And now, a little something for the dogs in blue:

 

The song you just heard was written by Blind Blake, and below is the song performed by Hugh Laurie, aka, the irascible “Dr. Gregory House” of the hugely popular medical drama, House.  Laurie is an enthusiastic and keen musician proficient with a number of different instruments:

 

Arthur “Blind” Blake, an influential ragtime blues singer and guitarist, originally recorded the song in 1929, Laurie’s version debuted at #58 on the Hot 100, and he took the song into the singles chart for the first time 82 years after it was written. Laurie has long been a devotee of New Orleans blues. He once told the Associated Press: “I’m approaching the source of this music that I’ve loved all my life and I do so with trepidation and a lot of respect. I hope people will believe and understand I’m not being cavalier about it. This is not a casual thing for me at all. This is more important than almost anything I’ve ever done.”

Fans of House might disagree given the hours of enjoyment the TV show provided legions of viewers.

For his part,  Laurie’s family has included the company of a Pug, two good-natured Labrador Retrievers, and a Labrador Retriever mix. Sadly, Laurie lost “Stanley C. Brown,” not long ago,  calling him the seventeen year old dog the, “dearest, gentlest, daftest, handsomest companion anyone could hope for.”

 

 

Photo of police dog shared from the AKC website with consent