The Thunderbirds

The Tunderbirds from El Reno, Oklahoma

  The Thunderbirds - T Bird Rock (United Southern Artists 5-115), 1962
From the mid-1950s up to present days, there were probably hundreds of music groups using the name "The Thunderbirds." One of those groups always had my special attention just because of the raw demos they made. Their first demo record was on the Monette, Arkansas, based Buffalo label featuring "A Whole Lot of Shakin'" and "Flying Saucers." At the same time, there was a group of the same name that had an instrumental record out on United Southern Artists (from Hot Springs, Arkansas) and I always assumed this was the same band. I was surprised when I learned that this was not the case. Bassist Jack Heffron contacted me and fortunately brought some light on The Thunderbirds from El Reno, Oklahoma.

In the early winter of 1961, four young guys from El Reno, Oklahoma, got together and founded a band, calling them "The Thunderbirds." The line-up consisted of Kenneth "Gizz" Davis on rhythm guitar, Darrell Wiemers on lead guitar, Jack Heffron on bass, and Bob Garrett on drums. They organized teen hops in El Reno and the surrounding towns by renting halls and advertising their shows on newspaper and with posters. "Happy" Howard Clark, a disc jockey on WKY in Oklahoma City at that time, got word of the Thunderbirds and hired them to travel with him, playing dances all over Oklahoma.

Gizz Davis, who was handling the business issues of the Thunderbirds, somehow managed to secure a recording contract with United Southern Artists, a new label from Hot Springs, Arkansas. The Thunderbirds travelled to Hot Springs in order to audition for Carl Friend, A&R manager of the label. The band signed a contract and Friend soon set up a session at Echo Recording Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, where they cut "T Bird Rock" and "End Over End." Both instrumentals were released in either late 1961 or early 1962 on United Southern Artists 5-115. Billboard reviewed the single January 1962 in its pop segment.

Billboard January 27, 1962, review

The Thunderbirds had signed for two records and waited for Carl Friend's response but he never asked for a second record. Possibly it didn't sell. However, they did not make any more recordings. Cees Klop released a compilation on his Collector Records entitled "West Tennessee & Arkansas Rockin'" in 1998 that included "T Bird Rock" by the Thunderbirds as well as demo recordings of "Walking Down the Road," Warren Smith's "Ubangi Stomp" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky," also credited to the Thunderbirds. Either Klop miscredited those demos or the recordings were by another group of the same name. It's possible this second group was the same that recorded the demo record on Buffalo, mentioned earlier in the introduction. However, this has yet to be confirmed.

Shortly after the record, the band broke up. Davis and Heffron reformed the group again and played night clubs in Oklahoma City for a short time until the sudden death of Gizz Davis. He died in a car accident on March 20, 1963. Darrell Wiemers joined the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in 1964. His son remembers: "I remember as a kid listening to that record and thought it was so cool that Dad was in a band like that. He could really play and always regretted selling his SG." Jack Heffron now lives in Bethany, Oklahoma, while Bob Garrett resides in Washington and Darrell Wiemers already passed away on August 18, 1997. 

Discography

United Southern Artists 5-115

The Thunderbirds

End Over End (Davis-Weimers-Heffron-Garrett) / T Bird Rock (Davis-Weimers-Heffron-Garrett)

M8OW-8396 / M8OW-8397 (RCA)

1962

Recorded ca. late 1961 at Echo Recording Studio (14 North Manassas Avenue - Memphis, Tennessee) 

Darrell Wiemers (ld gtr), Kenneth Davis (rhy gtr), Jack Heffron (bs), Bob Garrett (dms)

Special thanks to Jack Heffron and Darrell Wiemers' son for sharing their memories with me.

Clyde Stacy R.I.P.

Rockabilly singer Clyde Stacy, known for his song "Hoy Hoy," died November 6, 2013, in a car crash on US 69 in Oklahoma. Stacy was born in 1936 and recorded such classics as "Hoy Hoy," (covered by the Collins Kids), "So Young," "I Sure Do Love You Baby" and others.

Read more here.

The Gulf / Gulf Reef label

Bill Barton also recorded
as "Laurel London" for Gulf Reef.

Founded approximately in the fall 1961 under the name of Gulf Records in Clearwater, Florida, this label was first associated in some way with the Reef Hotel in Clearwater. The initial release was by Billy Barton, who I assume was involved in this label. "Monkey Business" b/w "Blue Lover" was released in 1961. By January 1962, the label had changed its name to "Gulf Reef" and had moved to 1708 Grand Avenue in Nashville, Tennessee. Many records were produced by Les Geeting and some songs published by Barton-Geeting Publishing Company, to all accounts a joint venture by Billy Barton and Les Geeting.

Barton was born on November 21, 1929, as John Grimes and died on October 8, 2011. He was a veteran singer and songwriter by 1961, having recorded for such labels as King, Abbott, and many others. He was married to Wanda Wayne for some time and a cousin of Russell Sims', owner of Sims Records. He was the composer of "A Dear John Letter," a country hit for Ferlin Husky and Jean Shepard in 1953. Barton lived in Nashville for a while but settled down in Florida in the 1960s after recording for Sims.

It turns out that no info survived on Les Geeting.

Apart from a musical point of view, there were some interesting discs on the Gulf Reef label. Carlyn Johnson was accompanied by Bill Woods' Orchestra. Was this Bill Woods from Bakersfield, California? "Why Do I Love You," which she recoded for Gulf Reef, sounds like a Nashville production, though. Benny Martin also recorded for the label as well as Ernest Stoneman's group, the Stonemans.

Billboard February 17, 1962, review of
Benny Martin's Gulf Reef single.

Discography

1001: Billy Boy Barton - Monkey Business / Blue Lover (1961)
1002: Johnny Wildcard - Say It Again / Rock and Roll Yodel (1962)
1003: Billy Barnoski & Bill Woods - So Called Friend / 12 O'Clock Polka
1004: Carlyn Johnson & Billy Barton - Two Kids in Love / Carlyn Johnson & Bill Woods Orch. - Why Do I Love You (1962)
1005: Benny Martin - The Man Next Door / Thinking About Love
1006: Curley Henson - Wichita Nell / Ten Steps Apart (1962)
1007: Laurel London - Don't Knock the Rock / My Conscience and I (1962)
1008: Blondie Brooks - Please Pardon My Past / We'll Make Out Together (1962)
1009: Grant Turner with the Stonemans - My Greatest Friend / Guilty
1010: The Stonemans - Sadness / White Lightning (1962)
1011:
1012:
1013:
1014:
1015: Danny Miller with the Stonemans - Silver City / The Million Dollar Fiddle

Columbus Records

Since the Hillbilly-Researcher posted some (wrong) info and sound files of the small Columbus label from Texas, I though it's a good opportunity to bring this small company's story to a wider audience. In fact, it was my fault becase the wrong info came from me. I messed up thins when I wrote the info from my memory. Here it is how things occurred.

Sonny Fisher

Columbus Records was founded by local Texas musicians Darrell Newsome and Sonny Fisher. Both had played in the Houston, Texas, area from 1951 onwards and also recorded four now legendary singles for the Starday label in 1955-1956. Fisher's band was called "The Rocking Boys" and included, apart from Fisher on vocals and rhythm guitar, Joey Long on electrig lead guitar, Leonard Curry on bass, and Newsome on drums. Long dropped out after the group's last single on Starday and was replaced by local singer-guitarist Eddie Eddings.

After his departure from Starday, Fisher co-founded Columbus Records with drummer Newsome and also set up Newfish publishing (an amalgam of Fisher and Newsome). The new firm's adress was 1701 Clinton in Galena Park, Texas, not far away from Houston. The first known record to be released was by Eddie Eddings and his Columbus Orchestra, featuring "The Same Old Situation" b/w "Just a Friend of Mine." The Columbus Orchestra was actually the Rocking Boys (without Long) with Fisher, Eddings, and Sonny Burns on guitar (Burns also had played rhythm guitar on Fisher's last Starday single), Hub Sutter on sax, Leonard Curry on bass, and Darrell Newsome on drums.

Sax player Hub Sutter had worked with Link Davis earlier on and saw a release under his own name on Columbus. Accompanied by "The Hub Cats" (possibly identical to the Columbus Orchestra), it comprised "I Don't Want My Baby Back" with "Gone Goslin" on the flip. It was rated by Billboard on October 28, 1957, but without any comment. After Sutter's disc Fisher lost interest in the venture and sold his share to Newsome. Sutter's single is believed to be the last disc on the Columbus label.

You can hear and see both singles at Hillbilly-Researcher.

Discography

Columbus 101:
Columbus 102: Eddie Eddings and the Columbus Orchestra - The Same Old Situation / Just a friend of Mine
Columbus 103: Hub Sutter and the Hub Cats - I Don't Want My Baby Back / Gone Goslin (1957)

Old South Jamboree

Happy Harold's Old South Jamboree was one of two country stage shows that originated from Miami during the 1950s. Only rivaled by the Gold Coast Jamboree on WMIE, the Old South Jamboree was at least on air around 1956 up to ca. 1958 on WMIL. Harold was one of the few country DJs in Miami and emceed the show from the porch of an old parking lot. The house band included Bill Phillips on vocals (recorded for Columbia), Charlie Justice on guitar, Bill Johnson on steel guitar (who had previously worked with Tommy Spurlin), and Johnny Paycheck on bass (later became a hit making country singer). Kent Westberry, also a local Miami musician, remembered that Happy Harold also recorded for Harold Doane's Perfect label.

Charlie McCoy, who also appeared on the show, recalls the Old South Jamboree:

I was a Chuck Berry singer. I was playing at a barn dance called 'The Old South Jamboree,' and my job was to get up onstage for fifteen minutes each hour, and play rock'n'roll for the young kids. 

If anyone has more info on this show, please pass it along.

Artists that appeared on the Old South Jamboree:

• Kent Westberry: back then still a local rockabilly singer, who recorded for Art in Miami. Had a band called the Chaperones (Westberry, Snuffy Smith, Wayne Grey, Louie Stewart)
• Carl Perkins
• Mel Tillis
• Charlie McCoy
• Bill Phillips
• Jimmy Voytek: recorded for Scott and Caper. Worked with Tommy Spurlin and Kent Westberry.

RIP Marvin Rainwater / Alvis Wayne

Country and rockabilly music singer and songwriter Marvin Rainwater died on September 17, 2013, at the age of 88 in Aitken, Minnesota. Rainwater wrote the hit "I Gotta Go Get My Baby" and had several hits on his own, including "Gonna Find Me a Bluebird" and "Whole Lotta Women," the latter being a #1 hit record in the UK. Rainwater also recorded numerous rockabilly songs and was a regular feature on European festivals. Read more here.

I just learned that Alvis Wayne died already on July 31, 2013, at his home in Bacliff, Texas. He was  75 years old. Wayne is famous for his rockabilly sides he cut for Westport in the 1950s. He later recorded for Rollin' Rock and became a legend among young fans in Europe. Read more here.

Some Roots of Rock'n'Roll

  Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five - I Want You to Be My Baby (Decca 9-28883), 1953

  Lillian Briggs - I Want You to Be My Baby (Epic 5-9115), 1955
Another Bobsluckycat post presented by Mellow's Log Cabin!

Louis Jordan & His Typani 5 had numerous R&B hits from 1939 right up until the early 50's. Some even went high on the pop charts. He had 4 million sellers and was a well known sax player, singer, and comedian. He recorded "I Want You To Be My Baby" on May 28, 1953, at the end of his contract with Decca Records. It was released that same year and reviewed by Billboard in October. Jordan went on to record or re-record for several labels and had a dynamite stage show for many years. As far as recordings, he was considered "old school" and D.J.'s pretty much ignored him after he left Decca.

The song came to the attention of Alan Freed and he took it to his recent protegé Lillian Briggs, then age 24, having just signed a contract with Epic records, recorded a cover version which went to the top 20 on Billboard in September 1955 and sold over a million copies. Decca re-released Jordan's version in late summer 1955 (Decca 29655) in order to catch some of the thunder of Lillian Briggs' recording. Ms. Briggs was a trombone player, singer, comedienne, whose wild stage act and tight dresses earned her the name "The Queen Of Rock-n-Roll", and it stuck.

One hit record and the right connections had her playing Las Vegas, Miami and many other venues for many years. She did movie soundtracks, made TV appearances galore all over early TV and piled up a fortune before settling in Miami with several successful business holdings. Both are long deceased, Jordan in 1975 and Ms. Briggs in 1998, but it's fun to check them out again.

Billboard's October 23, 1955, review of
Louis Jordan's version

"Bobsluckycat", a frequent contributor to this page can now be revealed as Bob O'Brien of Columbus, OH, USA. He has written a new Western Novel set in 1892 Montana. Further information is available at his web page on his publisher's web-site http://booklocker.com/books/7052.html 

Thank You, "Mellow".

Mac Curtis R.I.P.

Rockabilly legend Mac Curtis died September 16, 2013, in Weatherford, Texas. Curtis was one of the true legends of Rockabilly, recording such classics as "Granddaddy's Rockin'", "Half Hearted Love," "You Ain't Nothin' But Right," "If I Had Me a Woman" and many others. In the 1970s, he also recorded for Ronnie Weiser's Rollin' Rock label and was rediscovered by European fans around the same time. He remained active on stage until his death following a car accident.

Read more here.

Hawkins County Barn Dance

Advertisement for the Hawkins County Barn Dance
in "Rogersville Review" on July 10, 1952

One of the many live stage shows during the 1950s, the Hawkins County Barn Dance originated from the town of Rogersville, Tennessee, and was the creation of a local DJ named Speedy Clark. The show started in 1952 and was on the air as early as in July that year over WJHL (Johnson City, Tennessee). It was first held at the American Legion Auditorium in Rogersville but had moved to McConald Hall by October 1952, as Speedy Clark reported in Billboard. At that time, a barn was built for the show. Located between Bristol and North Knoxville, it was said to be able to house 2000 people. 

If anyone has more info on the show, please pass it along.

Artists on that show included:

• Smiling Oscar Keppler
• Wayne Allen and the Stone Mt. Boys
• Ole Joe Clark
• Ronnie Knittel and the Lonesome Valley Ramblers
• Ronnie Talley and the Cherokee Mt. Boys
• Smiling Jack Lane
• Laure Lipe
• Hickman Brothers
• Thelma Davis
• Bailes Sisters Trio
• Coy Shelton
• Allan Brothers: possibly Wayne Allan mentioned above?
• Ralph Mayo: Fiddler for such acts as the Stanley Brothers, Moore & Napier, the Webster Brothers, Mac Wiseman, Faron Young, and many others. Part of many shows such as Louisiana Hayride, WWVA Jamboree, Farm and Fun Hour, among others. Mayo could be also heard on WJHL. Born in 1930, died in 1992.
• Blind Boy Jack
• Glory Land Quartet
• Speedy Clark: Possibly the same artist that appeared on the Brown County Jamboree (WLW, Cincinnati, Ohio) with the Lonesome Pine Boys. This artist's birth date was August 6, 1900.
• Hack Johnson: From Scotts Hill, Tennessee, Johnson was the emcee of the show. He recorded some 78s as well as 45s and also performed with his brother Clyde. Johnson had a band called the Tennesseans which appeared on WPTF in Raleigh, North Carolina. Also was on WRVA.

Tompall Glaser RIP

Country music singer, songwriter, producer and one of the "Outlaw" movement's pioneers Tompall Glaser died August 13, 2013, at the age of 79. Born in Nebraska, Glaser started his musical career with his two brothers as "Tompall & the Glaser Brothers." They first recorded for Marty Robbins' Robbins label and later also toured with Robbins as well as Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, and others. By 1970, they had opened their own studio in Nashville. Glaser was also featured on country music's first million selling album "Wanted: The Outlaws" that also included material by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Jessi Colter.

Read more at hillbilly-music.com.