|
Famous Musicians I have Played With (Or Opened For)
(And some I Have merely
met)
Little Feat/Lowell George; .
in 1968 or 69 at the Roman Room of S.I.U.'s Student Center.
Lowell was still alive, of course. Our band Coalkitchen was the first act of the afternoon. The "Feat" went on
immediately after us. I hadn't heard of them before. I thought Bill Payne was trying to emulate Leon Russell He
had bleached his long hair white and sitting at the piano, that's what I first saw...a copycat. Of course the
band's music was fantastico! They were the only 'famous' act to play that day, as I recall, but
Duke
Tumatoe and the Allstar Frogs with their beloved Dr. Seuss on the harmonica, were on the same bill.
I hear Duke is still touring with a trio.
|
| THE DUKE |
Livingston Taylor;
in about 1972 at Washington University. I was playing with Coalkitchen who “warmed up” for him. This event was
held on an outdoor stage in a commons area. This was one of the biggest crowds I ever played for. I seem to recall there were
over 700 people. I was unfamiliar with Sweet Baby James’ baby brother before that night. His style was, in some ways,
more musical than James Taylor but he was not a songwriter and never hit the charts.
Willie
Dixon: Opera
House at Exposition Gardens in Peoria on November 21st, 1979. We played about an hour before Willy was to come out.
Willy and
band had the dressing room on the other side of the stage from ours. While the curtains were closed I walked across the stage to their dressing
room. I
had never seen Willy in person before so I wasn't sure he was the old guy with the cane. I said, "Are you Mr. Dixon?'" He stuck out his hand and shook mine with a quizzical expression on his face which said "Mister Dixon?". What he actually
voiced was, "Yeh, I'm "Yeh, I'm Willy Dixon". Turned out, his son was playing with the band too. There wasn't much of a crowd, probably due to the
$8 a head cover charge, and my diary shows no pay at all, but I'm sure Mr. Dixon got his guarantee.
 Chubbie Checker; Warmed up for him at Park West, at that time, the
750 seat venue was billed as the "Biggest Nightclub on Earth" in Chicago just West of the Park where "the Whole World (was)
Watching". He stayed pretty much by himself...no entourage at all, I passed him in a hallway on the West side of the auditorium
before the shows during the sound checks. I said, "Hi!" and so did he, but we just passed each other and kept walking. I
found it amusing that he travels with a piece of plywood that he uses to assure the correct surface for dancing the twist
on.
Chuck Berry; With Coal Kitchen, we were the opening act. On an outdoor
stage next to the Newman Catholic Center in Carbondale. Chuck started late, played few songs, took the money and ran. He was
in a bad mood. I didn’t speak to him that night. I talked to Chuck one day in St. Louis. It was a couple days after
he got out of prison for income tax evasion. Linda and I had stopped in “Casa Gallardo” to eat some Mexican. In
the lobby waiting area, seated on the padded benchseat; he was obviously in a bad mood (again), hanging his head and looking
sad or angry. I sat down next to him and told him I had opened for him. He kind of grunted and didn’t say much.
 Gordon Lightfoot; I was playing
with Coal Kitchen in Bloomington, at a nightclub on old bypass 66 called the Gambit. We heard that Gordon was in the place
and that he had stopped in with Neil Diamond’s brother-in-law, whoever that might be. They had been bar hopping all
down route 66 and just happened to be there. I had heard of Gordon, but was largely unfamiliar with his music. I knew he was
a folk singer, so, not caring much for folk music at that time, I didn’t even try to see what he looked like. I was
on break, sitting at a booth across from the bar when this guy comes up and leans over on my table. He said, “Hi, my
name’s Gordon” and offered his hand. I said, “I know...I heard you were here!”. He said, “I
really like the way you play.” I thanked him and he went away. I probably was unaware at that time that he was the
guy who wrote "the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"
 David Allan Coe; 4 on the Floor opened for him at the S.I.U. Arena.
I wasn’t familiar with David’s music. I’m still not. He didn’t show up back stage. There was a guy
who travelled with him who looked just like him...long white hair, beard, beer gut. We walked by him when we came off. He
was standing next to the stage at the rear. I just nodded at him. He just glowered. I asked the other guys in the band, “Is
that David Allan Coey?” That’s what I thought his name was. I don’t know country music. No one knew if that
was him or not. All we knew is that he was a chubby guy with long white hair and a beard. When he finally arrived, a couple
of songs or so after his back up band started, we realized that the other guy wasn’t him, probably just a hired decoy,
used to deflect obnoxious fans. Jerry Lee Lewis had a guy who traveled with his band who was fixed up to look like him too.
 Jim Peterick of Survivor & Ides of March sat in with
St. Stephen's Blues at Touch of Nature Campgrounds near Makanda, IL. He is the guy who wrote "Eye of the Tiger". This was the South terminus
of the B.A.M.M.I. (Bicycle Across the Magnificent Miles of Illinois) tour; probably around 1995.
Jim had bicycled in with the group, being an avid bicyclist himself, and he had been camping (probably sleeping bag) along
the way. The Touch of Nature had cabins, however, and many of the turistas were sleeping in indoor accommodations. I don't remember if he sang or not, but I recall he played guitar on a song or two. Real nice, regular sort
of guy. The 'dance' was held inside the campground's kitchen/community building where I've played with many different bands
over the years.
|
| Roger Boyd...2nd from left |
Head East; I have known Roger Boyd
for close to 30 years. We opened for them at the DuQuoin Fairgrounds on an outdoor stage. Rains and winds were whipping up.
The promoters were threatening to cancel the whole affair. Dr. Bombay was one of about three bands who were supposed to play.
Roger sent out the order that we were supposed to go on. We got through about three songs when some banners and wires were
torn loose by the winds and the rain commenced. We ended up being the only local band who got paid in full because of those
three songs and thanks to Roger Boyd.
The Marvelettes; Four on the Floor backed them up at the Paducah
Riverfest. This festival has been a great venue for us for many years, backing up several famous groups including the Coasters
and Christopher Cross. The stage is built out over the landing going down toward the river. The
audience sits up on the steps of the hillside levee to watch the shows. Very nice place to play. Good staging superior lights
and sound. I got this autographed picture of "the Marvelettes" while sharing the dressing room/trailer
with the girls and my bandmates. I noticed right away that only the one in the front looked like the same face in the picture,
and that the other two (who looked entirely different) were encouraged by the other to sign their names over those unknown
faces to either side. Years later I did some research and found out that even the one in front was not an original member
of the group, Marvelettes, either. The last original member was named Katherine Anderson and she led the group until the
end of the sixties. The name THIS lead singer of "the Marvelettes" signed was "Loni" or "Lorie" or something else...read
it for yourself in the above picture.
Carl Gardner & The Coasters; With 4 on the Floor, at the Paducah,
Kentucky River Festival, I played twice with the Coasters. The first time, we simply opened for them. The second time, summer
of 1999, we actually provided backup for them. The music director/guitarist, Thomas (Curly) Palmer and we (Jim Wall, Robbie
Stokes and Charlie Morrill) rehearsed about 30 minutes a couple of hours before the gig. We had asked for the charts about
two months in advance but they never arrived. Their signature piece “Charlie Brown” has a sax break in it. Without
previewing the chart, I would have been unable to “sight read” the break, note for note, and I told Curly that.
I said I was a pretty good player and could make up a break which was, from my memory of the hit record, pretty close to what
was on the record. I think that scared him, so he decided he would play the break on guitar himself...and during the actual
performance and that is precisely what he did. Too bad! He’ll never know what he missed. We shared the camper/dressing
room with them and had quite a good bit of conversation. Carl’s son, Carl Junior, who seemed to be only about 30 years
old, but was actually about 50 was very personable and easy to be with. Carl senior had an obviously slanted way of conversing
with white people, but knowing the history of white/black relations in America, I was quite willing to forgive him that attitude.
After the gig, I just drove on back home to Carbondale, some 60 miles away, but Peyton Blewett met up with Carl, Jr. in one
of the bars at the Executive Inn (We had been given a room for dressing which only Peyton and Kelly used and so they stayed
overnight.) While partying with Carl, Jr. Peyton said that he was told that the bass singer, Ronnie Bright (incredibly deep
voice), was a ‘junkie’ who they had to ‘go looking for’ along the streets of N.Y. City whenever they
got a gig.
|
| Gary Richrath on Left |
REO Speedwagon; Coalkitchen played two different concerts with REO the year
they came out with their first album in about 1972. Both gigs were held at the Mt. Vernon, Illinois Armory. We partied with
the guys backstage and after the gig. Never got to know them real well but Gary Richrath
would always greet me with a big grin and a hello whenever I’d see him in Champaign even after they got really famous
(which was usually on Neil St. close to J.B. Lloyd Music.)
Darryl (Munch) Jones; I Jammed with Darryl, now of the Rolling
Stones, formerly with Miles Davis and Sting when I was playing with the T. Hart 3D Band. He merely
played on one set with us, not the whole night. We jammed again at someone’s house in Carbondale. One of the most
polite and humble people you’d care to meet, he was only about 17 or 18 years old when he came to S.I.U. to attend college.
He was so damn good at that time, it was unbelievable.
At one point in his early career he played with a soul band in Springfield. During that time the T. Hart
group played at Booda's Lounge at Cook and M.L.K. (the bldg. is still there) for a year
or two. After we got off stage one night we went to the original Lake Club (by Bunn Park). Darryl's band was playing
dance music to a very receptive crowd from about 1:00 am until sunup. I was quite stunned to hear half hour 'dance mixes'
that the band played. For some reason missing to me, people would dance to a song for the duration. I thought
it odd to not play multiple songs, perhaps with the same beat, instead of just one song that lasted so long. I think
we stayed for two songs...about two hours.
I just found out that besides playing with the Stones, he also plays with the Lorelei Quartet
with the fantastic guitarist Jean Michael Bourelly.
Big Twist (Larry) Nolan; One of the nicest people you’d ever
care to meet. I played with Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows one entire night at Das Fass (the Keg) , which is where Styx
Bar and Billiards is now. (You can still see part of Fass’ old roofline) Twist used to come out to Carrie’s and
sit in with my bands back in the mid 60’s. For many years before that, he would come out to Carrie’s after hours
and sit in on my band’s last set. “Stormy Monday” was one of the great blues standards we were always happy
to have him sing. 350 pounds at his largest (“300 Pounds of Heavenly Joy” being his big hit record) he was reputed
to win footraces against smaller, swifter looking rivals. He supposedly used to challenge would-be rivals, if he were at Carrie’s,
to go out onto the hard road along the east side for faceoffs.
Darryl Phinnessee; Went on to sing back-up with Michael
Jackson. In 1995 he cowrote the theme song for the T.V. show “Chicago Hope”.
He sat in with T-Hart 3-D Band at Shryock Auditorium. The girls all screamed when he sang in his powerful falsetto. He cupped
his hand around the mike so the notes would come out even stronger. He hit a high note which blew out the horns in my Voice
of the Theater speakers. He didn’t offer to pay for them.
Sam Butera; I met him at the Illinois State Fair, 2002. I got his
autograph too. He was the leader of Sam Butera and the Witnesses, the band who backed up Louie Prima and Keely Smith. He was
76 or so when I met him. He could still play sax excellently. He was so loud, he didn’t even need a microphone. His
singing was not nearly as good, but he was very entertaining. Lara Ashby was the sound technician on the gig (Robbie’s
protegé). She had heard he was ‘real mean’ and demanding. Sam made some complaints about how loud the sound was,
saying, “This is NOT a Rock’n’roll band!” His style of music, however, exhibits some of the first
gleamings of rock’n’roll energy and rhythm.
Gil Bridges; Saxophonist/singer for Rare
Earth. I have his old saxophone stand. I didn’t meet him OR play with him, but I saw him play at Gatsby’s
in Carbondale, We played there the next night (which band I don’t recall) and I found, in the dressing room, the saxophone
stand which had a leg broken off of it. I took it home and fixed it with some rivets and a piece of brass stock and am still
using it 20 years later.
|
| David Nelson, founding member |
|
| Buddy Cage took Jerry Garcia's place in New Riders |
David Nelson, (and the David Nelson
Band) & The Broadway Cowboys (most of these guys late of the
New
Riders
of
the
Purple
Sage)
along with
Buddy
Cage (steel player ...New Riders, Grateful Dead) &
Bill
Laymon (bass) on a Saturday afternoon concert at the Shawnee Saltpeter Cave in 2001, I actually jammed during
sound check with Buddy, Walter, Bill and our keyboardist, Bob Pina. During the jam/sound check Pina and Buddy
Cage had a funny altercation. Pina had set up, per Robbie’s instructions, stage right. When Buddy came on stage
with his equipment and said something about the fact that he was supposed to be in that position (apparently Robbie, as the
contracted sound man, had neglected to read the stage set-up charts) Bob told Buddy that he wasn’t going to move and
Buddy said, well, he wasn’t going to jam with us if he couldn’t set up where he wanted to. Pina then says something
like he didn’t care. After our set (during which Buddy didn’t play) he came walking by and Bob said to him in
Bob’s inimitably pointed and sarcastic manner, “Hey Buddy, you played real good but you could’ve turned
up a little louder”.
| Linda took this picture of Bill at the |
|
| Postal/Fireman's Club last year |
Bill
Laymon and I played together AGAIN in 2007 at the Postal/Firemen's Club in Springfield. He's been having medical problems
and there was a giant jam/party/fundraiser to get moola for his bills. I reminded him of the Shawnee Cave gig we had played
together a few years earlier.
Next Page: (More Musicians I've been with)
|
