(307) JIMMY BOWEN - SINGER SONGWRITER and FAMOUS MUSIC PRODUCER TO BE !

JIMMY BOWEN figures in my story from way back. I met Jimmy Bowen while he was passing through Akron, Ohio. He took me to a record hop there, where my first record was played. It was a record I home made in Winston-Salem without a label so it could not be played on the radio legally.

Jimmy Bowen and Buddy Knox had a group called The Rhythm Orchids. (They started out wearing light purple shirts when they played!) Buddy Knox and Jimmy Bowen were both Texas boys. Jimmy played a stand up bass, an instrument that featured in early rock and roll but soon disappeared from road performances.

Eventually I would perform with Jimmy on the road while on Roulette Records. I was on the Buddy Knox tour but I would occasionally meet up with Jimmy's tour.

The two of us showed up to work at American Music in Los Angeles. The two of us wrote some songs together... including "Break Down and Cry" which was recorded by Fabian and "Don't Stay Away" which was recorded by Jerry Fuller.

We're linking here to CMT (COUNTRY MUSIC) pages for Jimmy Bowen who has been recording with the band SANTA FE - back to his roots in music! And the next few videos will be a little Jimmy Bowen music festival!

(302) RICK NELSON IT'S UP TO YOU written by JERRY FULLER

One of the many great songs that Rick recorded...

We're linking above to the official RICK/RICKY NELSON site which is terrific!

(301) JERRY FULLER SONGWRITER OF OVER 30 "RICK NELSON" SONGS

We're linking to a bio of Jerry Fuller, who is known for his songwriting, especially involved with the success of Rick Nelson, who recorded about 30 of his songs. Jerry followed the singer-songwriter tradition of the times of giving some of his songs to another artist. And likewise, Jim Seals, who became famous with his "Seals and Crofts" duo was the cowriter on this song called "First Love Never Dies."



I'm proud of the fact that Jerry Fuller recorded one of the songs I wrote with Jimmy Bowen called "Don't Stay Away."

(298) SUNSET STRIP RECORD COMPANIES : IMPERIAL RECORDS

Lew Chudd was known for discovering Fats Domino but in the early 1960's he signed Ricky Nelson. Ricky put out his first album "Ricky" on Imperial and several singles that are memoriable hits for him. Ricky was famous for being part of his on television family "Ozzie and Harriet," but when Lew signed him he had his first taste of being a Teen Idol.




The kids called him Ricky and he was a Teen Idol for sure, but Rick Nelson, when I met him was a shy guy who let loose playing touch football with Elvis and his team, E.P. Enterprises.

I know some of you who know me these days (and know my sense of humor is till intact) may not believe this... but I am basically a shy guy myself. Being a Teen Idol pulled me out of my shyness... but I can retreat back into it. I think the same could be said for Rick... for Elvis...

Rick Nelson recorded a good number of songs written by one of my American Music songwriter peers, Jerry Fuller. "Travelin' Man" was recorded by Rick, using Elvis Jordanaires as background vocalists.

Rick also recorded "Poor Little Fool," and "It's Up To You" on Imperial.

In 1963 Imperial was sold to the Liberty label.

Christine here: Wes said to add a bit to this blog post. He said "Poor Little Fool" had no bridge but had a great arrangement by JAMES BURTON (who I hired in the studio and who went on to work for Elvis Presley) and a good storyline to it."

(78) CHALLENGE RECORDS : COWBOY STAR GENE AUTRY'S LABEL

Jerry Cole, Jerry Fuller, and a number of other talents, had been recorded on Challenge Records which was owned by cowboy star-entrepreneur Gene Autry, before they came to American Music to be songwriters more or less full time.

Through the early 1960's this was still an era in which many small labels managed to succeed, though perhaps only a very few of their artists are known today. If a song was a hit in a regional market for one of the regional market favorites, another company in another region might try the same song with one of their singers. It was the cover tune era. Sometimes this worked for the songwriter, because the song was being recorded repeatedly and got a lot of regional airplay on the radio. Sometimes though it was a matter of chart wars just diluting the overall success of the song.

To those of us who grew up admiring the cowboys, the way me and Elvis and Tommy Smothers loved Lash LaRue, men like Gene Autry, who diversified and built empires, were important role models.

Gene went on to own radio stations as well and today he's behind a hugely successful museum in Griffith Park, Los Angeles. Once called the Gene Autry Western Heritage, it just goes by "The Autry National Center" now. It's the place where you can take in Westerns and silent films and check the movie version of Cowboys and Indians against reality, and attend Native American events.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/wdd/challenge.htm

RCS DISCOGRAPHY FOR CHALLENGE RECORDS, Gene's label, linked above!

GENE AUTRY's MUSEUM has grown to be THE AUTRY NATION CENTER and is collaborating with other museums that document Native American life.

http://www.autrynationalcenter.org/

(77) JERRY FULLER - RICK NELSON'S SPECIAL SONGWRITER

Jerry Fuller was another of my talented musical peers at American Music. Jerry had also once been on Challenge Records, Gene Autry's label, like Jerry Cole. He had a hit with the "Tennessee Waltz" which had first been a hit for Patti Page, on Challenge. Jerry is best known for being the writer of "Travelin' Man" which was recorded by Sam Cooke, but more famously, Rick Nelson. The demo record went from Joe Osborne, the base player, to Rick.

Sometimes a demo, for all the creative talent, energy, and money, it took to make it, got lost under a stack of other demos an artist was sent. A demo could sit for years waiting for someone to play it, so personal contacts and recommendations were important - the "pitch."

The Rockin Country Style's Discography for Jerry Fuller is linked above!

Now, listen to "First Loves Never Dies." Elvis used to play that song himself. He loved it. And when the lyrics "first loves never dies" was heard, he would put his finger in the air as if he were making a point to the guys. The woman he was thinking about, was a woman he loved before he was famous - Dixie Locke. Elvis never knew, after he was famous, if a woman loved him for himself or not. Dixie had.

Jerry Fuller's web site here tells his success story as a songwriter best.

http://www.jerryfuller.com/

Jerry plays his frets like Jimmie Rodgers.