'Rescued From Reality: The Life and Times of Walter Trout'

 

Amazon

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This was my 'Christmas Present' from Adie. Thanks!

What a wonderful biography! Walter Trout is the authentic smart kid from the wrong side of the tracks with a troubled upbringing. He escapes through raw musical talent, spends desperate years hustling on the fringes as a sideman - the Canned Heat and John Mayall days - and finally puts together the Walter Trout Band, held in the highest esteem by fellow blues-rock musicians and fans, on the edge of greatness.

At which point Walter Trout is felled by his diseased liver - and descends into hell.

It's 2014 and here the biography ends. It desperately needs to be updated with Walter Trout's survival (it was a very near thing) and that late career bloom as he transmuted his suffering into art.

I have tickets to see the Walter Trout Band on their British tour in May. I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to it. To think he is only two months younger than me!

Some anecdotes from the book, hoovered up for me by ChatGPT.

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The Gorilla Suit Incident

In 1974, shortly after arriving in California and aged 23, Walter attended a Halloween party wearing a full-body gorilla suit with nothing underneath. After taking LSD, he began to have a bad trip and left the party, becoming lost in an unfamiliar area. He eventually found his way to a Bob's Big Boy restaurant, where - gorilla head parked on the table beside him - he tearfully confided in a waitress about his predicament. She provided him with a cup of coffee and drew him a map to help him return. Reflecting on the experience, Walter remarked, "All I could think of the next day was, hopefully it’s gonna be uphill from here…" 

That very waitress ("She saved my life") was in the audience when Walter played the area a few years later. Their eyes locked; they met after the show...

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Encounter with Buddy Rich

At the age of 15, Walter approached renowned jazz drummer Buddy Rich in a Philadelphia music store to politely request an autograph for his father. Rich reacted aggressively, knocking Walter to the floor and verbally assaulting him. Walter recalled, "He physically attacked me after I asked him for an autograph for my father." This encounter left a lasting impression on Walter: he vowed he would never treat fans in such a way in his own career. He also refused to permit Buddy Rich records to be played in his presence ever after.

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Meeting Duke Ellington

On his tenth birthday, Walter's mother took him to see Duke Ellington perform. They arrived early and, upon seeing the musicians, Walter's mother approached and mentioned her son's admiration for Ellington. They were invited backstage, where Walter spent the afternoon with Ellington and his orchestra.

Ellington offered him advice: "Keep your focus on the talent and the music, fame is fleeting – just be an artist and loyal to your talent and gift and it will take care of you." Walter described Ellington as "the most warm, kind and charismatic human being I ever met."

And took his advice to heart.

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