Friday, November 04, 2005
Despite losing it all, Pete Fountain plans to continue playing, marching
01:36 PM CST on Friday, November 4, 2005
Associated Press
Pete Fountain's home in nearby Bay St. Louis, Miss., told his life story --
gold albums, pictures posing with four presidents, thank-you notes from Frank
Sinatra, and beloved clarinets and other vintage instruments.
But Hurricane Katrina wiped virtually all the treasures away, destroying his
plantation-style home and about 10 instruments -- even a grand piano. Fountain
and wife Beverly survived after multiple evacuations that took them from Cajun
Country to Cotton Country when Katrina and Hurricane Rita struck.
Still, at 75, Fountain's intent on performing again.
"Those two ladies, especially Katrina, really got me," Fountain said recently
in his newly rented home in Hammond, about 50 miles northwest of New Orleans.
"But I have two of my best clarinets so I'm OK. I can still toot."
The hurricanes took a heavy toll on the many legendary musicians of New
Orleans. Fats Domino, who was rescued from rising floodwaters in a boat, found
his piano overturned among mud and debris and his house in ruins. Aaron Neville
lost four Grammys when his home was flooded.
Despite the losses, the musicians who brought fame to New Orleans are not
giving up on the city where jazz was born.
"I'm not running from New Orleans," said Lucien Barbarin, who plays trombone
with Harry Connick Jr. and suffered severe damage to his home. "I'm going to
stay because I was born and raised there and I'm going to pass away there. We
name drinks after hurricanes. We should be used to this."
Fountain, renowned for leading his Half-Fast Walking Club on Fat Tuesday down
St. Charles Avenue to the French Quarter, said that tradition will continue. A
prominent member in recent years has been actor John Goodman.
"We might walk in our drawers, but we're going to walk," Fountain said.
Among Fountain's losses were photos of Louis Armstrong, with whom he performed,
his collection of vintage guns, a Porsche and his part-time gig at Casino Magic
in Bay St. Louis because of severe hurricane damage.
He found one of his gold records, covered with mud, and one of the two
clarinets was recovered by a neighbor a few blocks from his house.
But Fountain, who planned to give his memorabilia to his grandchildren, said he
and his wife consider themselves fortunate to have survived. They still have a
home in New Orleans and recently celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary.
"My world was going one way, now it's going the other," he said. "I just hope
we can come back. I know the French Quarter is going to make it. Besides the
Quarter, everybody has got to get it together and get it going."
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Associated Press
Pete Fountain's home in nearby Bay St. Louis, Miss., told his life story --
gold albums, pictures posing with four presidents, thank-you notes from Frank
Sinatra, and beloved clarinets and other vintage instruments.
But Hurricane Katrina wiped virtually all the treasures away, destroying his
plantation-style home and about 10 instruments -- even a grand piano. Fountain
and wife Beverly survived after multiple evacuations that took them from Cajun
Country to Cotton Country when Katrina and Hurricane Rita struck.
Still, at 75, Fountain's intent on performing again.
"Those two ladies, especially Katrina, really got me," Fountain said recently
in his newly rented home in Hammond, about 50 miles northwest of New Orleans.
"But I have two of my best clarinets so I'm OK. I can still toot."
The hurricanes took a heavy toll on the many legendary musicians of New
Orleans. Fats Domino, who was rescued from rising floodwaters in a boat, found
his piano overturned among mud and debris and his house in ruins. Aaron Neville
lost four Grammys when his home was flooded.
Despite the losses, the musicians who brought fame to New Orleans are not
giving up on the city where jazz was born.
"I'm not running from New Orleans," said Lucien Barbarin, who plays trombone
with Harry Connick Jr. and suffered severe damage to his home. "I'm going to
stay because I was born and raised there and I'm going to pass away there. We
name drinks after hurricanes. We should be used to this."
Fountain, renowned for leading his Half-Fast Walking Club on Fat Tuesday down
St. Charles Avenue to the French Quarter, said that tradition will continue. A
prominent member in recent years has been actor John Goodman.
"We might walk in our drawers, but we're going to walk," Fountain said.
Among Fountain's losses were photos of Louis Armstrong, with whom he performed,
his collection of vintage guns, a Porsche and his part-time gig at Casino Magic
in Bay St. Louis because of severe hurricane damage.
He found one of his gold records, covered with mud, and one of the two
clarinets was recovered by a neighbor a few blocks from his house.
But Fountain, who planned to give his memorabilia to his grandchildren, said he
and his wife consider themselves fortunate to have survived. They still have a
home in New Orleans and recently celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary.
"My world was going one way, now it's going the other," he said. "I just hope
we can come back. I know the French Quarter is going to make it. Besides the
Quarter, everybody has got to get it together and get it going."
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
