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Author Topic:  Bakersfield Late 60's
Jim Simon

 

From:
Moses Lake, WA
Post  Posted 26 Nov 2008 4:01 pm    
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Would love to hear some stories from those who were around with Bobby Austin, Wynn Stewart, Don Rich, Mooney, etc during the middle to late 60's. Those had to be fun times.

Please share your experiences.


Thanks,

Jim
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Andy Sandoval


From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
Post  Posted 26 Nov 2008 8:49 pm    
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Jim, here's a couple of links to some very interesting reading that tells all about those great folks that helped to define the "Bakersfield Sound".

http://www.bakersfield.com/static/FP/baksound/sequel.htm

http://www.rockabillyhall.com/bakersfieldtales.html
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Gary Stevenson


From:
Northern New York,USA
Post  Posted 27 Nov 2008 6:15 pm    
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Andy Those where great links. they occupied me for over an hour and led me to some fine music Very Happy Very Happy
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Glen Derksen


From:
Alberta, Canada
Post  Posted 27 Nov 2008 10:37 pm    
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I have this album that was recorded in Bakersfield in 1963. It feature Roy Nichols on guitar and (I think) Red Rhodes on steel.

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GaryHoetker

 

From:
Bakersfield, CA, USA
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2008 9:14 am    
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Glen-

What a terrific post. That album was recorded live at the Bakersfield Civic Auditorium in November 1963 as a wonderful tribute to local TV legend Cousin Herb Henson.

To the beat of my knowledge, the entertainers shown on the album cover are:

Front row left to right- Merle Travis, Roy Clark, Joe Maphis, Rose Lee Maphis, Cousin Herb, Rose Maddox, Buck Owens, Jean Sheperd, Tommy Collins, and Glen Campbell.

Top row- The Buckaroos at that time...Bob Morris, Don Rich, not sure but might be Mel King, and Jay McDonald.

Sadly, Cousin Herb passed away about two weeks later
from a massive heart attack.
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Jerry Hayes


From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2008 9:22 am    
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That's a cool shot of the album with Cousin Herb Henson. I remember when I was at the old Foothill Club, our lead guitarist (Jim Bob Sedgwick) used to sing this refrain to the tune of "Moonlight in Vermont".........

Trash cans on the curb,

Music played by Cousin Herb.

Moonlight in Lamont...........

.................JH in Va.
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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!
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Jim Simon

 

From:
Moses Lake, WA
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2008 9:38 am    
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I believe it was Ralph that played steel on Bobby Austin's first album. I have heard that there was a real friendship among alot of these pickers and they especially liked going fishing together. They often played at eachother's gigs. Never new who was going to be on the bandstand on a given night.
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Jason Odd


From:
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2008 7:26 pm    
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Well, by the late 60s you probanbly wouldn't have seen as much of Bobby Austin (Las Vegas), Wynn Stewart (in Texas), Don Rich (on the road, or at Buck's studio), Mooney (Las Vegas), etc during the late 60's, as everyone got record deals, they generally moved base, although Wynn played in Bakersfield, he never lived there.
The Mandrell's moved away to Nashville by '69, Rose Maddox went to Portland around the same time, Haggard was constantly on the road, and Billy Mize was mostly at the Foothill Club.

Mosrite Guitars closed in '69, The ZB factory, at least the Bakersfield version, was short lived.

Leon Copeland, Gary Paxton, Bill Kelly, Harold Cox, Bill Woods, Larry Petree, Jim Bob Sedgwick, Tommy Ash, Dennis Payne and many, many others were still active, but the bigger names probably weren't seen around town as much.
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B. Greg Jones

 

From:
Middleport, Ohio USA
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2008 8:06 pm    
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It mentions the Kentucky Colonels on there. My friend Bobby Slone was with them at the time and told me about cutting this album and hanging out with Don Rich. Bobby Slone was the staff fiddler here at Renfro Valley for about 15 years or so. I would dearly love to get a copy of this one!!!!

Greg
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Dave Zirbel


From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2008 10:48 pm    
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You need to take a trip down to Trout's in Oildale which is next to Bakersfield. Forum member Larry Petree plays every Monday with Red Simpson and should have some stories. I believe he is friends with Norm Hamlet who is also on the forum. Larry was friends with Roy Nichols too.
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Glen Derksen


From:
Alberta, Canada
Post  Posted 29 Nov 2008 12:40 am    
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If anyone can get ahold of Merle Haggard's autobiography titled 'Sing Me Back home, it's worth a read. There are a lot of interesting stories in there.
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Michael Lee Allen

 

From:
Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois
Post  Posted 29 Nov 2008 12:33 pm    
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DELETED
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"Wisdom does not always come with age. Many times age arrives alone."


Last edited by Michael Lee Allen on 26 Feb 2011 5:14 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Michael Lee Allen

 

From:
Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois
Post  Posted 29 Nov 2008 12:34 pm    
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DELETED
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"Wisdom does not always come with age. Many times age arrives alone."


Last edited by Michael Lee Allen on 26 Feb 2011 5:14 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Scott Henderson


From:
Camdenton, Missouri, USA
Post  Posted 29 Nov 2008 2:08 pm    
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Buddy Cagle. I haven't heard that name in years. we used to finish the night with his song " Blue House painted White" I used to work with Ray Kneeland( Ray Rich) and of course his favorite hit was Cinderella by Buddy Mize. ( I think) Lotta great music came out of Cali
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Glen Derksen


From:
Alberta, Canada
Post  Posted 29 Nov 2008 8:06 pm    
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great pics michael! Thanks for posting those.
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Mylos Sonka

 

From:
Larkspur CA USA
Post  Posted 29 Nov 2008 9:58 pm     the photo above
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Nobody asked, but in case some were wondering, I can ID most of the people in the bottom photo above, except for the two younguns on the right.

Sitting at the piano is Cousin Herb, Johnny "Texas Drummer Boy" Cuviello (a later alumnus of my band for many years), Billy Mize, Jelly Sanders (I think), and Bill Woods.

Mylos Sonka
lonestarretrobates.com
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Gary Walker

 

From:
Morro Bay, CA
Post  Posted 30 Nov 2008 10:22 pm    
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What a treat that night was in "B"field. Ken Nelson brought the roster up for the show and I was at the second show. Seeing all these greats was a real Hoot at the "Hootenanny"

Last edited by Gary Walker on 7 Dec 2008 11:32 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Cal Freeman

 

From:
North Carolina, USA
Post  Posted 1 Dec 2008 7:01 am    
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here's an interesting link with a lot of good info

http://www.rockabillyhall.com/JimPierce1.html
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Olaf van Roggen


From:
The Netherlands
Post  Posted 1 Dec 2008 7:05 am    
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Robert Price wrote a big article called "Bakersfield Bandstand in 'The Journal of Country Music"magazine volume 23.1

Last edited by Olaf van Roggen on 1 Dec 2008 7:10 am; edited 1 time in total
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Olaf van Roggen


From:
The Netherlands
Post  Posted 1 Dec 2008 7:06 am    
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Mylos,the two younguns on the right are Dallas Frazier and Carlton Ellis.
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Jim Simon

 

From:
Moses Lake, WA
Post  Posted 1 Dec 2008 10:34 am    
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Great stories and pictures. Thanks for the replies so far. Did any one ever run across Chuck Bataglia, stage name Chuck West? Played bass with Bobby Austin some. Had a home made B-bender on an old Tele.

I think LeRoy Jones played in the valley about then also. Had some gigs with LeRoy in the Bay Area in the early 70's

Important history was cast during those years. It can get lost if we don't talk about it. Tell us your stories and experiences.
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