I can tell you first hand, if you grew up in Eagle Park, Illinois you'd be singing the blues too. I grew up in the town next to Eagle Park, my town was all white, middle class with a sundown law. Sundown law required that black american citizens be off the streets and out of town by sundown every day. These laws were made illegal by the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Eagle Park, Brooklyn and Venice were the most desperate slums I have seen, a place where many were forced to live given the poverty of racial discrimination of the 1940's 50's and 60's. If you look at a map of Eagle Park you'll see it on the banks of Horseshoe Lake. Please don't let your imagination take you to Waldo Lake, this was a combination of waste products from steel mills, coke plant and city waste of various sorts. It was no natural wonder. I spoke with Slim about his home, he was always so positive about the place, I found that so uplifting given my knowledge of the place. He was a good man, RIP Slim.