Lightnin' Hopkins_ His Life and Blues - Alan Govenar [137]
Lightnin’ was buried at Forest Park Cemetery. Some years later, a small plaque was placed as a memorial marker with the epitaph: “Here lies Lightnin’ who stood famous and tall. He didn’t hesitate to give his all.” Presumably Antoinette wrote the epitaph, though Benson wasn’t sure. “I’ve never gone back to the cemetery,” Benson says, “I just can’t.”
Lightnin’ declared in his will that he was “not now married, having been divorced from my former wife for over thirty years,” a statement which was confusing especially since it didn’t identify to which “wife” he was referring. Moreover, no divorce documents relating to any of Lightnin’s “marriages” have ever been found. Lightnin’ appointed Antoinette Charles as the independent executrix of the will, and bequeathed to his son, Charles Lewis Hopkins, his “Chevrolet Truck, and any of my clothes he desires and the sum of $100; to his daughter Celestine Hopkins, the sum of $2,000; to his daughter Anna Mae Box, the sum of $3,000” and “quarterly payments of $100 out of his royalty checks for as long as they are paid to his estate”; and to his “beloved friend and confidant,” Antoinette Charles, the remainder of his property, “whether separate or community, and wherever situated, including the house at 4357 Knoxville in Houston, Texas and my savings and certificate of savings at South Main Bank and Houston United Bank, and my 1970 Cadillac.”86
Lightnin’s will is signed only with his initials, which seems unusual, if he were of “sound mind,” considering that he was able to sign his full name on other documents in previous years. In addition, there are no other references to Lightnin’ ever living at 4357 Knoxville in Houston. Anna Mae Box was shocked when she learned the details of the will. “He told me that I would be taken care of the rest of my life because I would draw royalties from his records, you know. He really thought that. You can just put too much confidence and faith in people. Don’t always work out the way you want it to.” Box felt that Antoinette had seized the moment and “taken control,” getting Lightnin’ to sign the will two days before he died. Box got a lawyer and contested the will but to no avail. The will was probated on March 16, 1983. “They bought my lawyer out,” Box said in resignation, “I just prayed and I told the Lord, ‘If it’s for me to have anything, I’ll get it. If not, I won’t get it.’ But I thank the Lord. You take crumbs from the table, and if you’re right, it’s going to work out for you.” Years later, Box did admit that Antoinette was “a wonderful person. Anybody that take care of my daddy like she did, I love her. I do.”87
While the circumstances surrounding Lightnin’s death have left many questions unanswered, it is clear that Antoinette, over the thirty-five years of their affair, did help Lightnin’ considerably, loving him, cooking for him, encouraging him to control his drinking, and providing a companionship that ultimately stabilized his life. Antoinette was his wife in every sense except legal. About Antoinette, Lightnin’ once said, “If I had wings as an angel, I’d tell you where I’d fly. I’d fly to the heart of Antoinette and that’s where I’d give up to die.”88
Lightnin’, Benson says, was more affectionate than he would ever admit. Benson saw Lightnin’ and Antoinette hug and sometimes kiss each other in public. “They were close,” Benson said, “and there was no stand-offishness about it. Now in that generation of black people, you don’t see public kinds of things. But in terms of his warmth toward her, it was undeniable the love he had for her and she had for him.” However, Antoinette also explained to Benson that Lightnin’ had some bad relationships before they got together.
Ultimately, had Antoinette not worked with Harold, and to a lesser extent, Benson, to assist in managing his bookings and keeping track of his recording contracts, he would not have been able to keep up with the revenues associated with