Tuesday, July 19, 2016

THE FIFTH INK SPOT


Bill Kenny called Cliff, "The Fifth Ink Spot". 

Luckey Roberts was Cliff's Godfather.

Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Cozy Cole, The Mills Brothers, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Harry James and Betty Grable. Fats Waller, Eubie Blake, Lena Horne - They were a part of Cliff's world before I met him in 1947.

I was fortunate - blessed - to share Cliff's world for decades.

I miss him every day.

1 comment:

Phyllis Carter said...

Cliff would sit in the dressing room with Louis Armstrong between sets and Louis would be listening to the recording of his last set and working on improving every minute aspect of it. And he would talk to Cliff about personal problems. He was troubled about his relationship with Lil. He worried about what she was doing while he was on the road.

Nat "King" Cole would sit with Cliff between sets and they would talk. Nat was heartbroken by his daughter's drug problem.