Rhythm, no blues

One wall of the new recording studio behind Lou Hobbs' house near Trail of Tears State Park is lined with memorabilia collected since his first single, "Mama Mama Mama," was released. To commemorate Hobbs' 40 years in the business, "Mama Mama Mama" is being re-released in Europe and on the Internet as a digitally remastered two-song CD that also includes "All That Heaven Sent."

Not without a fight does the 60-year-old Rockabilly Hall of Fame member give an inch to the Parkinson's disease that has dogged him for the past few years. He can't play lead guitar and sing at the same time anymore, but his handshake is crushing. His raspy speech can be difficult to understand, but the jokes are in there for anyone who's listening.

"Parkinson's Disease Blues," one of hundreds and hundreds of songs Hobbs has recorded over the past four decades, is at least part of the story of his life now.

Denial was Hobbs' reaction to the first symptom of Parkinson's disease, a pinkie that trembled when he played guitar. Then things started happening he couldn't ignore as the realities of the disease set in.

"My chin was down by my belt buckle," Hobbs said. "I didn't know what to do."

He is not one to pity himself. "The hand has been dealt, and how you play it is up to you," he said.

He soon went to Nashville and recorded a new CD and started releasing songs in Europe. Since 1998, he has had 19 songs in the European independent Top 40 charts. He has played to thousands of people at European festivals featuring rockabilly bands over the past three years.

He remains a manager for Greater Missouri Builders, which owns the Town Plaza Shopping Center.

But there have been setbacks. Two months ago, KFVS-TV dropped "The Lou Hobbs Show" after nearly 16 years on the air.

11 1/2 pills a day

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that in some form affects an estimated 1 1/2 million Americans. It occurs when neurons in a part of the brain that controls movement degenerate, creating a shortage of the neurotransmitter called dopamine. This shortage impairs motor skills.

Symptoms can include uncontrollable movements, problems with balance and walking, as well as depression, sleep disturbances and dizziness. No cause has been identified. There is no cure, although recent genetic research makes Hobbs hopeful and impatient.

He doesn't have the high profile of other Parkinson's victims like Muhammad Ali, Michael J. Fox and Janet Reno, but because of his music career and long-running television show he is the most well-known person in the region with Parkinson's disease. He also has diabetes and allergies.

He takes 11 1/2 pills each day. Many cases of Parkinson's disease can be controlled with drugs, says Gary Anderson, director of patient care and neurosciences at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

The medical treatment usually consists of drugs that help replace the dopamine the brain is losing. Parkinson's can be mistaken for other neurological disorders, Anderson said. "Some people might say you just have a nervous tic."

The number of Parkinson's disease victims in Southeast Missouri is unknown, but 40 people attended a neurosurgeon's talk on the topic a year ago.

'I never was very normal'

Hobbs' wife of 41 years, Nancy, says he's really not much different from her pre-Parkinson's husband.

"You just have to have a little more understanding," she said. "If you love someone it really doesn't matter if he has Parkinson's disease or not."

He doesn't want to be treated any differently from a normal person.

"I wonder what it would feel like to be normal again," he said. "But I never was very normal. Just ask anybody who played music with me."

The list of local musicians who have played in Hobbs' bands is endless. "Everybody went to school with me," he said. "Everybody took the Lou Hobbs course."

As many musical accomplishments as he has had, he's proudest of his five daughters. "My kids have all succeeded," he said. "What kind of example would I be if I didn't fight?"

No disease just affects the person who has it, Hobbs says. "It hurts my kids to see me struggling."

The youngest daughter, also named Nancy, is a senior at Southeast majoring in physical education. Her father gets frustrated when he can't play the guitar, she says.

"I think about that myself. I would hate to know how to do something and not be able to do it. That would drive me crazy."

She and her sisters and the six grandchildren all live within 10 minutes of the Hobbs' home but try not to baby him.

"He won't let you feel sorry for him, that's for sure," she said. "He'll say to me, 'I don't have Parkinson's disease. I don't know what you're talking about.'"

'Get on with life'

While everyone is aware that the disease is degenerative, that's not what the family concentrates on. "Our focus is to get on with life. Take it as it comes and try to make the best of what you're given," she says.

"No matter how hard it is, God's got a reason for it."

Her father currently is hatching a plan to build a place behind his house to have shows.

If Hobbs will never give up, Parkinson's disease can be relentless, too. The only time he forgets about having it is when he goes fishing at one of the nearby lakes. "Nobody can bother me," he says, "and I can forget all about it. When I'm fishin', I'm free.

"That would make a good song title, wouldn't it?" he said.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182