Regular readers of this blog may recall what I wrote about the death last year of Dick Sudhalter, a great jazz historian who was also one of my closest friends. Dick’s wise counsel was invaluable to me in the early stages of writing Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong. Alas, a disease of the nervous system had robbed him of the ability to speak or write by the time I’d finished the first draft of Pops, and so he was unable to give me any further comments on the book. He did read the manuscript, though, and managed to express his pleasure with the results.
Dorothy Kellogg, Dick’s beloved companion, has now sent me a snapshot in which he can be seen reading the final draft of Pops. How I wish he’d lived to see this joyous day.
Terry Teachout on the arts in New York City
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