guest artist, songwriter Byron Walker

This is a video of Byron Walker singing his original song Lonnie Barksdale at a recent songwriters meeting in Cuyahoga Falls. He is a fine folk historian songwriter. He is accompanied on guitar by Bobby Patetta, another unique musician, originally from New Jersey.
Lonnie Barksdale copyright byron walker 2008

Lonnie Barksdale met the panic straight head on when he was about 15
He may have seen some good years in his life, but a lot of them were lean
Built a house from rough lumber sawed from timber growin on his land
Cut 3 house patterns from the rest of the timber made a living with his calloused hands

He got a job in the foundry, moved to Chattanooga along about 53
He worked about 5 years, got laid off, moved back out on the mountain to breathe
He made every kind of box that had strings on it and he could play them too
When you stop to think about it, there wasnt much Mr. Lonnie couldnt do

He lived in the corner of Sylvania crossroads, at the flashing caution light
Didnt miss anything when he left the foundry, it took a lot of good mens lives
He worked hard raising chickens and building homes, trying to do things right
Raised 2 children about the best he could, and took good care of his wife

He carved the top of my violin from a piece of a spruce goose wing
Made the sides a little tad deeper, it soars as well as sings
He carved the scrolls with an old Barlow, he found cleaning out his chicken house
Somebody mustve thrown it on the sawdust pile after the blade was broken out

He bought the top and tuners for my guitar from a Stew-Mc catalog
Carved the neck from a piece of purple heart out of a blank hed sawed
Mated the neck with a tight neat joint, past the nut to a mahogany head stock
Braced it stout enough to use for a ball bat, itll take some hard knocks

If somebody made it, he could too, he had a can do attitude
He could make good instruments out of splinters, Ill give the man his just due
Nine mahogany strips for the back of my box, all bonded by hot hide glue
When hed fitted and finished the pieces, the tone was a different hue

He stamped LB on the back of the headstock, it was crafted by Lonnie Barksdale
The picture of the princess fits the lower bout so well

Category:

Music

Tags:

• folk
• singer
• songwriter
• acoustic
• guitar
• unsigned
• original

[cadwalladee]

And here is an earlier version - nice to see evolution of a song!

[chuxtrux]

yes, this was one i recorded with my camera at the cuyahoga falls meeting. i really, really like this guy scott. he's the real deal, chuck.

[MichaelPrather]

Sounding good gents.

 Mike

[BradCampbell63]

This looks like a nice kick back afternoon...:)