A. L. Hamilton

Home Ain't No Place

I only had a few dozen interviews under my belt when I got the call that Smokin’ Bo Waites was willing to let me do a feature on him-- his first interview in over forty years. He was a fiercely private man and didn’t care at all for the media circus side of the music business. But when I reached out to his manager, I explained that I wasn’t just another young gunner, looking to break through by getting his name attached to my CV. I had been a disciple of his music since I was fourteen. The first time I ever heard one of his songs, it pierced me to my core and brought me to tears. He was more than just a blues legend to me; he was a religious figure, a mystic, a saint, who had led me through some of the darkest times in my life. I’d like to think that something I said must have convinced him, but in reality, Bo probably just decided the time was right to share his story.