Jim, I saw Maestro at a Moon dog ball concert in Cleveland a few years ago! and he was 56 0r 57 and still could hit those high notes and hold em as well ! that is a feat indeed!
He passed a few years ago, but what a voice! 16 Candles will be one of my favorite songs forever. No one could sing it like he did, in my opinion. Yes, those days were pretty neat. I knew Jorden and the guy from Charlotte who ran Cellar Door--name escapes me right now, but tried to contact him about 10 years ago and never heard anything back. Most of these guys were not the easiest to deal with, and 9 guys getting $400-$500/night was not really any money, but then beer was 50 cents to a dollar, so... We used to get the "door" as well as a few beers sometimes, but it was pretty slim pickings. I had a guitar that I wish I had today--1959 Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman...hollow so it fed back from my Sunn Sceptre amp, which I also sold when I moved to FL in '72, and got about $200 for the guitar and I don't remember on the amp. It cost $400 in Charlotte when I bought it, however. Today, well: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1962-Grets...697011?hash=item4d4cc89ab3:g:KZkAAOSwYGFUyrhx Just like mine but mine had a metal plate on the headstock that said Chet Atkins, I think. Still...some are more: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1956-Grets...357878?hash=item4d7b22c476:g:xpAAAOSwISNbgFS6 As for Sunn amps, well: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sunn-Scept...a=0&pg=2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100008.m2219 Wish I had both back today! Being old gives me a better perspective on all those people from back then. We were pretty innocent all things considered, but we could play good music, so, along with another band that was popular at the time called "Peace Corps" we played all the clubs and so forth. Good music, good times, and no regrets other than wishing I had been a bit wiser... Cheers, Richard
Talking about the pay makes me flash back to the Tams. They would role into town from Atlanta with Joe and so many others in the band that there is no way the split was more than tip change. And Joe was so much older than anyone else. Looking back, how could they travel that far pay for food and hotel rooms and make any money.
Thanks, Jim, for this information. He was quite a character, as was Wilson, his assistant/partner--never found that out and probably did not know enough to ask back then...when he wanted to drive my '71 Corvette (I bought it between my '70 black/black GS350 and my '71 Platinum Mist/black/black GS350 convertible) I was concerned as he was HUGE and did not really fit into the seat! I thought he might break the center console where the e-brake handle was! Fun times... The Beach Club, as you remember, had a dirt floor--very similar to a place in SO FL called the Sportatorium that I attended concerts at after I moved down here in '72 (driving my new '72 Fire Red/black/black S1 convertible that I ordered in Dec '71 and picked up in March '72.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Sportatorium This was a great idea, of course, as beer would not stain dirt, and a LOT of beer was spilled back then as I am sure you remember. I hear you about the Tams--we loved them as well. Couple of fun facts--at college, we had Tuesday night concerts in a small hall--probably no more than 300 students--and I saw so many great acts--Little Anthony and the Imperials come to mind. I have saved ticket stubs from almost all the shows I have ever attended, and once I am moved and settled again I will pull them out and see what is there. Many, many college shows with all the great acts. Carolina has a spring festival--well, they did when I was there--called Jubilee--that brought in many popular acts. We also went to the beach often and I saw lots of people at the Beach Club as well way before my band played there. My first show after arriving at Carolina in the summer of '64 (I graduated HS on a Sunday and Sunday night I was at college--long boring story). The show was the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars and was in Raleigh at the Dorton Arena on July 22, I think. Gotta find the ticket stub...Naturally, I HAD to go, and saw all the great acts of the day--Supreme's, Gene Pitney, Bobby Vee, Brian Hyland, etc., etc. Back then, as you remember, each act sang a song or two and then the next one came on. It was the days of the 45 RPM record, so... Many great times back then...sometimes wish I could go back, especially when I look around at things today...but then there are always things going on, I guess. Cheers, Richard
The late great Billy Stewart Playing the Beach Club, Myrtle Beach in 1968: Billy Stewart--Fat Boy (1965)
Wow, Jim--The Showmen--I had totally forgotten about them. GREAT tune, of course, and neat pics of the club. I don't take pics today, so never did back then. I only have one or two pics of each new car I got back then, but did keep the window stickers and paperwork. Nice to see real pics from the day... Thanks for the memories! Cheers, Richard
Unfortunately, General Norman Johnson and Danny Woods passed but they left a Cecil Corbett Club song:
Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs were playing in the area when you were still at Carolina. Most remember his national hit song,Stay, but few remember that his first group, The Gladiolas, initially made Little Darling later made a hit by the Diamonds: Circa 1957
Pictures of Cecil Corbett’s Beach club and The Embers Club: http://heybabydays.blogspot.com/2009/01/hots-spots-of-hey-baby-days-of-beach.html?m=1
