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Posted by Tony Wall
on May 5, 2008, 7:36 am, in reply to "Re: WORLD EXCLUSIVE: LEO JACKSON PASSES AWAY"
82.37.154.196
I arrived home in the early hours to find a note left for me by my son with this very sad news. You think you get used to bad or sad news, however the passing of Leo I am sure as left us all feeling some what numb and shocked.
I first met Leo in 1984 with David Busssey and with the help of Joyce Jackson we filmed David interviewing a “talk around” the pool at Bunky Keel’s home.
I got to meet him at his home thanks to my friend James Newberry and play Jim’s D28 Martin guitar and also in Carthage for the very first Jim Reeves day when I got to film Leo rehearsing with John Rex Reeves.
I last spoke with Leo a few months ago discussing my tribute cd.
How privileged I feel to have met and in a small way know this man.
Every thing you read of Leo is true. A great guy who had time for Jim’s fans and very proud and humbled to be respected by so many.
On behalf of myself and David Bussey , we send our condolences to Leo’s family and friends,
You will be missed Leo,
--Previous Message--
: With the tragic passing of George
: "Leo" Jackson, an incredible
: life's journey has come to an untimely and
: unexpected end. Aside from Mary, there was
: nobody who was closer to Jim Reeves than
: Leo, who traveled the world with him, was
: like a son to Jim and Mary, and literally
: stood at Jim's side on stages large and
: small as they played thousands of venues.
:
: Born on October 22, 1934 in Meridian,
: Mississippi — Jimmie Rodgers’ hometown — Leo
: was the son of a Greek immigrant father, who
: was often abusive toward him. When his
: mother died, he left home rather than be
: subjected to further mistreatment by his
: stepmother. Though he and his father
: ultimately reconciled, Leo was in the truest
: sense a self-made man. He succeeded in spite
: of the difficulties he experienced in his
: early life, and perhaps because of them.
:
: A self-taught musician, Leo told me “I would
: listen to the radio and listen to records.
: My sister Eloise had a real good ear, and
: she’d tell me ‘naw, you ain’t got it
: yet...that’s it honey, that’s it honey. You
: got it now.’ So that’s the way I learned.
: She’d be there ironing clothes, and I’d be
: listening to a record. I’d buy a 78 record
: and slow it down to 45. So if she told me I
: had it right, then it was right.”
:
: Leo also found it helpful to observe other
: guitar players at work. “You listen and pay
: attention and watch,” he said. “In
: particular Jimmy Dickens came to town and
: worked at the movie theaters. They would
: play on the stage. I would get there early
: so I would have a front seat, and then I
: would watch the guitar player. [One] time
: they had two guitar players, and it really
: screwed me up. I didn’t know who to watch,”
: Leo laughed.
:
: Once he moved to Texas, John and Clara Ross
: and their children befriended Leo and
: treated him like a member of the family.
: They happened to know JIm Reeves, and took
: Leo to meet the famous singer in Shreveport
: one day. Impressed with the young man's
: talent, Jim hired him in May 1954. In fact,
: the Reeveses invited him to live with them,
: which he did — on and off — for about five
: years.
:
: “If it hadn’t been for Mary, I probably
: wouldn’t have any education at all,” Leo
: said humbly. “I quit school in the sixth
: grade. I got my education on the road with
: Jim and Mary, and living with them. They
: were family.” Mary taught Leo manners, how
: to speak and how to eat. Leo admitted that
: “I probably had the mentality of a 15 year
: old coming out of Mississippi,” and that he
: didn’t always appreciate Jim’s fatherly
: advice: “I used to get so mad... And I
: finally realized it was for my own good, my
: own best interests. I quit a couple times
: and came home because he was trying to tell
: me what to wear. [But I later realized] he
: was only trying to help me.”
:
: But Leo helped Jim, as well, by shaping his
: sound. Jim became so dependent on young Mr.
: Jackson that when they were onstage, if Jim
: didn't think Leo was standing close enough,
: he would reach around and pull him closer.
: Although Leo was not on the session when Jim
: recorded "He'll Have To Go,"
: Reeves had a vibraphone emulate Leo's
: trademark tremolo sound.
:
: I met Leo Jackson 39 years ago when, as a
: teenager, I first visited Mary Reeves, at
: her invitation, in Nashville. I was of
: course impressed by his virtuosity on
: guitar, but also by the exuberance and good
: humor with which he approached life. One
: subject he never got tired of talking about
: was his mentor, Jim Reeves.
:
: During my subsequent visits with Mary I saw
: Leo again, but really got to know him some
: years later when I called him up one Sunday
: afternoon to press some questions about my
: favorite singer. We wound up talking for
: about three hours!
:
: When that dreadful pseudo-biography on Jim
: came out in 1998, Leo and I commiserated
: with each other about it. We both agreed it
: was a travesty. Leo was the first person to
: whom I broached the subject of my writing an
: accurate bio on Reeves. He was highly
: enthusiastic and pledged his support. After
: I sent him a couple of early chapters, he
: was so pleased, he vouched for me when I
: needed to convince Joyce and others to help
: me as well.
:
: Over the years, I have had countless
: conversations with Leo, almost all of which
: I recorded (with his knowledge and
: permission).
:
: We can take some comfort in the fact that
: Leo left behind a wealth of information
: about Jim which I had elicited through my
: extensive questioning of him over the years.
: My research routinely prompted new
: questions, and this in turn, he often said,
: triggered his memory about things that he
: had not thought about -- or discussed with
: anyone else -- for years. I'm not
: exaggerating when I say I have asked him
: THOUSANDS of questions, and have his replies
: on tape. I quote him extensively.
:
: Yes, as you might imagine, I am very
: saddened that he didn't live long enough to
: read the finished manuscript, which it has
: taken me so many years to produce. But he
: DID read chapters in progress and was always
: highly complimentary.
:
: Leo was the next best thing to interviewing
: Jim Reeves.
:
: I loved talking with Leo; it was always
: interesting, as our conversations were
: filled with his warm reminiscences and
: plenty of humor.
:
: I was often impressed by the depth of
: feeling this man had not only for his music,
: but also for the people who were dear to
: him. I've perused scores of handwritten
: cards and letters he sent to his friends
: over the years, and he was a sentimentalist
: to be sure.
:
: The details of Leo's death will probably be
: released by the press in the days ahead, (I
: am privy to them now), and will lead to
: speculation about his state of mind at the
: end. I have to believe that he was suffering
: from the side effects of some potent
: medication he was given after his surgery
: earlier in the week. Leo loved life, his
: wife Nell, his son, his grandchildren, and
: his many friends around the world.
:
: Jim Reeves would never have been as great as
: he was without the help and steadfast
: devotion of Leo Jackson. I pray that they
: are experiencing a joyful reunion now in
: heaven.
:
:
:
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