Reports Where: Gretna, Louisiana (Gretna Heritage Festival) When: October 2, 2004 Written by: Rockin' Lee Andy Set list:   1) Roll Over Beethoven 2) You Win Again 3) Sweet Little Sixteen 4) C.C. Rider 5) Before The Night Is Over 6) No Headstone On My Grave 7) She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye 8) Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On 9) Great Balls Of Fire   GRETNA, LA  Oct02  85° F  40 pct Humidity All conditions are IN for a new Hurricane ... named Jerry Lee ! 730pm  Four screamin'  Police Harley Davidsons with all sirens ON (remember Toronto 69) open the way for a LLLLong white Limo. OUT comes the King all dressed in black ( suit, shirt and boots). I greet the Band (K, BB, RH, BS) which followed in a courtesy van, and they are pushed into a huge Winnabego.  Two hours to kill till showtime ! J W  lets me handle a birthday gift for the Killer. The Band does a sound check just after Marty Stuart finished his part. The son of Clarence Gatemouth Brown comes and chats with us, when J W fetches Marty for a quick visit to JLL. The Killer Band takes the stage and after their opener, they plunge into Lonely Weekends, Johnny B. Goode and Matchbox. 940pm A guy comes and introduces the KILLER who jumps wildly into Roll Over Beethoven, during which number frequent noise problems arise ... BUT a second mike is quickly set up (during a piano solo), which put a smile back on the Killer*s face and gets HIM ending that song with a Shakin' n Shiverin' *Rhythm and Blue, ouh,ouh,ouuuuuuuze*. Then HE proudly proclaims that HE is born and raised in Louisiana, which gets the crowd even warmer ! HE goes on with You Win Again, where HE recalls memories of Hank Williams, followed by Sweet Little Sixteen, which HE finishes by playing with his towel, till he moaned *this piano sounds WWWrong*.  Comes CC Rider with a great Kenny*s solo, then Before the Night is Over sung with deep feelings ! Again HE is blaming the piano and turns suddenly into No Headstone on my Grave, and gets the crowd WILD and cheering when HE shouts he wants a MMMMonument ! CGB*s son is shakin' and enjoyin' the show , he*s all smiles. Smilin' and mockin', HE starts She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye, where HE repeatedly knocks his head with an accusating finger pointing out  ... *it's in her mind*, then clearly is faking her (crocodile) tears. Grrreat expressions on HIS face. HE's then switchin' into Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On with the usual finger swirling in the air, but decided already to opt for Great Balls Of FIre, which gets HIM to roughly throw his chair backwords. HE's then greeting the crowd and is lead away by CGB's son ... when they suddenly cracked a dozen fireworks to bless the Killer away. I am able to follow HIM to his limo and wishes Him a great European Tour! Short of forty minutes for 9 songs, with a Killer in a good mood and lookin good. By the way, what makes me fly 28 hours in a 3 day period, and still makes me feel - after 4 decades ! - like a kid , well YOU all know this as YOU got the same virus, don't you ?   Where: Gretna, Louisiana (Gretna Heritage Festival) When: October 2, 2004 Written by: Debbie Hevia-Collins I had front row seats but moved to the third row to watch his hands at work. From my friends who work at the festival I know he arrives drunk every year, tears up the piano, then flys out fast and is in a waiting limo before the band is finished. First, his mic went out on the first song, which was quickly replaced....second, after the 3rd song, he announced his "sustaining" pedal was broken and couldn't do the show...yet he did...in his  judgement, though he cut out a few pieces and finished a half hour short. As he started to fly out....he turned around to the standing ovation he was recieving....he turned 2 or 3 more times as the ovation was unrelenting. I could see mixed feelings and a sense of melancholy on his face. I wish I knew what he was thinking. It was a gracious, enthusiastic wonderful audience. He looked thin....older than his years...yet his hands looked and played like a 20 year olds. His voice was strongest when singing....and the strength in each finger, even the weaker 4th finger was incredible...I closed my eyes to see with my ears....on the finale I heard things I didn't think  were humanly possible on a piano, when I opened my eyes, I was astounded at the Master's technical wizardry. His hand positions varied depending on the piece, versatile enough to play from Mozart to Brahms. very good hand position indeed. It was fun, and educational to anyone who plays piano.

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