End of the Law [Updated]
The Mother-In-Law, that is:
When Miss Antoinette passed away, the news spread through the streets on Mardi Gras Day. Many, including the group of people I was with, made a pilgrimage to the Mother-in-Law to leave something for her, to pay our respects. There were flowers, notes, candles, beads of course, photographs. I took off my choker and tied it to the front door handles. It was a somber walk home.
From then until now, Miss Betty has tried to keep it open. With regular postings on Facebook and various other special events, the place stayed there, struggled but stayed there, it’s murals all cleaned up, the outside garden/shrine full of flower planted bathtubs and toilets kept weeded and watered. Then a car careened off course and straight through the front doors of the club.
After 18 months of living in the club, sleeping on the couch in the main room, working a day job to keep her mother’s club viable, that car through the door pretty much broke that proverbial last straw for Miss Betty. Insurance paid the landlord, the door was never fixed and still isn’t. The rent had been raised after the storm. Other areas that needed attention for mold or termites leading up to the living area above the club haven’t been fixed. Miss Betty has been paying for repairs out of her own pocket and it’s clear that she’s just plain exhausted.
She is planning to take everything out of the place and put it in storage. She’ll probably need some help making sure nothing gets broken–so many frames, so much glass. Her plan is to put it in storage until she can find an affordable place to start a museum to showcase all that memorabilia. Everywhere I go talking about this, people mention having an investor or someone that would buy it up from her to keep it going. She would prefer that no one make that offer to her. She is intent on keeping the K-Doe legacy together and wants to do it on her own terms.
Read more over at NOLA Slate concerning the Lounge’s final events before it shuts its doors for good – one of them, a celebration of the lives of the Emperor of the World and the Empress of the Universe, starts at 10 PM tonight. It also looks like Ms Betty is going to need some help kick-starting her own life beyond her mama’s legacy. As Slate says, it really is the least the community can do for her after such trying times.
From Ms. Betty, an Update via Facebook:
Preseving a legacy is hard work especially fitting the shoes of the EMPEROR and EMPRESS OF THE UNIVERSE my decision of closing your beloved MOTHER N LAW has been reversed due to all of the heart felt pleas because you guys love this landmark I have decided to give it one last try. I have 2 big events planned JULY 4th G…UITAR LIGHTNING LEE will perform free red beans and rice and of course bar-b-que chicken.
I would like to take this time to thank everyone for their support this year and a half I have been running the lounge, this is one of the hardest task I have ever taken on, but your love,encouragement, and kind words are the reason I have decided not to give up. I sincerely love all of you.Special thanks go out to RODNEY BEALS who has been a true friend from my first step in this process. LOVE YOU ROD!
The garage sale for JULY 9th has been temporarily postponed untill a future date that will be announced, again thank you so much for all your support. Don’t forget to post your vote for the 4th and 11th event so Miss Betty can know how much to cook for all of you.
~Betty Fox
LISTEN FOR BETTY FOX TOMMORROW ON WWOZ with A.J. the D.J. AT 10P.M-12A.M for a special dedication show to the ERNIE AND ANTOINETTE K-DOE.
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