Compared to the 70's, the 80's and 90's were fairly lean times for McKinley, also he split from his wife, Shirley Jones of the Jones Girls.

After discussing this the conversation sort of died away. But that wasn't then end of the interview, come conversation.

For the next few days he joined me as I went round the city to see other people. First off to see Joe Hunter, were we spent a few hours over some wine, me listening to them reminiscing, and McKinley telling Joe that he had a lot to thank him for in helping him into the industry.

Next Popcorn Wylie, they hadn't seen each other for years, so the one time partners sat down to talk about family and the past.

As we come out of his house and get in the car McKinley looks worried, "You know, Popcorn shouldn't be like that, he needs to be working, we'll pop back tomorrow with my old keyboard.

Next day we go back with the little keyboard he had used when talking to Brian on the phone. I had been curious why it had so much wax on one end of it, so I asked him when we pull up at Popcorn's house.

He looks thoughtfully at it, "that's how tuff it got back then, I was living in a place with no electricity, but I still could work, as this is battery power and with a candle on the end, that was all I need.

This left me silent, you read all the stories about artists, and McKinley is an artist, going through tough times, but this really gave it a cold reality, not normally felt.

music: "Trying To Hold On To My Woman" - Lamont Dozier (ABC 11407a)

Continued