Page 18 - BiTS_02_FEBRUARY_2022

Cathy Ponton King

song a couple of times. Everybody has a piece of paper, and they make crib notes for themselves
and then we’d do two or three takes and find out what everybody thinks is the best one.

BiTS: Changing the subject slightly, have you been seriously affected by COVID? Are gigs damaged
and all that sort of stuff?

CPK: Oh gosh, yes. There was a club that I have been playing for ten years. Ironically, an Irish pub -

here I am back in the Irish pubs - but they booked blues, ironically, but we used to pack the place
and it was my local. It was my home base and they closed. They couldn’t make it. Lots of clubs were
closing, especially in 2020. The gigs just dried up and I’m lucky that I have other income and a lot
of musicians I know were filing for unemployment or, I don’t know, I guess they lived with their
significant other, but yes, it was really devastating. I mean, my nephew is an actor in the local

theatre scene, and he lost all his acting gigs because all the theatres shut down and I used to play
this big theatre in Bethesda, Maryland, about a half an hour away from me. It was a 500-seat hall
and I opened up for great musicians like Coco Montoya and Kim Wilson, Tab Benoit. I opened up for
Arlen Roth, the great guitar player, just great double bill shows all the time there and Bobby Parker,
who passed away right after our gig, which was very sad, and that place had to shut down. That’s a
500-seat hall. We lost tons of work and income. COVID has just decimated things. Even now, I just
saw online Lucinda Williams, who I’m a big fan of, singer, she’s cancelling a bunch of gigs. Keb’ Mo’

has posted his gigs cancelling. It’s devastating. There’s got to be an end to this. It’s decimated the
music business.

BiTS: Cathy, I won’t take any more of your time. Thank you very much indeed for speaking to me.
It’s been delightful and I wish you the very best of luck in the future with getting some gigs and all
the rest of it. Stay safe. Anyway, like I say, stay safe. Don’t go out without a mask on.

CPK: Alright, it’s been a pleasure talking to you.