Tommy Durden at the crossroads

Tommy Durden was, by common consent, the nicest man you could ever meet.

The youngest of ten children, born in Georgia, Tommy fell in love with music at a young age and, in particular, he adored the Gospel sounds coming from the black churches. From there it was just a short step to the blues.

After the war, he determined that he would follow his heart and signed-up with a small travelling troupe of entertainers who subsequently dubbed themselves The Westernaires. A tall, gangly and gentle man, he gave his heart to one of his bandmates who soon became his wife.

He occasionally wrote songs, often drawing upon his own experiences and emotions. Many of his compositions had a story behind them.

This ultra-rare 1951 B-Side was no exception. He took a typical blues title and fashioned a beautiful c&w tale of love gone wrong ...

[Copyright probably owned by the estate of Tommy Durden and Freedom Recording Co.]