Ask longtime San Antonians who recall George"Bongo Joe" Coleman, the street musician who was a downtown fixture for nearly two decades, and their eyes often light up. Across almost every social class and divide, Coleman was revered.
They rang out from Alamo Plaza and later, down the Riverwalk and on the Commerce Street Bridge, from his arrival the city in 1968 until his retirement from the street performances after a 1987 tangle with the law. San Antonio paper artist and conservation advocate Kathy Trenchard remains equally dazzled with Bongo Joe and is a key advocate for remembering his life, music and contributions to the city's culture.
Author Rob Johnson, a literature professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, spent five years chasing down the Bongo Joe mythology. His book, released in 2018 by Beatdom Press, collects almost all existing research and exposes a fascinating untold chapter: Bongo Joe's time in Fort Worth. "I probably spent more time with him, talking, than anyone else he knew at that [later] stage in his life, and perhaps years before that," said Mehl, who featured Bongo Joe in his KLRN-TV show"The show was meant to shine a light on the more unusual, interesting people of San Antonio," Mehl said."So, I hunted him up and found him. It was a convoluted process, because he had moved in with Helen Glau, a friend and partner of his.
McCormick's accompanying essay on Coleman, the first of its kind, avoids the reductive dismissals found in later profiles and proves as interesting as the recording itself, especially for those in search of the elusive Bongo Joe. At the time, Fort Worth retained a lawless, Wild West atmosphere, especially along Jacksboro Highway, where The Cellar was located. The establishment's"coffee house" tag was partially a ruse to circumvent alcohol laws.
Though unconfirmed, Coleman himself has claimed that he was whisked to JFK's room at the Hotel Texas for a private performance. "The responding officer said, 'I don't think he's disturbing the peace. In fact, I think he's pretty good!'" the author said, laughing."It's really a credit to San Antonio that, at that time, they embraced him."
jimbealjr A wonderful article about an iconic local musician and entertainer. I’ve seen the banner honoring Bongo Joe at New Orleans JazzFest. Meanwhile, San Antonio seems to be in the process of forgetting him. What a shame.
Bongo Joe Bro!!!
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