Elbert James Due March 22, 1935 – October 10, 2009 “Uncle Elbow”

I thought I would write out my thoughts on Uncle Elbow. It would be my little way of remembering him. One day when I can’t remember anything, maybe the kids will pull all the data off this old blog and read it to me…maybe they’ll skip some of it too. LOL The picture of the guitar – is just because that is the first thing I think of when I think of him. I also thought this old guitar looked like it has lived the same life Uncle Elbow did – a little rough – but still sounds good if you like that style. 

I was trying to think of how to describe Uncle Elbow – a short version would be this way = ‘A three fingered, guitar picking, “look he’r boy”, hunting, pool shooting, don’t need anything from anybody, hypochondriac’. LOL Sorry, he did always think something was wrong with him!

Now, for the best part about him. The guitar picking. He and Daddy learned to play by ear – according to them – by listening to the radio shows and remembering the song…they did not play the “top 10” over and over back then like they do now days. They moved on to having bands and all. When they came into my guitar playing life I merely had a passion for guitar and that was about it. Daddy showed me the chords and made me follow along after he bought me a black Fender flat-top acoustic. I tried, and eventually got to where I could keep up pretty good. Then one day Uncle Elbow stopped by. We all started playing and Uncle Elbow takes off on this lead run. I was hooked, amazed … he just did that with only three fingers!

I guess I should clear up the “three finger” thing. He lost his index (pointing) finger on his left hand in a saw accident. So it was not a birth defect or anything. After the accident I was told he taught himself some steel guitar, but also taught himself to pick again using what he had left – which sums up his way of life to me.

Anyway, back to the guitar stuff!

Uncle Elbow would play a lot of what I now know are triads, and blues pentatonic scales/licks. Never over doing it either. He would not really show you to much…I think for the lack of a teaching type personality – but he would run through it a couple times at full speed. LOL

I remember once I started buying guitars for myself, waiting for him to come over so we could pick. I would always let him play the new one. Especially if it was a Fender Telecaster. He could make those strings pop and it fit the style he played. He would never really finish a song though, unless Daddy was playing and singing – even then at times he would go a little A.D.D. and tell an old story or look at me and say “look he’r boy” and do a little lick. I think the two songs that we would play when he was over at the house would be “T for Texas”, a Jimmy Rodgers tune and “Big Boss Man” and Jimmy Reed tune. He always sang that line “I’d rather drink muddy water and sleep all night in a holler’ log. They to stay here – and be treated like a dirty dog.” – it made me laugh.

I’m in the process of building a nice studio – one of the big projects I wanted to do was record all of us playing and doing some of the tunes we would do when we were all together. I still want to do it – but with out his picking – it won’t quite be the same.

The other thing about Uncle Elbow was his hunting. Wow, he hunted pretty much all the time – even out of season. LOL He had a few troubles with the law on this before. I remember one time, I think it was my cousin Jason with me, and I were down at Uncle Elbow’s deer camp. James Ray and Uncle Elbow had just left for an evening hunt when we got there. We saw them walking down a pipe line so we walked a little faster to try and catch up. Jason and I were wearing our cowboy hats and when we got within yelling distance we hollered at them. “James Ray! Elbert!”. They looked back and then split different directions. We lost them.

Upon returning to the camp at dark. There was Uncle Elbow and James Ray. We asked them why they did not stop when we hollered at them. James Ray kind of snickered and said “Hell we thought you were the Game Warden”. We all got a good laugh out of that. It also, again, tells you a little more into his lifestyle.

All in all, I think he lived a full life. The one he wanted the way he wanted. I think if you asked anyone that knew him – they would attest to just that.

We will miss him, there will be no doubt. They’ll be many stories told about him as well. He was – for lack of a better word – some what –  adventurous.

I wish I had a scanner – all the pics I have are before I could afford a digital camera. LOL

Love ya’ & miss ya Uncle Elbert! I added a song I composed named “Elbow” – not perfect, but I tried to put in there some of the stuff he taught me on guitar and what I was thinking about him – I would have said feeling…but the entire family is sick with the swine flu right now – so that’s my excuse for the missed notes. Go to the Music>Listen> and listen to Elbow.

Funeral services for Elbert James Due, 74, of Apple Springs will be held Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 10 a.m. in the Carroway-Claybar Funeral Home Chapel with Brother R.G. “Bud” Davis and Brother Mike Due officiating. Interment will follow in the Knight Cemetery. Mr. Due was born March 22, 1935 in Apple Springs, Texas to the late Stella Mae (Williams) and M.W. Due, and died Saturday, October 10, 2009 in a local hospital. He was a lifetime resident of Trinity County. Mr. Due enjoyed fishing, hunting and playing pool. He was of the Pentecostal faith. Survivors include his wife, Donna Miller of Apple Springs; daughter, Belinda Greenville of Lufkin; grandchildren, Crystal Due of Huffman, Niki Delacerda of Onalaska, Nicole Alsbrooks of Pollok, Cliff Parker of Groveton and Megan Parker of Lufkin; three great-grandchildren; brother and sister-in-law, Merron and Betty Due of Lufkin; sisters and brothers-in-law, Maurine (Jo) and Kenneth Birdsong of Pollok, Linda Sheridan of Dayton and Shirley and J.T. Hambrick of Lufkin; sister-in-law, Louise Due of Lufkin; and a number of nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Mr. Due was preceded in death by his son, James Ray Due; and brother, Charles Ray Due. Pallbearers will be Jason White, Cody Smith, Jimmy Due, Cole Smith, Scott Birdsong, Keith Crofford, John Tullos and Jimmy Bowman. Honorary pallbearers will be Clayton Smith, J.T. Hambrick, Jack Clark, James Clark and Andrew Clary. The family will welcome friends and loved ones from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday evening at the funeral home. Carroway-Claybar Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.