The Steel Guitar Forum

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

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/ba ... sequel.htm

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

Andy Those where great links. they occupied me for over an hour and led me to some fine music

I have this album that was recorded in Bakersfield in 1963. It feature Roy Nichols on guitar and (I think) Red Rhodes on steel.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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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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

great pics michael! Thanks for posting those.

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

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"

here's an interesting link with a lot of good info

http://www.rockabillyhall.com/JimPierce1.html

Robert Price wrote a big article called "Bakersfield Bandstand in 'The Journal of Country Music"magazine volume 23.1

Mylos,the two younguns on the right are Dallas Frazier and Carlton Ellis.

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.