“I graduated from Tulane University School of Law in 1987. One of the fondest memories of my time in New Orleans was going to Bennie’s Bar every Thursday night to see Charmaine Neville perform. Bennie’s was a converted shotgun house with a bar in the front entrance that only served Dixie Longnecks for $1 and Bud Longnecks for $1.50. The stage was in the back and there were no chairs. Bennie’s had a $2 cover charge to see great New Orleans rhythm and blues artists like Ms. Neville. The place was always packed. There was no place on the planet like it.
Charmaine Neville was a crowd favorite. She would sing for hours, and always involved the audience. Every night she would perform “hit the road Jack.” She would pull some drunk schnook out of the crowd to play the part of Jack. Charmaine would then tell off the no-good fellow, much to the audience’s amusement. On more than one occasion I got to be Jack. I would ham it up and get on my knees and beg her to take me back only to have her boot me off the stage.
Bennie’s was one of those “only in New Orleans” places, where you didn’t need to have a lot of money to have a good time. A good-natured fun-loving spirit flowed as freely as the music and drink. Charmaine Neville was so much a part of that spirit. You can understand why should couldn’t leave and had to stay and help.
It is heartbreaking to not only hear her story but to watch it on video. Every day my thoughts and feelings are flooded with anger and saddness. America can’t let this great city down again. We need to rebuild New Orleans and restore its charm and history and make it better than ever.” Amen to that. This wasn’t just any city. This was New Orleans. Last night in Ptown, they organized a benefit for the Red Cross. Every drag queen did an act, hosted by the funniest post-drag drag artist I’ve ever seen, Dina Martina. The mood was boozy, brash, boisterous, sad. And all of that fit the city we were still mourning. It will come back. So will America – and a functioning government.
The Dish 