Steel in Lubbock

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 15 Feb 2006 10:23 pm

Hey Wilbur, You might remember a gent from Lubbock by the name of Sky Corbin--owned that radio station down there, helped Waylon and Buddy H. get out of the garage, so to speak. Sky will tell on all of you pickers down yonder!! HA! Sky lives up by Madill, Oklahoma. Larry W. lives up by Mead, Oklahoma, 6 miles from me. Picked with both of them around these little opries around here acouple years back. Larry's a blast to pick with, and Sky's got more stories than the Bible!! HA! Small world!

Michael Garnett · Post by **Michael Garnett** » 16 Feb 2006 1:31 am

Jake -

What's up man! I wondered if you were still breathing as well. Yeah, I've still got ol' red, the only guitar I've ever owned. I don't suck quite so bad on it as I did a few years ago when I bought it from you.

And Baxter -

I haven't heard much from or about ol' Medulla. heh. Medulla. Oblongata. heh... Oblong-Gotta. heh. Sorry. Anywhich, don't bother, the 4 bands I'm in at school and the 2 bands I'm in out of school keep me plenty busy.

-Garnetski

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 16 Feb 2006 8:08 am

Hey James,,tell Larry W. hey for me. Do you happen to have his phone number,,or a way to contact him??? I grew up with all those lubbock boys,,,Buddy back when it was "Buddy and Bob (Bob Montgomery) and The Bluegrass Boys,,,Mac used to follow us home from school,,,the most clean cut little boy you ever saw.,,,and Sky, Slim, Hi-pockets,,,,and Barry Corbin (Roscoe Brown in Lonesome Dove),,,a lot of memories,,,,

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 16 Feb 2006 8:24 am

James, The radio staion Buddy and Waylon worked at was KLLL, sad thing was back when I was in Lubbock(early eighties), all the music was sent in on Reel-to-reels that the DJ's played.

Pat, Yes I remember the Maines Bros, and Pike Fest was a real throw back. I saw Bobby Bare, Pure Prairie League at them. I worked as Music Directot at K-TXT, and we used to broadcast live from there. We once had a 'record smash' Took a lot of old records and people paid money to throw a ball at them for prizes. Fun times.

Remember Joe Ely's Tornado Jams?

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Regards, Craig

Chuck Cusimano · Post by **Chuck Cusimano** » 16 Feb 2006 10:04 am

I moved to Lubbock in September , 1973 to work at "The Nashville West" (on Fourth Street) with Jimmy Lee, and Debbie Blakley, and then went to work at the "Cow Palace" with Donna Harris, and then after a rodeo Accident (a broken neck) I formed my own Band. I kept a band together till the first Disco thing hit in 1975, then I had to go on the road, untill 1976/77 (playing guitar with road bands) and came back to Lubbock where I formed another band again, and stayed untill I left the "Red Raider", and left Lubbock in 1979. The entire time I was in Lubbock, you could walk into ANY beer joint and hear a great band, awesome pickers, and Singers, and bands with great arrangements. I'm sorry to think that those days are gone. Laws have changed (maybe for the better, as far as safety is concerend) and folks have too much HOME entertainment at their fingertips, to go out to clubs like the old days. I often think of Lubbock with fond memories.

Ford Cole · Post by **Ford Cole** » 16 Feb 2006 10:09 am

When Sky Corbin deejayed on "Triple L," he used to say something like, "I'm a lover, a fighter & and a wild horse rider; and a pertty durn fair windmill man!!" And no, I won't say what year I'm talking about!

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 16 Feb 2006 11:05 am

Of note, Barry Corbin also played John Travolta's "Uncle Bob'in Urban Cowboy.

Other Lubbock trivia, Butch Hancock was an architecture student at Tech as well as Jimmy Dale Gilmore's father worked in livestock studies at Tech.

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Regards, Craig

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 16 Feb 2006 11:40 am

Craig, Seems like we are born too early or born too late!

Sonny, I'll see what I can do, I'll find out where he's pickin' and drop by and see whats up. Sky shows up occasionally at a once a month little opry up in Reagan, Oklahoma. I may ease up that way for kicks and grins---sometimes they need a sit in steeler.

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 16 Feb 2006 12:37 pm

Craig,,,when we were coming up (13-14) we (Buddy Holly, Don Guess, Sonny Curtis etc) used to go over to Butch's daddy's house (Tommy Hancock) and listen to them practice,,,then go home and try all the same stuff,,,great dance band from the old days,,,

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 17 Feb 2006 6:17 am

Sonny, That's real cool. Where did Buddy live in Lubbock.

Jimmie Dale's new CD is a tribute to his dad, he plays all his fathers favorite songs and his original 'No-caster' Telecaster was used in the recording and has a picture in the CD sleeve it it.

Lubbock was a cool place and seemed to be a great place to grow up. Just two nights a go I got a call from The Ag College at Tech for me to renew my alumni membership. Enrollment is up to 30K, when I was there it was about 25K.

You must have some neat stories to tell.

Thanks, Craig

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Regards, Craig

Josh Haislip · Post by **Josh Haislip** » 17 Feb 2006 7:42 am

Hey Mikey,

Who are you picking with these days?

Pat Smith · Post by **Pat Smith** » 18 Feb 2006 7:18 am

Craig....I do remember the Joe Ely's jams...man, there is alot to remember and alot I miss about Lubbock...My mom grew up there and we still go back to visit relatives....How about the "blue margaritas" at the Texas Spoon...We used to make day trips to Ruidoso to snow ski...the best pizza in town used to be Pinocchio's...Do you remember Joe King Curosco (sp)...?...where the hell is that guy these days?

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 18 Feb 2006 7:22 am

Joe 'King' Corrasco [maybe].
Boy ya'll are really bringing up the memories. It'd be fun to know where everybody who left Lubbock went to.

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 18 Feb 2006 7:34 am

I'm here!! I grew up there in the fabulous 50s,,when it was all happening,,could tell stories of Buddy,,Waylon,,Mac etc. When Elvis first came to town,,the first big show in the Colosium with Jerry Lee,,the Four Teens,oiur local band, (Jimmy Peters, Larry Welborn, Brownie Hicks) opened for him and "stole" the show. Left the first time in '56 when I was 17 to go on the road with Jimmy Newman (before it was Jimmy "C" Newman LOL). The 50s is when it started in Lubbock and feel very blessed to have been a part of it![This message was edited by Sonny Jenkins on 18 February 2006 at 07:36 AM.]

Pat Smith · Post by **Pat Smith** » 18 Feb 2006 7:49 am

Charlie...My mother tells about going to high school with Mac Davis...I can't remember how many tubs of beer we consumed at the Copper Caboose in the early days...I think its like a Chuck E Cheese now, but in the eighties, it was a good place to escape a sandblasting...I sure would like to move to Lubbock and live...My grandparents used to own a Conoco station and baitshop out by Buffalo Springs lake...I remember going as a child out to Pinkies Liquor store and they would buy a mess of BBQ sandwiches they used to sell there...

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 18 Feb 2006 10:06 am

Pat,,what was your mother's name???,,,Mac was 2 grades below me,,,his sister, Linda Kaye, was in my grade. She was a real knock out,,but a REAL tom boy up until about the 8th-9th grade.

Wilbur Keeton · Post by **Wilbur Keeton** » 20 Feb 2006 8:45 am

I think that what has happened to the music scene in Lubbock is the same as most places across the country. There has always been a lot of great musicians here. I feel optimistic that this place would support a fairly big club, if a knowledgeable club owner invested in one. Maybe when I win the lotto I will!

Tucker Jackson · Post by **Tucker Jackson** » 20 Feb 2006 12:02 pm

Any of you ever hear of an elementary school in Lubbock called the "Jackson School"? My grandmother ran it out of her house (from the late 30's until the 60's, I think). Mac Davis was one of her kindergarten students...

[This message was edited by Tucker Jackson on 20 February 2006 at 01:07 PM.]

Pat Smith · Post by **Pat Smith** » 21 Feb 2006 6:39 am

Sonny.....Her name is Linda Smith...ironically her maiden name is Smith as well...

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 21 Feb 2006 9:07 am

Pat,,did she live in about the 22 or 23 hundred block of 6th street??? I went with a girl named Sharon Sutherland and her best friend was named Linda ( I think Smith),,,

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 21 Feb 2006 12:10 pm

Am I right in thinking that Weldon Myrick grew up in Lubbock?

I toured with singer/songwriter Sonny Curtis a few years back, and I know he said the he and Weldon were friends as teenagers. Sonny was playing with Holly before his first hit, then went on the road with Slim Whitman - that's how he missed all the hit records that he might have been a part of. Still, he's written some pretty big ones himself since then....

RR

Fred Shannon · Post by **Fred Shannon** » 21 Feb 2006 12:21 pm

Roger R. close, but not quite in Lubbock. Weldon was raised in the small town of Jayton, Texas just southeast of Lubbock. He then migrated here to Big Spring, Texas, where he worked as a musician, police officer, and participated in the Ben Hall Band here. Then he and Hall went to Gnashville. He still has a big blowout in Jayton every October and visits here often when he is in this area.
Phred

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"From Truth, Justice is Born"--Quanah Parker-1904

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 21 Feb 2006 12:30 pm

There is a great website on Lubbock:

http://www.virtualubbock.com/

I think it's here or has a link to a great site that has pictures of Holleys life in Lubbock then and how they look today. I will try to find it also.

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Regards, Craig

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 21 Feb 2006 1:47 pm

Thanks, Fred - I was at least close!

Sonny also talked about Elvis coming to town, and how Buddy wanted to change direction and play rockabilly from that day on!

Sonny holds Weldon in very high esteem to this day, and spoke warmly of their friendship. George Hamilton IV introduced me to Weldon backstage at the Opry a while ago (while he was still resident steel player, and had that lurid green Emmons!), and I was touched by his politeness and kindness. He's definitely one of my heroes!!!

RR

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 21 Feb 2006 1:49 pm

Roger, Sonny grew up in Meadow, a community just down the road from Lubbock, playing bluegrass/country type music with his family (uncles were the Mayfield Brothers, fiddle, mandolin, banjo players). Before rock hit the scene around '54 Buddy had a group called Buddy and Bob (Bob Montgomery, I think the same thats a producer in nashville now) and the Bluegrass Boys,,,and Sonny played with them a lot(I think Buddy was still playing fiddle then),,,along with Don Guess, another Great musician/songwriter (could slap a dog house bass with the best of them). When R&R hit it captured Buddy, heart and soul and he pursued that path,,,Sonny was more inclined to country music. They remained lifelong friends,,so much so that when Buddy died, Jerry Allison and Joe B. Mauldin (Crickets) called on Sonny to head up the road show. When I was a kid Sonny Curtis was THE guitar player that I and all others in Lubbock aspired to be like,,,and a great song writer too.