Where are they?

Chuck Cusimano · From: Weatherford, Texas, USA

In 1968 I was in the Navy, and spent a little time around Long Beach, California. I used to know a few Musicians there, and was wondering if anyone out that direction remembers them, or knows where they are? Not all were Steel players, but some were.

Here we go:
Bobby Boyd: Played Steel for Danny Michaels at Georges Roundup.

Carl Walden: Steel player, and other instruments. for various bands.

Billy Mize: Great Bandleader at the Foothills Club.

Yar Kumar: Singer, Bandleader at Evlyns Panama Room.

Zeb Dixon: Steel player for above band.

Haskel May: Lead Guitar Player in the area.

I'm Just remembering my "ENTRANCE" Into the "Music For Fun and Profitt" course that has lasted for 36 years.
Thanks in advance.

Bob Tuttle · From: Republic, MO 65738

Chuck, Bobby Boyd was playing bass for Danny Michaels at George's Roundup when I was playing steel with him around '64 or '65. I regret to say that Bobby passed away a while back.

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

Chuck
YAR KUMAR!!! My gosh, I hadn't thought about him in freakin' YEARS!!! Wow, I backed him up in some joint in Westchester, like 1970 or 71. Only for a couple of weeks, though. But he used to come out to the jams at the Imperial Inn in Santa Fe Springs occasionally as well.

Carl Walden is still in SoCal and is also a Forumite. He doesn't post often, though.

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Jim Bob Sedgwick · From: Clinton, Missouri USA

Billy Mize has had some medical problems. He lives in Bakersfield. He had a stroke a few years ago, but from what I hear is doing well in overcoming his speech impediment from the stroke. Larry Petree from the forum could give you a better report.

I'm not sure about Haskell May, but I think I heard he had passed away. (don't take this for gospel as I'm not sure.)

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

I don't know Larry Petree personally, but; I'm still greatful for the ’Kleen Kick’ that he supplied to me and I use it all the time! _ _ _ _ Another musician from the ’70's era was Red Roberts (Lead Guitar) who I worked with at the Panama Club, Long Beach, in the Fall of ’70. I also remember Billy Mize at the Foot Hills Club, although I didn't work at the club.

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Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Hey Chuck, Bobby Boydd died from Cancer around 1999 or so.

Carl Walden is still around and believe it or not still Gigging with Sammy Masters around the LA area.

Like Jim Bob said, Billy Mize suffered a stroke and is living in the Bakersfield area. He's been setting in with Larry Petree's group on rhythm guitar on occasion but the last I heard from Larry, Billy wasn't able to sing anymore.

Yar Kumar? He married a girl bass player named Sharon Witt quite a while ago and they moved away from LA for a long time. I did a couple of gigs with them when they returned around '84 or so. I don't know if they're still together or in LA anymore.

That steeler was Zed Dixon instead of Zeb. I haven't seen him since he worked for Jack Tucker at the Pioneer room but I'd heard that he passed away about 20 years ago.

Haskell May? He was a mainstay for many years at he old "Hollywood on the Pike" in Long Beach. I left LA in Oct. of '85 and I'd heard he died before I left out there.

Have a great day....JH

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Livin' in the Past and Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

As Herb mentioned, you will see Carl Walden post here once in a blue moon, I have no idea whether he's a regular viewer though.
In the late 1960s Carl played for Eddie Drake, Bobby George and had a band with Johnny Paycheck among others.

Danny Michaels is still very much an active musician, still playing around California.

Yar Kumar, yes.. well I've never been able to find out much about this guy, seems like you did a gig with everyone Herb, Yar Kumar, Donnie Cagle, wish I could track these folks down, or surviving relatives even.

Haskel May?
Now, he should be still with us, check out: www.rockabillyhall.com/HaskellMay1.html

Hey John, I think Red Roberts got offered a gig with a country-rock band led by Dewey Martin (ex-Buffalo Springfield), others to decline a job with Dewey were Buddy Emmons and Jay Dee Maness.

J.

Chuck Cusimano · From: Weatherford, Texas, USA

Gee! That's a bunch of information. I thank ALL of you good folks for letting me know what Info you have. I was also thinking of "Dee Ford" (I think I have the name right) She played Bass for Billy Mize at the Foothills Club, and I remember seeing her play about every instrument on stage at one time or another, and did a darn good job!

I've got other musical friends, and acquaintences Scattered all over the place. Ihave spent 35 years plus in this business, and made a bunch of friends. (If you and I are not friends yet, it is because I haven't got to meet you yet.)

Here's some more names:
Jimmy Stump: Bass Player ( Mich.?)
Joe Payne: Singer (Marty Robbins style)

Garry Moore: Drummer/bass player from Odessa Tx. origionaly.
I'm sure there are more I'll remember later. Thanks again!

Paul Wade · From: mundelein,ill

wow,
joe payne he was in kenosha wisconsin back in the 90's play steel for him and his wife a couple times

paul wade

[This message was edited by Paul Wade on 14 December 2004 at 06:45 AM.]

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

Any of you old SoCal boys remember these pickers I used to work with or hang with?

Tommy Brooks (Holbrooks), frontman
Doye O'Dell, frontman (deceased)
Cody Bearpaw, frontman
Jimmy Lawton, frontman
Billy Armstrong, fiddle
Ed Ponder, drums
Richard Trees, bass
Ted Lessler, drums
Monty Paul, drums
Carmine Sardo, guitar
Stan Pratt, drums
Wayne Moore, bass
Charlie Call, guitar/frontman
Reb Allen, bass/frontman
Marvin Cave, bass
Jerry Stevenson, steel
Roscoe, the Piano guy
Ron Chandler, piano (deceased)
Hoss Huffman, guitar (deceased)
Rex Endicott, steel (deceased)
Ron Still, bass (deceased, I think)
Wade Wilson, drums (deceased)

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[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 14 December 2004 at 07:01 AM.]

Chuck Cusimano · From: Weatherford, Texas, USA

Paul Wade! If you're the same Paul Wade, You used to book "The Joe Payne Show", and about twenty other bands.
I was working out of Nashville on the road with Marty Martel in 1976. We were in Waterloo Iowa, and Marty had decided to get his old guitar player back (Roger Miller had grown up with Bruce Brooks - our Steel man) and I was getting ready to go back to Texas. (My home and family was in in Lubbock) The music business was suffering at the time (due to the FIRST disco craze)and I was going to do something besides music. I was approached by a Paul Wade, and he had been to the show, and he offered me a job with Joe Payne. A week later, I flew into Detroit Mi. and went to work with them that night in Windsor Canada. We played in Toronto, back to the U.S.A. and we went to East Debuque, Ill. Then to Mankato Minn. then to Colorado, South Dakota, Nebraska, Etc.
I stayed with them for about four months, and went back to lubbock to put a house band together. Is that you Paul?

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Hey Herb, most of the list I've heard of but a few stand out.

BILLY ARMSTRONG....Great fiddle player & vocalist. I have a live show of his with me playing steel done at the Hank Cochram benefit at the DJ Ranch in north Long Beach around '84 or so. He was a tough act and used a wah-wah pedal on the fiddle which was cool.

MONTE PAUL....Probably my best friend from the old days, we worked together at the Parrish House, Swizzle Stik, Shires, DJ Ranch, and some other places over the years. We still stay in touch by email at least twice a week.

CARMINE SARDO....He has a CD or two out which you can hear most days on California 1 internet radio, Gig Gilbeau's station.

WAYNE MOORE....From the old Nashville West band with Clarence White. Wayne is in bluegrass now and has a great album out which can also be heard or purchased at California 1 radio.

REB ALLEN....A policeman who did music on the side. He worked with us a couple of times when I was with Johnny McKnight's band. A good cowboy singer who the chicks loved.

JERRY STEVENSON?..That'd be Jerry STEVENS. A great player who did his own thing. He and Bobby Boydd used a D 6th type of tuning that had the country changes on it. I have basically the same now except mine is in E. Last time I saw Jerry was in Blackie Taylor's store in Garden Grove around '80 or '81. He showed me a very pretty chord thing which I still use today.

ROSCOE THE PIANO GUY....That'd be Roscoe Horton who played at the Parrish house quite a bit. He was cool! Roscoe could play bluegrass on piano along with those type of banjo rolls about as well as any banjo player out there. I always thought that he played Bruce Hornsby's style of piano before Bruce did. He was a good 'un.

HOSS HUFFMAN....Bill "Hoss" Huffman, one of the nicest musicians I've ever met in my life. He died a horrible painful death from cancer. Al Bruno was his best friend and went to the hospital almost every day until Bill died.

REX ENDICOTT....Last saw him in Oklahoma City around '83 or so. I was visiting some old friends back there and we went into a club and my buddy said "That steel player looks just like Rex Endicott" we looked and I said "Damn, that is Rex Endicott". We had a good visit. I knew Rex from when he played in Culver City with the late Jack Laux. A very tasteful player and former builder of steel guitars.

Have a good 'un...JH

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Livin' in the Past and Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Perry Hansen · From: Bismarck, N.D.

Herb. I was working with Paul Harper and the Westerners in 72-73 at the Silver Spur in Fairbanks, Ak. He booked Billy Armstrong in there for a week at a time twice. With both of those giants on fiddles, they were awsome.

Wayne Franco · From: silverdale, WA. USA

Hey you guys where was the Foothill club located. I think I remember a place like that up in the Sunland area. I was a little kid but would go into some of these places with my mom. I do remember the Hitchen Post in San Fernando along San Fernando Road where Clanence and Roland White would play.

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

The Foothill club was located at 1922 Cherry Ave. in the city of Signal Hill which was right next to Long Beach. It was about a block north of Pacific Coast Highway. I played there in the late 70's and again in the early 80's with Billy Mize both times. The first time I played there Jim Bob Sedgwick of the Forum was on lead guitar and vocals. A great place to play. It was owned by a lady named Bonnie Price who had a big house out behind the club. A lot of good memories in that place....JH

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Livin' in the Past and Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Chuck Cusimano · From: Weatherford, Texas, USA

The Foothills Club! I walked into that place the first time, In 1969/70 and Boy! The music was great. I went up to billy Mize on break, and introduced myself to him, and asked him if I could sing a song with the band. He grabbed his flat top off the bandstand, and took me over into a quieter part of the club and asked me to sing something. I started singin' a song that I'd written. About half way through he stopped me and said "We'll call you up this next set." I waited (nervously) untill he asked me to come up. He said,"I can't say this next fellas name, but he's just fresh back from Viet Nam, and he's going to sing."
I got up there, and did a couple of Charley Pride tunes. (He was the rage at that time)
When I started to leave, Billy said to sing another one. I asked the band if they kew this Merle Haggard song, "Who'll buy the wine?" They looked at each other and grinned, and asked what key. I sang it, and got down and enjoyed the rest of the evening listening to a great country band. I found after (on the next break that Billy Mize had written "Who'll Buy The Wine"!
I used to go in there quite often, and sing with the band. Billy and I became good friends, and he told me one time that I should persue Music. The band would let me sing songs that I'd written. I used to set in with Danny Michaels and the Rebel Playboys at Georges Roundup. I had a hard time with folks saying my name, so for a while I called myself "Ace Taylor". The drummer with Billy Mize was another Italian. I can't recall his name any more, But we called each other "Pizano". There were sure some great people out there that I met.
Being in the Navy at that time in Long Beach, Ca. I noticed that Sailors were met with a lot of DISTAIN. The towns folk were tired of us for some reason, but I did meet a lot of Good-uns!
Nuther thing, I was one of the ONLY guys that always wore Western Clothes.
I got a lot of comments like, "Hey Tex, Where'd ya park your horse?" I was COUNTRY WHEN COUNTRY WASN'T COOL!

Jim Bob Sedgwick · From: Clinton, Missouri USA

Chuck, The drummer at the Foothill club was Sandy Pagano. I worked with Sandy, Dee Ford, Ron Chandler, Skeeter Stultz and Jimmy Bevins (fiddle) and Billy Mize and Cliff Crofford for years. A great bunch of people.
Ron Chandler (Piano) would do a Bob Wills imitation that would crack you up. He would pick up Jimmy's Fiddle, put on the big white hat and do the Aaah Haaa thing. The only problem was he couldn't play fiddle. It would be time for the fiddle cut, Ron would drag the bow across the strings making a horrible screeching noise, then yell out "Steel Guitar" and dump his lead off on the steel. But Ron could swagger around and he really looked like Bob Wills moving around and generally making an ass of himself. You probably had to be there, but it was hilarious. Oh Boy, AIN"T SHO BUSINESS FUN?

TOO bad it doesn't Pay too well

Smiley Roberts · From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075

I,also,used to know a Paul Wade,when I worked w/ T.O.,back in the 70's. I believe,he was from around the Flint,Mi. area.

I,also,remember a "Joe Pain"(Payne) from that area,that used to work the "WWVA Jamboree",in Wheeling,W.V.

Hey Herbster,
What ever happened to Cody Bearpaw? He was on Dot Records,the same time T.O. was.

Speaking of Dot Records,& "back then",does anybody remember the Compton Bros.? I was w/ them for about 2 years.

Hey Chuck,
Next time you get a comment like this:

"Hey Tex, Where'd ya park your horse?"

Just tell 'em,"I didn't bring my horse,'cause I kinda figured there'd be a jackass like you around to ride." (be prepared to clench both fists!)

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  ~ ~


  ©¿©  It don't mean a thang,   


  mm   if it ain't got that twang.


       www.ntsga.com

[This message was edited by Smiley Roberts on 15 December 2004 at 12:03 PM.]

Chuck Cusimano · From: Weatherford, Texas, USA

Jim, Thanks for remembering Sandy Pagano. I don't remember some of the other names you mentioned, but when I used to hang out at the Foothills Club, the Piano player was Billy Meyers (spell?) I remember that name because it was so close to Billy Mize. If I remember correctly, The bass player for The Rebel Playboys (Danny Michaels) was JIM SEDGWICK, and the drummer was AL BROWN. BOBBY BOYD played Steel, and Danny played the big ole heavy double neck Guitar.

frank rogers · From: usa

Hey Smiley, Yeah I remember the Compton Bros. They did a great cover of the pop tune "Yellow River" among others. Harry Compton, I believe, is doing the fantastic tenor on Conway's, "How much more can she stand". I have one of their Dot L.P.'s. somwhere.

[This message was edited by frank rogers on 16 December 2004 at 08:00 AM.]

Smiley Roberts · From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075

Dan Tyack · From: Olympia, WA USA

I played the Foothill club for something like 3 weeks in 1979. The lead guitar player was somebody who had been heavy in the LA session thing, but it wasn't a great experience for me. He seemed to have trouble concentrating or playing consistantly (e.g. one night he would play all the fills and solos in a song, and the next night he would just space....).

Can't remember his name, but he was short with dark curly hair. Jerry something?

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Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

Carmine Sardo is one of my closest friends and the closest thing to James Burton yer gonna find around here. I played in the Don McGinnis band with him for 3 or 4 years and when he had to sub out,he'd send Albert Lee in his place.... He often comes down to Viva Cantina w/his rosewood Tele and sits in - in fact I may see him down there tonight. He also is in the auto upholstery biz and makes the best padded amp,instrument case and steel covers I've ever seen anywhere. Everyone in L.A. has his covers and our whole band(Riders of the Purple Sage)have tuck & roll covers for everything we carry. Carmine is also in the top 100 billiard players in the world and invented the "Sardo TiteRack" which is the standard pro tournament racking device these days.
-MJ-

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

Dan - Was it Jerry Cole? He knew more licks than you could cram into a six set gig - and could prove it.

Dan Tyack · From: Olympia, WA USA

That's the guy. Very weird vibe. It's good to hear that it wasn't just my playing that he wanted to play over...

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