PART 3 YTN-Although I'm pretty sure I already know the answers to these next question's anyway, I'd like to get your answers, just to get it on the record here...Uh, for years there's been a rumor that you were James Crow...that Johnny Rebel was James Crow...but it's not the same guy,right? JR-No. I ran into ------ ------ the other day, and asked him about that, and he said James Crow was just a guy who sent some stuff to his daddy (J.D. Miller.), and he went ahead and released it on the Rebel label. At least, that's the way I understand it. YTN-So...but you knew Happy Fats...Son of Mississippi...B.J. Norris (The real name of the Son of Miss.) ? JR-Fats? Oh yeah. I knew Fats. And I played with Billy Joe. Billy Joe was a good friend of mine. YTN-And, of course, there's no truth to the rumor that you died in the 1970's? JR-(Doesn't even dignify my question with an answer. Just looks at me like I'm not all there while, seemingly, checking over his own person to verify that HE is.) YTN-And who would you cite as your biggest musical influences growing up? Who did you listen to? JR-Oh boy, uh...Well, there was Carl Smith, Lefty Frizzell, and Hank Williams! (Hank's name spoken with added emphasis.) YTN-Hank William's, huh? That was the man? JR- (Laughing in agreement.) Yessir. That was the man! And, well...you know...right after I got out of high school, I started hanging around the studio a lot. That's all I did...was hang around the studio. And I recorded with...or played on...quite a few of these old records by some of these old black musicians. YTN-Played what? Guitar? JR-Well, I played guitar sometimes. I played,uh...newspapers. (You can hear JR slapping his legs, in quick time, in background of tape, as though simulating playing the newspaper.) You see...in those days, you did that a lot. To get a rhythm, you know. On old blues stuff. This was on blues...with Guitar Gable and them. You know, just beat on anything...a box, if you needed it. I'd beat on a box. On a couple of Lazy Lester songs, I played a riff on guitar, you know. YTN-And are you credited on any of those recordings? JR-No, uh...But (Turns to MJR), where is Lester's interview? He had an interview with somebody...in some magazine...and he remembers the little white guy who used to hang around there, you know. YTN-Oh, so he made mention of you? JR-Yeah. He called my name, and mentioned some stuff that I'd even forgot. (Laughs.) YTN-Okay, and I assume you attended school here. Did you come straight out of school to work, trade school, attended college? Or straight into music? JR-No. Straight into music. Got a little odd job, here and there. But I wanted to play music. That's all I wanted to do. YTN-And that kind of ties in to one of my next questions...Did you ever make enough money, as a musician, that you ever had to do nothing else? Were you ever able to make a living at it, alone? JR-No. I never done that. YTN-So it's always just been something you did in your spare time? JR-Right. Part 4