and relentless with no apparent boundaries or borders. She just doesn’t sing a song, she literally pulls the nails out of the stage floor with a powerful, hell bent delivery that is tempered with a silky sexiness in all the right places. The highest compliment she could be paid is that she sounds like no one, copies no one, and works a production on a record like a fine violin. If there is any one artist in Austin right now that would be considered capable of becoming a viable, bankable nationwide star, it would be Ginger Leigh. Hands down.

Leigh is also known for her energetic stage persona, movement, constant involvement in every song, the total showman. Never a dull moment at a Ginger Leigh show with all that comes with the residue of a child of the renaissance. Coming from a multi-generational musical family, she had a full understanding at a very young age of what it takes to move life along one day at a time. That, along with diverse influences from the worlds of jazz, country, rock and blues have come together in this highly talented, gifted singer-songwriter for the betterment of all of us, the listeners. We’re the lucky ones.

For more information on Ginger Leigh, go to

www.gleigh.com and check out her album, “Better Than Well, Live At The Saxon” it’s well worth the listen.

——————- And there’s Duggan Flanakin who started his blog about Austin music back in 2004. He has built himself quite a following and it really means something when he speaks out loud about an artist.   I’ve known Duggan for as long as I can remember. He’s that fella that shows up every now and again at a show, chit chats about life in general, smiles the whole way through the conversation and he always delivers compliments. At least to me! The last time I saw him was outside of the Saxon Pub and I nudged him a little about reviewing my latest CD, which I quickly handed to him.  I maybe even threatened him a little with the GLeigh Mafia if he didn’t get on it soon. Ha! Not really, but I was very happy to read his review of the new record. Thanks Duggan! You d’man!

From Flanfire Blog:

GINGER LEIGH – Better Than Well (Live at the Saxon)

My beloved friend Ginger Leigh has got herself a brand-spanking-new recording, “Better Than Well,” recorded live at the Saxon Pub with John Pointer on guiart, cello and vocals; Mark “Gumby” Williams on bass, upright bass, and cello; Kris Brown on electric guitar, bass, and vocals: and Frank Favacho on drums.  In short, SICK!  But it could be ME on those instruments and you would still love the show.  Ginger’s mom is one of the original Cone Sisters and Ginger herself is one of the most amazing entertainers I have ever met — and one of the great loves of my life to boot.

I will never forget the first time I saw Ginger (with Sarah Dashew of the killer voice and sailboat heart) singing and making us all laugh as we tried to eat what really was a good dinner at some place on Guadalupe long since torn down for condos.  Now there have been quite a few Ginger records, but this live shot has to be the best my ears have been blessed to hear.  All the songs here are Ginger originals EXCEPT Phoebe Snow’s ”Poetry Man” and “Come on Funny Feelin’,” written by the great Rodney Crowell (whom I got to meet last month — WOW!).  OK there is this other song Ginger cribbed from an unknown author, “Good Ol’ Boy,” but she has made even that one her very own.

The CD (and live set) kicks off with a bang — “Time to Move On” (how could I have been missing these shows?), which features great solos, better harmonies, and the indefatigible, indomitable spirit of San Antonio’s gift to Austin and all of Italy, the spicy Ginger.  The Crowell song (how does he write such great lyrics?) comes next — and then “Good Ol’ Boy,” and you WANT TO BE that “boy” of whom she sings.  But the set really gets going with the title track — as Ginger sings, “Everything I do is for you…”  [I know well what that feels like, especially when the love flows two ways.]  Ginger is at heart a cabaret singer … maybe it’s because I know her as a friend, but I would put her up against Bette Midler in her prime any day of the month.  One reason – “I will not let myself fail.”

Next up is the quieter “Jetstream,” a sultry song about learning to bask in the love of a partner with “no subtlety, no gravity, so shamelessly…”  “Close Enough” is an oldie but goodie, sounds like a buzzing bee …. And then there is “Best of Me,” with Ginger singing in the mud, encouraging her partner to “get the best of me before I’m gone….”  Somewhere in the middle she does a little rap …  And then there is the raucous tale of Ginger’s lunch with “Napoleon,” before the set and disc close out with seven plus minutes of “Angel,” which opens with those dueling cellos….  and some genuine rock n roll drums.  You had to be there, and sadly I was not — but the moment lives on thanks to the miracles of modern technology.  Now Ginger maintains one of the coolest and most informative websites of anybody in the business — and on that site, Ginger has an extensive piece about the first time she ever played The Saxon Pub — on a Monday night following the Resentments (so she says) — and TONS MORE, including videos, “The Adventures of Ginger and Jane,” that will make your belly sore.  If you have never seen one of Ms. Leigh’s shows, now is the time (if you are a guy) to become a Ginger Man.

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There are a handful of venues in Austin that truly mark the history of the music scene here by having hosted some of the best local and national artists and by having survived for two decades! One of those is the Saxon Pub. I can remember when I first sang at the Saxon.

Though I had been performing since I was a child, I had only really begun performing as a professional, original artist when I was in college at UT. There was a point in my life when I first started college when I thought I would seek out a different profession. Music was all I had known, having been raised with it. But I was more than music. I even had recommendation letters written for me to go to the FBI Academy. I was very interested in justice and crime. But as fate would have it, you simply cannot escape what is truly in your blood.

Prior to UT, I had spent a few months living in Milan, Italy, where I picked up the language very quickly. Having done that, I decided I would officially study Italian at UT. A couple of years down the line, I found myself joining Professoressa Antonella Olson on a Rome Study Program. It was the summer of 1996 and that is when I really got to know fellow Italian student John Pointer. The musical genius and I would casually join each other in song while sitting with other students in say…Piazza Navona.  Upon our return to Austin, we continued to be close friends and created our own show.  At this point, I had been performing around town with another “John” backing me on guitar. But there was magic in the way Pointer and I worked together. He accompanied me on guitar and vocals, while I occasionally picked up my own guitar to play the three or four chords I really knew. I didn’t focus much on the guitar back then, as I had always been a vocalist and a performer, not a musician. He even had to change my strings for me! I can change a string on stage while singing these days, but back then I relied on him heavily for all that technical stuff.

I digress.

We played frequently at a venue, which sadly no longer exists, called The Rhythm House; Austin’s original Tapas restaurant owned by my dear friend Stephanie Douglass of whom I spoke in my last blog.  I had also taken over the booking of the venue.  When that transition happened, Stephanie asked me to keep booking Sarah Dashew; a California transplant with a killer voice and unique songs.  (Side note, I also used to book other notables such as Shelley King and Leeann Atherton at the Rhythm House.)

One evening I got up to sing spontaneous harmonies with Sarah. And that began a 5 year career of The Ginger & Sarah Band. Considering the depth I’d have to go into about that part of my story, I’ll blog about that at some other time.

As a new duo, the two of us worked fast and furiously to play shows anywhere and everywhere we could.  We quickly set up West Coast tours and even tours in New Zealand.  But in Austin, we were building our fan base one venue at a time from small BBQ joints to restaurant shows and later onto notable venues such as La Zona Rosa and the Speakeasy. But I’ll never forget the first time we played at the Saxon Pub.

Austin venue booking man, David Cotton, gave us our first shot at the Saxon on a Monday night following the Resentments.   To be honest, I remember being a tad nervous. We were going to play after these guys which included one of my favorite song-writers, Stephen Bruton, may he rest in peace.

Stephen was very close friends with Bonnie Raitt, who was a big influence in my music. Specifically, he had written a song titled “Getting Over You,” which John Pointer and I had been performing for some time. The official version of the song was recorded by Bonnie and Willie Nelson.  I loved this song so much so that during the Resentments’ break, I had enough nerve to ask Stephen if it was possible to get up and sing it with him. Though he later became a friend of mine (Stephen was everyone’s friend), I was in awe of him and felt tiny compared to his writing genius.  He smiled that very handsome smile and said “Of course!” For the next however many songs they played, I was both excited and nervous. But this had always been my style; to put myself out there, to ask for what I wanted, to never let my fears keep me in my seat.

So he called me up. If I remember correctly, he didn’t really know my name.  He began “Why do I still write, Why do I still call, Why do I still think there’s hope for us at all.” And sang my answering lines and I could see that he was impressed as was the audience. In an instant, I felt in control, relieved, satisfied, as if I could stay in that moment forever. The nerves were chased out by the adrenaline that felt calming, and security came over me, when Stephen forgot his own lyrics. He grinned a half grin, eyed me, I fed him his own lines, the audience laughed, he chuckled, I winked at him.  We went on with the song, like we were Bonnie and Willie, ending it with a standing ovation from the audience.

And THAT, my friends, was the first time I sang on the Saxon stage, which at the time felt like the most important step into growing in the Austin music scene. Now, it’s like any other show, but I still feel exhilarated when I perform there. All of that history, both with regard to the Austin music scene and my own memories there, makes the Saxon a special place.   And to take things full circle, my latest record was recorded live at the Saxon Pub a few months ago. More importantly, John Pointer is in my band again and appears all over the new CD “Better Than Well – Live at the Saxon”.  Though we no longer have Stephen Bruton with us physically, he lives on through the music each of us make.

Tonight, Wednesday, Feb 17th, 2010, I am performing at the Saxon Pub at 8pm. Unfortunately, John Pointer will not be at the show, as he is out of town dealing with family matters. We’ll miss him tonight, but the show will rock all the same.  Here’s to growing.  Here’s to history. Here’s to old friends who always stay by your side. Here’s to how music can make that happen. 

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I had the best giggle last night listening on the Blackberry Speaker phone to my mother tell us about her road trip with my aunt, Jackie, otherwise known as Bullet. They are two-thirds of The Cones Sisters and are on their way to Nashville, via New Orleans. One must always stop in NOLA for some oysters and gumbo, even if not exactly on the way.

The day they arrived, I told them “DO NOT leave instruments, computers or anything of value in the car! Take it from the road-master!” Apparently, they hauled almost the entire vehicle up to the 10th floor of the St. Christopher Best Western. My mother said that they look like Chevy Chase “Vacation” with all the stuff crammed in the car, minus the dead grandma strapped to the top.

Upon checking in, they were told that the entire 10th floor heat was not working, but someone was fixing it. Exhausted from the long drive from San Antonio, they left all of their things in the cold room and headed out to the oyster bar. Not so fast! The blond, bucksome, blue-eyed duo got cold feet about walking alone in NOLA, so they made friends instantly with strangers (an easy thing for these gals) and went out together. The foursome ate, drank, enjoyed!

Mom tells me last night, while cracking up, that as the two were ready to head back to the hotel, they asked the police officer at the door of the restaurant to tell them the safest way home. Their escorts were staying at the bar. The officer replies “Just run!” So they did. They ran all the way back to the hotel.

Jill (my mom) far left and Jackie (Bullet) far right

Around midnight they were freezing in their hotel room and asked once again to be moved. Though the lady wasn’t nice about it and knowing them, they always win, they eventually had all of their things carted to a room with heat.

The next morning they stepped out in the morning for coffee and a beignet. Mom isn’t the type to buy souvenirs, but she had spotted a “Very cute, long sleeve t-shirt with a little faded silver trumpet that sits right between the boobs. It was so cute. I mean, you know me, I don’t buy things like that, but if I were to get one, if I were to get one, I would get this one.” So they stepped into a t-shirt shop and were looking at the goods when she tells me, “Suddenly, I hear the first few notes to a song and I look up and scream  ‘Bullet, that’s us! That’s us!” And of course, they go right into singing along for the sales person in the shop.

It was such a strange coincidence that they were in New Orleans, where neither of them had been in many years, step into a tiny shop and hear their Who Dat song that was recorded and released on an official Saints compilation back somewhere around 1983 – 1986.  On the cassette they are called the “Who Dat Sisters”.

When they went back to the hotel, they asked to speak to a manager to complain about the heat issue in the room. One of the owners came out to talk with them. As the conversation ensued, they told the story about being in the shop when their song came on. Of course, without fail, they began singing the song for him. A young lady walked by and said “I have been hearing that song everywhere I go!”

Time to find some royalty money, ladies?

I remember when it came out that many years ago.   We were at one of the Cones Sisters shows and were watching a T.V. somewhere waiting for the song to be played at the football game on national T.V.  It was very exciting to us kids!

Now, with the Saints going to the Superbowl this weekend, I sure wish I could get a copy of it. I’d love to play it at the party on Sunday.  I’ve been searching the internet, but don’t know enough about the release. I’ll do some more research. Time to call Jill and Jackie on the road and get some more info!  Go Saints!

(Follow-up entry: Here is the song that is on the official Saint’s release mentioned above. Make sure to turn off my player to the right!
Click here to play The Who Dat (The Cones) Sisters

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Many months back I signed up at Tut.com to receive a “note from the Universe” every Monday.  It’s something I enjoy very much because I receive reminders about how to let things go. I can only take so much action and the rest is up to the Universe, God, Energy, Karma.

This is what came through today:

“Have you noticed, Ginger, that all great accomplishments require 4 things:

A dream, action, patience, and a whole bunch of miracles?

The miracles part is on me.

1, 2, 3, Me -
The Universe”

How well that applies to my experience yesterday blows my mind!

The Dream: to succeed at making the best music I can and to share it with the world as effectively and efficiently as possible. This musical talent I have was a gift passed down to me through many generations and I honor that. To be able to share it in a big way means the world to me and my family.

Action: I take action on a daily basis. I stay in touch with fans, I seek new fans, I attempt to write new material, I promote shows, book shows, etc. But yesterday, the specific action was to drive up to Dallas and audition for America’s Got Talent television show.   Luckily, I was able to get home fairly early on Saturday night from my show at the Evergreen House Concerts and was able to get enough sleep to feel well-rested for this adventure. I’m also very fortunate to have had the support of my sidekick, Jane Reece, and a very close friend, Stephanie Douglass, who drove us up to the big city, taking some of the pressure off of me.  We arrived around 1pm and waited for more than 5 hours to finally get to sing. While waiting in the large holding room, one of the comedian contestants decided to get a show going upstairs for a little entertainment. One after the next, musicians performed a song for hundreds of people. Many were very good, some mediocre, but all courageous! There was Devon who seemed to be fairly new at this, but had a great voice and a gentle way about her. I helped her tune her guitar before the audition.  She and her friends were precious. There was Tori Collins who was only 16 who had an “Adele” type voice. She was the first to get up and sing. Her mother has taken her to every audition possible! Go Tori! There was Max, who sang a gospel song acapella, with soul soul soul. There was another guy who I spoke with a lot whose first name escapes me…last name “Cline”. He came up with his guitar, his long hair, looking as if he were going to bust out some heavy metal. He opened his mouth and a MASSIVE thick bluesy voice busted out. He was a cool cat from Chicago.  I got up and sang “What’s Up” from Four Non Blonds and had all the room singing it with me. And I have to say that for the next many hours I had so many people give me compliments that I felt humbled and confident at the same time.  Good times, eased the boredom, and allowed some of us to get to know each other. A few hours earlier, we shot some clips for the show. They had gathered all men in cowboy hats with guitars, when Stephanie asked them to include a girl with a guitar. So we borrowed a cowboy hat. If they roll this on T.V., I’m front and center. I’m not sure how much of this process I am allowed to talk about, so I’ll leave it there.  Anyway, many hours later we made it to the audition room. The judges don’t show any reaction, but I believe I did the best I could. And I believe they liked it. Again, I don’t know how many details I am able to give, so I’ll leave it there. But it certainly felt good to take action and go out on a limb to try something different with my talent.

Patience: Unlike America Idol, the contestants are not told immediately if they go to the next round. My assumption is that with this show there are so many types of talents that there is a lot more to consider when selecting who passes through. Call-backs are the very beginning of March. If I pass to the next round, it takes place in Dallas on March 25 and 26 in front of the celebrity judges. The public can get tickets to this. (Hint, hint).  So, we have one month to be patient and hope that all the elements fall into place for me to go to the next round. It’s television, remember, so they have all sorts of things to consider, not just who can sing, but who fits certain roles for T.V.

A whole bunch of miracles: I plan to just sit back, believe, and hope that Madame Universe does the rest of the work for me.

Ginger at America's Got Talent Audition

Thanks for all of your support. Be patient with me and we will see what comes of it. If nothing more, it was wonderful to stick my neck out and try something new!  You should try it. Do something you have wanted to do but haven’t done because of your fears stopping you (or whatever excuse you have made up). Just get out there and do it! It really feels good.

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I’ve been working on the very beginning of writing a book. I mean, the VERY beginning, where I’m trying to decide if I want to write a memoir or fiction, in first person, third person. How does it begin? What’s the plot? Etc. I have a close friend who is a novelist and is helping me formulate these plans, which seem so elementary but are ultimately laying the foundation for a project that can be quite time consuming and tedious. For her, I am thankful!

Anyway, that being said, I’ve been digging through old journals, old writings. I’m so humbled by the experiences that my career in music have allowed me. It made me think of all the places I’ve played. And can you believe it? I cannot remember them all. People often ask me “Have you ever been to…(insert place)?” and I typically answer…”I think so…um, probably.” When you travel around so much for so many years it’s very common that places blend together. I am so thankful for my journals which remind me of places, people, experiences.

Through this process, I went back and grabbed a list of some of the places I’ve performed. I just added the list to my website on the “Past” page and on the “Bio” page, but as I was looking more closely at the list, I realized it was missing hundreds of places. What about all the shows in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, California, Nevada, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida…ok you get the picture. I’ll figure out a way to gather up that data and add to the list here.

Example list of places Ginger Leigh Plays…

All I can say, is THANK YOU to God or the Universe or my mom or to whomever/whatever I am to thank for having had such an incredible number of years broadening my scope of the world, sharing music, food, stories, laughter with strangers – some who became pen-pals, close friends or lovers, but never enemies. I am truly humbled by this blessing.

Now let’s grow that list and spread more of the music and love! What’cha say?

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Hello Fans and Friends!

CDbaby.com is an online retailer that handles MANY artist’s distribution of discs. I use them and they are WONDERFUL!

Here is my direct link: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/GingerLeigh

They are donating $1 of each CD (both physical discs and downloads) to Haiti Relief Funds from today until two weeks!

YOU ONLY HAVE TWO WEEKS to be a part of a win-win scenario. You get new music and Haiti Relief funds get some help! (Oh, and I am happy too because you are supporting my musical efforts, of course!)

Thank you in advance!

………………………………………….
Here are upcoming show dates:

This Saturday, Jan 30 in Boerne, Texas. Evergreen House Concerts.
RSVP to evergreenhouseconcerts@yahoo.com

Friday, Feb 5, in Austin, Texas. Central market Central 6pm

Sunday, Feb 7 in Austin, Texas. Love. on the Lawn at 3pm
RSVP to cindy@loveaustintexas.com – Come go your Valentine Shopping!

Wed. Feb 10 in El lago, TX (Near Houston) at Chelsea Wine Bar

Wed. Feb 17, in Austin, TX Saxon Pub 8pm
…………………………………………..

I LOVE YOU ALL VERY MUCH!

Ciao ciao – Ginger Leigh
Da Boss….

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The other day I was doing a bit of research on my mother’s side of the family, The Cones. I ended up finding an online forum where someone was asking about the home my grandparents built and where my mother and two aunts grew up.

“Looks like the Wishing Well Manor only lasted about a year. It was opened in late 1946 but was closed by early 1948. There is not much history on G. A. Ball, other than a small article stating he had come to San Antonio from somewhere else and loved it here, and decided to open up the Wishing Well Manor. He ran the restaurant but did not own the building. In the real estate section of the 1948 papers, I found several listings for a house that was formerly known as the Wishing Well Manor. The ads said that the property “must sell” and they were asking $35,000. Remember, this was a large property that contained the main house, a barn (used for dancing) and several guest houses.

So, end of story for the Wishing Well Manor, right? Not so much. The advertising used to sell the house noted the owner as a Mrs. Jack Cones/Cones Studio. Now this was a name with some significant history attached to it.

Jack Cones came to San Antonio in 1890. I think he came from the east coast [enter Ginger comment: actually I believe my great-grandfather came from Illinois], but can confirm that later. What is known for sure about him is that he arrived in a top hat, fancy coat, and frilly “high-brow” clothes. This was not the normal mode of dress in SA at the time and he got a lot of ribbing for it. Cones wanted to be a photographer and applied with the already established Barr Photography Studios. Barr, the owner, told Cones in his first interview something like “I think you’ll do alright, but you have to get rid of the clothes.”

Cones did just that and rose quickly in the fledgling photography industry at the time, opening up a studio on Navaro street and later at 3125 Broadway. He received numerous national awards and was a recognized leader in the photography industry not just in SA, but in America at the time. He built the house and other buildings on Nacodgoches sometime in the first 2 decades of the 1900’s ( I think it was in the 1920’s since that’s when newspaper articles start mentioning it), but later built another residence outside the city on Bulverde road that in the few faded newspaper photos I could find looked an awful like the first one, all stucco and Spanish tile.

He died around 1942, but his wife and son continued his tradition. His wife received as many national accolades as he did, and wound up listed in “Who’s Who in American Photography” in 1943. Her son Jack continued the tradition and was running the studio at least through 1963, which is the last article I saw for him, but I really didn’t look that hard.

In a nod to the sexism of the day, in 1947 Mrs. Cones was awarded Honarary Life Membership to the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, the first such woman in the nation thought to do so at the time. However, she was not actually given a membership card which was reserved to men, but was given a specially made lapel pin at the time.”

I knew some of this story, but didn’t know that my great-grandmother, called Mickey, was so honored for her photography. My grandfather, Jack Cones Jr., continued to be a photographer, but retired fairly early.  He passed on when I was a senior in high school. Our family still has tons of old Cones photographs including one of Theodore Roosevelt and two of his Rough Riders in front of Mission Concepcion, 1898.  It’s a halftone reproduction of photograph showing Theodore Roosevelt (center) and two of his Rough Riders, all on horseback, on road in front of Mission Concepcion.   It was published in the San Antonio Light (June 22, 1933) . Jack Cones Sr., was then an official Rough Rider photographer.  I’ll try to get my mom to send me some of these photographs to post later.

Jack Jr. married my grandmother Jane Henry who was a singer based in SA. She was one of the only women to tour and sing with Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra. She also had her own radio show at the age of 16 – Jane and her Boyfriends! Listen here, but make sure to turn MY music player off. It’s on the right sidebar. http://www.gleigh.com/music/1-04 Boogie Blues.mp3

We call our grandmother, Tutu. She is such a beautiful character. She’s been a naturopath my entire life.  We were on the chemical-free, herb and energy kick long before it became popular. Not only did she serve us only carob ice cream (no real chocolate), but when we went to the movies or something, she would pack sliced apples and those little cans of all natural grainy apple juice that had that little peal off top. Remember those? She also used acupressure to heal us from colds, making us squeal in pain when she’d use her knuckle to dig into an immune or colon spot on the bottom of our feet. She still practices today and is constantly improving her own health and the health of others with herbs and vitamins and wholistic diets.  I just adore her energy and vibrancy. The woman is 80 (though she might deny that) and has the energy of a 20 year old. A devout speaking-in-tongues Christian with a love of Eastern medicine, she is just about the most unique woman I know!  And she’s hilarious! She sings in a big choir at Cornerstone Church and before the curtains open sometimes she’ll turn around to the rest of the choir, push up her bra, as if putting herself in place, and use her thumb to jokingly push up dentures (which she does not have) and spins back around just as the curtains unfold to begin singing for hundreds and thousands of Hagee-followers. She cracks me up! Here is a recent photo on the left with my nephew, Kash.

We lost my grandfather so long ago and that was hard on her, as it is for anyone to lose a husband, but she is surrounded by a very loving and close family, her daughters (my mom and two aunts, The Cones Sisters) and a slew of grand and great-grand children.

They were quite a pair, Tutu and Papa Jack. After he retired from photography and sold the big house, he purchased some land outside of San Antonio where they built the house where Tutu still lives and practices her natural medicine. On that same property, my aunts and my mother had homes where my brothers and cousins and I all grew up, like a commune of a bunch of musicians and entertainers!  Weekly family dinners with Tutu’s mother, Bobbie (yet another uniquely positive and upbeat person), and all the rest of us was such a joy. How lucky we all were to have the chance to be so close to even our great-grandmother, who we lost when I was a freshman in college. We even knew our great-great grandmother as children. I can remember piling in to the back of Tutu’s stationwagon, eating sliced apples without the peel and going to visit Woo Woo in the nursing home.

Family is so important and if you are lucky enough to have one with such closeness, then you will forever know what receiving love and giving love is all about. We don’t get to choose who we are born to (or maybe we do?), but if I had the chance to do it all over again and make that choice, I’d definitely take The Cones Family!

There’s plenty more to this story for another post. Come back for more….

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Welcome to my world; a world in which I interact with people on many continents through the use of my recorded music, my stage performance, my videos and blogs.  I live my life without filters and definitions, rather I see the beauty of people for who they are as unique individuals.  I treat people with respect and love, much as I do my music (except that my music is for sale, but the spirit of humanity isn’t!).  Please take a look and listen to what I create for you. I appreciate your support by purchasing my music and not copying it (I know, it’s easy to do, but every paid download is how we musicians sustain our careers.) I would love to hear from you here or on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/gingerleighband).  Come back often, as I am always into new projects and charging forward full of laughter! Thanks for being with me in my world and for letting me be a part of yours. – Ginger Leigh

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