JOHNNY RIVERS, Skip Jones & the Spirit of New Orleans, & Mystery Train all rocked Island Park on the 4th of July at Springfield Utility Board's 2010 Light of Liberty Celebration - Eugene/Springfield's biggest 4th of July event. I was pleased to once again MC this fundraiser for S.U.B.'s Project Energy Share. Here's some backstage photos of Johnny Rivers (above) and Skip Jones & the Spirit of New Orleans (below). Pictured, left-to-right: Byron Case, Paul Biondi, a happy DJ, Skip Jones, & Rick Markstrom.
You don't want to miss Tie Dye and Tofu at the Lane County Historical Museum! It's all about what makes Eugene, well... Eugene! It focuses on the years 1965-75. I guess I'm an "Official Old Hippie" - the museum contacted me to curate the music for the VW bus! So I'm not just old and in the way - I'm an artifact!
May 8, 2010, would have been Ricky Nelson's 70th birthday. Candy and I celebrated on May 7th at a concert featuring Ricky's music performed by his sons Mathew and Gunnar Nelson (above). It was a loving tribute and good rockin' time!
John Sebastian (above, right) played to a delighted, sold-out house at Pacific University in Forest Grove on March 13. I've enjoyed many of John's shows since I first saw him with the Lovin' Spoonful in 1966, 44 years ago. After all thos years, and all those shows, I still believe in magic!
A Raider (above), a Monkee, (below)...
...and a Hermit! It sounds like Candy and I spent Christmas in a Gothic novel. Actually, We were enjoying the Teen Idols tour stop at Chinook Winds Resort in Lincoln City, with Mark Lindsay, Mickey Dolenz, and Peter Noone. They're not really teens anymore, but I can still remember those centerfolds in Tiger Beat like it was yesterday. Would ya just look at where that staple is? Ouch! I bet that hurt!
I was pleased to be the graveyard ghoul, above, MCing Ghosts of the Delta, an acoustic blues celebration sponsored by the Rainy Day Blues Society at Cozmic Pizza on November 1. It was a fundraiser for the society's Blues in the Schools program. Seated, left to right, are four of Eugene's finest bluesmen: Al Rivers, Walker T. Ryan, Adam Scramstad, and Jerry Zybach.
It was my pleasure to MC 350! Artists for Climate Action October 24th at Eugene's Hult Center for the Performing Arts. Special thanks to Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy, Lane Country Commisioner Rob Handy, U of O Professor Mary Wood, event producers Paul Bodin and Brian McWhorter, and the hundreds of performers and others who worked so hard behind the scenes to make the event a success.
The touring Beach Boys - Mike Love and Bruce Johnson (shown above) - returned to Chinook Winds Resort in Lincoln City on September 18th and 19th. This annual trek to Lincoln City is a family reunion of sorts for Mike Love - his father lives in Clackamas and his brother Stan and sister Mo are also Oregonians. What a suprise when - for the first time in 33 years - the group opened the show with a song other than "California Girls"! That's right. Every show since 1976 has opened with this theme. However, the Beach Boys surprised everybody when the show started with the sound of the 1961 recording of "Surfin'" blasting from a darkened stage. Then, midway through the record, the lights suddenly came up, and there were the Beach Boys, taking over the performance "live." It was actually pretty clever, and highlighted very well the connection - however far removed - between the Beach Boys of today with the Beach Boys as they were in the beginning, 1961. With his father in attendance at the Saturday night show, Mike and the boys brought back some old memories of Wilson/Love family singalongs with an acapella rendition of "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring." Other acts coming to Chinook Winds include the Fabulous Thunderbirds on October 16th and 17th and Teen Idols - Mickey Dolenz, Mark Lindsey, and Peter Noone, on December 4th and 5th.
THE 2009 LIGHT OF LIBERTY CELEBRATION FEATURED HERMAN'S HERMITS, STARRING PETER NOONE. Sponsored by Springfield Utility Board, Eugene/Springfield's biggest 4th of July party took place at Island Park in Springfield. It was a blast, with a full evening of great music from Mystery Train and Michael Tracey and the Hi-Tones, followed by the area's biggest fireworks display. I always enjoy MCing this event, and it was so nice to see you all there, digging all those Herman's Hermits hits. Thanks to Springfield Utility Board, Team Springfield, Jerry's Home Centers, Willamalane Parks and Recreation District, and Evergreen Land Title Company for making it all happen. See you there next year!
RAINY DAY BLUES SOCIETY PRESENTS BLUES IN THE SCHOOLS. Pictured above, Dino Allbaugh (harp), Jerry Zybach (home-made cigar box guitar), and Alegria (washboard/percussion) visit my broadcasting class at Mohawk High School on May 7. That's Terrapin Tim Volem in the background, and Josh Coen was also on hand to give the kids a first-hand introduction to the real deal. The kids learned about blues roots, blues instruments, and how to write blues lyrics. Watch this space. When one of my students is opening for Buddy Guy, I'll let you know.
Jon Bauman - "Bowzer" - formerly of Sha-Na-Na - now headlines Bowzer's Rock'n'Roll Party. He's also chairman of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame's Truth in Music Committeee, working to pass legislation in all 50 states to ensure the rights of "real" groups as opposed to "fake" groups who may be hijacking a famous group's name. Scroll down to the article about the death of original Drifter Bill Pinkney for more on this issue. At the request of John Bauman and myself, Oregon Senator Floyd Prozanski introduced Truth in Music Legislation, Oregon Senate Bill 464. The bill was passed into law during the 2009 legislative session, and takes effect on January 1, 2010. The photo above was taken in Senator Prozanki's office when Bowzer and I were in Salem to testify before the Oregon Senate Judicial Committee in support of this legislation.
Cornell Gunter's Coasters (above) were back at Three Rivers Casino in Florence on January 24th. What a treat! The late Cornell Gunter was a part of most of the Coasters biggest hits in their 1950s heydey. He was shot to death in Vegas in 1990, but the spinoff group that he founded in the early 60s has been carrying on the tradition ever since. Baby, that is rock'n'roll! Click here to listen to my interview with these "Three Cool Cats."
These men are the real deal, not pretending to be something they are not. They are carrying on a great tradition with style, class, and respect. I look forward to seeing them perform every chance I get!
Are you confused by who's who in the Coasters? Well, that's understandable. Scroll down to the article below, about the death of original Drifter Bill Pinkney, for more information and some interesting links about the number of groups using famous names (Drifters, Coasters, Platters, to name but a few) that may or may not have any real connection to these names.
Al Jardine has a new CD - A Postcard From California - coming soon. Click on his name for a link to his site, and you can hear some samples. Guest artists include Brian Wilson, David Marks, and Glen Campbell.
Brian Wilson made Portland's Roseland Theatre one of the first stops on his latest touronSeptember 7th. He performed his brilliant new suite That Lucky Old Sun, just released on September 2nd. That Lucky Old Sun is more or less an autobiographical celebration, referencing Brian's youth in Southern California in the 1950s and 1960s, his days with the Beach Boys, and his downs and ups since then. In addition to the new material, Brian treated the crowd to a whole lotta those Beach Boys classics that he wrote and produced back in the 1960s. This was a triumphant show by a true living legend of rock'n'roll! Brian's cousin Stan Love was in the audience. Brian paused during the show to dedicate the concert to "my wonderful cousin Stanley." Thanks to Brian for welcoming Candy and me backstage. 60s Beat on KRVM on September 15th featured a conversation with Brian on the subject of his return to Capitol Records and his recording of That Lucky Old Sun.
I try to get down to Houston in between hurricanes to visit family every year. This past August I was lucky enough to run into Tony Joe White at Cactus Records in Houston. They had a DJ playing swamp pop music, free beer (is Texas a great state, or what?), and a live set from The Swamp Fox himself (chomp, chomp-chomp)! It was enough to make ya wanna get down and do the alligator.
LEGENDARY GUITARIST NOKIE EDWARDS AT the 2008 LIGHT OF LIBERTY CELEBRATION!
The Light of Liberty Celebration on the 4th of July at Island Park in Springfield was THE place to be on the 4th for a rockin' good time. The Light of Liberty folks outdid themselves this year. Nokie played all those Ventures classics and surf guitar favorites that earned him his spot in the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame: "Walk, Don't Run," "Hawaii 5-0," "Pipeline," "Telstar," "Out of Limits," and so many others. Great openings acts, too, including Mystery Train and acapella doo-wop from The Tones. I had a great time MCing this event for the fifth consecutive year. It was definitely true stuff for true believers! In the photo above, left-to-right: agent Donna Courtell, Nokie Edwards, and yours truly enjoying Island Park on the 4th of July. Look for Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone at the 2009 Light of Liberty Celebration!
THE TONES at the Light of Liberty Celebration! Left-to-right: Paul Friedlander, Jivin' Johnny, Lea Jones, Linda Duffy, Wild Bill Cilla.
BO DIDDLEY, 1928-2008
On June 2, 2008, we lost The Originator - The Mighty Bo Diddley. Here's links to a couple of articles about one of the all-time greats.
THE VENTURES AT THE ROCK'N'ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY, MARCH 10, 2008. Don Wilson makes an acceptance speech. Lead guitarist Nokie Edwards is standing, second from left. Nokie headlined at the Light of Liberty Celebration on the 4th of July at Island Park in Springfield.
This was taken at a party celebrating Nokie's induction (along with his bandmates The Ventures) into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame. That's Nokie Edwards on the far left. That's Nokie's guitar on the far right. The fellow in the middle has a great face for radio, don't you think?
Bill Pinkney, Last Surviving Original Drifter, Dead at 81 July 5, 2007
Bill Pinkney, the last survivor of the original members of the musical group The Drifters, has died. He was 81. Pinkney was found dead at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort in Florida, where he was scheduled to perform for 4th of July festivities. He had been suffering from heart problems. In 1988 the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame inducted seven significant contributors to The Drifters' legacy - originals Clyde McPhatter, Bill Pinkney, and Gerhardt Thrasher, along with subsequent members Ben E. King, Charlie Thomas, Rudy Lewis, and Johnny Moore. Only King and Thomas are alive today.
I checked out The Las Vegas Sahara Hotel's modern day lineup of the Drifters, the Coasters, and the Platters in the summer of 2007. How many original performers did I see in these groups? Exactly none. Be realistic. These groups have roots going back over fifty years. The Sahara groups were carrying on the tradition of these three great groups in classic style. They would be more accurately billed as "tribute" groups, and they might well be accused of simply being "fake" groups. I'm not your average ticket-buyer. I know going in who I'm gonna see for my buck. However, I think the average customer is getting duped into thinking they are getting something that they are not really getting. As noted above, the last of the original Drifters is gone. Elsewhere on the planet, former Drifters Charlie Thomas (photo above, left) and Rick Sheppard each lead their own groups of Drifters. Former Drifters Ben E. King and Bobby Hendricks still perform. Sonny Turner, lead singer of the Platters in the 1960s, still performs. Of the original Platters, only bass singer Herb Reed is still with us, and he leads a group of Platters. Of the original Coasters, only Carl Gardner is still with us, and he is semi-retired. Edwin Cook and Charlie Duncan, both of whom were with Cornell Gunter's Coasters back in the day when Cornell was still alive, each lead groups of Cornell Gunter's Coasters today. The group using that name at the Sahara is unrelated, and can make no real claim to the name other than having "licensed" it from Cornell's sister Shirley.
The Sahara lineup of Drifters recreated the group's classics from the "second" Drifters era, singing all the 1959-64 chart toppers. Lewis Lymon was a standout performer in the Sahara Drifters. Hardcore doo-wop fans remember Lewis Lymon and the Teenchords from the mid 1950s. He even appeared with The Teenchords in a movie back in the day - Jamboree. And yes, he's Frankie Lymon's younger brother. I enjoyed visiting with him after the shows.
I checked the Sahara website in May, 2008, and saw that the show is now the Platters, The Coasters, and the Marvelettes. Just as with the Sahara Drifters, there are no original or "real" Marvelettes in this group, just a group of singers performing Marvelettes hits. The Sahara version of the Drifters came out on the losing end of an ongoing dispute over rights to the Drifters name. As for Lewis Lymon, he's now singing at the Sahara with the Sahara's version of the fake Cornell Gunter Coasters! I think it's a shame that a performer of his caliber is participating in this particular show. In the past, Lewis has performed with Frankie Lymon's Teenagers. I know the fans would enjoy seeing and hearing him in that setting, but it probably doesn't guarantee the steady work that he gets at the Sahara.
Nope, these guys (left) weren't the real Drifters, but they were the Drifters being offered up by the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas until legal proceeding by the U.K. Drifters forced the Sahara to stop using the Drifters name. That's Lewis Lymon on the far left.
These guys are the real Cornell Gunter's Coasters. Left-to-right, that's Lionel Z, Charlie D, and Tony T.
Want to read what others have had to say about the "fake" groups? Here's some interesting reading at these links:
So just who the heck are the "real" Drifters. Well, the group in the most direct line of descent from the originals has been based since the early 1970s in England. This group no longer has any members who sang on any of the Drifters classic 50s/60s era hits, but they can indeed trace their lineage back to the late 1950s. Here's my best shot at a Drifters family tree:
The Drifters were founded by Clyde McPhatter, (shown at left), who left the group when he was drafted into the army. McPhatter pursued a successful solo career. He was replaced in the Drifters by a succession of lead singers performing in the style he originated: David Baughan, Johnny Moore, and Bobby Hendricks.
May - June 1953 Clyde McPhatter, David Baughan, William Anderson, David Baldwin, James Johnson August 1953 Clyde McPhatter, Bill Pinkney, Gerhart Thrasher, Andrew Thrasher, Willie Ferbee 1953 - 1954 Clyde McPhatter, Bill Pinkney, Gerhart Thrasher, Andrew Thrasher, Jimmy Oliver (gtr) Mid 1954 David Baughan, Bill Pinkney, Gerhart Thrasher, Andrew Thrasher, Jimmy Oliver Late 1954 - March 1955 David Baughan, Bill Pinkney, Gerhart Thrasher, Andrew Thrasher, Johnny Moore, Jimmy Oliver Mid 1955 - August 1955 David Baughan, Bill Pinkney, Gerhart Thrasher, Andrew Thrasher, Jimmy Oliver August 1955 - August 1956 Johnny Moore, Bill Pinkney, Gerhart Thrasher, Andrew Thrasher, Jimmy Oliver August 1956 - Late 1957 Johnny Moore, Gerhart Thrasher, Tommy Evans, Charlie Hughes, Jimmy Oliver Late 1957 - May 1958 Bobby Hendricks, Gerhart Thrasher, Jimmy Millinder, Tommy Evans
Bobby Hendricks(photo, left)was the last lead singer of the original Drifters before the group was replaced by an all-new lineup. He sang lead on "Drip Drop." He also had a solo hit with "Itchy Twitchy Feeling," backed vocally by the Coasters. Hendricks still performs today, and still sounds great!
And then another group - The Five Crowns - was drafted by manager George Treadwell to become The Drifters. This is a second, all-new group of Drifters. Ben E. King, (shown above), the group's original lead singer, left to pursue a successful solo career. He was replaced by Rudy Lewis.
June 1958 - Mid 1959 Ben E. King, Charlie Thomas, Dock Green, Elsbeary Hobbs, James Clark Mid 1959 - May 1960 Ben E. King, Charlie Thomas, Dock Green, Elsbeary Hobbs, Johnny Lee Williams, Reggie Kimber (gtr) Mid 1960 Charlie Thomas, Dock Green, Elsbeary Hobbs, James Poindexter, Reggie Kimber Mid 1960 Rudy Lewis, Charlie Thomas, Dock Green, William Van Dyke, Reggie Kimber Mid 1960 - Late 1960 Rudy Lewis, Charlie Thomas, Dock Green, George Grant, Reggie Kimber Late 1960 - Mid 1962 Rudy Lewis, Charlie Thomas, Dock Green, Tommy Evans, Billy Davis (gtr) Mid 1962 - Late 1962 Rudy Lewis, Charlie Thomas, Tommy Evans, Gene Pearson, Billy Davis Early 1963 Rudy Lewis, Charlie Thomas, Gene Pearson, Johnny Terry, Billy Davis
Rudy Lewis(left) sang lead on more hits than any other Drifter, from 1960 to 1964.
At this point Johnny Moore (shown at left) rejoined the group, making him the only Drifter with ties to both the first and second group of Drifters. When Rudy Lewis died in 1964, Johnny Moore became the Drifters' lead singer for the 2nd time in the group's history.
April 1963 - May 1964 Rudy Lewis, Johnny Moore, Charlie Thomas, Gene Pearson, Johnny Terry, Billy Davis May 1964 - Mid 1966 Johnny Moore, Gene Pearson, Johnny Terry, Charlie Thomas, Billy Davis July 1966 Johnny Moore, Gene Pearson, Charlie Thomas, Dan Danbridge, Billy Davis August - September 1966 Johnny Moore, Gene Pearson, Charlie Thomas, William Brent, Billy Davis October 1966 - Early 1967 Johnny Moore, Charlie Thomas, Rick Sheppard, William Brent, Billy Davis Early 1967 - Mid 1967 Johnny Moore, Charlie Thomas, Rick Sheppard, Bill Fredericks, Billy Davis Mid 1967 - Late 1967 Johnny Moore, Rick Sheppard, Bill Fredericks, Charles Baskerville, Billy Davis November 1967 Johnny Moore, Rick Sheppard, Bill Fredericks, Billy Davis December 1967 - Late 1969 Johnny Moore, Rick Sheppard, Bill Fredericks, Milton Turner Late 1969 - Late 1971 Johnny Moore, Rick Sheppard, Bill Fredericks, Don Thomas
The Drifters - led by Johnny Moore - relocate to England. This group is based in England to this day. Other Drifters groups led by Charlie Thomas, Rick Sheppard, and Bill Pinkney continued to work in the U.S.
Early 1972 - Mid 1974 Johnny Moore, Bill Fredericks, Butch Leake, Grant Kitchings, Butch Mann (gtr) Mid 1974 - Early 1975 Johnny Moore, Clyde Brown, Butch Leake, Grant Kitchings, Butch Mann Mid 1975 - Early 1976 Johnny Moore, Clyde Brown, Butch Leake, Billy Lewis, Butch Mann Early 1976 - Mid 1978 Johnny Moore, Clyde Brown, Joe Blunt, Billy Lewis Mid 1978 - 1979 Clyde Brown, Ray Lewis, Joe Blunt, Billy Lewis, Butch Mann 1980 - 1981 Johnny Moore, Clyde Brown, Ray Lewis, Louis Price Late 1981 - 1983 Ben E. King, Bill Fredericks, Ray Lewis, Louis Price 1983 - 1985 Ben E. King, Johnny Moore, Joe Blunt, Clyde Brown Early 1986 - Late 1986 Ray Lewis, Billy Lewis, Louis Price, Jonah Ellis Early 1987 Johnny Moore, Ray Lewis, Billy Lewis, Gene Jenkins March - May 1987 Johnny Moore, Ray Lewis, Billy Lewis, George Chandler May 1987 - July 1988 Johnny Moore, Ray Lewis, Billy Lewis, John Thurston August 1988 - October 1989 Johnny Moore, Billy Lewis, John Thurston, Joe Cofie October - November 1989 Johnny Moore, Joe Cofie, John Thurston, George Chandler November 1989 Johnny Moore, Joe Cofie, John Thurston, Tony Jackson November - December 1989 Johnny Moore, Joe Cofie, John Thurston, Keith John Early 1990 - Mid 1990 Johnny Moore, Joe Cofie, John Thurston, Peter Lamarr Late 1990 Johnny Moore, Roy Hemmings, Joe Cofie, Patrick Alan Early - Mid 1991 Johnny Moore, Roy Hemmings, Joe Cofie, Peter Lamarr Mid 1991 - Early 1995 Johnny Moore, Roy Hemmings, Joe Cofie, Rohan Delano Turney Early 1995 - Late 1996 Johnny Moore, Roy Hemmings, Rohan Delano Turney, Jason Leigh Late 1996 - Dec 1998 Johnny Moore, Roy Hemmings, Rohan Delano Turney, Peter Lamarr
Johnny Moore died in 1998.
Mid 1998 - Late 2001 Roy Hemmings, Rohan Delano Turney, Patrick Alan, Peter Lamarr Early 2002 - Late 2003 Roy Hemmings, Rohan Delano Turney, Patrick Alan, Victor Bynoe Late 2003 - 2007 Peter Lamarr, Rohan Delano Turney, Patrick Alan, Victor Bynoe
George Treadwell's widow Faye had been managing the group since George's death in 1967. She returned to the U.S. in 2001. In 2007 her daughter Tina Treadwell won a lawsuit granting her company exclusive worldwide rights to the ownership of the Drifters franchise. Hence, the above group was disbanded, and, just as in 1958, an all-new group of Drifters was formed.
2007 - July 2008 Steve King, Maurice Cannon, Michael Williams, Christophe Richards July 2008 - present Steve King, Maurice Cannon, Michael Williams, Damian Charles
In the summer of 2007, just a few weeks before the death of Bill Pinkney, a Drifters concert was filmed for airing as part of a PBS Doo Wop Love Songs TV Special. It has been released on DVD as a PBS fund raising premium. I presume it will eventually be made available as a regular retail release. On TV, Ben E. King, Charlie Thomas, Bobby Hendricks, and Bill Pinkney performed together on stage, singing Ben E. King's "Stand By Me." In addition, Bill Pinkney's Original Drifters performed "White Christmas." The DVD contains bonus performances that were not shown on the TV special.
TWO GENERATIONS OF DRIFTERS - BILL PINKNEY AND CHARLIE THOMAS
B.J. Thomas Headlines 2007 4th of July Light of Liberty Celebration
(Backstage, left to right: My wife Candy, B.J. Thomas,... and I should probably put a hat on before I get a sunburn!)
Springfield Utility Board sponsored the Light of Liberty Celebration on the 4th of July, 2007, at Island Park in Springfield, Oregon. I was on hand to MC for the 4th year in a row as pop/rock/country legend B.J. Thomas headlined a full afternoon and evening of entertainment capped off by the area's largest fireworks display. B.J. thrilled the crowd of 6,000 with a high-energy, hit-filled show: "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," "Rock'n'Roll Lullabye," "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," "I Just Can't Help Believin'," "Hooked on a Feelin'," "Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song," to name just a few. Oregon's great bluegrass group (and Country Classics Show favorites) Lee Highway and oldies band Mystery Train were also in fine form. As always, proceeds will benefit SUB's Energy Share program, helping those in need pay their energy bills. Special thanks to all of the event sponsors, staff, and volunteers.
The following is an obituary from the
Mount Pleasant, Texas, Tribune:
Simons Steve
Simons, 57, of Mount Pleasant died Saturday, May 24, 2008, at his
residence.
It's short and to the point. It
probably means nothing to most readers who might browse this web
site. You've probably never been to Mount Pleasant, Texas. Maybe
you've never even heard of it. You've almost certainly never heard
of or met Steve Simons.
Mount Pleasant is a little East Texas town in which I spent some
of my growing-up years (to the extent that I ever grew up). Both the
city limits signs are on the same post. They had to close the town
library once for two weeks. Somebody borrowed the book. The place
was so small, we didn't have a village idiot. So we took turns. I
think I pushed my way to the head of that line more often than some
others. The zip code is E-I-E-I-O.
Steve Simons was a pal of mine who shared my passion for
rock'n'roll. He acted on this passion by starting a band called The
Batmen. I know, that sounds incredibly corny now. However, we
weren't always 57-year-old sophisticates. We were once 15 or 16
years old and the Batman craze was sweeping the country at about the
same time that some of the all-time greatest rock'n'roll was
emanating from both sides of the Atlantic. (Trivia question: The
Batman TV show was a mid-season replacement for what long-running
series? Answer: The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet. Yes, the
times they were a-changin'!)
The Batmen were the best rock'n'roll band in Mount Pleasant. You
mean Mount Pleasant could support more than one rock'n'roll band?
Sure! Who could forget Paul & the Pirates? Now there's an
original name! Poor Paul and the Pirates, however, were a year or
two younger than the Batmen, and that made them infinitely less hip.
There was nothing they could do about it. Meanwhile, The Batmen were
playing all the latest hits by the Rolling Stones and Paul Revere and
the Raiders, with a Batman beach towel tacked to the wall behind them
as a stage decoration.
I really dug those Batmen. Total Mount Pleasant cool!
I remember having lots of conversations with Steve back in those
days, all centered around the only thing we had in common:
rock'n'roll. (Truth be told, it was all I talked to anyone about
back in those days. Or these days.) I remember sitting in the
bleachers with him at a Little League game, discussing which fade-out
on which Beach Boys record was the absolute coolest. I think we
settled on “Fun, Fun, Fun.” I'd like to amend that decision, now
that I'm older and more perceptive. The coolest Beach Boys fade-out
is on “Surfer's Rule,” from the Surfer Girl LP. The Beach Boys
actually sing “Surfer's Rule, Four Seasons, you better believe it”
while wailing to the fade-out notes from the Seasons' “Walk Like a
Man.” Now that's kiss-my-ass surfer macho!
I took many a rock'n'roll road trip back in the day, and Steve was
one of the few that was willing to traverse the state with me
pursuing the beat. Steve and I, and Larry Williams, I think, and
another somebody who eludes me at the moment - it was 41 years ago -
travelled to Nacogdoches to hear the Lovin' Spoonful play at S.F.A.
The Spoonful, of course, featured John Sebastian, whom I wanted desperately to be just like. There was no opening act, so they did a 30-song set that covered most of their first three albums. We were all thrilled, on a real rock'n'roll high.
Steve, like 999 out of a thousand others who have their brush with
rock'nroll in their high school days, moved on from the Batmen and
left the band thing behind, just a memory from his childhood. Steve
stayed in Mount Pleasant. I left Texas as soon as I realized I was
free to go, and I only ran into Steve a couple of times in the
intervening years. I would seek him out at high school reunions and
make a point to be seated at the same table so we could talk music.
All of my childhood rock'n'roll dreams and fantasies have come true.
I've had the thrill of meeting or interviewing or MCing for or
hanging backstage with virtually all of my childhood heroes. Steve's
passing makes me stop and reflect that the I'm still the same
16-year-old fan that used to wear out the 45s on the portable hi-fi
in my bedroom in Mount Pleasant. Steve was a genuinely nice
guy. Moreover, he was one of the people in my distant past who
helped fuel my enthusiasm for the music that would provide the basis
for my career in radio. Thank you, Steve. Goodbye, old pal. I think I'll shut
down the computer now and go listen to “Rock'n'Roll Heaven” by the
Righteous Brothers.
I try to get down to Houston in between hurricanes to visit family every year. This past August I was lucky enough to run into 
LEGENDARY GUITARIST 
THE TONES at the Light of Liberty Celebration! Left-to-right: Paul Friedlander, Jivin' Johnny, Lea Jones, Linda Duffy, Wild Bill Cilla.
This was taken at a party celebrating Nokie's induction (along with his bandmates The Ventures) into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame. That's Nokie Edwards on the far left. That's Nokie's guitar on the far right. The fellow in the middle has a great face for radio, don't you think?
I checked out The Las Vegas Sahara Hotel's modern day lineup of the Drifters, the Coasters, and the Platters in the summer of 2007. How many original performers did I see in these groups? Exactly none. Be realistic. These groups have roots going back over fifty years. The Sahara groups were carrying on the tradition of these three great groups in classic style. They would be more accurately billed as "tribute" groups, and they might well be accused of simply being "fake" groups. I'm not your average ticket-buyer. I know going in who I'm gonna see for my buck. However, I think the average customer is getting duped into thinking they are getting something that they are not really getting. As noted above, the last of the 
Nope, these guys (left) weren't the real Drifters, but they were the Drifters being offered up by the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas until legal proceeding by the U.K. Drifters forced the Sahara to stop using the Drifters name. That's Lewis Lymon on the far left. 
These guys are the real 
The Drifters were founded by Clyde McPhatter, (shown at left), who left the group when he was drafted into the army. McPhatter pursued a successful solo career. He was replaced in the Drifters by a succession of lead singers performing in the style he originated: David Baughan, Johnny Moore, and Bobby Hendricks.
Bobby Hendricks (photo, left) was the last lead singer of the original Drifters before the group was replaced by an all-new lineup. He sang lead on "Drip Drop." He also had a solo hit with "Itchy Twitchy Feeling," backed vocally by the Coasters. Hendricks still performs today, and still sounds great!
Rudy Lewis (left) sang lead on more hits than any other Drifter, from 1960 to 1964.
At this point Johnny Moore (shown at left) rejoined the group, making him the only Drifter with ties to both the first and second group of Drifters. When Rudy Lewis died in 1964, Johnny Moore became the Drifters' lead singer for the 2nd time in the group's history. 
TWO GENERATIONS OF DRIFTERS - BILL PINKNEY AND CHARLIE THOMAS
B.J. Thomas Headlines 2007 4th of July Light of Liberty Celebration