Beach, blues, rock & a big ole Fish Shtick
Receiving the Pioneer Award at the 2009 Carolina Beach Music Awards is R&B artist Chuck Jackson.
CBMA Awards
This is a long weekend of live music and partying. The local clubs will be jumpin’ with artists who don’t come to town all that often. Pre-parties start Wednesday night with the Craig Woolard Band at 2001 Nightclub and the Embers at Duck’s Beach Club. The rascally King Tyrone & the Graveyard Ramblers will reign at Fat Harold’s on Thursday while the Sand Band plays the O.D. Beach club.
SxSE presents roots rock group the Youngers at their Nov. 7 Music Feast.
Chicago bluesman Bill Lupkin, one to see. Photo by Kate Moss.
Jim Quick is offering two of his original folk art paintings for auction, with proceeds to benefit UCP of Wilmington.
Life’s Too Short: Freddy Mangum, Johnny Jones Pass
Freddy Mangum /1963 – 2009
Freddy Mangum in North Myrtle Beach,S.C. Sept. 2009
We recently lost two musicians, one I knew personally and the other only by reputation. Both were significant artists and deserve mentioning here. Freddy Mangum, 46-year-old lead vocalist for Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs passed away unexpectedly on Oct. 7; and Johnny Jones, 73, Nashville blues guitarist and mentor to Jimi Hendrix and countless other musicians, died on Oct. 14, also unexpected.
I first met Freddy Mangum in 2004 in Raleigh, N.C. during a celebration of Carolina beach music, the regional R&B genre. He was recording a number of tunes for the northern soul market with the Sugar Bees, from Florence, S.C. , although his fulltime gig was as a lead vocalist with Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs.
“Freddy was with me for 15 years,” Maurice Williams told me in a telephone interview earlier this week. “I was managing him now, and I produced ‘Mama Didn’t Know,’ his single on the GAD label. We had so many plans … a solo album for him … it’s such sad timing, here he has this song on the charts and he passes away.”
After years of hitting the high notes for Maurice, Freddie Mangum had just come into his own. “Mama Didn’t Know,” which was written by Curtis Mayfield, is a bona fide hit and climbing the beach charts.
Fred Shaw, who owns Bradley House Productions and is also the Sugar Bees drummer, said, “We’ve been friends for years. I was devastated when I heard. I was in Washington D.C. and left to go to the funeral in Durham. Over 500 people showed up, could hardly fit them…
“We’ve done a lot of recording together … and I always knew when we went onstage that he was going to pull off a great show. Freddy just had that magic in his voice. I never heard him hit a bad note.
“The Zodiacs will be different now. They’ll go on, of course; they’ve had their share of loss in the group, but they’ll go on.”
Shaw continued, “ Maurice was just so proud of Freddy … Freddy was great to be around. He was always positive … a good friend. ”
Williams agrees, “He was like a godson to me, to me and my wife, Emily. He had a fantastic personality … He was my right hand man, I put him in charge of the band. He conducted rehearsals. He helped me produce, too. He set everything up for us. I was going to get off the road and Freddy would have the Zodiacs…” His voice trails off and it’s obviously a sad moment for Maurice Williams.
I feel so fortunate that I got to see him just last month. Jerry Goodman of GAD Records and Maurice Williams decided the group would make a last minute appearance at Craig Fleming’s Beach Music 45 record showcase at the Avista Resort in North Myrtle Beach. Some three hundred fans were treated to over an hour of hits like “Stay,” “Little Darlin’” and Freddy’s own “Mama Didn’t Know.”
They rocked the place.
This would be the last time I saw Freddy Mangum perform and the last time I spoke with him. We talked about setting up an interview. He was going to be my next long interview. I’m a Freddy fan and I wanted to know what was ahead for him.
Life’s too damn short.
Johnny Jones/ 1936 – 2009
Johnny Jones, although not a household name, played a major role in Nashville’s Jefferson Street R&B scene as depicted in the 2004 Country Music Hall of Fame’s Last Train To Nashville project and compilation CD (Vol. 1 and II) of the same name.
Jones was born in 1936. It’s said he experienced his first live blues performance by Joe Hill Lewis in Memphis, Tenn. at the age of 13. By the early 50s he had relocated to Chicago with his mother, a move that would place him in the midst of the great blues players of the time and help shape his own musical career. He shared a flat with harpman Walter McCollum. Together they formed a group, often playing with Junior Wells and Freddy King.
Jones moved to Nashville sometime in the early 60s, where R&B icon and songwriter Ted Jarrett took him under his wing and taught him how to read music In Nashville, Jones worked as a studio musician and played in his own band, the Imperial Seven.The group worked regularly at the popular New Era Club. It was with this group that Jones met a young guitarist named Jimi Hendrix, who regularly sat in with him at the club. During this period, Jones also played rhythm guitar with Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown in the house band for “The Beat,” a Dallas television program.
In the mid sixties, Jones was a founding member of another band, the King Kasuals*, which included not only Hendrix but also bass player Billy Cox, who was later part of Hendrix’ Band of Gypsies and also played with him at Woodstock.
Shortly afterward, as Johnny Jones & the Imperials, Jones released three funked up tunes: “It’s Gonna Be Good,” “Soul Poppin’” and a cover of Hendrix’s “Purple Haze.” “Soul-Poppin’” would be included on vol. 2 of the Night Train To Nashville disc set. “Really Part I” was included on vol. 1 and “Lucky Lou,” originally performed by the Imperials, but not recorded in the studio was also on vol. 2.
Jones would go on to work with musicians such as Bobby Blue Bland. Continuing to gig around Nashville, he mentored many of the younger Nashville guitarists and played the Jefferson Street Jazz and Blues Festival every year.
Just last month, Jones was one of the speakers at a memorial jam in honor of his own mentor – Nashville treasure Ted Jarrett ( single, “You Can Make It If You Try and album, Night Train To Nashville).
There has been no funeral, but tentative plans are in the works for a celebration of the man and his guitar mastery at The Place on Second Avenue in Nashville.
*There are numerous references to this band as both King Casuals and King Kasuals.
Writer Dariel Bendin can be contacted on the Internet on MySpace (MySpace.com/culturejunkie); Facebook and Twitter (Twitter.com/darielb).
Guest Post: Rickey Godfrey On Donny Trexler
Donny Trexler and Rickey Godfrey 'givin' it up for your love' at Captain Poo's, Little River Neck, S.C. Oct. 6, 2009.
By Rickey Godfrey
Observations About an Old Pro, Donny Trexler, at Captain Poo’s
When I walked into Captain Poo’s about a quarter till nine on Tuesday night, I already knew I was gonna be entertained by a real pro, Donny Trexler. The atmosphere was festive, but not too rowdy; you could tell right away that most of the crowd were folks who came here every Tuesday night to hear this one man band do his stuff. As I sat down to order some wings and tacos, and of course, a margarita,
I became immediately riveted by Donny Trexler’s soulful voice. It didn’t take me long to realize that Donny’s priority was doing a great interpretation of every song that he sang. His sequenced backing tracks that he used were a little subdued for my taste, but emphasized even more Donny’s desire for his audience to clearly understand the words to every song he did. On occasion he would encourage the crowd to sing along with him. Well, that’s normally nothing new for any entertainer, but in this case, I was listening to a first-rate singer do these songs. Donny’s vocals were very soulful, as good as it gets in my opinion, and his guitar playing was flawless, nothing flashy, but still supporting his vocals. I suppose you could say he knew how to lay down the rhythm grooves to help bring to life his backing tracks.
I got the impression that Donny was partial to the southern soul music of the 60’s. He did songs like “These Arms of Mine” by Otis Redding; “Midnight Hour” by Wilson Pickett; but then Donny shifted gears, and showed off his versatility by doing something slow – “Christmas in Dixie” originally performed by Alabama. He also did southern rock and blues tunes, too, like “Stormy Monday” by the Allman Brothers. When he played that song, he didn’t use a guitar pick, and then commented, “If y’all noticed, I didn’t use my pick on that song, cause Rickey Godfrey is here tonight, and he doesn’t use a pick, so I thought I would try playing without one.”
Calabash Flash got up and sang “Johnny Be Good” and I sang “Giving It Up For Your Love” by Delbert. While all this is going on, about every couple of minutes someone would come by and drop a dollar or two, and sometimes larger bills (grin) in Donny’s tip jar.
I was amazed to find out that Donny has been playing at Captain Poo’s every Tuesday night from 6 to 10, for many years, and he rarely ever takes a break. In his words, “I just don’t want anybody to leave, and I’m afraid they might, if I take a break.” Donny’s philosophy seemed to be “the customer comes first, whatever a person wants to hear I’ll do it if I know it.” On one song he said, “Give me just a moment to find the words, I haven’t done that song in a while.” He really tries to honor any musical request, meanwhile, the stack of money in the tip jar keeps growing looking like a pile of autumn leaves laying in there. Between songs, Donny tells me, “I work seven nights a week, if I can, and I make a little bit of money on each gig which helps me to survive.” Well, he was being modest, as folks continued their regular slow and steady parade to the tip jar.
At one point Donny plays guitar by himself with no backing tracks and does “39, 21, 40 shape”, and “Hey Baby” two beach music classics, encouraging the girls to sing along with him first, and then the guys. Here was an old pro at work who knew every entertainment trick in the book, and everybody was united in their approval of what he was doing.
One thing that really impressed me was Donny’s use of his digitech vocal harmonizer. When he turned on the machine it would electronically produce vocal harmonies on the vocal lines Donny would use it on. Donny told me, again between songs that he had this particular machine for 18 years, and had two more of them as back-up units, an important tool to enhance his vocals. Most of the time when you hear an entertainer like Donny, it’s an average singer, but as I said earlier, Donny is truly one of the best blue-eyed soul singers on the coast, what a great combination of skillful entertainer, guitarist and great singer. Donny has a huge following, many who regularly come out every Tuesday night to hear this gifted musician. Keep up the good work, Donny!!
Weather Channel Boyz Debut At Greenfield Park Amphitheatre
Wilmington, N.C. keyboard player Terry Nash is pretty excited about his newest musical venture. I first heard about it on Facebook and then from Terry’s wife, Windy, and I’m intrigued enough now, that I thought I’d share it here.
The Weather Channel Boyz is a funk jazz group that’s made up of musicians from assorted bands like Mark Roberts & Breeze and Painted Man, who share a love of instrumental funk jazz. The name derives from the jazz instrumentals that are a staple on the Weather Channel. (A CD is currently in the works and a proposal will be sent to the popular cable station.)
Band members include:
•“Funky” Leroy Harper, tenor, alto, soprano sax and keyboards
•Richard “Smoochie” Robertson, trumpet, muted trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone and keyboards
• Terry Nash, keyboards
• Sylvester “Sam” Bryant, drums, percussion
• Tony Mallard, drums, percussion
• Gerard Torchio, drums, percussion
• Jonathan Ward, percussion
• Brent Sisson, bass
• Thomas Stanley, bass
• Albert Rogers, bass
•Bobby Roberts, tenor sax
•Jason jackson, alto sax
•Vince Peeples, guitar
••Ethan Hanson, guitar
Other featured musicians include:
•Katja Rieckermann (Sax Player for Rod Stewart & Aerosmith)
•Simon Russell (Soul Power Posse) Nina Repeta (Dawson’s Creek)
•Vince Peeples (Painted Man)
•Mark Roberts (Breeze Band)
•William “Bosz” Bostic (Painted Man)
Weather Channel Boyz will be making their debut at a special fundraiser for EarthSave, a global nonprofit promoting healthy and life-sustaining food choices. It was created by John Robbins, the author of “A Diet of a New America.” The local chapter was started about five months ago by former Wilmington business owner Pat Benair. She says, “Our mission is to educate, inspire, and empower people to shift toward a diet centered on fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes – food choices that are healthy for the individual and for the planet.”
Brent Carter (Tower of Power) was also scheduled for the show, but due to the recent death of his father may not be appearing.
EarthSave SENC meets the last Wednesday of every month. Meetings include a vegetarian/vegan/raw potluck and a movie, lecture, or guest speaker. Meat eaters are encouraged to attend.
I’m not sure about living without the occasional hamburger, but I’ll be at the event in Greenfield Park. I’ve been to the MySpace page (Myspace.com/weatherchannelboyz) and I want to hear this band live!
If You Want To Go
What: EarthSave SENC’s presentation of An Afternoon of Blues, Jazz and Funk with featured artists Funky Leroy Harper, Painted Man, Benny Hill, The Groove Campaign & the debut of the Weather Channel Boyz
Where:Greenfield Lake Amphitheater, 302 Willard Street, Wilmington, N.C.
When: Sunday, Oct. 18, 1 to 6 p.m.
How Much: Advance $15; Gate, $20
Information: Pat Delair, senc@earthsave.org
Blues Guitarist Rickey Godfrey Is Heading To the Beach!
Rickey Godfrey working his Telecaster.
Nashville, Tenn. blues guitarist Rickey Godfrey is coming to the Grand Strand for five local performances. On Sunday, Oct. 4, Godfrey will participate in the Myrtle Beach House of Blues Art Show & Blues Battle, and is slated to take the stage at 3:30 p.m. Godfrey has four dates scheduled at Key West Crazy in Little River, S.C. He will play Monday, Oct. 5 from 7 to 10 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10 from 7 to 10:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 11 from 6 to 9 p.m.
Godfrey, who has been blind since birth, is considered to be one of Nashville’s premier blues guitarists. He began studying at the age of seven, while attending the South Carolina School for the Blind. He studied classical piano and voice, and later added guitar to his list of musical accomplishments. The versatile guitarist is also known for his gritty soulful vocals.
Godfrey says, “I like many different kinds of music, which has helped me to develop more of an original style. I don’t just listen to blues. I listen to jazz, country, R&B, rock gypsy music, classical, which gives my playing a lot of influences. So, when I play blues I don’t sound like Albert King or Elmore James. I don’t sound like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn, either; I sound like Rickey Godfrey. Although I love those guys I just mentioned, the blues I play, I infuse with guitar licks from old jazz guitarists like Charlie Christian, but, especially, Django Rhinehart, who was a big influence on my playing. It makes me sound different from a lot of guitar players who, I think, play too many stock, predictable blues and rock licks.”
Born in Greenville, S.C. he moved to Nashville in 1993. Since then he has worked with artists such as Rufus Thomas, Sam Moore, Billy Preston and Junior Walker. He has been nominated by the Music City Blues Society for both Guitarist and Keyboard Player of the Year.
For more information about the artist, visit his MySpace page at www.myspace.com/therickeygodfreyband .
Why We Need SxSE
Rocker turned gospel artist Mike Farris after signing guitar for SxSE director Jeff Roberts. Myrtle Beach Train Depot, May 2008.
Let me tell you about South By Southeast, and why I think it’s so critical to the Carolinas, especially to its native Myrtle Beach.
The group was formed in 2003 by a bunch of music lovers who believed there was more to music than the Top 40. According to their mission statement, their goal is “to preserve and promote American music not usually heard in traditional venues.” Their mission is also “to provide assistance and support to local music education programs, with our goal being to offset some costs associated with the musical education of young people in our area. In this time of budget cuts and strangulation of funding for the arts, our goal is to help young people in their pursuit of the joys of music.”
Fastback to 2002. Bob O’Connor, local guitarist with the Mullets, a popular jam band in Myrtle Beach, had put together a house concert featuring acoustic guitar wizard Jack Lawrence, known for his flat pickin’ with Doc Watson. A group of 30 or 40 split the musician’s fee, brought along their own eats and were treated to a intimate concert – the kind of show music aficionados lust for. Among those attending were Jeff Roberts, Seth Funderburk and Sam Hannaford – the core founders of South By Southeast.
Jeff Roberts was the owner of the now defunct record store, Sounds Familiar. He later opened Sounds Better, still one of the only independent record stores left in the area. Funderburk at one time was Roberts’ store manager. Today he co-owns Sea Note Recording and manages local rockers Ten Toes Up. Hannaford was a businessman and an avid music fan. Nowadays he also plays percussion with the Chainsaws.
Within a year, this core group along with Mike Millsaps (Sweet Nell guitarist) put together their own show for about a dozen friends at the Aloha Hotel on N. Ocean Boulevard, which was owned by the Millsaps family. Jeff Roberts’ face lights up when he talks about it. “We had Lauren Ellis and Jill Block in that first concert … and they blew us away.”
Lauren Ellis’ husky voice and guitar playing could give Bonnie Raitt a run for her money. Jill Block is a singer/songwriter. Both are top talents, yet neither are household names, and that’s a running theme for SxSE, one I’ve come to love.
The fledgling group would present additional concerts, complete with pot luck dinners, at the Royal Oak, now Spencer’z Pub, in Murrells Inlet and the New South Brewing Company in Myrtle Beach.
Today the tradition of top quality music in an intimate venue continues with almost all shows, which are called Music Feasts, at the landmark Myrtle Beach Train Depot.
“I love the intimate feel of the Train Depot,” says Roberts. “It feels right. Once the food, the free beer and wine are set up, it’s warm and friendly, and the acoustics are really sweet. Seth has the sound down.”
The historic Train Depot, which was almost demolished several years ago, is now owned by the city of Myrtle Beach and has been home to most South By Southeast shows since 2004.
Performers have included singer/ songwriter Randall Bramblett and his band. They have to turn away folks whenever he comes to town. Another popular show was Carolina Chocolate Drops, the highly acclaimed African-American string band playing the rich tradition of Carolina piedmont music.
Rocker turned gospel artist Mike Farris gave a breathtaking show at the Depot. I know, I was there for it. Cat Mary is an experimental acoustic group, one most music fans wouldn’t get to hear, were it not for an organization like South By Southwest.
Add to this, just to name a few, stellar performances by Diesel, Nashville’s David Olney and the rockin’ jammin’ Jumper Cables aka Johnny Mac, Paul Tucker and Steve Kent
I wanted to know if any particular concerts stood out in Jeff’s mind, but I don’t recommend asking him that if you don’t have an hour or two.
“Well, Mike Farris … that was a magic night,” Jeff tells me, “… and Verlon Thompson had to be the most reactionary show I can think of … Chris Knight … Scott MIller … Hayes Carll, oh that was a great night.” [Hayes Carll’s recent video is “When I Find Jesus I’m Going To Kick His Ass,” due to the fact this his girlfriend did indeed find Jesus.]
I wanted to know how South By Southeast became so aligned with Americana music.
“I’ve always liked different kinds of music. The Americana thing happened in 1998 or 1999 because that’s when people started identifying themselves like that,” came the answer.
Jeff Roberts, who serves as the director for South By Southeast, has been involved in music his whole life. “I was born in Asheboro, N.C.” he says, “And moved to Myrtle Beach when I was three. In fact, we lived in a big white house in Hidden Village where the store is today.
“I was running to the dime store to buy 45s by the time I was nine. Music was my only window to any kind of culture outside a small town. I would stand looking at the promo pictures and record labels in the front window of the store.
“My dad was selling non-prescription drugs on a route around eastern South Carolina, and I would work with him after school. I’d take my little paycheck/allowance to Mac’s Dime Store and the Record Shak on Ninth Avenue.
“Eventually the Record Shak, owned by Junior Blanton, hired me because the guy who worked there was getting married and they needed someone to fill in.
“I worked at the Music Box on Broadway, too, until 1975. Then the Record Bar chain came along while I was at Coastal Carolina. I took a management position with them out of college.
“For me, putting South By South together … it’s the realization of a dream. I can remember standing in Sounds Familiar with Seth …. when Robbie Fulks was the Mack Daddy King of Americana and I remember saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we could get Robbie Fulks to play for us? Well, he did … Christmas two years ago.”
The other prong of the SxSE mission is music education and outreach programs in the schools. The group holds instrument drives to help out local schools. They find the money to send young musicians to music events or band camp.And they donate their time.
Some of these generous musicians include Bob O’Conner, Steve Marino, Paul Grimshaw, Butch Barnes and Phyllis Tanner-Frye.
“Most of these musicians have kids,” says Roberts. “They know how important it is to bring music into the schools and to teach them about the hard work that comes along with it.
“It seems like the sweat equity of the bands is what’s so rewarding. I can tell you a story that really says it. Marty Richardson from Crocodile Rocks went down to Tara Hall near Georgetown. [a home for troubled boys]. He spent a lot of time talking to these kids. When he came back up to town, I wanted to give him some money for his gasoline expenses. ‘No,’ says Marty, ‘I’ve already been paid,’ and he takes out a picture one of the boys had made for him. It was a picture of Marty and across the top it read, ‘I want to be like you.’”
Does it get any better than that?
If you’d like more information about this organization, visit www.sxsemusic.com or contact organization director Jeff Roberts at 843-497-3643. You might also want to attend the House of Blues Art Show & Blues Battle on Oct. 3 – 4, which willl be donating 100% of sales from a special signed and numbered limited edition Kim Dawn Clayton guitar print to South By Southeast. The Rock 102 Radio Reunion concert featuring Nantucket on Sept. 25 will also benefit South By Southeast.
Memberships for this recognized S.C. charitable organization (501c(3) status is underway) are $25 a year. It’s money well spent.
House of Blues Art Show & Battle of the Blues
©Kim Dawn Clayton. All sales of a special signed & numbered limited edition print will benefit South By Southeast.
House of Blues boasts one of the finest collection of antique and contemporary folk art in the world.Every year the local Myrtle Beach club celebrates its own local outsider artists with a special two-day show in the courtyard.
This year they’re going one better: the House of Blues Art Show and Battle of the Blues. And thanks to the efforts of organizers Kim Dawn Clayton and Jeff Hulse, local nonprofit South By Southeast stands to benefit, too.
Over 40 folk artists and fine art folk plus 30-something blues performers and bands will be filling the courtyard, Sugar Shack, restaurant and three stages for a two-day rockin’ extravaganza of art and music.
Mark your calendars for Oct. 3 and 4, starting at 10 a.m. each day and going strong until 10 p.m.
Folk artist Kim Dawn Clayton said, “For me the art and music have always gone hand in hand, so the idea of having them in the same show feels so right.”
Kim Dawn has been a stalwart in the HOB art gallery and annual show for years. “Wait until you see the artists we have this year,” she says.
“Keith Borshack is a musician and an artist. I discovered him during my hunt for supporters for the HOB show. I was waiting to talk to the manager of Star Music. I looked up and saw Keith’s Crossroads Guitar and was determined to have him in the show. He paints these incredible guitars and sells them at Star Music.
©Chris Beck. His stuff is so creative; metal clothing!
“Chris Beck is this amazing metal artist from Dalton, Ga. He creates sculptures of clothing. He’s been working on this piece of ladies underwear hanging … well, you’ll have to ask his wife about coming home with her bosses and clients to find her underwear hanging on clotheslines all over the yard … By the way, Chris was my gallery partner for Folk Festa, which is one of the largest folk art shows in the southeast. He’s been creating a huge following … after only showing for the last few years.
“Jeff Norris is an acrylic artist who paints on recycled mediums. Jeff find humanity in the faces he paints and beauty in the imperfections. He is so talented!
“You know, he also works as a graphics designer for the Sellers Group right here in Myrtle Beach. Jeff will be creating a graphic for the winner of the blues battle. They’ll be able to use it for a CD cover or whatever they want.”
“Blair Browning is another Myrtle Beach artist. She’s amazing. You’ve seen her mosaics, I know … and she gives so much back to the arts here in our area. Blair is also a very important member of the local Round Table art group.
“Fleetwood Covington is the featured artist. He paints wonderful portraits of blues legends and musicians on tin. You can just feel the soul of the artist. That’s why he was chosen.
“He used to work on the docks. Finally, at 50, he started doing his artwork full time. He was the biggest seller at Folk Fest.
Poster by Michael Tidwell. Image by Fleetwood Covington.
“If you’ve seen any of the posters or graphics for the HOB Art Show & Battle of the Blues, then you’ve seen Michael Tidwell’s work. And he’s a musician as well. See how it’s all together?”
At press time, musician slots are still being filled, but muscian – and music lover – Jeff Hulse took time to talk to me about some definite players.
“Burn 1 Down … This is Lynwood Salvo, Kid Drew and Russ Whitman. They’re a very aggressive, sort of shredding blues band. Drew just won the most recent stage of the Charleston Guitar Center Blues Guitar Contest. He will be attending the regional finals in Florida sometime in the near future for a chance to compete for a national title.
“Guitarist and vocalist Rickey Godfrey from Nashville will be there doing a solo act. He’ll be amped, so you know he’ll bring the house down Rickey will be on the main stage.”
Blind since birth, Rickey Godfrey is known for his exuberant performances and smoking guitar licks. He has been nominated by Music City Blues Society as both guitarist and keyboard player of the year. He’s played Europe with Sam Moore of Sam & Dave and worked with such artists as Rufus Thomas, Billy Preston and Junior Walker.
In a telephone interview, Rickey said, “I’m thrilled to be playing. It’s personally important to me for people to be aware of South By Southeast and the work they’re doing. Their goal is to present good music to folks on the coast, music than an audience might never hear. I know, as a musician, I’ve always wanted to be able to play places where the people are seriously interested in the songs I’m performing and my musicianship as a vocalist or guitarist. That’s what South By Southeast offers.”
Nashville blues guitarist will perform at the HOB Art Show & Battle of the Blues on Sunday afternoon. (photo courtesy Rickey Godfrey)
Jeff expects Rickey to go on about 4 p.m. on Sunday. He’ll be one to watch.
Also on the roster, according to Hulse, is My Buddy Todd, aka Todd Roth. This New York native relocated to the beach in 1996. He likes his blues hot and smoky. Todd is known for playing both acoustic and electric.
“Probably one of the most passionate individuals in the community as far as giving back to the arts,” Hulse goes on, “is Dr. Joe Mayer. I have watched him for years, donating his talents and time to some many festivals and charities. I feel personally that celebrating this humble talented man will be an honor at this event. He will be doing a solo act in the courtyard playing his ukulele.”
The winning musician or band will earn a booking at the House of Blues as well as the graphic created by Jeff Norris. On Sunday night, somewhere around 7 p.m., the top two or three, as determined by the judges will have a final “battle” and a winner will be chosen.
Plans for a DVD of the weekend’s events (the sales of which were to benefit South By Southeast) were thwarted by some legal obstacles and had not been resolved by press time. In fact, Kim Dawn Clayton was already moving to replace the funds.
“It’s important to me to involve South By Southeast in this,” she explained. “They do so much in this area to keep music in the schools and to bring great music to the whole area.
Blues bard and guitarist Jeff Norwood will be performing a solo act as well as playing with his band. (photo courtesy Jeff Norwood)
“So, I’m making 500 11- by 14-inch prints of my guitar painting and donating 100% of this special signed and number limited edition to South By Southeast. Jones Printing Company in Chattanooga, Tenn., my home town, has also donated the printing.
It’s fitting that bluesman B.B. King is playing the House of Blues on Saturday night. He’s provided inspiration for many of the artists who will be there.
If You Want To Go
What: House of Blues Art Show & Battle of the Blues
When: 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. Oct. 3 -4 (Reception Oct. 3, 7 p.m.)
Where: House of Blues in Barefoot Landing, 4640 Hwy 17 S., North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Info: 843-913-3730
Go See Jimmy!
Jimmy Lathan, right, has been the sound man for Sea-Cruz since 2007, and gets in on some of the performances, too!
When the Rolling Stones got in hot water
with Myrtle Beach’s finest,
it was Jimmy Lathan who came to their rescue
Horry County native Jimmy Lathan doesn’t consider his job a job. It’s too much fun. He’s the live production engineer for Sea-Cruz, one of the most sought-after Carolina beach music groups in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He has a blast, even getting involved with some of the skits and routines.
“I’ve known Dino [Dino Fair, Sea-Cruz keyboard player and vocalist] for some 40 years … I met him when I was working for Burroughs & Chapin … Myrtle Beach Farms back then … and he was with the Shakers and they were playing the Pavilion at the Magic Attic, back when it was still the Pavilion Ballroom & Dance Hall.
Jimmy was the go to guy for the Pavilion for about 30 years. You needed something, you went to Jimmy. A contractor, handyman, electrician, diver, golfer, music lover and more – officially, he was general services manager at Myrtle Beach’s famous Pavilion from 1966 to 1997, and he’s got some stories to tell.
“I booked the entertainment for the Pavilion, the national acts that came in and played upstairs plus all the free acts that we put out on the beach.
“The Flying Wallendins used to perform on the beach, at 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. Their shows lasted anywhere from 12 to 20 minutes.”
Jimmy’s stories tend to remind him of other stories, which is what happened here.
“Do you know that the beach here used to be much, much deeper? Back in the fifties, Slim Mims [musician/comedian who also owned Uncle Ugly’s Record Shop in Florence, S.C.] used to emcee a country night at the Pavilion. He would fly his own plane from Nashville to Myrtle Beach and land right there on the beach … what is now the horseshoe at Main Street in North Myrtle Beach. The beach was so wide, nobody cared. Mr. Husted used to go pick him up and at the end of the night, he’d bring him back to his plane.”
According to Jimmy, Husted was originally a traveling carny. When the Pavilion first opened, he used to bring his rides for the summer and then move on to the next gig. The company wanted to keep them longer, so they bought them and Husted came on as general manager.
While Edward Burroughs was alive, Jimmy had a standing weekly golf date with him. “In the early 70s, every Wednesday at 1 p.m. – and I don’t mean 12:59 or 1:01– I mean I p.m. – Mr. Burroughs, Mr. Husted, the general manager for Myrtlewood Golf Course and I would play. Every Wednesday. It was another part of my job.”
Jimmy also coordinated all the Sun Fun activities with the Pavilion. “I loved meeting all these people … the dignitaries … the inductees. Mickey Spillane was inducted into the Sun Fun Hall of Fame in 1988 along with Alabama and the Thunderbirds. Mickey was all dressed up on the red carpet; thousands of people were wanting his autograph. An hour later, I noticed him on the beach in his shorts and a Miller shirt and not a soul knew who he was. ‘I like it this way,’ he told me. I like that guy!
“I loved the free acts, too. There were monster trucks, wrestlers. Andre the Giant used to work the Pavilion. Man, that guy was so big he could drop a silver dollar through his ring.
“The Ballroom held some 3,000 people. The dance floor was made out of South American Maple, milled to perfection, tongue in groove. It was beautiful.
“Back in the 60s, late 60s, maybe ‘66 or ‘67 or ‘68, I was running the free bands, working the side doors. There was no AC, no fan. But it was a great time.
“The music then … we didn’t call it beach music. It was Motown. I was fortunate enough to see that era of entertainment. The Drifters, the Platters, Supremes, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, the Tams – with Joe Pope, The Temptations – with David Ruffin, Sam & Dave, Little Anthony and the Imperials. In fact, when Anthony was in town for the Carolina Beach Music Awards last year, he told me he remembered me working the side door.
“You know, we didn’t realize that the music being played at the Pavilion was dictating what was being played east of Mississippi. We didn’t even know.”
“We used to have the best regional groups come through. We’d have General Johnson and Jackie Gore on the boardwalk.
You never knew who was going to stop by the Pavilion and either sit in or just hang out.
“In the 70s, there was a southern rock band I liked a lot – Eastern Seaboard. They had a banjo player. He used to play ‘Rocky Top’ for me all the time. They knew I liked it. Well, one day, they started playing it, I looked up and there’s Alabama and Charlie Daniels up on stage with Eastern Seaboard … playing Rocky Top. I just loved it.
“I met some great people. One night, in 1974, I was back in my office, and one of my staff came back and said, ‘This guy out front just wants to come in and listen to the music. So I went out front, said hello and let him through. Later on, he stopped by the office, poked his head in and said in his English accent, “I just wanted to thank you for letting me come and see your bloody pub.’
“At that point, I had to say to him, ‘I don’t know if you’re him, but you look like someone I saw in concert five years ago.’
“And he said, ‘Oh, you were at Woodstock. I’m Pete Townshend.”
It turns out Pete Townhend was into the teachings of Indian mystic and spiritual leader Meher Baba, and came to Myrtle Beach on occasion to visit the Meher Spiritual Center, a retreat which, ironically, had been established in the forties by Elizabeth Chapin Patterson, daughter of Simeon B. Chapin, one of the original developers of Myrtle Beach. (Ah, synchronicity)
Years later, in Greensboro, N.C. at a Van Halen after party, Jimmy would run into Townshend again, and this time the Brit introduced him to another buddy, Roger Daltry.
“We had the Stones at the Pavilion, too,” Jimmy tells me.
“In 1978, they were playing the Convention Center. Well, it seems that Keith Richards got in a little trouble with the local police. They wanted to put him in jail. I got involved and said, ‘Let’s not put him in jail; let’s make them do another show. So the police agreed and the Rolling Stones came down to the Pavilion and did one song: “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”
Jimmy Lathan had a lot of other special nights at the Pavilion, too.
“Some nights were just magic. Mother’s Finest put on one of the most dazzling, fast-moving shows I’ve ever seen. In the 70s, Eastern Seaboard was one of my favorites. Then Sugar Creek came along in the 80s. What a great band.
“Harry Deal and the Galaxies used to play the Pavilion. You know he still owns a chicken farm in Taylorsville, N.C. and still has a group.
“Steve Perry from Journey used to come by. Gerry Rafferty sat in once.
“I loved the music, but it was more. “We had some pretty weird people, too: the fattest twins in the world, Billy and Bobby McGuire. Police used to have to stop traffic to give them time to cross the street.
“And there was this sword swallower. One night I hear Eastern Seaboard playing. Well, Vernon Dick, the lead singer, had met the sword swallower drinking beer and had him on stage. Too funny.
Booking entertainment for the Pavilion from 1966 to 1997, Jimmy Lathan amassed one of the most comprehensive collections of Myrtle Beach Pavilion memorabilia around!
Along the way, Jimmy has put together one of the most comprehensive Pavilion memorabilia collections around.
“I have a parchment I’m going to donate to the Horry County Museum. It’s dated 1801, signed by the governor and it’s a death warrant.
“I’ve been collecting stuff forever. I have a 1929 Horry County dog tag, a Sloppy Joe’s free bingo token, bath house tickets from 1948, posters of lots of the acts and events.”
Jimmy has amusement ride tickets at every denomination ever produced for the Pavilion rides: ten cents, which were used during the 50s; 15 cents, from the 60s; 20 cent tickets; 25 cent tickets; and the new tickets: 60 cents, 75 cents, 90 cents and the most recent one-dollar tickets.
“I also bought the last five tickets ever purchased at the Pavilion in 2006,” he said. “I gave three of them away and I’ve kept the last two… the last two tickets.
About two hours into the interview with Jimmy Lathan, it crossed my mind that he should write a book.
“Well, I am working on a book,” he says, “with Freakin’ Deacon.”
Gary “Freakin’ Deacon” Dawson is a longtime Myrtle Beach deejay. These days you can hear him on QROCK. Back then, he was in the WKCQ booth at the Pavilion.
Until they finish what is sure to be one of the most colorful, interesting books written about the Pavilion and Myrtle Beach, look for Jimmy whenever Sea-Cruz is in town and get him to tell you a couple of his stories. He’s the man!
Meet the Imperial Anthony Gourdine
Image courtesy Little Anthony and the Imperials
You simply can’t have a conversation about the most hottest vocal groups to come out of the New York scene without including Little Anthony and the Imperials. Lead singer Anthony Gourdine gave a voice to teenage passion and angst back in the fifties and continues to push the boundaries of contemporary R&B today.
Gourdine was visiting the Grand Strand last week as part of a promotional tour, and I had the chance to talk to him about the man, the music and the upcoming Little Anthony and the Imperials concert recording at Myrtle Beach’s Palace Theater on Sunday, Sept 13.
I’m here to tell you that anyone who pigeonholes Anthony Gourdine as a blast from the past is missing the mark.
Image courtesy of Little Anthony and the Imperials.
His – and the group’s – longevity in the business is due at least in part because they refused to let others define them. “I’ve always followed my instinct … don’t allow anyone to define me,” Anthony Gourdine told me emphatically, and it would become a theme of the afternoon’s conversation.
“I’m a creative human being, that’s what I am,” he went on to say. “I’m a singer. I’m an actor. I’m a writer. I’m working on a book right now, with a ghostwriter. I’m in a perpetual state of growth.
“My music teacher Mrs. Ethel Mannix was the first person to open me up to art. When other kids were out playing sports, I was listening to Beethoven.”
Gourdine’s father, who was a jazz musician himself, didn’t support the teenager’s interest in music. He felt the life was too hard.
But the budding vocalist was already friends with Clarence Collins, who founded the precursor to the Imperials – originally named the Chesters – when he was 13 years old. “It’s as though there was a hand on us, moving us in a certain way,” Anthony told me, “I like to think it was God himself. It’s destiny. I’ve always been an adventurer. My mother encouraged me in music.”
The young Imperials would have a record contract with End Records within a year, change their name to the Imperials, and have a double-sided hit record. The A side was “Tears On My Pillow” and the flip side hit was “Two People In the World.”
Also singing with the teenage Imperials was a second tenor named Ernest Wright. Amazingly, this core group – along with singer/choreographer Harold Jenkins, a member of Little Anthony and the Imperials and later the Imperials during the 70s – make up today’s innovative R&B group, Little Anthony and the Imperials.
Last year marked the 50th anniversary for the group. “People love survivors,” Anthony laughs, “and we are definitely survivors.”
Unlike so many other 50s vocal groups relegated to anachronistic reunion shows or tours, Little Anthony and the Imperials celebrate their past without living it all over again. A tangible example of this is You’ll Never Know, the group’s CD, produced by Clarence Collins and released in 2008. Clearly a labor of love, it pays homage to the past even as it reaches to the future.
The 12-track disc includes a combination of new jazz-driven arrangements of old favorites and original tunes that – in Anthony Gourdine’s words – are going to surprise people. The album’s featured single is Gourdine’s duet with Grammy award winner Deniece Williams, known for her pop R&B tunes including “Let’s Hear It For the Boy” and “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late,” her duet with Johnny Mathis.Also included is a new version of the 1964 hit “Hurt So Bad,” (performed during the group’s first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show), and it is definitely not the same old same old. A new arrangement by Mary Ekler leaves no question that that this group isn’t rehashing old material.
Talking about the CD, Gourdine said, “People will be surprised. It’s what happens when folks come to our shows. They’re surprised.”
Who are their fans, I wanted to know. “We’ve had an influx of people in their 30s and 40s, whose parents told them about us, and we have folks in their 50s and such. We’re a contemporary R&B group, so our fans are anyone who loves R&B.
Little Anthony and the Imperials were honored last year with induction into the Carolina Beach Music (CBMA) Hall of Fame.
“You know, we used to play the beach towns … quick gigs here and there … and we never realized we were part of building something … it’s humbling,” Anthony said.
Despite growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., Gourdine’s family is from the Charleston, S.C. area. “I think it’s in the DNA,” he told me, “because even though this isn’t my home, I feel at home. I hear the Geechee and I know it. I live in Las Vegas now, but it feels good to be on this tour through the Carolinas.”
The concert at the Palace Theater stands apart from the rest of the tour because this show is being recorded for broadcast purposes. Tickets are $45 and are available at the theater’s box office or online at www.palacetheatremyrtlebeach.com. The theatre is located at Broadway At the Beach. For more information, call toll-free 800-905-4228
In addition to the event at the Palace, the Carolina tour includes stops at Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte, N.C.; War Memorial Auditorium in Greensboro, N.C.; Odell Williamson Auditorium at Brunswick Community College in Supply, N.C.; and other locations. S.C. shows include the Peace Center Concert Hall in Greenville, the Newberry Opera House and the North Charleston Performing Arts Center among others. For a complete schedule, log onto the website at www.littleanthonyandtheimperials.com or visit the group’s MySpace page at www.myspace.com/littleanthonyandtheimperials.
Me, I can’t resist being part of history in the making. I’ll be front and center at the Palace Theater on Sept. 13. What song do I want to hear most? Surprise me, Anthony.
©2009 Dariel Bendin. All rights reserved. This will also be published in Beach Newz in Coast magazine and Alternatives NewsMagazine.
Traveling Troubadour Verlon Thompson At SxSE Aug. 8
Image courtesy of Keith Case & Associates
“In the end, it’s about what you feel more than what you hear.”
As we talk, writer-picker-singer Verlon Thompson is at home just west of Nashville, Tenn. and I’m parked in my car outside a waterfront joint on the Intracoastal in Little River, S. C. where two of my favorite blues guitarists are tearing it up inside. Only the chance to speak with a songwriter of this quality can pull me away.
The Oklahoma-born musician is bringing his intimate one-man show to Myrtle Beach for a much awaited South By Southeast performance at the city’s landmark Train Depot.
“I’m looking forward to the SxSE show,” Thompson says in his gently twangy, disarming voice. Laughing, he continues, “This is my first time with these folks, and I think it’ll be what they call a ‘cultivated crowd.’”
This is in response to our discussion of “listening rooms,” where the music is front and center while booze and a pub atmosphere play a distant secondary role.
“I have played Myrtle Beach … Surfside really … once before,” he tells me,” It was a house concert. I love the idea that a group of people get together and pool their resources for a private event.
“In fact, my latest CD, Live At the Iveys [2008], was recorded during a house concert in Fort Mill, S.C. It was in this big old home and I was performing without a sound system. At the last minute, Randy Ivey ran out and bought a laptop and mic and recorded it. He gave me a copy and about a year later I popped it into the player and it just made me smile. You can hear the crowd breathing, sighing, laughing. With this CD, you hear exactly what the people there heard.”
Thompson is the quintessential troubadour, although he’s known as much for his association with country legend Guy Clark as for his own stellar songwriting talents.
“I’ve been playing with Guy Clark since 1988 or ‘89. I worked with him on his Old Friends album (1993/Sugar Hill Records), and when we were finished he said,
“Now you need to come out on the road and recreate it with me. So I did. And now I pretty much do every date with him.”
Thompson has been with Guy Clark on every recording since Old Friends. He’s also racked up producer credits on Cold Dog Soup (1992/Sugar Hill Records), The Dark (2002/Sugar Hill Records), Workbench Songs (2006/Dualtone Music Group) and the upcoming Some Days the Song Writes You (Sept. 22, 2009/Dualtone Music Group).
In addition to Live At the Iveys, Thompson has also cut a few albums on his own label, VNS Music – Out At the Barn and Everywhere … Yet; and Verlon Thompson (1990/Capitol). His compositions have been recorded by Jimmy Buffett, Alan Jackson, Sam Bush, Trisha Yearwood, Anne Murray, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and the list goes on.
In fact, when we spoke, the main subject was songwriting. “There are many ways to write a song,” he tells me. “There are many formulas. But it seems like I get the best result when I relax and say what I truly feel, whether it’s a commentary on something or a story … not that I don’t resort to clever wordplay, but I hope not at the expense of the story.
“Sometimes a lick will inspire a word. then that word will inspire a thought … I’ll have a piece of a song that I don’t think is any good and six months later I’ll have the perfect resolution Sometimes you have to wait to be open to it.
“I teach occasionally at songwriting workshop and my advice is ‘Try to reach out; forget the formulas.’
“If you’re writing, here’s what you need to do:
1. Your song needs to bring a lump to the throat;
2. Your song needs to bring a smile to a face (that can’t be stopped);
3. You need to be tapping your foot and just can’t stop.”
Verlon Thompson isn’t a household name. He’s not played on Top 40 radio stations. But he’s building a massive street team of music lovers. This sampling from his website should give you an idea:
Verlon Thompson is best known as Guy Clark’s second guitarist, but he’s cut three albums on his own VNS Records. Out At the Barn is Thompson’s latest celebration of simple, down home music recorded, as the title suggests, at this refurbished barn in the countryside near Nashville … If you dig Thompson’s work with Clark, this disc should grace your collection as well.
– Thirsty Ear, a NonTuxedo Music and Culture Joint
It’s high time everyone heard more of that humble troubadour Verlon Thompson. He is a fantastic guitar picker and songwriter whose only career shortcoming is that he performs in Guy Clark’s enormous shadow.
– Lonely Goat Magazine
This little album [Everywhere ... Yet], only 37 minutes long, is an example of real home-made music. All instruments and vocals by Verlon Thompson. I can hear bass, mandolin, and guitars. It’s marvelous in it’s simplicity. Recorded “out at the barn” in a studio he built for his last album, the sound is as cozy as an Indian blanket in front of a log fire….It’s almost as if Thompson was singing for you in your living room. And he is one fine guitar player!
– David Kidney, “Green Man Review” greenmanreview.com
Verlon Thompson’s musical career spans two decades of many facets of the industry as a songwriter, solo artist, sideman and collaborator (many of these roles with country hero Guy Clark). His latest solo project is a chronicle of his vast career, pooling his experiences and paying tribute to influences.
Calling this a solo album is an understatement. Thompson played every instrument, sang every harmony and recorded the album “out at the barn” in the studio that he built. All this creates the organic, engaging and tangible character of the album.
-Performing Songwriter
Verlon Thompson comes to the Myrtle Beach Train Depot at 851 Broadway on August 8. Opener George Marshall takes the stage at 7 p.m. and Thompson goes on at eight o’clock. For tickets, call jeff Roberts at Sounds Better Records (
Here’s some things to remember. South By Southeast is a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving, protection and promotion of the independent music we love that so often is overlooked or ignored by mainstream radio and retailers. The group also awards scholarships and donates instruments to local youths and schools. These are the good guys, folks.
For an incredible $25 a year, you can support their noble efforts and – while you’re at it – gain admittance to most of their shows at the special member’s price ($20).
Your ticket, by the way, includes not just the music, but a range of free pot luck dinners, free brews, wine, soft drinks and bottled water. And since sponsors always get listed at the bottom of press releases (and then deleted from the news stories), here are the music lovers who support SxSE: Pepsi, New South Brewery, Sea Note Recording, Sounds Better Records, Star Music, Ready Rock Recording, the Anderson Property Group and QROCK Radio. I hope you’ll support them in return.
To order tickets for any event, send an email to southxsoutheast@aol.com. For more information about memberships or tickets for any SxSE event,log visit the website or contact Jeff Roberts at 843-497-3643 or Seth Funderburk at 843-455-6499or send an email.
© 2009. Dariel Bendin. All rights reserved.
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