ID this player with Milton Brown? And is this Leon Chambers?

[Mike Anderson]

Hi all, found this pic yesterday at the Facebook site of the Bob Wills Heritage Foundation:



So there's Milton at left with banjolele, Sleepy Johnson (I think) on guitar, unknown, the steeler on National hollowneck tricone, unknown, and Bob Wills.

As long as I'm here, also wondering if anyone knows if by chance the man on Jazzmaster at far left in the next pic is Leon Chambers. I have NO idea if he ever played with Wills, even in a pickup band, but the face looks like right to me. I know lots of folks here knew him so am hoping someone might chime in.



Thanks in advance for any thoughts on these!

[Mitch Drumm]

That's Herman Arnspiger on the standard guitar. He and Wills recorded together in 1929--the first recording by either of them.

Milton joined them in 1929 or 30, making a trio. By late 1930, they were calling the band "The Aladdin Laddies", playing around Fort Worth and on radio.

Sleepy Johnson was also added in 1930 for live appearances as a tenor banjo player, but he became better known as a fiddler. At times, he played standard guitar and I have seen at least 1 reference saying he played steel.

Your first pic might be from 1931??

That could be Sleepy with the steel, but I'm not at all sure. The early pictures I have seen don't show such prominent and wavy hair. And frankly, the face doesn't seem to be a good match either. Tough to find a good early pic of Sleepy.

Offhand, the guy standing next to Bob without an instrument resembles Sleepy---leaving the steel player unknown.

The young guy in the middle without an instrument could well be Derwood; Milton's younger brother who also became part of the group.

Light Crust Doughboys in 1931---Milton, Derwood, radio announcer, Bob, Herman Arnspiger:




I agree, that does look like Leon Chambers in the second picture. And I've got a good idea the other guitar man is Charlie Harris.


Sleepy and Bob:

[Mike Anderson]

Thanks for all this Mitch! I absolutely agree that must be Herman Arnspiger, not Sleepy. And going back through the Cary Ginell book, I found this:



This is a very young Derwood with his friend Tommy Echols, who would later join the Brownies with Derwood as leader, after Milton's tragic accident. So I think maybe I've found our mystery steeler.

Glad you agree about the possibility of my other mystery man being Leon Chambers, and your theory about Charlie Harris. I thought maybe Tag Lambert, but no idea really and these pics didn't come with captions or comments at the BW Foundation site. Hope more folks will chime in.

[Mitch Drumm]

It appears you are correct about Tom Echols.

The pic below would imply that the guy next to Bob is Yodeling Rube Hall.

Friday September 19, 1930; text implies pic was taken the previous Sunday, September 14, 1930.

Good find.

[Mike Anderson]

Where in heck did you find that? Speaking of good finds...

[Mitch Drumm]

I am not a member of Facebook, so I was surprised I was allowed to view it without joining---which I would do only at gunpoint.

https://facebook.com/groups/105482783172515


In the 1970s, I was in brief correspondence with a guy in Fort Worth, last name Echols, regarding music and western swing.

As I recall, he was semi or totally blind and was unable to continue correspondence.

I can't recall his first name. Not Tom. But I wonder now if he was related to Tom.

[Mike Anderson]

I'm not on FB either, I was for a while, but I must have broken one of their policies, because they booted me off, then asked for a scan of my ID to get back on. Then they wouldn't reinstate me anyway. Then I learned of many other complaints along those lines. They're basically harvesting images of peoples' ID, for what reason I'd rather not speculate, but given some of their other behavior...

Anyway was able to view every one of their 1000+ images. Fantastic archive.

[Mitch Drumm]

I'm not on FB either, I was for a while, but I must have broken one of their policies, because they booted me off, then asked for a scan of my ID to get back on.

You mean like a driver's license or similar???

I'm dumbfounded.

I guess I'm not surprised, considering it's now 1984 Anno Domini, but I'd never heard of something that invasive and overt for something as optional as Facebook.

Which apparently means it's not at all optional for hundreds of millions of people.

Tell me the end isn't near.

[Mike Anderson]

Okay - the book about Bob Wills by Dr. Townsend says Bob was still performing and recording into the late 1960s, including that he played several engagements with Tag Lambert and others at the Farmer's Daughter in San Antonio in 1969.

I also found another post in the Forum by a fellow who says Leon told him he "played with the Playboys once."

Hope this helps anyone still interested in the mystery...

[Mitch Drumm]

Here's a couple of pix of Tag Lambert.

He doesn't look to have a face as narrow as the other unknown guitar player---a bit too jowly.

But does the guitar in the color picture match?

[Mike Anderson]

I have that one as well. Both 1960s Fender Jaguars for sure.

BTW as you might already have seen, there are a couple at that site with Leon Rausch playing a Jazzmaster as well, but that certainly isn't Mr. Rausch at left in that B&W photo.

I like the idea of it being Charlie Harris with the dark suit and Jaguar in that one. Just wish there was someone who knows that phase of Bob's live performances well enough to give us definitive details about the gig. Oh well, happy Friday.

[Mike Anderson]

From the Bob Wills Heritage Foundation:

"Bob played many venues in Bell County - Central Texas throughout his career. Beginning in the mid- sixties, he played dates with his 'own man' Tagg Lambert fronting the band, playing a good guitar, doing vocals, and driving Bob to venues.

In September 1967, Bob and Tagg played The Bluebonnet Club in Troy, Texas with the Melody 5 Band. Pictured are Otis Beck, Bob, Tagg, Alice Sulak, and Jerry Haisler.

Photo Credit: Jerry Haisler and the Melody 5"