photo by Jane Mitchell
Slats Klug A man who listened ~by Rachel Berenson Perry
A
s the holidays draw near, a lot of old timers in Brown County remember and miss the annual Christmas Show at the Brown County Inn, spearheaded by the late Slats Klug. The performance brought the community together in a way that seems idyllic and innocent in retrospect. Beginning in 1998 and running for at least half a dozen years, Klug, along with his cadre of friends, captivated enthusiastic audiences with his keyboard, squeeze box, and harmonica virtuosity. Not to mention his sublimely rich, deep, and gentle voice. His “friends” included some of the area’s finest musicians—Robbie Bowden, Dave Gore, Doug Harden, John Franz, Kara Barnard, Lauren Robert, Jack Helsley, Bob Cheevers, Carolyn Dutton, and Gordon Lowry, to name a few. Klug was an enigma. A strong presence on stage with his curated image of a cool dude wearing a fedora or cowboy hat, he was adored by all who saw
16 Our Brown County • Nov./Dec. 2021
him. Off stage he was not a complete recluse, but he did not like to be the center of attention. People found him affable, unpretentious and somewhat inscrutable. But on one point, everyone agreed. Slats Klug was an attentive listener, whether on stage or off. Perhaps he was best known by other musicians, who have nothing but praise for his talent and skills. Singer/songwriter Tim Moore called him “a rock-solid musician who always brought his A-game and always left his ego at the door.” Carolyn Dutton, jazz violinist, said, “Everything Slats did musically was honest and genuine. He had an ear for the real thing, not the wannabes and show boaters. If you spoke the truth with your instrument, he heard you.” Musician-friend Dan Withered avowed, “Being in the spotlight was not important to [Slats]; he was a leader by virtue of his playing, and quick to acknowledge and include others. Everyone who
