SKF NOTE: This handwritten note from drummer Joe English is not dated. My guess is Joe wrote this circa 1985-86. Other than my scrubbing a couple of phone numbers and addresses, the note is intact. I’ve transcribed it below for anyone having trouble reading Joe’s handwriting.

Joe was tough to interview. Here’s what I wrote as part of his feature interview introduction in the June 1986 Modern Drummer:

“Joe English agreed to to this interview in 1980. Then he disappeared. In 1983, I got approximately three-fourths of this interview on tape when Joe disappeared for another three years. I nicknamed him the Howard Hughes of Drumming. I had no positive proof that Joe was a bad guy. He never returned my phone calls or answered my letters, but I have two grandmothers who are guilty of the same thing, and they’re not bad people. The last quarter of this interview was, finally, taped at the tail end of 1985, and I submitted it to MD and it was published in the June 1986 issue.”

When I left MD’s employ in 1983, instead of someone else preparing interviews on which I was working, I assured MD Founder Ron Spagnardi I would finish them. Joe English was one of those interviews.

Joe’s two references to drummer Jaimo are interesting on a couple of levels. While my friend, Bill Grillo, and I were in NYC interviewing Allman Brothers’ drummers Jaimo and Butch Trucks, Jaimo’s wife at the time, Candy, asked me if I would let her read the interview before it went to publication.

Without skipping a beat I said, “Yes.” When I then asked Candy why, she told me of a time an interviewer put words in Jaimo’s mouth, made up quotes Jaimo never said or inferred.

From then on I sent everyone I interviewed the copy headed for publication. That’s what Joe English is talking about in this letter. He’s read the interview, made a few changes – he calls them “notations” – and he likes the changes I’ve made or told him I’d make.

Once the interviewer and the subject agree to a reasonable turnaround time to look over, make any changes, and return an interview – it’s a win-win policy I still use.

The Pittsburgh photographer who took Joe’s MD interview photos in Nashville is Rick Malkin. Rick was always a professional pleasure to work with.

=====

Scott –

Hope your (sic) doing well –

(Where’s Jaimo?)

I’ve made some notations for deleting or whatever –

In your note you said you were changing the ending – so that’s good – I think the readers wouldn’t get the jist (sic) of the Spiritual thing – they want “what kind of hardware” and etc etc.

I feel we need my conversion and that’s about it – Whatever!

I’ll be at (deleted phone number) for another 9 days –

Scott thanks a million for your patience.

Oh – someone shot the photos in Nashville – Great guy – From Pittsburgh. I need to send you his address (he asked if I would do that)

Anyway – God Bless – Where is Jaimo?

Joe English