Sutton James and The Beez

Prior to their three-country tour, Elizabeth and Sutton bought a home in Flagstaff, Arizona and lived there for a couple of years.  Ruth and I helped them move.  Michael joined too. When they took to the road, they rented their home to others.  Sometime along their journey they decided to sell their Arizona home, and after their eighteen-month musical tour, Sutton and Elizabeth returned to San Diego.

I don’t recall if Elizabeth ever joined Sutton on stage before they began their tour, but she did when they hit the road.  Although she was never posted on the billboards, she joined Sutton on stage during most of his stops.  She provided backup.  She was his percussionist.  She played the tambourine, maracas, and assorted rhythm instruments.  She kept the beat, while he sang the songs.  And somewhere along the way, it may have been their first performance, she became The Beez.

A couple weeks ago I flew to San Diego to see Air Supply close for Suttton.  The Australian duo has been singing together for forty-eight years. They’d closed for him a year ago, shortly after Ruth’s accident.  This time I flew out to see the show.

Each summer, the Humphrey’s resort complex on San Diego’s Shelter Island hosts a series of concerts at the outdoor arena.  Each year there are repeat visits from performers like the Beach Boys, Air Supply, Chris Isaak, The Doobie Brothers, and Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band. Other popular acts have included Chicago, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, America, Ani DiFranco, Sheryl Crow, Tom Jones, Pat Benatar, The Black Crowes, and Boz Scaggs. They can add Sutton James and The Beez to their roster.

If you read my blog on a regular basis, you know that Ruth stops in my life from time to time.  While I believe her spirit is always near one of us, we don’t always recognize her presence.  Several weeks before the show, BZ told me of a night that Ruth visited her.

Elizabeth was having trouble sleeping, so she got up.  As soon as she hit the hallway outside her bedroom door, she could smell her mom’s perfume.  I don’t know if she was surprised, or not, because we’ve come to expect the unexpected.  In fact, we welcome it.

She walked further into the house and the scent grew stronger.  She thought she saw a shadow dancing beneath the moon.  Sutton woke up and joined her.  Elizabeth asked Sutton if he smelled the perfume.  He didn’t, and said, “It must be ghost perfume.” Shortly after, he returned to bed.  The scent stayed with Elizabeth until she fell asleep.

The next morning, as they were walking their dogs, Sutton directed Elizabeth to “Give me a word”.  He wanted to write a new song and he was seeking his wife’s support.  Simple words and phrases inspire people to write.  Song writers, poets, and yes, even blog writers sometimes find their inspiration in other people’s words.

Elizabeth offered two.  Ghost perfume.  When Sutton asked where she came up with those words, she recounted their conversation from the night before and Ruth’s visit.  Sutton didn’t remember any of it, but he loved the words, and he wrote this song.

The Ghost’s Perfume

The dancin’ light, in the middle of the night

Tell me was it her or was it just the moon?

Cause I feel like she’s here, and I know that she’s near

I can tell, by the smell of the ghost’s perfume

Been a year or more, since she walked through that door

What I would give to see her one more time

We’d laugh and cry, I’d look her in the eye

And tell her that everything’s alright

Now the vail is thin

She follows where I’ve been

And now she’s here somewhere in the room

 

The dancin’ light, in the middle of the night

Tell me was it her or was it just the moon?

Cause I feel like she’s here, and I know that she’s near

I can tell, by the smell of the ghost’s perfume

 

Everywhere I look around, there’s an image or a sound

That convinces me that all of this is true

I just want to call and say “I love you”

 

No chance to say goodbye, can she hear me when I cry

I hope she sees how much she means to me?

When the love is real the people never die

:

The dancin’ light, in the middle of the night

Tell me was it her or was it just the moon?

Cause I feel like she’s here, and I know that she’s near

I can tell, by the smell of the ghost’s perfume

Though It’s comforting, it stings like an open wound, yeah.

And I hope that the ghost don’t leave too soon

It’s written from Elizabeth’s point of view, but from Sutton’s heart.  That’s where words of inspiration come from.  Your heart.

Sutton invited Elizabeth to join him for the final three songs that he sang.  They were Sutton and the Beez just like they were on the road. Elizabeth made a tribute to her mom by wearing Ruth’s black, shiny gold buttoned, Nehru collared jacket on stage.  It was one of her favorites and her go to outfit for special occasions.  She drew everyone’s attention when she wore it.  She looked spectacular.

The Ghost’s Perfume made its public debut at 7:35 p.m. on October 27, 2023.  It was the second song in Sutton’s seven-song set. He could have chosen to sing it first, or last, or not at all, but it was his second song and exactly thirteen months to the minute since Ruth’s accident.  You can’t make things like this up.

To be honest, I didn’t make the final connection until I started writing this story.  That night as Sutton began to sing The Ghost’s Perfume, only three people, and one spirit, out of the over one-thousand people in attendance, knew of its origin.  Tears welled in my eyes that night when I heard his words.  And they’ve returned this morning as I write mine.