Sir Douglas Quintet - Nitty Gritty

Sir Douglas Quintet  -  Nitty Gritty

The shiner Doug's sporting in the photo above was the result of a fractious 1973 run-in with police in Balcones Heights, just outside of San Antonio.  Doug was enjoying an evening out with some friends at La Rosa Mexican Restaurant, when some clearly over-aggressive policing led an officer to ask who owned the gold and black Oldsmobile Cutlass with the California license plates.  When Doug volunteered that he owned the car in question, the cop asked him to step outside while his fellow officers stayed inside to hassle Sahm's companions in the hopes of getting a low level drug bust.  A moment later, drummer George Rains looked outside and witnessed a cop take Sahm, handcuffed at the time, and slam his head into the hood of his car.  The police never did find any drugs on Sahm or in his car, so they settled for a charge of public intoxication, but that was quickly thrown out of court.  The whole incident was a catalyst for Sahm's decision to relocate to the friendlier town of Austin.

Source: Texas Tornado: The Times & Music Of Doug Sahm by Jan Reid.