Welcome to my nifty Dreambook, a free guestbook service from New Dream Network and the DreamHost!If you have a minute, please add your entry to those below by signing my Dreambook!
| Name: | Belle |
| E-mail address: | curlyfries101@hotmail.com |
| Comments: | ya'll are awesome!!!!!!!! |
| Name: | Marsha (Beavers) Smith |
| E-mail address: | marshabsmith@mac.com |
| Comments: | Steve and George: Reading your entries brought back such memories! I think my hearing loss today is probably due to being a 'roadie' for the 'Poor Excuse' when I dated Phil Collins (trumpet). :) Of course, I think the only 'road trip' they took was to the Community Center and back to the practice warehouse! Those are precious memories. I can't listen to Aretha Franklin or James Brown without thinking of those times in the 60's. I went across the causeway to Bahrain recently to a conference. The hotel bar was featuring a 60's group. My younger colleagues were so surprised that I knew every word to every song! (I now live in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia!) Wish y'all would plan another reunion event -- in the summer time when I'm in the states~! Marsha (Beavers) Smith :) |
| Name: | Dan Hazen |
| E-mail address: | bluesmandan@att.net |
| Comments: | Hey, I play amplified harmonica, and am looking for some people to play with. I mostly play blues and gospel, but can play with any style. Would love to play with you or jam some time.
Dan. 538-9980 |
| Name: | steve livingston |
| E-mail address: | stevel@datalane.net |
| Comments: | The Box tops 's new albany connection is as follows.Gary Smith,drummer and memphis d.j.(bro john Rivers),was nicky Hall's bother-in-law and had played in several bands with Steve Livingston'Nicky,Bill Farned and Kerry Simpson(hammond organ). Roy Mack head of WMPS<Owned the box tops. They had broken up and mack wanted to replace them. He hired Smith,who worked at WMPS to form the band. The band was formed in 1970,practiced around 5 or 6 times,but never played a gig. Thus for a brief moment we were the Box Tops.Steve Livingston |
| Name: | George E. Brandon |
| E-mail address: | georgebrandon @comcast.net |
| Comments: | Freddie Faucet and the Drips pic: you've got wrong personnel named. Here's the rundown:
Lynn West sax George Brandon cornet (Late) Beaver Johnson drums Doug Pannell clarinet. Can't recall name of trombone player. J.S. Hanry, high school band director at time, got the idea of a basketball band, and we five from the High School band carried it through. My brother Hembree Brandon took the pic you've got, which ran in the yearbook for then new WP Daniel High School in 63 or 64. Beaver, Lynn and I graduated in 1964. The other two guys were class of 65, I think. This pic is of a group we formed to play at NA High basketball games and was simply called The Basketball Band. First time ever for BBall game live music. We played during timeouts, pregame and at halftime. At halftime, Beaver--the only one of us with any real talent--did 20-minute drum solos off of the old Surfari hit Wipe Out, which WNAU carried on their live broadcast of the games. Later, Doug got a Sears Silvertone guitar/amp combo and we started probably the first NA garage rock band, practicing at Beaver's house. We called ourselves Freddie Faucet and the Drips: Beaver, me, Lynn, Doug. After we learned a few rock songs, we got some gigs playing small private parties, the Egg Plant party, etc. and Beaver and I eventually hooked up with a couple of Nashville Cat type country guitar and bass players who lived out off of 30 somewhere going toward Booneville (I can't remember their names, but they could play like sons of guns even though they couldn't read music). We started playing together as, I think, The Classics. Short-lived, biggest gig was as house band for the Union County Fair rodeo, which I opened with a terrible cornet solo accompanied only by Beaver with brushes on snare drum for the National Anthem. Instead of applauding at the end, the crowd laughed their butts off, and we were allowed to play a recorded version the following nights. Our big songs were Haunted House (Gene Simmons) covers of Willie Mitchell's Hold It, 20/75 and other tunes of the era: Tequila, G-L-O-R-I-A, etc. After we graduated, Beaver went on to play with other area groups at Community Center dances and other such gigs around the Northeast Miss. area. I'd occasionally tag along and stand in back and do some horn fills. Dukes and Poor Excuse (great Tom Darden/David Cousar/Bruce ??forgot his last name who played bass on Farfisa keyboard 3-piece group doing a lot of Joe Tex, Brit invasion covers) came along after us and were real bands, playing regular gigs, and the Dukes' Ted Mack appearance and other history is well-known. Tom Darden and I remain friends; he's retired from Forest Service. He stayed around Mississippi and can fill in any details. He was a couple years behind me in school. One other local rock musician of our era, Vince ?Montgomery? was in our class in NA up until about 9th or 10th grade, played sax with The Gentries, who had a Top 40 hit called Keep on Dancing. |
| Name: | George Brandon |
| E-mail address: | georgebrandon @comcast.net |
| Comments: | Might want to c hange the erroneous caption on Freddie and the Drips.
Cast of players, left to right, George Brandon, trumpet ???, trumbone The late Beaver Johnson, drummer Lynn West, alto sax Doug Pannel, first clarinet, then Sears Silvertone guitar Yes, we started as a halftime and timeout pep band during basketball games. Beaver, George and a couple of Nashville cat guitar/bass pickers whose name I can't recall now merged around 11h grade into the Shadows--played some Eggplant company parties, WPDHS graduation party dances, etc. and Union County Fair Rodeo. Specialized in Willy Mitchell, general pop covers. Beaver Johnson went on to take the Shadows to do lots of high school dance gigs with some members of pre-existing bands whose names I can't recall. The Beatles and whole Mersey beat scene were pushing aside what would become the Memphis/based Stax/Volt R&B scene, but Tom Darden, David Couser, and ??? of Poor Excuse brought NA, Booneville and other nearby youth dances back to roots by mixing in Percy Sledge/Otis Redding/Joe Tex with the British Invasion hits. |
| Name: | Teresa Henehan Trujillo |
| E-mail address: | teresatrue@earthlink.net |
| Comments: | Hey, This is the first time I've seen The Dukes. Gimme more scoop on how they relate to Pitsig (sp), Dave, BB, and the rest.
T |
| Name: | Teresa Henehan Trujillo |
| E-mail address: | teresatrue@earthlink.net |
| Comments: | This is getting interesting. David Cousar is an inspiration and a cutie to boot. There is no way to describe his unique and often spine chilling talent. Allen Hinds, eat yer heart out. Most of us from the day were weened and groomed in the background of Dave's guitar and voice, which come straight from the heart. |
| Name: | Teresa Henehan Trujillo |
| E-mail address: | teresatrue@earthlink.net |
| Comments: | BB on keyboards! Wow. I remember Summer Leaves for Joan on the acordian.
I have a challenge for Bruce, who is also a talented actor/thesbian; help write a small play for women emerging from incarceration that they would perform themselves. Um..er..uh..no, I am not emerging from incarceration. I work for a non profit that is trying to break that cycle for some very special women. Viva Angela Davis!! Arrrriba! Tersa |
| Name: | Teresa Henehan Trujillo |
| E-mail address: | teresatrue@earthlink.net |
| Comments: | Yo, Brothas. Whassup. |