Leon Redbone at The World's Fair Knoxville, TN Saturday October 16, 1982 My future wife Kathy and I had gone over to Knoxville to see the World's Fair, and also wanting to see Leon Redbone, who was scheduled to play at the pavilion there that night. It was also the third Saturday in October. This was a traditional weekend that the Universities of Tennessee and Alabama played their annual football game. This year it was in Knoxville. Throughout the afternoon we often heard an eruption of cheers from the stadium, visible from the fairgrounds. On a few occasions, we heard these eruptions in close succession; so much so, that it even seemed possible that Tennessee might have been in the process of winning their first game over Alabama in the last 12...and they did. This would be coach Bear Bryant's last game against Tennessee. While waiting in line, to get into the Egyptian Pavilion, we heard much of the game's commotion. We also saw a small entourage of people, walking along the side of the pavilion, and entering through some side doors. I was certain that, even though we were a little more than a hundred feet away, I recognized Leon Redbone in the group. Once we entered the pavilion we hurriedly passed the first exhibits, looking for him, until we reached one of the rooms where Leon was. He was standing there there studying a stone, exhibited within a glass case, in the center of the room; his left arm folded across his chest, his right elbow perched on his left arm, with his right hand against his chin...studyin' I approached him from behind, wanting to say something to him. Kathy observed that, someone appearing to be a bodyguard, at first started approaching me; but, she said that he stopped, perhaps perceiving nothing threatening. I leaned slightly over his left shoulder and said, "Mr Redbone, I really appreciate your music and look forward to seeing your show tonight". He then without as much as uttering a single word, tipped his head left and slightly downwards as he extended his hand out, tipping it down slightly towards his shoulder...and that was all that he had to say about that...however, the music that evening...spoke volumes.
Peaches and Willie
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