I will never forget meeting Georgie Bonds. When he walked into the Local's office about 25 years ago, it was obvious that he had an interesting story even before he opened his mouth. His skin appeared white, leathery and blistery - not from burns, as it appeared, but from a hospital procedure that went awry.
Bonds, who died Jan. 13 at age 72 of hypertensive pulmonary disease, had a fascinating life story. After attending Dobbins High School and getting into what he described as "serious trouble with the law," he turned his life around through an unexpected passion: horses. He spent the next 14 years as Philadelphia's village blacksmith and became a member of the Philadelphia Black Cowboys.
But as much as Bonds loved horses, he loved playing the blues even more. His performances at Warmdaddy's, Twisted Tail, Mermaid Inn and Pastorius Park summer concerts showcased a talent that rivaled B.B. King, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf.
Deb Callahan, a blues singer from Flourtown who often performed with Bonds, remembers his generous spirit. "Georgie's ability to be so grateful for what he had in his life and not what was missing was always a strong reminder to me to pay more attention to this in my own life," she said. "I met Georgie in the late 1990s when he hosted the blues jam at the original Warmdaddy's on Front Street ... I started coming to the jam not knowing anyone, and Georgie made me feel welcome and comfortable right away."
She added, "He was always supportive and encouraging to me and many others in pursuing musical goals. Georgie performed a duet with me on my first CD recording entitled 'If Your Man Messes Up.' I loved hearing him sing and play guitar with his band and am glad that I was able to share the stage with him one last time recently when we did a show at The Fallser In East Falls. It is a loss for our Philly music community, and I know he is blacksmithing and singing somewhere in another realm."
Bonds' gravelly, soulful voice exhaled powerful, poignant emotions of pain, injustice and hope. But his music was not confined to sorrow and melancholy. The transformative quality of his blues resonated with listeners who found solace in his melodies.
His recording career began with "Sometimes I Wonder" in 2001, but health issues soon followed. Bonds released "Stepping Into Time" in 2013 and appeared in the film "Concrete Cowboy" (2020/Green Door Pictures) and the Broadway hit "It Ain't Nothin But the Blues." Just as his career was gaining momentum, hip surgery in early 2015 and subsequent kidney failure requiring dialysis limited his ability to perform. His third and final album, "Hit it Hard," was released in October 2015.
"I was influenced by Georgie. He had so much courage," said his niece Rosie Bonds, also an R&B and blues singer. "Other musicians like me have a day job to make ends meet, but Georgie only did music, even though it is so hard to make a living that way. His last performance was at the Fallser Club in East Falls one month ago. The band had to carry him to and from the stage, but when he played and sang, it was the same old Georgie. He was married to the blues."
Steve Green of East Oak Lane, whose Breakwater Band has been playing in area clubs for years, remembered Bonds fondly. "Georgie was a beautiful cat," Green said last week. "He was a stone bluesman. He lived with a lot of pain but always had a smile and gave love. We were members of Cedar Park Presbyterian Church, and we often played there together. I host musicians' fellowship at the church, and we loved to 'bring the word' at a jam session. At the memorial service (on Jan. 20) over 100 people showed up to pay tribute to Georgie."
John Colgan-Davis of Mt. Airy, whose band, The Dukes of Destiny, has been rockin' area clubs for decades, added, "I first heard Georgie in the mid-1990s at blues jams at The Barbary and Warmdaddy's, and he blew me away. Listening to him sing was always moving and intense. We were fortunate to do a couple of festivals with Georgie, and we got to know him. He was a genuine and friendly person, and he always had that big smile. And when he asked you how you were doing, you knew he really did want to know. He was outgoing and real. Thanks, Georgie, for sharing your music and love of life with us. Love you!"
Bonds had no wife or children.
Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com
