Roy Bookbinder

It took a lot of time for some of us to get it, some longer than others.

Well, he was taken advantage of a lot when he was singing on the streets for many years in Harlem.

He'd lose guitars and what have you.

First lesson Reverend Davis taught me when we got to our first room in the house out in

somewhere near Chicago, and Reverend Davis was getting ready to go to bed.

He says, now, Roy, you've got to understand.

He said, we're in a strange city and a strange house here, and I don't like the house much.

I said, well, how come?

He said, they're not taking care of this house.

I said, well, how do you know that?

He said, well, the doorknob's loose.

I checked it on the way in.

He said, when you go to sleep, the first thing you do, he says, is you take out your knife.

He reached in his pocket and pulled out a knife about 12 inches long.

I about had a heart attack.

He says, you take your knife and you put it under your pillow.

He said, then you get your pocketbook.

And he reached down his long jaws and pulled out his little leather purse he kept all his money in.

He always traveled with some money.

He said, you put that inside your pillowcase.