Dick & Me

Hal Higgins · Post by **Hal Higgins** » 12 Nov 2011 10:33 am

In the early 70's I had the pleasure of working with a great in country music. He never made it to what we would call a "Super-Star", but he was, none-the-less, great artist and a terrific man. His name was Dick Curless. His daughter just recently lost her husband who was, in his own right, a gifted and talented musician and entertainer, Bill Chinnook. These are both people from my home-state of Maine. Today Terry sent me a picture of when I was working with Dick, and I's like to share it with my forumite friends. I was about 22 or 23 at the time...had been playing steel for just over two years. The guitar I was playing was a very late 60's or early 70's Emmons P/P that I got from Tommy Cass up in Massachusettes. The guitar player was Rocky Stone, who also played for over 20 years with Mickey Gilley.

Dave Harmonson · Post by **Dave Harmonson** » 12 Nov 2011 10:38 am

I was definitely a Dick Curless fan. Thanks for sharing the pic. very nice.

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 13 Nov 2011 1:38 am

I had the pleasure of playing with Dick when he was the Rice Paddy Ranger out of Taegue Korea in 1953 He also had a radio show on the Taegue AFR cc

Leigh Howell · Post by **Leigh Howell** » 13 Nov 2011 6:47 am

Hi Hal. I had the pleasure of working with you for short time at the Ranch house in Springfield Mass. I worked some shows with Dick Curless back in those days too! They loved him in New England for sure! Lots of great memories of those days. Lots of live country gigs to work back then!!

Jack Harper · Post by **Jack Harper** » 13 Nov 2011 4:41 pm

once again...this forum is priceless......
thanxxx for the memories, hal.

country..........

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 13 Nov 2011 5:33 pm

Cool pic, thanx for posting!
I spy a MicroFrets in Rocky's hands. Underrated quality instruments.

Tracy Sheehan · Post by **Tracy Sheehan** » 13 Nov 2011 5:34 pm

I worked with Dick back in the 60"s a super nice guy. Don't remember the guitar players name but he went by the nick name sleepy. Never did ask where he got that name because when he took a ride,stand back.Tracy

Fred Thompson · Post by **Fred Thompson** » 14 Nov 2011 5:26 am

Great picture. I played lead guitar for Dick in the early 60's. He was a fantastic singer and should have been much more famous than he was. A joy to work with.
Tracy, Sleepy's name is Sleepy Willis. Great picker and fiddle player. Had the pleasure of playing with him at the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame show this year.

Fred Thompson · Post by **Fred Thompson** » 14 Nov 2011 5:54 am

Tracy, Sleepy's real name is Tasio Golios. If you google 'Sleepy Willis', you'll find a lot of info on him.

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 14 Nov 2011 9:02 am

Dick was a good friend and always threw out the welcome mat..Last time I got to spend any time with him was when he played the Circle H in Holland Mass Mid 90s..He brought Tiny Olsen with him..Sadly he was gone soon after..He always kept in touch with Smiley (Roberts)and one time we were both guest on the same stage of Smileys in Nashville at the now defunct "Reel Country" up on Trinity lane down the street from Gabes or Gaebs..Hal do you remember George Moody?..And Leigh Howell always reminded me a lot of Dick tho different they both could reach that similar low range well maybe Dick could drag the bottom more. :lol:I use to have Dick do "I sleep late and miss a lot of trains" an old Tom T Hall song..Talk about carrying the middle "C"..I often wonder how his son Rick was doing?..Last I knew he had married Tina welch and they were doing great..I meant to ask John Penny when we last did Frank Carusos show a few years back in Waltham..But as so often time is fast and short..I have several nice Pics of Dick I'll post..Like leigh we share a lot of memories of the Ranch House..

Hal Higgins · Post by **Hal Higgins** » 14 Nov 2011 3:28 pm

Thanks for all the replies.....I worked for Dick for several years, in different bands. The first time I worked with Dick I played bass and did some harmony vocals with him. Dick had a powerful voice and a tremendous range. The first shows I worked with him, Sleepy Willis was the guitarist.....I heard him play Malaguania (don't know about the spelling) and it blew me away. In 1953 I was only 3 years old....but I remember in the late 50's where Dick would be on the radio in Bangor, Me with Hal "Lone Pine", on WABI Radio, and in the 60's with Yodelin' Slim Clark. I was about 16 or 17 when I first played for Dick.
That was a Micro-Frets guitar that Rocky was playing, and man could he play it.....Rocky also played for a short time with Connie Smith along with Mickey Gilley. About the same time that Mickey asked him to play, Miss Bonnie Raitt also asked Rocky to be her guitarist. I sure do remember George Moody...a really great man....and talented to boot. The Ranch House, wow.....that has been a very long time ago...I hadn't been playing steel but maybe a year or a little over at that time.....how cool is that Leigh?
Ricky did marry Tina Welch...and I do believe that they are still together....I've never heard otherwise. I still think about my dear friend Dick and his family....I've not heard from Pauline and don't know if she's still with us or not. I hope she is.....she's a sweetheart, and loved Dick so very much. Thanks again for the replies and the memories, too. HAL

Fred Thompson · Post by **Fred Thompson** » 15 Nov 2011 11:00 am

Hal, Ricky and Tina are still together and I heard that she is singing in the Bangor area. Pauline is still with us, pretty as ever and doing well. I stay in touch with Terry and you can find her on facebook @ William Chinnock.
I had the pleasure of playing guitar with George Moody for a couple months back in the 60's. It was a great learning experience for me, though I never got up to his speed. $:\$ (Or Sleepy's)
Hope I've been some help.
Fred 'Tommy' Thompson

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