Another club that I frequented along with songwriter friends and my friends who played there was the PALAMINO, in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of North Hollywood. The place evolved over the years and was open until the mid 1980's. It seated a lot of people but had an intimate feel.
It was the first place people played when they came through town. It was once considered one of the most important Country Music clubs in the country so Johnny Cash came through, as well as so many others - Jerry Lee Lewis, Marty Robbins.
Here's a video of Jerry Lee Lewis recorded at the Palamino... Jerry is said to hold the record for performances at the Palamino!
Showing posts with label Country Western. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Country Western. Show all posts
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Thursday, November 8, 2007
(67) THE DECISION TO LEAVE NEW YORK...
The decision to leave New York wasn't an easy one for me. New York always seemed to be the center of creative enterprise to me and I loved the energy there. But bit by bit there was an exodus from New York to Los Angeles by a number of my peers. Television was moving from New York to Los Angeles - Hollywood - too.
So many of us traveled to perform that "home" became a bit difficult to define. Was home a place, a state of mind, a woman?
Home had always been to me Murphy, North Carolina - the Smokies. The family stead. But my older brothers had left home years before I did as the youngest, my mother had died, my father was remarried and living in Winston-Salem, and visits to my hometown and relatives had become rare due to my touring.
I'd traveled with my father for work, several states, building before I'd been discovered as the Next James Dean. I'd toured all over the United States. I'd been moving for years, one place to the next.
The life of planes, trains, and automobiles, sharing hotel rooms and sleeping sitting up got to me.
Maybe what got to me most was that I had no place to really call home at the end of each day.
I'd never relied on speed or any drugs to make it through. As I entered my late twenties the years of touring wore on me. I wanted a personal life. Some peace.
I wanted and needed a place to settle.
Everything I'd experienced since the age of 20 had changed me. There was no question about it.
Where did I belong?
So when one of the biggest song publishing houses in the country, American Music, courted me to be a staff song writer, which would end my years of touring, I thought it was the answer for me. A way to stay in the music business and use my talents and skills about then time I had a clue that most teen idols, even ones who were more successful than me, grew up and found either a new musical direction or something else to do.
So many of us traveled to perform that "home" became a bit difficult to define. Was home a place, a state of mind, a woman?
Home had always been to me Murphy, North Carolina - the Smokies. The family stead. But my older brothers had left home years before I did as the youngest, my mother had died, my father was remarried and living in Winston-Salem, and visits to my hometown and relatives had become rare due to my touring.
I'd traveled with my father for work, several states, building before I'd been discovered as the Next James Dean. I'd toured all over the United States. I'd been moving for years, one place to the next.
The life of planes, trains, and automobiles, sharing hotel rooms and sleeping sitting up got to me.
Maybe what got to me most was that I had no place to really call home at the end of each day.
I'd never relied on speed or any drugs to make it through. As I entered my late twenties the years of touring wore on me. I wanted a personal life. Some peace.
I wanted and needed a place to settle.
Everything I'd experienced since the age of 20 had changed me. There was no question about it.
Where did I belong?
So when one of the biggest song publishing houses in the country, American Music, courted me to be a staff song writer, which would end my years of touring, I thought it was the answer for me. A way to stay in the music business and use my talents and skills about then time I had a clue that most teen idols, even ones who were more successful than me, grew up and found either a new musical direction or something else to do.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
(55) I INTRODUCE GEORGE HAMILTON IV and BUDDY KNOX
George Hamilton IV was a lanky farm boy about my age and from my neck of the woods, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He had a song called "A Rose and a Baby Ruth" that I especially liked.
I had the pleasure of introducing George Hamilton IV and Buddy Knox. Buddy and I were visiting my dad when he lived in Winston-Salem and we went to the Greyhound station which had a giant coffee shop where all the kids used to sit around and listen to the jukebox. I used to hang out there myself when I lived in the area. It was the place to be.
It was about midnight when I called George from the payphone and woke him up. When he heard I had Buddy Knox with me, he raced to dress and came right down. The two men enjoyed each other's company. In fact the three of us stayed there drinking coffee and talking for about six hours!
I have to admit one of the perks of being a bit famous for me was being able to introduce people who wanted to meet each other. Sometime later I brought Buddy Knox to visit Elvis at his home in Los Angeles. Buddy and Elvis had met briefly while both were in the army and stationed at Fort Hood but a home visit was something else, and Elvis even answered the door himself and saluted Buddy on the way in.
I had the pleasure of introducing George Hamilton IV and Buddy Knox. Buddy and I were visiting my dad when he lived in Winston-Salem and we went to the Greyhound station which had a giant coffee shop where all the kids used to sit around and listen to the jukebox. I used to hang out there myself when I lived in the area. It was the place to be.
It was about midnight when I called George from the payphone and woke him up. When he heard I had Buddy Knox with me, he raced to dress and came right down. The two men enjoyed each other's company. In fact the three of us stayed there drinking coffee and talking for about six hours!
I have to admit one of the perks of being a bit famous for me was being able to introduce people who wanted to meet each other. Sometime later I brought Buddy Knox to visit Elvis at his home in Los Angeles. Buddy and Elvis had met briefly while both were in the army and stationed at Fort Hood but a home visit was something else, and Elvis even answered the door himself and saluted Buddy on the way in.
Here's an Rockin' Country Style discography for George Hamilton IV.
George Hamilton IV is still touring today...
NEW LINK TO NEW GEORGE HAMILTON the 5th Vegas site linked above!
January 12, 2011
Friday, August 24, 2007
(6) WE FOLLOWED THE BUILDING TRADE TO COTTAGE GROVE, OREGON
My father expertise was home building. Like Elvis Presley's father, Vernon, my father had to travel for work quite a bit. When I was about ready to start high school we moved from Murphy, North Carolina to Cottage Grove, Oregon following a building trade boom.
My brother Junior had a Fender TM guitar - the best! He taught me to play. I idolized my brother Junior. He had a Country Western band that played all around Oregon and had a deep voice like Tennessee Ernie Ford. Junior loved to sing "Dark as a Dungeon."
My daydreams as a teenager were about joining Junior's band, making out with girls, and driving fast cars. I loved speed! I had a few accidents that shook me up but I always walked away without a scratch.
Link above to Tennessee Ernie Ford's official web site, so you can read up a bit on him.
My brother Junior had a Fender TM guitar - the best! He taught me to play. I idolized my brother Junior. He had a Country Western band that played all around Oregon and had a deep voice like Tennessee Ernie Ford. Junior loved to sing "Dark as a Dungeon."
My daydreams as a teenager were about joining Junior's band, making out with girls, and driving fast cars. I loved speed! I had a few accidents that shook me up but I always walked away without a scratch.
Link above to Tennessee Ernie Ford's official web site, so you can read up a bit on him.
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