The Ballad Of Curtis Loew by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Album: Second Helping (1974)

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This song tells the story of Black man named Curtis Loew who would play his dobro outside the corner store if you gave him some change, which he's use to buy wine. Most of the locals look down on Curtis, but anyone listening can hear he's "the finest picker to ever play the blues."

The song was written by Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Allen Collins, who both died young (Van Zant in 1977 at 29, Collins in 1990 at 37). If they spoke about the song, it's been lost to time, but guitarists Gary Rossington and Ed King have both discussed it, and they give conflicting origin stories.

According to King, who joined the band in 1972, Curtis Loew is a composite of different people, including Shorty Medlocke, the grandfather of Ricky Medlocke, who played guitar in an early Lynyrd Skynyrd lineup (Ricky later formed the band Blackfoot). Shorty, according to King, could "play anything," and contrary to the song's lyrics, was not black (In a 1997 interview on the Lyve From Steel Town album, the band was quoted as jokingly saying, "We needed to 'color' the song up").

Rossington a founding member of the band who grew up with Collins and Van Zant in Jacksonville, Florida, says there really was a Curtis Loew, although "Loew" wasn't his last name. "It's a true story," he said in a radio interview. "It's about a Black man who grew up in the west side with us. There was a store called Mulberry Market, and there was a Black man who stayed out there. His name was Curtis and he had an old dobro guitar. He kept it in his house right behind the store, but if you gave him some money - 50 cents or even a quarter - he'd play a song for you. He'd rake out his bottle and play the blues.

We would collect Coke bottles - which the song says - drive all around the neighborhood getting them, then we'd cash them in, get the money and give it to Curtis Loew. He would go right across the street to the wine store and buy a bottle of wine. We'd give him like a quarter and he'd play for a minute and he'd come out straight and just play a song and say, 'give me the money, boy.' But when we'd all get together, three or four of us would put our money together and we'd give him like a dollar, $1.50. I think a bottle of cheap wine back then was $1.25. Then he'd go across the street and buy a bottle, have two or three nips, then he'd play a little song and half a bottle would be gone.

He was into it. He was stomping his foot and he'd take an old Coca-Cola crate, turn it upside down, and that was his beat. He's start playing and he'd drink a little more wine he'd start singing and playing and kicking. That was fun."
"The Ballad Of Curtis Loew" wasn't released as a single and the band rarely played it live, but it still found a following among the Skynyrd faithful and is one of the most popular deep cuts in classic rock. It's part of the band's second album, Second Helping, which also includes "Sweet Home Alabama." The band recorded the album at The Record Plant in Los Angeles at the same time the Eagles were making their third album, On The Border, at the same studios. Members of both groups would congregate around the pinball machines in the studios and became friends.
A dobro is a resonator guitar with a mechanical amplifier. It was originally released in 1927. Gibson now owns the rights to the dobro guitar. >>
Suggestion credit:
Aaron - Twin Cities, MN
The name "Loew" was probably chosen because it rhymes (sort of) with "dobro." According to Ronnie Van Zant's widow Judy Van Zant Jenness, the unusual spelling was Ed King's idea. When he was writing the liner notes for the Second Helping album, he decided to name the character after Loew's Theater - thus giving an old bluesman a Jewish name.
Ed King played the bottleneck slide guitar on the song.

Comments: 35

Girlfriday from ArkansasBrian from Corpus Christi: I’d go by the original studio album when determining if it’s spelled Loew or Lowe, not the many, many “greatest hits” compilations some of which were not released by Skynyrd’s label or even released in the U.S. For instance, I have one released in the UK or somewhere, where the “Jukin’ ” song is misspelled as “Junkin’,” the song “Workin’ for MCA” is listed simply as “Workin’,” (and I believe the Loew song is also misspelled). They don’t always utilize the best copy editors on those greatest hits packages, nor even people who know anything about the artists’ works — BMG, as one example, is known to have some seriously screwed up typos on it repackaged compilations.
Otis Antoine Iii from VirginiaThis is a great song and I love the story. It's a story that inspires and it shows that it don't matter what color you are you can inspire people to do greatness. Thank you Lynyrd.
AnonymousThe part about 'Shorty' Medlocke is false, a later isogesis of Rickie's deluded memory. Listen to Allen giving the fact. This was not a 'composite' but a real black individual - his name neither Allen nor Ronnie bothered to learn, but he was a real individual - a broken but talented man - nonetheless. Tell Rickie to quit smoking the payote (he wasn't even in the band in '74, for goodness sake!). What does he know about a song's back story that does not even include him?? Talk about ego!!!
Big D from New OrleansTo Curtis from Morristown: Lynyrd Synyrd is awesome and souther rock is also awesome, but there are strong elements of the blues in Southern Rock in general and from Lynyrd Skynyrd as well and there is nothing bad about that. "Cheatin Woman" ballad of Curtis Lowe those are blues songs and also great songs. The Allman Brothers another great southern rock band has lots of great blues songs. As long as its good, it does not matter what catagory the song is I think. I do agree with you that Souther Rock is the best.
Chip from Edisto Beach, ScWhat Hotel and City did they play Curtis Loew in basement?
Curtis from Morristown TennesseeI can't understand why people are comparing lynyrd skynyrd to blues. Curtis Loews is about a blues player but it ain't the Blues. It's southern rock. Hands down the greatest genre of music ever created. Ronnie even stated in "Give me back my bullets" that he does not sing the Blues.
Jackie from Deanburg TennLynyrd Skynyrd was a great band I listened to them then and now I love em..
Ormond Beach Retreat from South One of the best song is Junkie Man ,it is on there demo record that I first heard in 1982 in Ormond Beach. If you have never heard it you are missing out
Elwood Booze from Long Island NyAmazing. STILL!
Tmacnhcfla from Polk County, Florida Just to clarify a few statements made in the comments. Gram Parsons wasn’t from Jacksonville. He was from Winter Haven, Florida, about 10 miles from where I grew up. His stepfather built a small building, much like a barn for Gram and his buddies, Jim (Stafford), Wayne(Lobo), and a few other locals near 6th Street for them to perform for the local teens.(basically a teenager, no alcohol hangout). Until most of these young performers left for greener pastures and famous groups. Also, The Allmans( previously the Allman Joys), grew up in the Daytona Beach area, and later took their music up the coast to Jacksonville, Florida. While Jacksonville has produced some great musicians, a lot of great ones were from all over Florida! I can think of several great ones from Gainesville, Fort Myers/Sarasota, Miami/Fort Lauderdale and Pahokee! Check your facts folks before posting opinions. Peace!
Joe from Plant City, Florida Ronnie was a huge fan of Son House (like quite a few other rock legends). That and the fact that he loved to spend time listening to Shorty Medlocke play on his front porch playing his dobro. That inspired Ronnie to create the person Cutis Loew of the song. All this was revealed by Ricky Medlocke in the 2018 documentary on the band.
Tony from San DiegoKelly in Jacksonville that is the coolest story I have ever heard !
Lemony from Ooltewah, TnThis is my favorite Skynyrd song. My second is "Simple Man". Both with lyrical down-to-earth commentary on variations of the human condition.
Joe from Mills River, Nc"The Ballad of Curtis Lowe" is alsome My brother named his kid Curtis from the song.
Kelly from Jacksonville, FlI grew up and still live in the same neighborhood as the Van Zant's childhood home..Even tho the Ballad of Curtis Lowe was probably an amalgam of several characters I am always reminded of a real person whom I think could have contributed to this song

There was a store on Normandy Blvd in the same neighborhood called Pic 'N Save. Often outside the store sat an elderly African American blind man. He would sit there for hours playng his guitar and at his feet was his loyal friend, an ancient Bull Dog which was probably his guide dog.
He had a container in which people would place their offerings. Everytime I put money into his cup he would stop , smile and always say "Thank you"

The store, the man and his dog have long departed, but I still think of him everytime I hear the 'Ballad of Curtis Lowe'. I never knew the man's real name. Everyone who frequented the store during that time should remember him

That was in the 70s and those memories seem surreal now, but remain some of the best of my life
Steve from Alexandria, VaThis song is a textbook example of art imitating life all over the South in the rebellious 60's when white teenagers put aside decades of racism because of their love for music. A classic example of this is Greg Allman's story of how he first heard the Blue's when he stumbled upon a 5 and dime market store owned by a black man that was quite literally on "the other side of the tracks".
Navarre from Akron, OhYes the song was indeed written about shorty medlocke although it wasnt rickeys father it was his grandfather.
Jessica from Ohsweken, OnThis song is mine and my uncles favorite song... I am naming my first son Curtis, a unique way of naming my son after my Uncle...
Oldpink from New Castle, InWhile it is true that Curtis Lowe was not a real person per se, I have long considered that the closest real person to him was none other than the legendary Son House.
Son played a National Steel guitar that was an early type of dobro, and he certainly was known to imbibe on occasion.
House also was already an established bluesman BEFORE Robert Johnson, and he knew him well.
House then disappeared for over thirty years, until Alan Wilson of Canned Heat found him in Rochester, NY in the 1960s and he convinced him to perfom again, which he did, until the 1980s, when first Parkinson's, then Alzheimer's forever silenced both his hands and his field holler voice.
House embodied all that anyone could ever dream about what the blues was REALLY all about.
To me, he was the REAL Curtis Lowe.
Mad from Cincinnati, Ohthis is one of the best songs ever written! and its under rated! FREEBIRD!
Bradical from Indianapolis, InJust one comment about the name Curtis Lowe, sometimes spelled Leow. The Skynyrd boys went to high school at the Robert E. Lee high school. In March 2008 I saw a 1968 yearbook from that school for sale on eBay, and there was a kid in it with the name Curtis Lowe. Coincidence? I doubt it. The thing is, that kid is not black. I saw his picture.

The text on eBay says:

UP FOR SALE : 1968 ROBERT E LEE HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOK. THE BLUE & GRAY, JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA. COACH SKINNER, THE ALLEN COLLINS BAND FRONTMAN JIMMY DAUGHERTY, AND A "KID" NAMED CURTIS LOWE. AND WHO KNOWS, WHO ELSE, YOU CAN FIND.

AS YOU KNOW, JACKSONVILLE IS WHERE IT ALL STARTED,THE CITY GAVE US SOME OF THE BEST MUSIC AROUND, SKYNYRD, .38 SPECIAL, GRINDERSWITCH, BLACKFOOT, SOME OF THE ROAD CREW FOR THE ALLMAN BROTHERS (for awhile), GRAM PARSONS, MOLLY HATCHET. RACINGS YARBOROUGH FAMILY.

THE YEARBOOK HAS THE SIGNATURES YOU WOULD EXPECT IN A USED YEARBOOK, IN GOOD CONDITION.

CHECK MY STORE FOR MORE SKYNYRD MEMROBILIA
WINNING BIDDER HAS 7 DAYS TA PUT FOLDIN MONEY IN MY POCKET

BOOK WILL SHIP WITHIN 4 DAYS OF PAYMENT RECEIVED

The item number on e-bay was Z110195026387
Stevie from Earth, CaThis song eminates from ronnie's voice like his heart is about to rush up and and block his beautifully empathetical tone for love of a "simple man".When I play it on my guitar and sing the words it makes me feel like few other songs can.I have connections to the south ,I have lived there and my mom was from alabama.Most of the time I have lived in northern Ca.,however I do not belive that you have to live in a specific relm m.o. to appriciate the human condition around us all.Wake up and shed your fears so you do not become to stupid to see precious life in front of you.Ronnie seemed to understand that and a fine example would be this masterpiece.
Travis from Clayton, NcThis is probably the most requested song we get on Sat night jams, even though we are playing mostly old Bluegrass, country and Blues. Maybe it has something to do with our location?
Jenna Madsen from Eureka!, CaThe lyrics, and overall story is absolutely amazing. Im not sure this song got all the attention it deserved.
Oliver from Hamburg, Germanythere is any reason to argue about south or not. it's about human influences despite of colors and location after all. lynyrd skynyrd is a far cry from cut and dried opinions. therefor i love em
John from San Francisco, CaWhaddya know about the south, bri-guy, you live in Texas...I may be from SF but I know the difference.
Jenna Madsen from Eureka!, CaGreat song, tells a good story. Has a nice flow to it that i can listen to all day.
Dalton from Moore, OkThis song is a little unappreciated for how good it really is!
Brian from Grand Forks, NdThis is taken from the Website www.skynyrd.Com

The inspiration for Curtis Loew was loosely based around the characters that lived near Ronnie's home on Jacksonville's Westside. The corner store in the song is based on Claude's Midway Grocery on the corner of Plymouth and Lakeshore in Jacksonville. While there wasn't a "real" Curtis Loew, there were many Curtis Loews in the neighborhood. The actual spelling of the name came when Ed was writing the liner notes for the Second Helping album in 1974. He thought it would be funny to name this old Florida black bluesman after the Jewish Loew's Theatre.
Alan from London, Englandshe never said she knew anything about the south, she said "southern guitar riffs" you don't have to be from the south to know southern riffs. I try to fit eveyrhting into my music
Sam Warren from Morristown, Inthis is a bad ass song and it is one of my favorites..
Brian from Corpus Christi, Txjessa, what do you know about the south? you live in canada
Jessa from Brampton, On, Canadathis song is so awesome, tells such a great story. its dripping with dirty southern guitar riffs i just love it.
Rick from Parts UnknownThis is by far my favorite Skynyrd song ever ...
Brian from Corpus Christi, TxLynyrd Skynyrd actually has the name of the song spelled "The Ballad of Curtis Lowe" on their "All Time Greatest Hits CD, not Curtis Loew.