ALWAYS THERE, Eddie Roundtree (Eddie Loving)

03| LITTLE WING

INTERVIEWER: When did you first perform?

TATUM: Aside from proms... My actual first gig in a bar was The Winters gig. That was a though day.

At the end of 1970, the Dunne Brothers played a show at the Pint in Baltimore where Rick Marks, lead singer for the Winters, was in attendance. Impressed with their raw sound and taking a liking to Billy, he offered them an opening spot on a few shows on their northeastern tour.

After joining the band, Tatum faced the daunting task of confessing to her parents about her recent activities. Mrs. Ackerlund, while not thrilled about her daughter's deceit and constant companionship with boys, found solace in Tatum's dedication to music. Learning about Tatum's new friend, Camila, brought a smile to her face.

On the other hand, Mr. Ackerlund was the epitome of concern. He had been repeatedly lied to, from Warren picking Tatum up to Eddie, Pete, and Tatum being spotted at the movies by her younger brother. Fearing for the future of the ranch, he associated music with a slippery slope leading to undesirable consequences. He was positive that music led to sex and sex led to drugs and drugs led to the utter downfall. The guitar, a gift from his wife, became a focal point for his frustration, manifesting in escalating physical aggression—shoving and bruising.

This strain took a toll on their 25-year marriage, with Tatum shouldering the blame and questioning whether she was insinuating an already burning situation. Beau, their younger son, admired his cool sister but couldn't fully comprehend the family dynamics. Tatum, witnessing her parents' escalating arguments, used her driver's license as an excuse to escape more frequently.

While Tatum argued that Beau would inherit the ranch, she feared that she might be condemning him to a life she wanted to escape. If all else failed, she had plans to attend college and secure a job, yearning to forge her path independently. Her father, however, remained obstinate in his views.

The tension reached a breaking point when the Winters gig approached. Loading her electric guitar, purchased with her hard-earned savings, Tatum found herself in a heated confrontation with her father over her passion for music and the choices she was making.

INTERVIEWER: What did your father say?

TATUM: He had come from the house, asking where I was heading. I told him I was going to a concert [laughs]. Funny how I remember it all. He asked whose. I said ours.

Of course... We yelled and said some things we didn't mean until he told me to not bother coming back If I left.

And I drove away.

"Fine." Tatum turned her back on her father and sat in the car.

With hands trembling from a mix of emotions, fueled by anger, Tatum forcefully inserted the keys into the ignition. A glance in the rearview mirror preceded her backing out, steering down the driveway.

As she drove away, she observed her father discarding a piece of cloth onto the ground, symbolizing the fraying relationships on the Ackerlund farm. Passing by the familiar cows and meadows, she continued until she reached the last acre of her family's land.

Slowing down, she noticed her horses, not flinching at the sound of the departing vehicle. The realization struck her: was she truly leaving?

Taking a moment to absorb her surroundings, Tatum's gaze fell upon a cassette lying at the passenger seat's feet. She reached down and picked it up, perhaps a symbol of the music that had become both a source of joy and discord within her family.