Speedy West 1946

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

This is the Ray Hahn Band I played with for about a year. I left to join the Ole Rasmussen Band and Speedy who had just arrived in So. Calif. took my place. The guitar is the one he brought with him from Missouri. It was some kind of a home made two neck guitar and not in very good shape.

Also notice the Amplifiers. These were the first 15" speaker Fenders. They were a polished wood cabinet with either Red or Blue Speaker covers. The stripes were chrome metal. Fender also provided the Bob Wills band with these amps when they first came out.
The drummer is "Junior Nichols" who played with Hank Thompson for a time in later years.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

That may be the only shot I've ever seen of Speedy using his homemade steel, and maybe the earliest shot of him as a player.
Thanx for posting this historic photo, Billy.

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

Billy
Thanks for the photo! Junior was a great guy, I used to gig with him occasionally when I lived in LA. He got me, Michael Murphey, and Boomer Castleman on a Tex Williams job in Pismo Beach that was one of the highlights of my time in California!

Who are the other players in the band? The guy on rhythm guitar looks sorta like Jimmie Dodd, but he's too tall.
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Gary Jones · From: Mount Vernon, Wa

The guy playing the archtop sure looks a lot like a young Sonny Richter, that used to play a lot around Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo. I used to have the house gig at Harry's in Pismo Beach, and played a few gigs with Sonny. He was a monster player, and a heck of a nice guy.

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

Herb:

I worked with Junior for several monthe with the Herb Tucker Band at the Nordondo Club around 1960.
Unfortunately, later on , Junior Developed some kind of Cancer and died at a relative early age.

The rest of the band were just locals playing with the Saturday night band at the Maywood, Ca. Moose Lodge. They never bacame known outside the Moose. The Picture was taken at the Southgate, Ca. VFW hall when the band's name was changed from the "Moose Wranglers" to the "Missouri Wranglers". The accordian player was the Leader, Ray Hahn. Ray was a butcher in a local market in Bell Ca. The older lady was named "Ann" and played piano. The fiddle player was named "Eddie", the younger gal was a singer named Jenny Lee. Can't remember the rest.
This was the first band I played with that had a
"Broom Dance" during the evening. I'm sure some of you old timers remember this dance where if you got caught with a broom when the music stopped, you had to put a quarter in the Kitty.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Billy, I grew up in Maywood, and all those other 'burbs in S/E LA. I had no idea the Moose Lodge had such good music going on, albeit, before my time of getting around for such things. But that sleepy area was actually a hot bed for serious creativity on many levels.

Question; was Ray Hahn, the butcher at the K&K Market on Gage Ave.? That name rings a distant bell, and he sure look's like the nice man we used to get our meats from in the 50s and 60s.

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

Ron.
Yes, I think thats where Ray did work. Back in this era most of the Lodges had had the same band every Saturday and sometimes Friday nights. The people got used to the Band and became very loyal.

When I left to go to work with Ole it was at the Maywood American Legion Hall over at Atlantic and Randolph Street. The Moose lodge paid about five or six dollars per night. Ole paid fifteen dollars. This was big money for a kid still in High School.
Sometimes we played at the Eagles Hall in Southgate.
Square Dancing was a big part of the Saturday night dance having two sets per night. Later on we started playing Monday nights at the 97th Street Corral in South L.A. Ole was friends with Dave Mings who ran the Corral. Eventually we became the house band at the Corral six nights a week.

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

I WANT THE AMPS!!!!!!!

Rick Schmidt · From: Prescott AZ, USA

That flattop player sure does look like Jimmy "the Head Mousketeer" Dodd to me too, but the ears on his guitar aren't big enough.

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

Rick
I've seen vids of Jimmie Dodd with Spade's 1944-45 band, and he was playing a tenor guitar even then. This guy's playing a D-18.
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Fred Jack · From: Bastrop, Texas 78602

Billy T. & Herb S.:
That Jr was a mess. Great drummer and funny! Do either of you remember his tune about Cowboy McTwitch? Hillarious! Also his performance of taking his sticks on a fast tune, the band would leave the stage and he would keep the rythym by playing down the drums,across the floor,up the mike stand,around the mike,down the stand ,across the floor,every where in the room,going up a table leg,across the top and whacking a drink glass making it spin,nearly upsetting before it settled back on the table and then returning to the band stand and the band would come back up.I never saw him break a glass.He was an excellant drummer and a real showman! Wasn't his wife named Betty?

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

Fred
Yep, Betty was his wife's name. I believe Jr. passed on in the mid-late 70's. All I really remember is that I came back to LA for a visit, called his number, and Betty answered with the bad news.

The memory grows dim...
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

Herb:.
I rememnber Junior's wife Betty just about the time they became an item. Betty and one of her girlfriends used come into the Pioneer Room, in Norwalk, Ca. when I was playing there with Jack Tucker. Betty was a very nice glamorous gal. I think she was a bit older than Junior.

When I was playing with Junior at the Nordondo Club in Gardena Ca., Junior would see some gal get up to go to the restroom and follow her with his drumsticks beating on everything including the dance floor. One night one of the Gal's boyfriend took exception to this and invited Junior outside. Luckily the band taliked this big bruiser out of it, he would have killed Junior.

Fred Jack · From: Bastrop, Texas 78602

Billy, Yes,Betty was a "glamour girl" but every inch a lady! Yes, Jr could be taken in the wrong manner. He was always thinkin or doin something for a laugh.I played many times with Jimmy Bryant and Jr at the SkyStar Club in Canogaa Park.1960 - 62.

Shannon Dario · From: Iowa, USA

My uncle is the guitar player seated to the right of Speedy. Any stories or info you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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