Bobby Chandler on OJ

Bobby Chandler and his Stardusters - I'm Serious (OJ 1000), 1957

It is hard to tell why Bobby Chandler is overlooked and forgotten so largely, although he even had a chart hit in the mid 1950s. Many of his contemporaries, recording less with even lesser success, are remembered better than Chandler and his vocal group, the Stardusters.

Robert Harold "Bobby" Chandler was born on August 3, 1937, in Little Rock, Arkansas to Horace and Valeria Chandler. He had a brother, Billy, and a sister, Betty, who played piano and with whom he had a very close relationship. Chandler was influenced by all kinds of music, listening to country music, gospel, jazz, big band, and pop music.

While at Little Rock Central High School, Chandler formed a vocal group called the "Stardusters", patterned after the Platters. The line-up included Chandler, Bill Sharp, Bobby Blount, Bill Glasscock, and Bill Detman on guitar. The group performed at school events and other local Little Rock venues. About a year later, the Stardusters were discovered by Bill Biggs and Red Mathews, who operated Old Judge Music Publishing in Memphis and set up their own record label, OJ Records, in 1957. They chose Chandler and the Stardusters to be the first group on the label. They recorded "I'm Serious", a Quinton Claunch and Bill Cantrell penned song, and "If You Love'd Me", released around April 1957 on OJ #1000.

The success came unexpected and the disc sold well locally and "I'm Serious" made the Billboard pop charts a short time later, peaking at #38. The group went out on the road and appeared regularly in their home town Little Rock, becoming frequent guests at Steve Stephens' TV show on KTHV. "Any time he wanted to come on the show, I said, ‘Sure, come on down.’ I’d always make space available for him," Stephens, who was especially fond of Chandler's voice and talent, later recalled. They also performed on Wink Martindale's "Dance Party" TV show in Memphis. The group became so popular in Little Rock that when Ray Charles, already one of the top names in music by then, played the Robinson Auditorium in April 1957, the main spot was given to the Stardusters and Charles became the opening act.

"I'm Serious" was covered the same year by the Hilltoppers and saw release in various European countries in this version. Chandler and the Stardusters recorded a follow-up to their hit, "Shadows of Love" b/w Me and My Imagination" (OJ #1005), which couldn't repeat the success of its precursor. After a third disc for the label, their association with OJ ended. Though, among the many artists that recorded for the label, Chandler and the Stardusters were the most prolific and successful.

Chander cut one more record for Hi Records in Memphis, a label that had been in business for about a year by the time Chandler's record was released. However, success eluded this disc again and by 1959, he had grown tired of being constantly touring. "He was just a hometown boy, always was," remembered his sister Betty. When Chandler settled in Little Rock, marrying his high school sweetheart Kate Smith, he brought an end to the professional career of the Stardusters. However, they would reunite every year for the high school reunion.

Chandler went on to work for the City of Little Rock for the next 30 years, limiting his singing to a hobby. When he retired, however, he took up performing professionally again, though mostly in Little Rock and other Arkansas areas, and recorded a total of eight albums for Blue Chair Records.

Bobby Charles died unexpectedly from lung cancer on April 6, 2012, at the age of 74 years at St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center in Little Rock.

See also

• The OJ label

Sources

• Find a Grave entry

• 45cat entry

• Short Bio and Discography at Doo-Wop Groups

• 501Life Magazine: "Bobby Chandler - Remembering an Icon"

Russ Thompson on Blue Bird

Russ Thompson and the Arkansas Blue Birds - My Arkansas Baby (Blue Bird BBS 601), unknown year

I was introduced to Russ Thompson's unique records years ago through the blogs of a record collector who called himself "Red Neckerson" or "Howdy" (see 45blog and Frances' Favorite 45s). Since then, Russ Thompson has caught my attention but I was never able to unearth any information on him. When I was given the possibility to purchase both of his 45s recently, I jumped at the chance.

From what I remember Red told me that Russ Thompson and his wife Paula were local Little Rock country music singers. His Blue Bird disc, probably Thompson's own label, was pressed by Wayne Raney's Rimrock plant in Concord, Arkansas, in the 1960s or 1970s. This release became a little underground favorite among collectors since it was posted by Red as "My Arkansas Baby" features a hot band. The other one, on Thompson's Russ, Paula imprint, was self-released by him and pressed by Monarch in 1969. It featured both songs from the Blue Bird release plus his version of the country classic "Wreck of the Old '97".

Catalog of Copyright Entries, 1970

The address on both records, 3901 East Broadway in North Little Rock, seems to have been Thompson's home at that time. The address houses a hardware store today.

If anyone has more information on Russ Thompson, feel free to leave a comment.

Discography

Blue Bird BBS 601: Russ Thompson and his Arkansas Blue Birds - Beautiful Arkansas Waltz / My Arkansas Baby
Russ, Paula RPR 101: Russ Thompson and his Harmonica: Wreck of Old 97 / My Arkansas Baby / Beautiful Arkansas Waltz (August 1969)

See also
• Blue Bird and Russ, Paula on Arkansas 45rpm Records

Sources
• Russ Thompson on Discogs

Lance Roberts on Sun

Lance Roberts with the Gene Lowery Singers - The Good Guy Always Wins (Sun 348), 1960
For the last decades, Lance Roberts has been an unknown and mysterious name in rock'n'roll history. As Bear Family researchers put it, "nearly all the men and women to record for Sun have been documented exhaustively, but Lance Roberts remains murky" - until now. I don't want to claim to have unearthed his whole story but I managed to bring a little light into the shadowy career of Roberts.

He was born Kenny Arlyn Roberts on November 12, 1939, in Norman Park, Colquitt County, Georgia. At least his father's family had been living in the same South Georgia area since the early 19th century. Roberts' parents' first child died as an infant in 1935 but the couple were blessed with two more children, Kenny in 1939 and his sister Jane in 1941. Other details about Roberts' early life still have to be discovered.

Roberts' way into music business and his stroke of luck to record his debut for a major label are more riddles to solve. In 1959, Roberts, who had changed his name for performing purposes to "Lance Roberts" by then (possibly to avoid confusion with popular east coast country musician Kenny Roberts), recorded a total of four songs for Decca Records, all from the pen of the songwriting husband-and-wife duo Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. Roberts' first session took place on February 1, 1959, at the Bradley Film & Recording Studio in Nashville, probably with a line-up consisting of top Nashville studio musicians but details escape us on this issue, unfortunately. The results of this session, "You've Got Everything" and "Why Can't It Be So", were released in spring that same year on Decca #9-30891. Billboard was pleased with the "good, spirited style" of the songs and the disc saw also release in Italy on the Fonit label the following year. Noteworthy success eluded it, however.

Lance Roberts promo picture, 1950s

A second session was arranged for Roberts on June 11, 1959, at the same location, which produced "What Would I Do" and the song he is maybe best remembered for, "Gonna Have Myself a Ball" (Decca #9-30955). While his first disc was on the soft teen sound side of rock'n'roll with Roberts' vocal similar to Elvis Presley's, he turned to strong rock'n'roll on his second effort, especially for "Gonna Have Myself a Ball". The pair was released around August 1959 but again, sales were likely disappointing.

Since May that year, Roberts was under contract of Acuff-Rose's new management and promotion firm ARAC (Acuff-Rose Artists Corporation), headed by Dee Kilpatrick. He was in good company there, as the firm also managed several Grand Ole Opry stars like Roy Acuff, Don Gibson, Billy Grammer, as well as newcomer Roy Orbison and Boudleaux Bryant, with whom Roberts had already made acquaintance.

Billboard April 27, 1959, pop review

Billboard August 10, 1959, pop review

After Decca had dropped Roberts from its roster, he found his way to Memphis, where he managed to convince the studio executives of Sun Records of his talent. As Sun's owner Sam Phillips had resiled from recording work, it is likely that one of his producers saw enough potential in the young singer from Georgia to invite him to a session in the fall of 1960. In Phillips' new studio on Madison Avenue, two songs were produced on Roberts, "The Good Guy Always Wins" and "The Time Is Right", with vocal support by the Gene Lowery Singers. The latter song was co-written by now legendary Memphis figures Charlie Feathers, Quinton Claunch, and Jerry Huffman, who had performed in a band togther, and the top side was from the pen of Arkansas songwriter Bill Husky, who later operated Jakebill Records.

The songs were released on Sun #348 around October 1960. At the time of release, Roberts was still based in Norman Parks as Sun documents reveal that his contract was sent to an address there. The songs were promising productions in commercial terms, being on the edge of rock'n'roll and pop, but Sun Records' heyday had already passed and the disc sunk without much notice.

Billboard October 24, 1960, pop review

We lose track of Roberts for the 1961-1962 period but on January 19, 1963, Billboard reported that Lance Roberts had been signed to recording and management contracts by United Southern Artists, Inc., a record company based in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Likely spotted by the firm's A&R manager Carl Friend, Roberts cut his fourth single for the label that year, although details remain sketchy. Issued on United Southern #5-131, the disc comprised "It Was Fun While It Lasted" plus an unknown B side. An original copy of this release has yet to be found.

Roberts retained his connection with Carl Friend as more than a year later, both became heads of Joey Sasso's new Music Makers Promotion office in Nashville. This is the last hint we find on Roberts' career. At some point in his life, he changed trades and became a farmer. He married Patricia Wells in 1976, with whom he had five children.

We can say with some certainty that Roberts remained a lifelong resident of Colquitt County, Georgia, where he died on March 14, 2011, at the age of 71 years.

Discography

Decca 9-30891: Lance Roberts - You've Got Everything / Why Can't It Be So (1959)
Decca 9-30955: Lance Roberts - Gonna Have Myself a Ball / What Would I Do (1959)
Fonit SP 50216: Lance Roberts - You've Got Everything / Why Can't It Be So (1960, Italy)
Sun 348: Lance Roberts with the Gene Lowery Singers - The Good Guy Always Wins / The Time is Right (1960)
United Southern Artists 5-131: Lance Roberts - It Was Fun While It Lasted / ? (1963)

See also
• The United Southern Artists label

Sources
• 45cat entry
• Rockin' Country Style entry
• Find a Grave Entry
• Bear Family Records
• Fonit single on Popsike
• Entry at Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies

Bob McKnight & his Ranch Boys

Country Music from the Mid-South
Bob McKnight and his Ranch Boys

Bob McKnight and his Ranch Boys at WMC, 1940s
From left to right: Freddie Burns, Jimmie Smith, Bob McKnight, Ray Martin, Slim Sullie,
Herman "Horsehair" Buggfuzz

Among the Memphis country music acts of the 1940s, Bob McKnight's Ranch Boys were one of the few to make commercial recordings, although being not under McKnight's leadership by then. The Ranch Boys were a long lasting act from the 1930s until the 1950s but in contrast to such bands as the Snearly Ranch Boys, the Buckaroos, or the Memphis Four, the group never trained young aspiring musicians that later became rock'n'roll pioneers. Though, the band was well-known in the Mid-South due to their reguar broadcasts on WMC and likely influenced a lot of the region's future generation of singers and guitar pickers.

Byron Burton "Bob" McKnight was born September 20, 1908. He likely hailed from the small community of Tutwiler, Northwest, Mississippi. The town is also known for being the birthplace of blues legends Sonny Boy Williamson II and John Lee Hooker, although it is likely that Williamson was born elsewhere in Mississippi. McKnight possibly knew at least Hooker, as they were of nearly the same age (Hooker likely born in 1912). May it as it be, McKnight was blind already since his childhood days, although it is not known if he was born blind or if he lost his sight afterwards.

McKnight was born to Frank and Belle McKnight. the couple had a total of five children: James, Jewel, Byron, Mabel, James W., Francis, and Mildred being the youngest. The family lived in adjacent Sunflower County by 1920 (Tutwiler is located on the border of Tallahatchie and Sunflower counties) but had moved back to Tallahatchie County by 1930.

McKnight learned to play guitar as well as harmonica and, beginning in 1928, hitchhiked to Memphis on Saturdays to play harmonica on local radio. At some point in the early or mid 1930s, McKnight made the move to Memphis and around 1935, married Mary Cathleen Conn, who was born in 1917 in Koscuisko, Mississippi. When Wold War II reached the United States, Uncle Sam called. Although there exists an army draft card for McKnight, it is very likely he was rejected due to his blindness.

By then, McKnight had made the connections with other local musicians and at some point in the 1930s, he founded a group which became known as the "Ranch Boys". Exact founding date and original members are lost to time but probably by the advent of the 1940s, the group consisted of McKnight (vocals, guitar, harmonica, bass), Fred "Freddie Boy" Burns (guitar), Jimmie Smith (vocals, saxophone, fiddle, and other instruments), Ray Martin (accordion and other instruments), Slim Sullie (fiddle), and Ivey Peterson (bass), who also doubled as comedy character "Herman 'Horsehair' Buggfuzz".

McKnight and the Ranch Boys had found their way onto WMC as early as 1942 (according to a Billboard article), doing live shows over the station. WMC was a local Memphis outlet that had been in business since the late 1920s. It is possible that McKnight's shows were carried out to other stations through a regional network in the Mid-South. By 1946, the group was a cast member of the station's "Plough Dixie Jamboree", a live stage show which also included other local artists such as Rex Griffin, Billie Walker and the Texas Longhorns, Chick Stripling, and others. Other details on the show unfortunately escape us.

Peterson later left the group, switching to WSB'S Barn Dance in Atlanta, and was replaced by "Sneezeweed" and his horse Pinto. Jimmie Smith took over the bass part for the group. McKnight, since its founding leader of the group, left the music business in 1946. A member of the Memphis Lions Club since the early 1930s, McKnight established the Memphis Lions Club Sight Service, the first sight service for blind persons in Tennessee. He was already well-known during his musician days in the Mid-South but especially rendered outstanding services to blind person's acceptance from the 1940s onwards.

In the 1960s, McKnight worked for the Memphis Workshop for the Blind, an organisation connected with the city's government. In 1968, following the assassination of Martin Luther King, McKnight's name appeared in FBI documents, as a suspicious conversation between McKnight and another person had been overheard by a man, who in turn reported the content of the conversation to the autorities. Alledegly, McKnight said that Martin Luther King "would not going to carry that march because he knew a boy from Northern Mississippi who would stop him [...]."

The sneaking suspicion was apparently laid to rest by the authorities, although further details on this issue escape us, too. McKnight continued his work for blind people and became the Downtown Lions Club's first blind president in 1972. Bob McKnight died on December 21, 1985, at age 77 after an illness that had lasted for months. He is buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis. In 2015, McKnight's daughter Maddie Stanford organized a tribute variety show, "Bob McKnight and his Ranch Boys Old Time Radio Show", in Cedar Grove, Tennessee.

When McKnight left the Ranch Boys in 1946, Freddie Burns took over leadership of the band and guided them into the 1950s. Fred Lee Burns was born on February 1, 1914, in Booneville, Mississippi, to John Green and Sadie Isabel Burns. The Burns family was a big one as Freddie Burns had seven siblings and five half-siblings. By 1920, the family still lived in Prentiss County but by the outbreak of World War II, Burns was living in Memphis according to his draft card. In contrast to McKnight, Burns probably served his country during the war. At which point Burns joined the Ranch Boys is not documented.

Billboard February 18, 1950

Burns transferred the Ranch Boys to WHBQ, another Memphis station. This happened in late 1949 or early 1950. Shortly afterwards, in February 1950, the Ranch Boys cut their only commercial recordings, an eight track session that probably took place at WHBQ for Star Talent Records of Dallas, Texas.

Two 78rpm discs appeared in 1950, carrying four of the eight recorded sides. By then, the line-up had changed drastically. At that time, the group consisted of Burns, Jimmie Smith, Ray Martin, Speedy McNatt (steel guitar), Pee Wee Wamble (piano), who had been a member of Memphis' Swift Jewel Cowboys before the war and joined the Ranch Boys following the war's end, and other unknown musicians. The first record on Star Talent appeared in May 1950 with "I'm Just a Poor Unlucky Dog" b/w "You're Gone" (Star Talent #752). Featuring the harmony singing of Burns and Smith as well as Smith's mandolin work, especially the A side was a nod to the Delmore Brothers' style, who had been active in Memphis since the late 1940s. The second disc followed in late 1950 with "Juke Box Boogie" and the romping instrumental "Two Piano Boogie" (Star Talent #762). The later featured both Ray Martin and Pee Wee Wamble on piano.

Burns and the Ranch Boys possibly continued to play in and around Memphis during the 1950s but no activities could be found so far. Burns continued to be active as a musician and lived up to be 102 years old. Still at age 98, he could be found in a nursing home, pulling out his guitar and singing a song. He passed away April 29, 2016, and is buried at Forest Hill Cemetery East in Memphis.

Discography

Star Talent 752: Freddie Burns and his Ranch Boys - I'm Just a Poor Unlucky Dog / You're Gone (1950)
Star Talent 762: Freddie Burns and his Ranch Boys - Juke Box Boogie / Two Piano Boogie (1950)

Sources
• Hillbilly-Music.com entry
• Find a Grave entries for Bob McKnight and Freddie Burns
• Several Photos of the Ranch Hands on Flickr
• 45worlds 78rpm entry
• Official documents for Bob Knight and Freddie Burns accessed through Ancestry.com
• The Jackson Sun: "Old Time Radio Show at Cedar Grove Opry on Saturday"
• Adam Komorowski: "Rockin' Memphis" (Proper Records), 2008, liner notes

Gaylon Christie on Capri

Gaylon Christie and the Downbeats featuring Roy Robinson - Wasted Days and Wasted Nights (Capri 504), 1964
Gaylon Christie was a band leader, musician, radio disc jockey, and business man, known for his contributions to Texas small market radio. Like many of his rock'n'roll contemporaries, Christie's first love was country music. He switched to rock'n'roll in 1958, leading a popular band called "The Downbeats" for several years, then returned to country music and began working as a DJ on Texas radio station.

Gaylon Wayne Christie was born on August 22, 1936, in Holland, Texas, in the heart of the Lone Star State, just south of Temple. He was born to Floyd Portman and Audrey Christie and had one older sister, Nelta Dean, and a younger sister, Beavelly. Holland was a farming community, so Christie's musical background was mainly imprinted by country music.

While attending high school in Holland, Christie became a member of Clyde Chesser's Texas Village Boys in late 1953 when he was just 17 years old. The group was the main act of a local TV show, the Blue Bonnet Barn Dance, and Christie joined as a steel guitarist. The next year, he went to Temple Junior College and began working for KTEM, the city's local radio station.

With Chesser and the Texas Village Boys, Christie made his first recordings as part of the band. However, by 1956, he had left and two years later, founded his own group, the Downbeats. By then, Christie had changed his musical style to more popular rock'n'roll and had switched to electric guitar. The band played on weekends and backed many stars that came through town while being on tour, including Sonny James and a young Willie Nelson.

Gaylon Christie and the Downbeats, late 1950s

The Downbeats featured different vocalists during their career, including Dale McBride, Big Jim Lawrence, and Roy Robinson. The band made its recording debut in early 1958, recording for the small Taylor, Texas, based Kobb label, which had just come into existence. Their first release is hard to come by. "Junior Jazz" b/w "If You See My Julie", of which the latter was reissued on two compilations decades after its recording, were released on Kobb #1500.

The group recorded a second release for Kobb, the instrumental "Wound Up" paired with "Because I Love You So" with vocals by Dale McBride. This disc appeared in early March 1958, shortly after their debut. Christie and the Downbeats became a popular act regionally and continued to release recordings on local Texas labels. Still in 1958, they recorded a great version of "Hootchi Cootchi Man" for Jimmy Heap's Fame label. Heap was another Texas band leader, being the front man of the Melody Boys, with whom Downbeats vocalist Dale McBride would later work. Another record came in late 1962 for the Bid label and in 1964, the Downbeats recorded for Capri what would be their final release. Capri Records, based in Conroe, Texas, was operated by Huey Meaux and Foy Lee and is best remembered for the recordings Gene Summers made for the label.

By then, the sound of the band had changed from rock'n'roll to a more pop orienteed sound. "Tell Me What's On Your Mind" was written by the band's vocalist Roy Robinson, while "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" was a song actually written and recorded by Freddie Fender in 1959 for Duncan Records. Fender of course would re-record it in the 1970s to score a major hit with it. It is probable that the song was given to the Downbeats by producer Huey Meaux.

After the Downbeats disbanded, Christie returned to country music and concentrated on his radio work. In the early 1960s, he worked with KTON in Belton, Texas, and was, among others, responsible for changing the format of the station to full-time country music programming, which was unusual at that time. He also started booking big acts like Roger Miller, Marty Robbins, and Ferlin Husky in the area. He also helped getting the careers of a new generation of country singers started, including George Strait, Toby Keith, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, and more. While working for KTON, Christie decided, after being a DJ for several years by then, to change roles and went into sales. When the ownership of KTON changed, he became general manager of the station in 1966.

In 1975, Christie left KTON and then worked for KXOL in Fort Worth. In 1977, he and a business partner started the M&M Corporation and launched their own radio station KOOV in Copperas Cove, Texas. Christie was not only owner of the station but also served as general manager and DJ. 

Christie sold KOOV in 2001 and retired from the active side of radio business. He was instrumental in forming the Country DJ Hall of Fame and was recognized with the induction into it eventually. Christie died January 15, 2014, at the age of 77 years in Temple. He is buried at Killeen City Cemetery in Killeen, Texas.

Discography

Kobb 1500: Gaylon Christie - If You See My Julie / Junior Jazz (1958)
Kobb 1501: Gaylon Christie and the Downbeats - Wound Up / Dale McBride - Because I Love You (1958)
Kobb 1501: Gaylon Christie and the Downbeats - Wound Up / Dale McBride featured with Gaylon Christie and the Downbeats - Because I Love You So (1958)
Fame Fa-503: Gaylon Christie and the Downbeats featuring Big Jim Lawrence - Hootchi Cootchi Man / Gaylon Christie and the Downbeats featuring Dale McBride - It Might Have Been (1958)
Bid 503: Gaylon Christie and the Downbeats with the Episodes - Someone Else, Not Me / Too Late (1962)
Capri 504: Gaylon Christie and the Downbeats featuring Roy Robinson - Wasted Days and Wasted Nights / Tell Me What's On Your Mind (1964)

Note: Both versions of Kobb #1501 have identical recordings. The difference is only present in the different artist credit.

See also
• Clyde Chesser's Texas Village Boys

Recommended reading
• Brittany Fholer: "KOOV alumni gather for 45th year reunion in Copperas Grove" (Copperas Grove Leader-Press), 2022
• Memories of Gaylon Christie by Gene Pemberton and Mildren Lancaster

Sources
• 45cat entry
• Rockin' Country Style entry
• Discogs entry
• Find a Grave entry
• Country Aircheck interview with Gaylon Christie

Doc McQueen

Rocking and Rolling at Hernando's Hideaway
The Story of Doc McQueen

The name of Doc McQueen is mentioned regularly when it comes to early Memphis music. Like fellow Memphis band leaders Clyde Leoppard, Bob Williamson, or Shelby Follin, his name today is mostly reduced to short mentions in literature or interviews and his efforts are otherwise lost in time, unfortunately. McQueen led a country band, which played a style that is hard to determine but certainly ranged between traditional country music, western swing, and even rock'n'roll. Similar to his aforementioned contemporaries, McQueen saw a lot of young talent pass through his group and many of those singers later made a name for them self. This is probably the first ever published biography of McQueen, pieced together from various interviews, census records, and other sources. It still has a lot of blankets, though, and I hope to fill these soon.

Junius Parks "Doc" McQueen was born on November 18, 1909, likely in Memphis but no documentation of his birthplace and his early life has been found so far. As a young man, McQueen married Allena Pruette, a girl from Moscow, Tennessee, a town near Memphis in the Tennessee-Mississippi border region. Around 1933, their son James Thomas was born and the 1940 census lists the family living on 1735 Lawrence Place in Memphis (as "Jeneis McQueen").

As guitarist Roland Janes remembered, McQueen was a banker by day and a musician by night. He played piano and by the early 1950s, had assembled a group that performed in and around Memphis. They soon landed a regular spot at Charles Foren's Hideaway Club north of Whitehaven on Highway 51 and soon gathered a local following.

In the following years, many musicians played with McQueens' band, including Billy Adams, Johnny & Dorsey Burnette, Paul Burlison, Roland Janes, Sonny Wilson, and many others. Many of these young talents later became more or less part of the Sun Records cosmos. Like Clyde Leoppard's Snearly Ranch Boys or Shelby Follin's Memphis Four, McQueen's band was a tin smith for young musicians and a possibility where they could earn experiences. At his house on 24 North Cooper, McQueen had semi-professional recording equipment that was frequently used by many musicians to try out things and likely make demo tapes.

It was at McQueen's house that Cordell Jackson, pioneering female Memphis rockabilly singer and owner of Moon Records, recorded her claim to fame "Rock and Roll Christmas" / "Beboppers' Christmas" in 1956 for her own label. It is likely that McQueen plays piano on both sides. Although McQueen was more rooted in country and swing, the trend of rock'n'roll had its affection on McQueen, who tried to led his own rock'n'roll combo at some point (but failed apparently). He also featured the trio of Johnny & Dorsey Burnette and Paul Burlison on shows until March 1956 and appeared with Sonny Wilson's Rhythm Rockers at times.

Sonny Wilson and the Rhythm Rockers at Hernando's Hideaway in Memphis, Tennessee
From left to right: Sonny Wilson, Glenn Allen, Billy Robley, Doc McQueen

Of all artists who performed with McQueen, Paul Burlison remembered him the best in interviews. In an interview with Vintage Guitar Magazine, he recalled: "Johnny and Dorsey started playin’ with Doc McQueen, who played piano and had a saxophone player – they had a song called 'Rock Billy Boogie' – playin’ at this place called The Hideaway, and they wanted me to leave Shelby Follin and start playin’ with them. So I did, first part of ’53." If the song "Rock Billy Boogie" already existed at this stage of the Rock'n'Roll Trio's career is iffy, Burlison's recollection could be a bit blurry on this issue. However, he continued: "Me and Johnny and Dorsey would do a portion of the show as a trio. Johnny would do some fast stuff, some honky-tonk songs, stuff like “Move It On Over,” and Dorsey would play slap bass and I’d put a boogie beat over it. Then Doc and the rest of the band would play the rest of the time."

If Burlison's memories are correct, the trio of Johnny & Dorsey Burnette and Burlison performed with McQueen for nearly exact three years. In March 1956, the trio decided to hit big time and traveled to New York City. "We kept playin’ with Doc McQueen ’til March of ’56. [...] We got so excited, we just took off, and when we got up to Brownsville, Tennessee I said, 'Hey! We didn’t even tell Doc!' So we stopped and I went to a phone booth and called him. I says, 'Doc, we’re not gonna be there this weekend.' This was like Wednesday. 'We wanted to let you know so you could get someone else. We’re goin’ to New York City to try and get on one of those television shows.' He said 'And do what?' I said, 'Man, we’re gonna play!' He just says, 'Oh. Well, if y’all make it big, let me know.'" The trio won the Ted Mack Amateur Hour and signed with Coral Records, immortalizing the Hideaway with a mention in their classic "Rock Billy Boogie", recorded for Coral in 1956.

McQueen stayed behind in Memphis and he might have learned of the trio's success from Memphis newspapers. He had tried his hand at songwriting as well and copyrighted at least four or five of his compositions, including "Jealous Lies from a Jealous Heart" (co-written with Thomas Neal "Hoot" Gibson, Jr.), "Don't Cry On My Shoulder", "Crying Begging", and "Be My Valentine", among others. It is unknown if any of these songs found their way onto record, however. Also, it's likely that McQueen made no commercial recordings under his own name or that he played as a session musician on other artists' recordings (apart from Cordell Jackson's).

Catalog of Copyright Entries, 1957

It is probable that McQueen kept on performing for the remainder of the 1950s and maybe even during the 1960s but assured information is missing, unfortunately. Doc McQueen died on August 12, 1990, at the age of 80 years. He is buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis.

If anyone out there has more information on Doc McQueen, feel free to pass it along!

Sources
• Official Census Documents accessed through Ancestry.com
• Commercial Appeal: Memphis Christmas Music
• Billy Adams on Bear Family
• Find a Grave entry
• Entries at Copyright Encyclopedia for "Jealous Lies from a Jealous Heart" and "Don't Cry on My Shoulder"
• Baker Rorick: "Paul Burlison - Train Keeps Rollin'" (Vintage Guitar Magazine, March 1998)
• Catalog of Copyright Entries, Fourth Series (1978)

The Fendermen on Soma

The Fendermen - Mule Skinner Blues (Soma 1137), 1960
The Fendermen were Phil Humprey on guitar and vocals as well as Jim Sundquist on lead guitar. Both were students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the late 1950s and, coincidentally, both were born on November 26, 1937. Reportedly, they had played both in bands before but decided to team up as a duo when they met. The name of the newborn duo was simple - "Fendermen" because both played  Fender guitars (a Telecaster and a Stratocaster).

They played the bars in their region and around late 1959, started playing their electrified, up-tempo version of the old Jimmie Rodgers song "Blue Yodel No. 8 (Mule Skinner Blues)". The inspiration for the vastly different arrangement of "Mule Skinner Blues" came from Phil Humphrey, who had heard a similar version by Jody (Joe D.) Gibson, who had recorded the song on the Tetra label in 1957. Surprisingly, as Humphrey once stated, he had neither heard Jimmie Rodgers' original version nor the Bill Monroe or Maddox Brothers & Rose versions.

After encouraging reactions from their audiences, Sundquist and Humphrey recorded their version of "Mule Skinner Blues" as well as their original "Janice". Both recordings featured only the guitar and voices of Sundquist and Humphrey, no other instruments were used. The recording was supervised by William Dreger, who owned the Middleton Music Store in Middleton, Wisconsin, and the session possibly took place at Dreger's store.

Through Ronnie Conway, a record salesman, the tapes went to Jim Kirchstein, owner of Cuca Records, who released both songs on Cuca #1003 in January 1960. Feedback from radio stations was positive but only a small amount of copies was pressed and RCA was not willing to press more immidiately. Therefore, Kirchstein worked out an agreement with Amos Heilicher of Soma Records (though not a profitable deal for Kirchstein) to release the songs with wider distribution.

Before Heilicher released the songs, he took the Fendermen to Kay Bank Studios in Minneapolis to re-cut "Mule Skinner Blues". Released on Soma #1137 in April that year, Heilicher replaced the original flip side "Janice" with an instrumental the Fendermen had cut at Kay Bank, "Torture". "Mule Skinner Blues" eventually reached #5 on Billboard's pop charts, #16 on the C&W charts and also became an international seller, reaching #32 in the UK on Top Rank.

The success of "Mule Skinner Blues" sent the Fendermen on tours across the country and to national television shows like Dick Clark's "American Bandstand". To repeat the success, the duo was rushed back into the studio, where they cut a cover of Huey Smith's "Don't You Just Know It" along with another instrumental, "Beach Party." The single (Soma #1142), released ca. August 1960, was a total failure, unfortunately, as it reached only #110 on the pop charts. A third disc was released in early 1961, "Heartbreakin' Special" b/w Can't You Wait" (Soma #1155), which failed to make the charts altogether.

Billboard March 13, 1961

An album was released in 1960 or 1961 by Soma but soon, the Fendermen went separate ways. Jim Sundquist recorded for Cuca as "Jimmy Sun and the Radiants", trying to repeat the success with covers of "Cocaine Blues" and "Molly and Ten Brooks" to no avail. Humphrey led his own version of the Fendermen, recording for the Saggy label.

Phil Humphrey's own version of the Fendermen, ca. 1961

Sundquist remained active as a musician and he reunited with Humphreys for two shows in 2005. Sundquist died in 2013. Phil Humphrey died in 2016.

See also
• Joe D. Gibson on Tetra
• The Muleskinners on Twin Town

Recommended reading
• Tim Campbell: Jim Sundquist Obituary (Star Tribune), 2013

Sources
• Wikipedia (beware of subjective reading on William Dreger)
• Tony Wilkinson: The Fendermen
• 45cat entry
• Rockin' Country Style entry

Joe D. Gibson on Tetra

Joe D. Gibson - Good Morning, Captain (Muleskinner Blues) (Tetra 4450), 1957
Joe D. Gibson, better known as Jody Gibson professionally, was a musician rather inspired by the intellectual folk music scene that emerged in the late 1950s than being a rockabilly singer. However, his Tetra release, covers of "Muleskinner Blues (Blue Yodel No. 8)" and "Worried Man Blues", had certainly a rockabilly feel and therefore, made it attractive to the rockabilly revival fans and even secured Gibson a place in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

He was born Joseph Paul Katzberg on August 25, 1929, in Brooklyn, New York. By the early 1950s, he had taken up guitar (favoring Martin guitars) and initially wanted to appear under the stage name of "Joe Martin" (inspired by his favorite guitar manufacturer) but found it too reminiscent of a name of a politician, so he chose instead upon "Jody Gibson" (taken from Gibson guitars, actually). He frequently performed in Greenwich Village during this time, becoming part of the folk music scene there, and played with artists like Tom Paley (later member of the New Lost City Ramblers) and Roger Sprung.

Eventually, Gibson joined the U.S. Air Force and became an air traffic controller and was sent overseas to Korea. During the years 1956 and 1957, he took a break from working with the Air Force as his enlistment was over and instead worked as a musician. He toured Canada with Elton Britt, a Jimmie Rodgers-influenced country star, and also worked with him on WWVA in Wheeling, West Virginia.

In late 1956 or early 1956, Gibson met Monte Bruce, whom he had known since his childhood days as Bruce lived in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn. By then, Bruce was the son-in-law of Alan Freed and had set up his own record label Tetra Records in Brooklyn. For this label, Gibson record his debut release, covers of Jimmie Rodgers' "Mule Skinner Blues (Blue Yodel No.8)" entitled "Good Morning, Captain", and of the traditional "Worried Man Blues", renamed "21 Years (It Takes a Worried Man)". The songs were released on Tetra #4450 around March 1957. Although the disc was only available on the east coast (though it was distributed by Chess Records), it eventually sold impressively 475.000 copies. On the actual label, he was credited as "Joe D. Gibson" as Monte Bruce had changed the name.

Jody Gibson, 1950s

Aside from being a Tetra recording artist, Gibson apparently also worked as a session musician for Tetra quite a bit. It is reported that he worked with another Tetra recording artist at that time, Bill Flagg, playing banjo on some of Flagg's recordings. However, none of Flagg's Tetra releases featured a banjo, so these recordings can only be one of the unreleased tapes by Flagg. However, Gibson later recalled that he played guitar on Flagg's "Go Cat Go". In fact, it was Gibson who put Flagg and label owner Monte Bruce in touch, as Gibson had heard Flagg perform in Hartford, Conneticut, in 1954. Gibson is also said to have performed banjo on the Neons' "Angel Face", another Tetra recording. In turn, Neons member Jeff Pearl performed on "Good Morning, Captain".

The single is mostly forgotten today, although it was very influential. Gibson's "Good Morning, Captain" was the first version of the song to feature a rockabilly/rock'n'roll type arrangement, which was later used by the Fendermen for their rock'n'roll version, which became a massive hit. In fact, the band's guitarist Phil Humphrey credited Gibson's version as the main influence for their arrangement. Gibson's own influences are foggy, however. Although he toured with Elton Britt, who likely had several Rodgers numbers in his repertoire, and was probably familiar with Bill Monroe's 1940 version, too, it was none of them who inspired Gibson for his fast-paced arrangement. Gibson later claimed that he adapted it from a performer he saw in 1955 at the Eastern States Exposition but forgot his name. Author Barry Mazor tried to solve this riddle, as documented in his book "Meeting Jimmie Rodgers", but despite all his efforts, couldn't identify the mysterious musician who made the link between old-time music and rock'n'roll and was responsible for one of rock'n'roll's most unique hits.

However, Gibson was transferred in 1957 from Suffolk County Air Force Base to England, where he soon founded a band, "Jody Gibson and the Muleskinners", and performed mostly electrified versions of country songs like "San Antonio Rose" or "Hillbilly Fever". His style fitted to the skiffle trend in Great Britain at that time and Gibson became acquainted with now legendary producer George Martin, who brought the band to Parlophone Records. Martin later went on to produce the Beatles, among others. Gibson and the Muleskinners recorded two singles for Parlophone, including a cover of the George Hamilton IV rockabilly classic "If You Don't Know".

Gibson eventually returned to the United States, where he continued to work for the Air Force and took part in the Vietnam War. He passed away June 8, 2005, in Newport, Rhode Island, at the age of 75 years.

See also
• The Fendermen on Soma

Sources
• 45cat entry
• Rockin' Country Style entry
• Find a Grave entry
• Rock'n'Roll Schallplatten Forum (German)
• The Vocal Group Harmony Website: Spotlight on the Tetra label
• Barry Mazor: "Meeting Jimmie Rodgers" (Oxford University Press), 2009

Boots Collins on Upland

Boots Collins - Sad Street to Lonely Road (Upland E-653), 1964
The name Boots Collins rang a bell in my head when I bought this record. However, I confused her with another singer it seems. I own two of her 45s, one on Fort Worth's Manco label and the other one on the Upland label, so I became interested in Collins' story. There's another one on the Upland imprint, which is still missing in my collection. Missing as well is assured information about her career, unfortunately.

Apparently, Collins was a Bluefield, West Virginia, artist, according to Terry Gordon. There is a road named "Boots Collins Lane" not far away from Bluefield - I wonder if this road was named in honor of her? Collins' first known record was made in 1961 for Ed Manney's Manco record label out of Fort Worth, Texas, featuring her own compositions "Tennessee" and "Evening Shadows" (Manco #ML 1017). She was accompanied by Joe Zecca and the Western-airs with the leader of the band, Zecca, providing background vocals and the drumming. How Collins ended up on a Texas label can be clarified soon, hopefully.

In 1964, Collins recorded for the Bluefield, West Virginia, based Upland label, which released country music from 1964 until 1974. Her first record for this label featured "Sad Street to Lonely Road" b/w "Does It Bother You" (Upland #E653), beautiful country music performances that could have been recorded in Nashville. Both tracks were written by Tom T. Hall (credited as Tom Hall on the label) for Newkeys Music (Jimmy Keys' publishing company).

Her second Upland disc was also released in 1964 and featured two more Tom T. Hall songs, "Monday Sweetheart" and a song named "Mean" (co-written with Ralph Carter). The latter was recorded in a different version with different lyrics as "Mad" that same year by country hit maker Dave Dudley. In June 1964, he recorded the song at Columbia Recording Studio in Nashville with Jerry Kennedy, Ray Edenton, Jerry Shook, Chip Young, and Harold Bradley on guitars, Pete Drake on steel guitar, Charlie McCoy on harmonica, Hargus Robbins on piano, Bob Moore on bass, and Buddy Harman on drums. It was released on Mercury #72308 in August that year. Interestingly, Dudley's Mercury release lists only Tom T. Hall as composer. So were the different lyrics that Collins sings in her version called "Mean" added by Ralph Carter?

And that's all I know about Collins - at least for now. I found family members of her and hopefully they can shed light on her career.

If anyone knows more about Boots Collins, please feel free to leave a comment.

Sources
• 45cat entry
• Rockin' Country Style entry
• Dave Dudley entry at Praguefrank's Country Discographies

Doc & Cy Williams on Wheeling

Doc Williams and the Border Riders - My Little Ole Home in West Virginia (Wheeling DW-1022), 1954
Here we have West Virginia country music legend Doc Williams and his band, the Border Riders, with the spotlight on Doc's brother Cy Williams, who played fiddle with the group. The repertoire of the Border Riders consistent mostly of traditional old-time, bluegrass, and country music songs and this record is a prime example of their early style.

Cy Williams was born Milo Smik on July 31, 1918, being the younger brother of Andrew John Smik, Jr., who later became famous as Doc Williams. Cy Williams learned fiddle from his father, an Czechoslovakian immigrant, who had played mandolin and violin in Prague prior to relocating to the United States. When Cy was 12 years old, his father took him to Pittsburgh to present him with his first fiddle. The nickname "Cy" derived from "Fiddling Cyclone", a name he received very early on.

Brothers Doc and Cy started performing at dances in their hometown area around Kittaning, Pennsylvania, in the 1920s and the following decade, Cy joined his brother's old-time band. They performed under various names until they became the Border Riders in 1937. They joined the WWVA Jamboree in Wheeling, West Virginia, later that same year and became one of the mainstays of the show. Cy Williams was a member of  the Border Riders for more than 20 years and was an integral part of their sound and success as a live act.

While he never performed on any of his brother's later albums, he performed on all of the band's earlier recordings made for Doc's own Wheeling label. The two recordings that showcase his skills best are "My Little Ole Home in West Virginia" and "Under the Double Eagle", two fiddle instrumentals that were released on Wheeling #DW-1022. Cy Williams also provided harmony singing on recordings and live performances.

"My Little Home in West Virginia" is a fiddle tune composed by hobby musician Ellis Hall, a glassblower from Mortgantown, West Virginia. Hall performed at WMMN and recorded "My Little Home in West Virginia" with Bill Addis for RCA-Victor, which remained one of his few commercial release. Reportedly, the disc sold about 18.000 copies. It was also recorded by another West Virginia artist, fiddler Buddy Durham, as well as Wally Traugott (released on Sparton in Canada) and Curly Ray Cline. It is probable that the song enjoyed success especially in the rural West Virginia areas and was heard by Cy and Doc, incorporating it into their repertoire. It is also possible that they knew Hall or saw him performing on stage and thus learning the tune. Doc Williams re-recorded the song in 1970 as "My West Virginia Home".

The Border Riders recorded both "My Little Ole Home in West Virginia" as well as "Under the Double Eagle" on November November 21, 1954, at King Recording Studio in Cincinnati, with Doc Williams on guitar, Cy Williams on fiddle, Marion Martin on accordeon, and Chickie Williams on bass. It saw release in both Canada (on Quality #K1314) and Wheeling #DW-1022) probably in late 1954.

In the late 1940s, Cy Williams had married Mary Calvas, who played with the Border Riders, too, and was professionally known as "Sunflower". From 1944 until 1946, he served in the U.S. Army and his marriage fell victim to World War II. He married again in 1952 and left the Border Riders in the late 1950s, working for the U.S. Post Office henceforth. Although he later attended shows of his brother, he never stood with him on stage again.

Cy Williams died on April 17, 2006.

See also

• Decades of Country Music: Doc Williams and the Border Riders

Sources

• Hillbilly-Music.com entry

• Secondhand Songs

• Ellis Hall on Discogs

• My Little Home in West Virginia

• My Little Home in West Virginia - Internet Archive
• Praguefrank's Country Discographies