Love this pic posted on FB by Bill Purcell's son, Bill.
my Dad, Bill Purcell, during the korean war around 1953...his unit had just come off the battle lines and a USO show was entertaining the camp...he was invited to sit in with the band...prior to this he had been a member of Clyde Moody's and then Jimmy Dicken's band ..He also recorded extensively with Clyde Moody at King Records in Cincinnati ...
Per Dan Dugmore, the steel Bill played belonged to ....
Wow, what a wonderful picture... patriotism, classic Country, Bigsby steel guitar and volume/tone pedal, Fender "TV front" amp. It's all there and it doesn't get much better!
Great pictures. Nice to hear about some of the less known Western Swing and Country players. I didn't know about Wanda either. That is a great in-period pic of her Bigsby rig and Fender amp.
Could be Wanda; hard to say for sure. Here she is with Dave Stogner's great band out of Fresno/Madera area in 1952:
The Korea pic is likely from July-November of 1953, per this Billboard notice from 8-8-53. Could be Aileen McNeely or Barbara Thompson in the Korea pic, if not Wanda.
Here's another Billboard notice from 11-27-54 about Bob and Wanda Kennedy's band. Bud Duncan on fiddle and bass..........is that the same Bud Duncan who was with the Maddox Brothers and Rose previously?
Andy Volk wrote:Love this pic posted on FB by Bill Purcell's son, Bill.
my Dad, Bill Purcell, during the korean war around 1953...his unit had just come off the battle lines and a USO show was entertaining the camp...he was invited to sit in with the band...prior to this he had been a member of Clyde Moody's and then Jimmy Dicken's band ..He also recorded extensively with Clyde Moody at King Records in Cincinnati ...
Per Dan Dugmore, the steel Bill played belonged to ....
Wanda Kennedy I believe was her name.
Confirmed.
That is steeler Wanda Kennedy standing next to Bill Purcell in the above pic.
Here's another pic of her in Korea; same boots, same skirt, same hair style, highly likely the same USO tour from late 1953:
They are all wonderful photos, but the spontaneity of the first one is just fabulous. The Dale Evans style outfit, the rumpled soldier, fresh from the field, the equipment. It should be in the National Archive Collection.
Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother.
