The 25 Days of Christmas: Day 13

A mysterious figure arrives.

When Leon Redbone died in 2019, his official website posted a sad notice:

It is with heavy hearts we announce that early this morning, May 30, 2019, Leon Redbone crossed the delta for that beautiful shore at the age of 127. He departed our world with his guitar, his trusty companion Rover, and a simple tip of his hat.

It was appropriate for such a wryly elusive figure. For many decades he had been that guy with the hat and glasses, always mysterious, never revealing his birth name, age, or much else about him. Bob Dylan said this about Redbone in a 1974 Rolling Stone interview:

"Leon interests me... I’ve heard he’s anywhere from 25 to 60, I’ve been this close"—Dylan held his hands out, a foot and a half apart—"and I can’t tell."

He was one of those characters who seem to have appeared fully formed, with no period of finding their persona. It is impossible to imagine Leon Redbone having once been a child.

His shtick was playing a stoic early-twentieth-century troubadour, and his comic dignity was untouchable. He could take a silly old novelty song like “Polly Wolly Doodle” or “All I Do Is Dream of You” and turn it into a thoughtful investigation of music history, and he had a keen, calm awareness of his own role in American music. Every December when we watch Elf with my son, I’m overjoyed to be reminded that Redbone voiced the animated snowman, in an obvious homage to Burl Ives.

Today’s song is from his 1988 album Christmas Island. It’s “That Old Christmas Moon,” a sleepy old dreamer that showcases his Dixieland style:

(You may note that he was a whistler of a caliber to rival Andrew Bird. Unclear whether anyone ever painted a portrait of his mother because of it. I’ll take my medal now.)

Whenever people ask what famous person I’d like to have dinner with, Oscar Wilde is my first choice but Leon Redbone is high on the list.

Notes:

• Wikipedia does have a bit of his actual biography if you're interested, but it’s much cooler not knowing.

• I had an opportunity to see him live once. I was living in Ames, Iowa, and Redbone played a concert in Des Moines (~45 minutes away). In researching this article I find that my memory has mutated the story over the years, and now I confess I don’t remember why I didn’t go. I suppose I assumed I’d have other opportunities. Isn’t that always the way?

• Check out this video of him appearing on Johnny Carson’s show. After a few songs he sits in the interview chair but instead of chatting with Johnny and Ed, he launches into a rendition of “Auld Lang Syne,” then realizes halfway through that he doesn’t know the words. Marvelous.

• In writing this entry, I learned that “troubadour” is a specifically male term. A female troubadour is called a Trobairitz, and I think that’s my new favorite word.