Subject: Armuchee

Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 21:07:44 -0400

From: Mike Fleming <mikef@mail.atl.bellsouth.net>

To: bcbrown@earthlink.net

 

 

The Armuchee festival was already well established before I discovered

it. I was going to Marietta and Raccoon Creek but I kept hearing folks

talk about the great jamming at The Armuchee Saddle Club. It must have

been the Brush Fire Gospel period when I finally packed a lunch and

headed north. MAN, what a crowd and did they ever love bluegrass.

 

I remember seeing Doodle and the Golden River Grass, the Bluegrass Five,

Tom and Newell and the Grass Cutters, Southwind, Southern Crescent, Peanut

Faircloth, and too many others to count.

 

It was a this festival that I bought a gallon of white liquor from a

member of one of the bands mentioned above. He had supplied a "tasting"

at a previous festival that year and was to deliver the merchandise at

Armuchee. The stuff he had for tasting was wonderful, at least to this

flatlander. BUT...the stuff he delivered at $20 a gallon was

a low grade turpentine.

 

Another non-musical memory involves the out-house that sat in the little

grassy area in the middle of the park. Late one night I got "in the

mood" and made my way to that privvy. I approached quietly and pulled on

the door which, by the way, had a hook on the inside to avoid

embarrassment. Unfortunately everyone didn't feel the need to use the

hook. As I pulled the door open I came face to ....well sort of face to

face, with a woman of the large persuasion. Now this woman was just as

surprised to see me as I was to see her and I mean SEE her. She

commenced grabbing at a rather large pair of step-ins which were heaped

around her ankles. I started babbling and trying to get that door

closed. I succeeded and don't know till yet if she ever came out.

 

It was always a pleasure to see Peanut Faircloth. He always wanted to

know if we had learned "Play on Your Harp Little David". It was years

later before I finally found a recorded version of that song. And you

know it was just like he sang it to me behind the stage there at

Armuchee.

 

Of course the folks responsible for those great times cannot go

unrecognized. Mr Galloway, Mr Farley, Chuck and Cricket and everyone

else I've omitted deserve a sincere thank you for keeping this great

festival going.

 

Mike Fleming 

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