Civil Rights Anthem Claremont recording session. "If You Miss Me At the Back Bus" sung by Ellen Harper owner of the Folk Art Music Center in Claremont, Claudia Lennear, famous background singer for Ike and Tina Turner, Joe Cocker and other, Elizabeth Hangan , blues musician and educator and Marguerite Millard, fold musician. The recording session is for a documentary project for Angela Williamson Sadler entitled "Authentic Conversations: Voices Raised for Unity". In her conversations Angela talks about her cousin Rosa Parks and about her children's book " My Life With Rosie". Special thanks to Jon Crawford's Studio in Claremont for allowing us to film there. @KLCS TV @Pitzer College
For Dr. Angela Sadler Williamson Tv Show "Everybody With Angela Williamson" https://www.klcs.org
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Hi, it's Pat Patterson, and I'm here in Claremont at John Crawford's private studio, and I just
heard the best song recorded.
And I'm with Ellen Harper and Elizabeth Hangen, and Ellen, you are the head of the Folk Music
Center here in Claremont, and you kind of pulled this group together.
What was the song we just heard you guys record?
The song is called If You Miss Me From the Back of the Bus.
If you miss me on the back of the bus, you can't find me nowhere.
Come on over to the bus, I'll be right out there.
Tell me a little bit about the song.
It was by someone named Charles Nablett, and he was one of the Freedom Singers.
And Ellen, the Folk Music Center, I mean, you guys, it was your parents that started the center?
Absolutely.
Yeah, and how long have you been a part of this incredible community in Claremont?
We arrived in Claremont in 1958.
And Elizabeth, just to divert for a second, you just won a Living Legend Award.
Tell me quickly about what that is.
In Los Angeles, there's an organization actually called the Living Legends, I forget the full name of it,
but there's a woman who, through the city of Los Angeles, gives these Living Legend Awards
to blues and jazz artists living in Los Angeles and surrounding areas.
Because her philosophy is, why would you wait until someone dies to recognize them?
But you have to be 62 to get it.
It's a mixed bag then.
Yeah, it's a mixed bag.
And it's not just singers, it's all kinds of musicians and instrumentalists, rather,
and people who are promoters of blues or jazz or educators.
All those kinds of people get those awards.
If you miss me at the picket line, you can't find me nowhere.
Come on over to the city jail, I'll be rooming down there.
Radia, I know you have a history that is incredible with the Icats.
I saw you in the movie 20 Feet from Stardom, which I love that movie, all about the singers in the background.
Tell me a little bit about what this whole experience means to you.
Today, with Ellen and Elizabeth and Marguerite, and the song, it's just such a perfect fit.
It's always a perfect fit to work with these young ladies, and I've known Ellen for quite some time.
Even before I met Ellen, I always knew about the Folk Music Center, so I've always been a big fan.
Anyone I know who's a musician, I always recommend that they come there if they're in the Claremont area.
What are you up to these days?
My next project will be, this is a man, Ellen has spoken about Taj Mahal.
He's been a friend for more than half my life, and I've known his music since then.
It's the first time in our friendship that I will be on the same bill as him at the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland, Oregon.
That will be on July 3rd.
Wow, how exciting is that?
Very exciting. It's a personal excitement for me.
I know part of the impetus of this project is Angela's book about Rosa Parks, her children's book,
and just in terms of the whole legacy of Rosa Parks for either of you.
Of course everyone thinks of her as a hero, and I was a teacher for 20 years in elementary school,
and she was definitely part of my curriculum, and so it's really great to be a part of this project,
and with these three other singers and Angela, it's really wonderful.
For me, Rosa Parks represents the changing tide of the Civil Rights Movement,
and a woman changing the tide of the Civil Rights Movement to me is even more meaningful.
I remember her name in my household. I grew up in Rhode Island, but even there, Rosa Parks,
she was the star of our house.
It's really nice, just a little rock dropped in the pond and the ripples go out.
Oh, that's great. I hope so.
Yeah, that's great. Well, thank you both.
And it's Pat Patterson here in Claremont. We just listened to the session of If You Miss Me from the Back of the Bus.
Come on over to the front of the bus, I'll be riding up there.
I'll be riding up there. I'll be riding up there.
Come on over to the front of the bus, I'll be riding up there.
