"You can call me anything you like, but my name is Veronica."

[Left Is Write]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8XVijFdyug

[MysticalChicken]

1. Elvis Costello is a genius.

One of my most favorite artists.

[styersc]

2. Heard an odd story about how he got his ass kicked by

Bonnie Raitt at a music festival after Costello reffered to Ray Charles as a "blind ni**er". If true, I don't have much use for him.

[redqueen]

3. Sounds like BS. n/t

[styersc]

5. BS. You mean Bruce Springsteen?

Elvis Costello sounds nothing like Bruce Springsteen, but I'll defer to your judgement.

But in regards to the story- Bonnie Raitt is pretty feisty.

[Bryan]

6. That's a long story.

Different Bonnie, for starters:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Costello

Costello's success in the U.S. was bruised for a time in the late 1970s when, during a drunken argument with Stephen Stills and Bonnie Bramlett in a Columbus, Ohio, Holiday Inn hotel bar, Costello referred to James Brown as a "jive-ass nigger," then upped the ante by pronouncing Ray Charles a "blind, ignorant nigger."

A contrite Costello apologized at a New York City press conference a few days later, claiming that he had been drunk and had been attempting to be obnoxious in order to bring the conversation to a swift conclusion, not anticipating that Bramlett would bring his comments to the press. According to Costello, "it became necessary for me to outrage these people with about the most obnoxious and offensive remarks that I could muster." In his liner notes for the expanded version of Get Happy!!, Costello writes that some time after the incident he had declined an offer to meet Charles out of guilt and embarrassment, though Charles himself had forgiven Costello ("Drunken talk isn't meant to be printed in the paper"). In a Rolling Stone interview with Greil Marcus, he recounts an incident when Bruce Thomas was introduced to Michael Jackson as Costello's bass player and Jackson saying, "I don't dig that guy...".

It is notable that Costello worked extensively in Britain's Rock Against Racism campaign both before and after this interlude and also produced the debut album of the Specials whose multi-racial line-up was a very public statement about integration. This incident specifically inspired his Get Happy!! song "Riot Act".

There's also a longer and more biased account at this fansite:
http://www.elviscostello.info/biography.php

[redqueen]

7. Thanks... good to know the backstory on that. n/t

[styersc]

10. Thanks for the info.

[redqueen]

4. I love "Almost Blue"

love love love!

[stuntcat]

8. Wonderful song!

I've always loved it

[stuntcat]

9. (comment in wrong place sorry :))

oops