Annie Mae's Boys and Me

By Velma Allen

Annie Mae spent all of her life in Mississippi in Brookhaven , Yazoo City and Eden until she finally found her way to the Mississippi Delta where she raised three of her children, having allowed the oldest son to live with her mother in Eden.Upon reaching adulthood, he finally joined the rest of the family in Leland, Mississippi.
Annie Mae only achieved an eighth grade education, but she became convinced early on that the only way to have a decent life was to get an education and work hard. And work hard she did, primarily doing cleaning in homes in Leland, washing dishes at the Leland Cafe and finally finding work as a maid at the Montgomery Hotel In Leland. When she worked there, Blacks were not allowed to stay at the Montgomery Hotel. It is ironic that today, that hotel has become the Highway 61 Blues Museum housing pictures and artifacts of her son,James "Son" Thomas, a renowned Delta Blues Artist and sculptor. In addition, a historical marker out front notes the achievements of two of her sons--James "Son" Thomas and Albert (Al) Lee Perkins as well as her daughter-Velma"Vee" Allen, the author.
Perhaps her most profound influence was on her daughter who achieved the educational goals her mother encouraged, and made her mother proud by singing in the church, attending college and eventually teaching in Leland where she had attended elementary and high school.
The daughter describes her mother's desire to know every detail of her encounters with others and how she loved to hear positive things that others had said to her. Their arrangement was that if the daughter did well in school and remained a "good girl", Annie Mae would see that the daughter never had to take "low stoops" to get what she wanted. Annie Mae said she would provide whatever her daughter needed--and she did.
Annie Mae lived with her daughter and her family up until her death in 1971 where continued to provide guidance and influence the decisions of her daughter.
This book celebrates Annie Mae, a poor Black woman who did her best to raise her children to have a strong work ethic and to look after their families and each other as she tried to do.
The daughter listened.but the boys pursued their music and art dreams. Now, after retirement from a career in education , the daughter is seeking to pursue her deferred dreams in music and writing.
She has declared herself unburdened.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Aug 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9781543977448

Book preview

ANNIE MAE’S BOYS AND ME

VELMA RUTH PERKINS ALLEN

Allen Perkins Publishing

Leland Productions, INC.

Flint, Michigan 48532

2019

Copyright © 2019 by Velma P. Allen, Allen Perkins Publishing. Leland Productions, INC.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations and a book review.

Quotations from works by William Ferris are covered by their own copyrights. Quotations used in this book are used with the permission of William Ferris.

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-54397-743-1 (print)

ISBN: 978-1-54397-744-8 (eBook)

Leland Productions, Inc.

Flint, Michigan 48523

[e-mail]

DEDICATION

This memoir is dedicated first and foremost to my only son, Nathaniel Allen, III, the absolute joy of my life. Hopefully, he will understand and appreciate what his Granny, his uncles, his father and I experienced during our lives together. Our lives weren’t easy, but we persisted—as he must.

This memoir is also dedicated to my brothers’ children and their children. It is written as a way to keep their fathers’/grandfathers’ memories alive and to help them know them in ways they may not at present.

I also want them to know more about Annie Mae, their grandmother, who loved all of them dearly and only wanted the best for them. Mama was phenomenal in her own right and stood as a beacon of love and strength in our midst.

Perhaps, they will understand me—their Aunt Velma—somewhat better. I had the opportunity to know and understand Annie Mae and her boys as no one else did and I feel the need to share that experience.

They should feel free to describe their fathers and their Grandmother in their own memoirs if I left out anything they feel should be included. Their perspective is certainly as unique as mine. I am sure I could learn a lot from them.

It is time to finish this memoir although I keep learning new things about my family. I haven’t talked about my nieces very much, but that was not the intent of this book. I will leave that further discussion to them in case someone wants to pick up where I left off. As for me, I am off to new projects—while there is still time.

Acknowledgments

Cover design by Nathaniel Allen III

Cover art of Annie Mae Estes by Nathaniel Allen III

Drawings of Son Thomas and Al Perkins, and Robert Earl (Mickey)Boss by Nathaniel Allen III

Editing by Velma Allen

Author painting (Velma P. Allen) by Nathaniel Allen III

Photographs and Son Thomas quotations and references, used with permission of William Ferris

Black Radio Exclusive Article (permission requested)

Extensive Son Thomas quotations from several works by William Ferris (See References)

Disclaimer

I have tried to recreate events, locales and conversations from my memories of them. In order to maintain their anonymity in some instances I have omitted or changed the names of some individuals and places.

Except as noted, misrepresentations are unintentional.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

ANNIE MAE AND ME

ANNIE MAE SURVIVING IN LELAND

MY DADDY, ISAAC ESTES

JAMES HENRY (SON) THOMAS

ALBERT LEE PERKINS

ROBERT EARL MICKEY BOSS

VELMA RUTH (WHITEHEAD) PERKINS

MY STEP-DADDY: IKE ESTES

JAMES SON THOMAS—Son’s Life In Eden In His Own Words

SON IN CARY, MS (not CAIRO, IL)

VISITING SON IN EDEN

SON MOVES TO LELAND—BOSS MAN FOLLOWS

SON AND WILLIAM (BILL) FERRIS

SON GAINS FAME AS A DELTA BLUESMAN AND SCULPTOR

SON DEFINES THE BLUES

SON, THE SCULPTOR

ALBERT LEE (AL) PERKINS IN LELAND

Al Moves to Chicago

AL MOVES TO DETROIT FOR WJLB JOB

ROBERT EARL MICKEY BOSS—Growing Up With My Brother Mickey

LIVING ON HIGHWAY 61—(701 Broad Street)

MY COLLEGE YEARS AT MVC

LIVING IN BELZONI, MS

MY DADDY – IKE ESTES – DIES

Moving Back to Leland

Moving to Itta Bena, MS

MAMA’S DEATH – MY DARKEST DAYS—2/22/09 - 2/14/71

Moving to East Lansing and Michigan State

Internship in Grand Rapids

MICKEY COMES TO LIVE WITH ME IN LANSING

AL PERKINS’ DEATH

Leland Productions, Inc.

J. J. JACKSON and STEVIE WONDER

MICKEY’S DEATH

MEETING MARK

SON’S DEATH

MARK’S DEATH

UNBURDENING MYSELF

ANNIE MAE’S BOYS AND ME

INTRODUCTION

Annie Mae, my mother, and my brothers are deceased now and I feel that our family and the world need to know more about them. They were interesting and unique individuals. What my brothers had in common was their love of music, a baby sister (me), and mother who was a fascinating woman in her own right.

I was in Chicago recently and had the opportunity to hear several blues singers at Rosa’s Lounge. As I listened, I was thinking that if my brother, Son Thomas, were alive, he would probably be playing the Mississippi and Chicago blues circuits. He would also be playing in other countries as well since he may have had more of the following broad than at home. He would be wearing his cowboy hat too, tilted to one side, and talking about life as he remembered it in Eden, MS, where he grew up, and Leland, MS, where he spent most of his adult life. It is ironic that Son did not find so-called fame until very late in his life after he was sick and tired and suffering a host of physical maladies that eventually took his life.

I had three brothers. James Son Thomas, the Delta Blues man, was the oldest. Albert (Al) Perkins, singer, record producer and radio announcer, was next, and the youngest was Robert Earl Boss whom we called Mickey. Mickey was a self-taught saxophone player. It is interesting that all my brothers found some way to be involved in the music business. They all had talent which they developed on their own, without formal music or art lessons. They found their way into music making or music producing. They were determined to be involved with music in some way. I have that desire, but I lack the determination they had.

Son was the first born and the last one to die. Ironically, he had a much harder life than any of us and lived longer than any of our brothers did. He had minimal healthcare, worked hard all his life and struggled to make ends meet. No matter how bleak his life was and how hard he had to work, he found time for music and art. He practiced both his entire life and with singularly driven to pursue his artistic interest at all costs. They all had that trait as well – I didn’t share that one. Music took second place to my need for security. I went to school and worked a nine to five job so that I could take care of myself and those who depended on me. Music was always in the back of my mind—but far enough in the back that it did not take over my life.

Al Perkins was the first to die at the hands of someone probably very close to him. His murder remains unsolved to this day. He acquired some prominence as a disc jockey in Little Rock, Arkansas, Memphis, Tennessee and finally, Detroit Michigan, where he woke the city up every morning as the Perker with his early-morning radio show. He went on to produce records through his Perks Music Company, which is now owned by MCA/universal. They bought the company from his wife Irene who survived him and married the family lawyer.

Mickey, the youngest of my brothers, was the second one to die. He left home at an early age to live with his father, Frank Boss, in Chicago and he never came back to Leland to visit until Al and I found him in Chicago and begged him to bring his four little children home to see our mother. She had never met her grandchildren since Mickey had been away for some 17 years. He did come back, brought the children and left the children with Mama and me to take care of so he could get back to Chicago again to do his thing. The next time he returned was to attend Mama’s funeral in 1971 and later for Al’s funeral in 1983. I was the only sibling to attend Mickey’s funeral. Son said he couldn’t handle another funeral.

As the youngest and the one closet to Mama, I can see the boys from both my and my mother’s perspectives. She loved all her children and I believe they loved her although they did not seem to feel any responsibility for her well-being when they became adults. That was my job. Perhaps in their minds, she had done the most for me, her only daughter and youngest child, so I guess it was the natural order of things that the daughter who was also the youngest child should see after our mother. It was my pleasure and joy to be able to do so. She lived with me and continued to look after me, often giving me unsolicited but always appreciated advice before and after my child was born. It was joyful (and helpful) to have my mother help manage our home and help raise my son whom she loved very much. My son was very close to her and at times seemed to view her as his mother than me since I worked all the time. I went to work when he was six weeks old and she took care of him until he was six years old –until she became disabled by cancer.

My mother used to talk about my brothers –sharing insights here and there, and now I am the only one left to try to put those pieces together and let the world know a little bit more about who my brothers were. More importantly, their children need to know more about who their fathers were, and who Annie Mae, their grandmother really was. I spent the most time with her; we were together until she died. I knew her best.

Annie Mae’s Boys and Me

ANNIE MAE AND ME

Velma Ruth (Whitehead) Perkins, nine years old

Mama and I had an extraordinary relationship. She used to say, later in life after she retired and watched TV every day, that I was as crazy as Lisa on one of the soaps (As the World Turns) Lisa and her compassionate, long-suffering mother lived together, and Lisa was in and out of troubles of all sorts while her mother stood on the sidelines and counseled and lamented. Mama identified with her somehow. I never understood it, because in my own mind, I was not spoiled, selfish and all the other adjectives used to describe Lisa. As I’ve gotten older and hopefully wiser, I wonder if she may have had a point.

What was extraordinary about growing up in the South in the 50’s with Annie Mae? The best answer I have is that I find her a stunning example of a mother who had suffered at the hands of Black and White men alike, but never lost her notion of self-worth and her own quiet dignity. And she didn’t rely on anybody else to bestow any of these qualities upon her. She assumed them. She stamped herself with her own seal of approval, and nobody could take that away from her. She was my role model and I hope that I became hers. I know I look more and more like her. I see her now when I look in the mirror, but I want to have her strength, her dignity and her attitude. And she had plenty of that. I know that she lived vicariously through me and was determined that I would have some of the opportunities that she never had.

Is there a lesson in her life, for our family? I don’t know. It would be good if some of my observations trigger your own thoughts about some lesson you learned from your parents-something that you can pass on to your child or any child. What is certain is the profound effect parents have on their children. I didn’t always agree with Mama, nor she with me, but she definitely influenced my thinking and my behavior forever. I hope I have overcome the negatives and embraced the positives-but I have been impacted by both.

She showed me that you reflect your love for someone in your life by the way you live your life. In other words, you make sacrifices, if you have to. You give advice even when no one wants to hear it. You call out bad behavior and you praise the good.

Mama took me to St. Peter’s Church when I was a baby and had me christened with Rosie Lee Hobbs standing as my godmother. She had me blessed in her words. I felt really special since I had been blessed. I viewed this as some special designation that I had which set me apart and protected me. I revered the power of the Lord. I didn’t know how common a ritual it was to be christened; I thought I had been singled out for this special honor because I was special. Mama was really good at making me feel special.

She decided that I should grow up in the church and she would dress me up and let different people take me to church. Miss Annie Jones was my Sunday School teacher and my first grade teacher (for years she was everybody’s first grade teacher). Miss Annie was strict, but kind. You had to mind her or you got in trouble.

I found that out when I decided to talk and comb my cousin Margaret’s hair while the missionary ladies were there one Friday in our classroom. You didn’t disrespect the missionary ladies. They were White women who came to our side of town (across the tracks) to our school to teach us the Bible. We were never sure why we needed this teaching because we received it at our churches. We surmised that they could not go to Africa to do mission work, so they came to work with us.

The people at St. Peter’s were kind to me, and I developed a fondness for the congregation. Later when I was 12 and the Mourner’s Bench opened during revival, I joined the other children on the bench along with my best friend Barbara Ferguson. We waited night after night to get religion. This was a big deal. I recall that some of us had been on the bench all week. We had been instructed by the preacher to pray hard for religion and we all began to get worried toward the end of the week. My mother attended church with me every night during revival so she could help me and be there when I finally got religion.

On Friday night, the last night of revival, the preacher said we should get up off the bench and go out into the church audience to seek help from someone in the congregation-someone to help us pray. I went to Miss Bessie, my mother’s best friend, to pray with me.