Mean Gene Kelton R.I.P.

Mean Gene Kelton's beautiful head stone designed by his wife, Joni Kelton

I was honored to receive an invitation to the dedication of the gravestone and final resting place of Sidney Eugene Kelton, better known in the Blues world as Mean Gene Kelton.  His wife Joni is a friend of mine, as was Gene, and I had to make it a priority to be there.

An intimate group of family and friends dared the threat of lightning and thunder for a small service

 My friend Elke Meyer informed me Joni designed the graphics and text for the grave stone and I must say, I’ve never seen anything so wonderful.  I was part of an intimate group of maybe fifty other people and we gathered under the rain-laden clouds, as the gods of lightning and thunder hailed a final goodbye to Mean Gene.

Mean Gene Kelton at Roseland Park for the Save Our Bayou Rally

 It was a fitting tribute to the man some knew as “too white to play the blues” and others, the hot-lick blues guitarist from Baytown, Texas.  I have his CD’s and listen to them often and it’s a shame, but honestly, I didn’t realize the man was as good as he was until after his untimely death on the 28^th of December, 2010.  It was evident to me how wounded this group of people are over his passing.

Joni Kelton and family at dedication service

 KPFT (90.1) Public radio regularly plays his music and often, I’ve never heard the song, but no one has to tell me who I am listening to.  Along with his band, the Die Hards, they have a very distinctive powerful guitar and lyrics ranging from emotional to earthy.  If you grew up in Baytown back in the heydays of Goose Creek, you remember “Cruisin’ Texas Avenue", a Mean Gene staple.

A very diverse group of fans, friends, and family attended and exchanged stories.

 Self-described as a performing "black leather blues and redneck rock 'n roll” no doubt Gene Kelton will become the legend in death he deserved in life.  In his honor, I created a geocache close to his grave so people can use their GPSr units to find his grave site, as it is way out in the East Texas woods in Pine Valley Cemetery, near Pumpkin, Texas.  I also created a geocaching “Challenge”, which people who play this hi-tech game of hide and seek can complete if they take their own photo with Mean Gene’s headstone in the background.

Emotions ran high as the grave stone was dedicated in the old cemetery

 Last, I built a page on the web site Find a Grave, so those interested in genealogy can find his marker.  Thank you my friend Joni Kelton for allowing me into your inner circle and may God bless Mean Gene, his band - the Die Hards, fans, friends, and family.

Guitarist, Singer 'Mean' Gene Kelton Killed in School Bus Crash

HOUSTON - FOX 26 News has learned the person killed in a wreck involving a Crosby ISD school bus was Houston-based singer-songwriter "Mean" Gene Kelton.

The wreck happened on FM 2100 around 8:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Kelton was the only fatality in the crash, but 11 people on the school bus were transported to the hospital as a precaution.

Friends and fans paid their respects on Kelton's Facebook page after a 'status update' announced his death.

"To my friends and fans of Mean Gene Kelton: Gene was involved in an accident in Crosby late Tuesday evening, and did not survive. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, especially his children and his mother, Helen."

According to Kelton's website, he was one of the top blues guitarists in Texas. Along with his regular performances across Texas, Kelton also spent time as an actor and author. Kelton was scheduled to perform a New Year's Eve show at the Rowdy Bucks Saloon in Crosby. In early December, he opened for ZZ Top in Odessa.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office says Kelton was driving a 2002 Ford Explorer northbound on FM 2100 when he hit the Crosby school bus head-on. While the crash remains under investigation, witnesses told deputies Kelton swerved into oncoming traffic to avoid hitting another vehicle that had stopped to turn.

The school bus Kelton hit was carrying the 9th grade basketball team from Crosby High School.

Kelton was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Keltons are friends of mine and this hurts me to my very core.  Please keep his wife and family in your prayers.  BB

Photos by Bert Marshall

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Doug Delony - Senior Web Producer

Trail, Road and Sky

Well, it’s been an active three days. Friday, my bride and I traveled to Brazos Bend State Park and hiked the many trails for four hours. It’s only the second time this year we’ve hiked together and it was very pleasant and fulfilling for both of us, at least it was for me.

When two people have been married for thirty-two years, it would appear walking a trail together would be status quo, but truth be told, many folks grow apart over the years and pursue their own agendas apart from their mate. My bride and I have walked many a mile together over the years, but seldom on long hikes, so this is new and exciting territory for us.

I’m pleased to say this was the second successful hike in the last two weeks for us and more are planned. In fact, I hope we hike many more miles in Brazos Bend SP in the next month so we can witness the American Alligator in rut. They are very active at this time and I am hoping we see a big male rumble and ripple the water as it calls females. If I can video it, I will be very pleased indeed.

My Lady is with me on this hiking business, as she knows it is a good thing. I am about three years from sixty and she is approaching fifty. What could be a better decision than walking the trails, looking at nature and getting exercise to boot? Speaking of boots, I ordered her a pair of Columbia Coremic Ridge hiker boots. The temerity! She reminded me this was very personal and I reminded her I knew it was.

I want my Bride to have all the comfort she can get on the trail, so I ordered her three pair of merino wool hiking socks also. Call it cheek if you like, but I call it protective compassion. Banging your feet on the trail bothers the feet and can ruin a hike and it doesn’t matter who you are or what skill level you have. Having good socks and boots makes a big difference in how long you can walk comfortably.

Saturday rolled around and I went down to Texas Avenue for the Bayshore Fine Rides car show in time to watch Mean Gene Kelton and his Diehard band. I had a good chat with former council member Sam Mahan and a couple of other folks, but the best visit was with Ken “the dauber” Pridgeon. Ken’s a local artist and a mover and shaker in the Baytown Art League. He was sitting at a table in front of the old Brunson Theater drumming up signatures to save the old building. Of course, I signed.

Sunday morning, I skipped Sunday School (again! – Lord forgive me!) and geared up for a ride out Beach City way. In my defense, this area is very hostile to cyclists, as there is very little shoulder on the roads and even less tolerance from cars drivers. It’s so bad out there that riding a bicycle is flat-out dangerous. The only safe time to take a long distance ride is on Sunday morning.

I left the house about 9am and made my way down the south side of Business 146 to Kilgore road. Old Kilgore is now new Kilgore and awesome cement. You would have to see it to appreciate how improved this road is. Passing Roseland Park on Texas Avenue, I peddled to Spur 55/Hwy 99 and crossed over Cedar Bayou, stopping to appreciate the view and look to see what changes have been made concerning the proposed Barge Terminal.

On West Bay road, I turned and rode towards the dump, which believe it or not is odorless and actually not a bad ride. Since it was Sunday, there was little traffic and I had the road to myself. The open road and big sky got me to thinking how much I liked wide open spaces. Trail, road and sky…and me. Just the way I like it.

I usually ride straight out Fisher Road to Tri-Cities Beach Road, but the wind was picking up and I knew I was going to be riding into it one way or the other and that long stretch out by Trinity Bay can be murder, so I elected to ride the opposite direction and have most of this wind at my back and then fight the head wind on the return down the five miles of Fisher Road.

What I experienced though was a bad crosswind on Tri-Cities and total frontage on Fisher. By the time I got to the Wesley Riggs Memorial on TriCities, I was pooped. I always stop and pay my respects to the fallen local hero PFC Wesley Riggs. He and his family payed the ultimate price in Iraqi Freedom and deserves a few minutes of reflection.

Needless to say, that ride into the 10-15 mph wind on Fisher road turned me into a grunting 56 year old man and I finally wheeled down my own street exhausted and once again fulfilled. I’ll do it again, but next time I’ll check the wind report, but the sum of all this is I got off the couch and did something outdoors.