Venus Hair Houston - Huey Long

April 22, 2008, 4:06PM

Daughter preserves Huey Long's legacy
Musician to mark 104th birthday at area museum

By ARLENE NISSON LASSIN
Chronicle Correspondent

HUEY Long, a former member of The Ink Spots and a jazz legend, was recently in the news because of some legal troubles. Living on his own at age 103 in the Heights House, 1950 Heights Blvd., individuals were handling his prized memorabilia and finances.

His daughter, Anita Long, 52, was residing in San Jose, Calif., when she first heard of the situation and she made the decision to move to Houston to take care of him.

"No one watches out for someone like family and I just felt this was what I had to do," Anita Long said. "I love my father and we have always been very close, so even though it was a sacrifice, I willingly did it."

Despite having to leave behind friends, family and a career in digital storytelling, Anita Long came to Houston 1 1/2 years ago, hired attorneys and recently regained legal control of his items of memorabilia that were missing.

Included was a rare, custom-made D'Angelico guitar that is 60 years old.

In June 2007, she opened the The Ink Spots Museum at 117 East 20th St., across the street from her father's apartment at the Heights House.

There she has arranged photos, his autobiography, articles, music and many other items that detail her father's storied musical career.

On Friday, Huey Long will celebrate his 104th birthday at the museum, which will be open from noon-8 p.m.

Music collection

"My father has gathered a collection of music," Anita Long said. "He has things that have a lot of history. They used to be in his apartment, but I opened this as a tribute to him.

"This is something he always wanted, and I am so happy he could live to see this dream come true."

Anita Long opened the museum in the former Clayton Lee Plumbing building at her own expense. She opens it daily, and also runs a small boutique out of the back.

Upstairs are an art gallery featuring works by up-and-coming artists and her offices, where she hopes to continue teaching at-risk youth to document the lives of seniors in digital storytelling projects.

Her documentary work is represented in more than 30 museums and libraries, including the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Before moving to Houston, Anita Long was executive director and co-founder of the Digital Clubhouse Network, a nonprofit.

Planning projects

She plans to continue those projects. She will offer classes in photography and photo journalism, documentary workshops, and learning labs to teach digital storytelling.

Long also took care of her mother, Louise Long, Huey Long's first wife, until she passed away around three years ago. Now she is doing the same for her father.

"He is so much more accomplished than people might know," Anita Long said. "For example, he has written about 80 songs, and he has written an entire dictionary for chord melody."

Huey Long was healthy until a broken hip from a fall made him very frail. Anita Long said he was depressed during the legal proceedings to get his memorabilia returned.

"People he trusted let him down," she said. "That is very common with the elderly."

Caretaking for him is taking up most of her time, so she can't open the museum quite as often as she wants. She hopes to find volunteers from the area to man the museum when she cannot.

I am hoping to make this work, but right now it is both a financial and time drain for me," Long said. "Still it is important to my father, so I will work to keep it going."

March 7, 2008, 11:09PM

Reunion is music to jazz legend's ears

End of legal battle puts instrument back into the hands of 103-year-old

By DALE LEZON
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Legendary Houston jazz musician Huey Long strummed his rare, hand-made guitar Friday afternoon for the first time in nearly a year.

A smile spread across the 103-year-old's thin face as he cradled the smooth, polished guitar in his hospital bed, his resting place since recently fracturing a hip bone.

"It's so wonderful," said Long. "It seems more like a dream."

The reunion ended a legal battle for the custom-made D'Angelico guitar between him and Nancy Tankelson, a woman he said he gave the instrument to for safekeeping. Long said he asked for the guitar back and Tankelson refused, prompting him to file a lawsuit last week.

At court a hearing Friday, state District Judge Ken Wise told Tankelson to return it immediately. He also told her to return about $2,000 cash and memorabilia as well.

Tankelson agreed.

She said she is making a documentary film about Long and needed the guitar for filming. She said she would give it back but wanted to use it again to complete the film.

Anita Long, Long's daughter, said Tankelson could use it again as long as it was insured and handled with care.

"I'm happy," Tankelson said. "I want him to have the guitar."

Anita Long said her father had told her he feared he would never see the instrument again.

He bought it more than 60 years ago in New York City, and it reminds him of all the good times and bad times in his life, she said. He was able to hold onto it even in the times when he had very little money.

According to the lawsuit, Tankelson befriended Long in 2004, culminating in Long giving her power of attorney. That has been terminated, said Ken Ward, Long's attorney.

The suit states that Long allowed Tankelson to make a documentary film about him and helped her with it, but later he could no longer assist her.

The lawsuit alleges that she wanted Long to travel to Austin, Galveston, New Orleans and downtown Houston for more filming and threatened to sue if he refused.

Tankelson, however, said she never threatened to sue Long or asked him to travel when he was unwell. Also, she said, Long signed a contract with her that states she could use any of his memorabilia and materials to make the film.

The woman said that if she had returned the guitar she feared she would not have access to it anymore.

The film is nearly complete, said Tankelson of the documentary that is composed of interviews with Long reminiscing, including performances with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughn and Charlie Parker.

dale.lezon@chron.com

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March 1, 2008, 12:27AM

Tribute to jazz icon Huey Long now in discord

A 103-year-old Houston musician lost his guitar to a woman making a documentary about his life. He is suing to get it back.

By DALE LEZON
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

A legendary 103-year-old Houston jazz musician who trusted a local woman to make a documentary film about him is singing a different tune now.

Huey Long, a former member of the famed musical group The Ink Spots, sued Nancy Tankelson of Bellaire on Thursday to get back his rare, 60-year-old guitar and other memorabilia he says she refuses to return.

"I was very close to it," Long said of his favorite guitar. "I played it in many places and it means a lot to me. I would certainly like to have it back."

The lawsuit, filed in state district court, seeks the return of the items or $50,000 in damages and a minimum of $20,000 in attorney's fees.

State District Judge Grant Dorfman granted a temporary restraining order Thursday to keep Tankelson from selling the items. A hearing is scheduled for March 7 to allow Tankelson to explain to a judge why she should keep them.

Tankelson did not return telephone messages.

"This is a real common case with older people," said Ken Ward, Long's attorney. "Others insinuate themselves into their lives and try to take advantage of them."

Loss of a lifeline

Long's daughter, Anita Long, said the conflict has taken its toll on her father. He's depressed and has trouble sleeping because he's worried he'll never again see his guitar, which he has owned and played since 1940.

She said her father, who was born April 25, 1904, in Sealy, told her he cherishes the instrument and it reminds him of all the good times and bad times in his life. He was able to hold onto it even in the toughest times when he had very little money.

"The guitar is his lifeline," she said. "It's the reminder of his talent and everything he is in the music world. This lawsuit is something at the end of his life he didn't need."

Anita Long operates the Original Huey "Ink Spot" Long Living History Music Museum in the Heights. Her father often visits with fans at the museum to reminisce about his career, which began in Houston in 1925 after he landed a job playing with Frank Davis' Louisiana Jazz Band.

According to the lawsuit, Tankelson befriended Long in 2004 and "began to insinuate herself" into his life, culminating in Long giving her power of attorney. The power of attorney has been terminated, Ward said.

She also took possession of $2,000 of Long's cash as well as photographs and other memorabilia and his custom-made D'Angelico guitar, the lawsuit alleges.

Long said he gave her the guitar for safekeeping.

Ward said Long also gave Tankelson $10,000 to create and have published a book about his life entitled, The Huey Long Story. He said 1,000 copies were printed. Long has 500 of them. Tankelson has the rest.

A film still in the making

Ward said Tankelson and Long have completed about two-thirds of the documentary film. It includes Long, who lives in an assisted living center in the Heights, traveling to some of the clubs and other venues where he performed with such greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughn and Charlie Parker.

But beginning in 2007, health problems prevented him from traveling anymore, Ward said. He has congestive heart failure and has suffered some mild strokes, he added.

The lawsuit alleges that Tankelson wanted Long to travel to Austin, Galveston, New Orleans and downtown Houston for more filming and threatened to sue him if he refused.

She said she would keep his money, memorabilia and guitar as "security" for his performance in the film, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit is especially troubling for her father now, Anita Long said. His mind is clear, but she took him to the hospital Friday after he fell and hurt his hip the day before.

He told her, she said, he feared he wouldn't come back from the hospital alive.

Friday before he left for the hospital, he was alert and talkative in his one-bedroom apartment and recalling highlights of his career. He said playing spots in Chicago was one of his greatest memories.

The walls of his apartment were covered with framed photographs of him with other legendary musicians.

Beside his bed was a tray packed with containers of dry granola mix, crackers with peanut butter and dates.

He sat up in bed and balanced a narrow electronic keyboard on his lap. He smiled, his dark eyes twinkling, as his slender fingers slid along the keys and he crooned Route 66.

His secret to long life?

"You do things in moderation," he said.

dale.lezon@chron.com

Biography of HUEY LONG, An Original "InkSpot"

(Huey Long is the last living member of the Original "Ink Spots)

Huey Long was born in Sealy, Texas and worked in various jobs in the Houston area until he got a break playing a banjo in 1925's top band of Houston, Texas, "Frank Davis' Louisiana Jazz Band." Huey played in the band with Punch Miller on trumpet and Frank Gibbs on trombone. Later, they were the celebrated "Dixielanders".

After migrating to Chicago, Long appeared at the World's Fair, "A Century of Progress" in 1933 with Texas Guinan's Cuban Orchestra, under the leadership of violinist Clarence Eddie Moore. That's when Huey Long had to give up the banjo and started playing the guitar.

In the mid-30's, he became a member of Jesse Stone's newly organized orchestra, "Chicago" along with members AI Wynn, Bud Johnson, Scoville Brown, Willie Randall, Gedion Honore and Jabbo Smith. In the late 30's, he was a member and assistant arranger and conductor to Zilner Randolph, who had the WPA Concert and Swing Band, which included jazz stars Preston Jackson and Franz Jackson (not related). Long made recordings around the same time with Lil Armstrong on the Decca label and with the famous Buster Bailey, C. Berry and Joe Thomas.

In 1940 and 1941, he was a member of Johnny Long's Gig Band, which featured the great Joe Williams and on occasion, Dorothy Donnegan on piano. In 1942, he joined Fletcher Henderson's band in the Grand Terrace Cafe in Chicago, and was brought to New York City by Henderson in early 1943. Long then joined Earl "Fatha" Hines, who was revamping his band. Among other names were: Billy Eckstine, Sarah Vaughn, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Johnson, Willie Randall, George Carey, Jesse Simpkins, Brockman and Bennie Green.

In early 1944, Huey Long formed his first trio with C.C. Williams at the piano and Eddie Brown on the bass, which he took into the Three Deuces Café on 52nd street in N.Y.C. The "Ink Spots" had just reached their peak and this is where Ink Spot and leader, Bill Kenny talked Huey into giving up his trio and become an "Ink Spot", recording those mid-40's war-years tunes like "If I Didn't Care", "My Prayer", "When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano", "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire", "Java-Java", "Street of Dreams" "To Each His Own" and many more songs featuring Huey's famous guitar introduction.

In the late 40's, Huey was recording with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and his "BeBoppers" on Savoy Label. This group consisted of Davis, Fats Navarro, Denzil Best, Gene Raimey and AI Haig.

In the early 50's, Huey was making USA tours with his own trio, and in the mid 50's, he moved to California and entered Los Angeles City College, where he majored in music, putting in a few semesters with plans to teach. Instead, he returned to New York in the late 50's.

In the early 60's, he formed his own group of "Ink Spots" and took them to California for a year or two, returning to New York where he decided to teach and write music in his apartment in the CBS Building (now the building that David Letterman's "Late Night" occupies, formerly the Ed Sullivan Theatre). Later, he moved his studio down to 1674 Broadway at 52nd Street. During his studio teaching years, he played many engagements, keeping up with his friends in jazz music.

After writing and arranging more than 80 songs for chord melody guitar style, he decided to move back to his "roots" in Houston, Texas, where he developed an exhibit of his vast history, memorabilia and songs. In Sealy, Texas, where they are very proud of their native son, there is a large display in their historical museum commemorating Huey Long.

Presently, Huey Long lives in Houston, Texas, where he still writes and teaches, and on weekends, he exhibits his "roots" and his memorabilia. Huey Long is a true gentleman and a legend.

Written by Ed Astrich, guitarist and friend of Huey Long
June, 1998

Huey Long's Links

Huey Long of the Ink Spots - by Bill "Porkchop" Proctor
The Original Ink Spots - Includes information about the group from 1934 through 1953, a discography, radio, TV and movie appearances, CDs, press, books & articles, audio & video clips, and other related links
Houston Press April 4, 2004 - A Century of Progress: Huey Long is From All the Eras by John Nova Lomax
The Vocal Group Harmony Ink Spots Web Site - Includes photo album and record albums
Ink Spots Evolution - This site chronicles the evolution of the group in the form of a family tree with photos, artwork and eventually music (when available) of the many groups that followed
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame & Museum - The Ink Spots
Book Review of "More Than Words Can Say: The Ink Spots and Their Music" by Andrea Siegal
Historic Houston: Huey Long Has A Place in Jazz History
Wikipedia: Huey Long
Wikipedia: The Ink Spots