Showing posts with label Wes Bryan - My Life in Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wes Bryan - My Life in Music. Show all posts
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Saturday, April 26, 2014
EDDIE COCHRAN : FROM OUR ARCHIVES POST (58) EDDIE COCHRAN : ROCKIN THE SUMMERTIME BLUES
POST (58) from October 26, 2007
EDDIE COCHRAN : ROCKIN THE SUMMERTIME BLUES
I met Eddie Cochran at the Sheridan Hotel in New York City, where I also met Jerry Capheart, a man who would figure big in my future one day when he signed me to be a staff songwriter at American Music in Los Angeles.
Buddy Knox called Eddie Cochran "The Blond Elvis."
In England, the Beatles had followed him and Gene Vincent around. (When it came to Rock and Roll, first the Americans invaded England, then there was a British invasion of America.) Eddie performed at an Alan Freed produced Rock and Roll show for New Years about the time I met him. It was the same show I saw Ritchie Valens perform for the first time on.
The world of early Rock and Roll was tough. Eddie carried a Derringer hand gun in his boot and I hear it came in handy more than once, like when he was threatened by the boyfriends of certain fans...
Eddie Cochran wasn't the only one who packed a gun while on tour or while walking the streets of New York but I decided I could take care of myself with my fists. I grew up rumbling with my brothers, had learned some karate and self defence while in the U.S. Army, and admired the boxers who I tried to meet when they came into the Turf restaurant for meals instead of eating across the way at Dempsey's, which was owned by the boxer Jack Dempsey. We all had security concerns that were not met by our record labels or our management. We didn't have body guards and it was up to us to protect ourselves. It was also legal to take a gun on a plane...
During my tour with Buddy Knox I performed two of Eddie Cochran's hits, "Summertime Blues," and "Come on Everybody." Here's Eddie performing those hits on television - You Tube presentations.
ROCKABILLY HALL OF FAME LINK HERE ROCKABILLY HALL OF FAME EDDIE COCHRAN
EDDIE COCHRAN : ROCKIN THE SUMMERTIME BLUES
I met Eddie Cochran at the Sheridan Hotel in New York City, where I also met Jerry Capheart, a man who would figure big in my future one day when he signed me to be a staff songwriter at American Music in Los Angeles.
Buddy Knox called Eddie Cochran "The Blond Elvis."
In England, the Beatles had followed him and Gene Vincent around. (When it came to Rock and Roll, first the Americans invaded England, then there was a British invasion of America.) Eddie performed at an Alan Freed produced Rock and Roll show for New Years about the time I met him. It was the same show I saw Ritchie Valens perform for the first time on.
The world of early Rock and Roll was tough. Eddie carried a Derringer hand gun in his boot and I hear it came in handy more than once, like when he was threatened by the boyfriends of certain fans...
Eddie Cochran wasn't the only one who packed a gun while on tour or while walking the streets of New York but I decided I could take care of myself with my fists. I grew up rumbling with my brothers, had learned some karate and self defence while in the U.S. Army, and admired the boxers who I tried to meet when they came into the Turf restaurant for meals instead of eating across the way at Dempsey's, which was owned by the boxer Jack Dempsey. We all had security concerns that were not met by our record labels or our management. We didn't have body guards and it was up to us to protect ourselves. It was also legal to take a gun on a plane...
During my tour with Buddy Knox I performed two of Eddie Cochran's hits, "Summertime Blues," and "Come on Everybody." Here's Eddie performing those hits on television - You Tube presentations.
ROCKABILLY HALL OF FAME LINK HERE ROCKABILLY HALL OF FAME EDDIE COCHRAN
History of Rock - Eddie Cochran! HISTORY OF ROCK - EDDIE COCHRAN
Eddie Cochran died at the age of 21, at the height of his fame, in 1960 while touring in England, in a tragic automobile accident on the way to the airport. Gene Vincent was left with a limp in the same accident.
Eddie Cochran died at the age of 21, at the height of his fame, in 1960 while touring in England, in a tragic automobile accident on the way to the airport. Gene Vincent was left with a limp in the same accident.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
C's CHECKED and EDDIE COCHRAN on the TOWN HALL SHOW
We know! It looked like we were at the end of the alphabet. Well, when we started updating the A-B-C list, we ran into all sorts of glitches, so we're back there.
In the C's we found that the Perry Como listings needed an update. Enjoy this Historical Music Video, thanks to a YouTuber!
In the C's we found that the Perry Como listings needed an update. Enjoy this Historical Music Video, thanks to a YouTuber!
Saturday, April 12, 2014
S LINKS UPDATED and NEIL SEDAKA - SONGWRITER!
We checked around and we believe something close to a KEELY SMITH - the SINGER - official web site is in the works!
NEIL SEDAKA - One of the singer-songwriters I met in the Brill Building when I first went to New York City about the same time I met Bobby Darin who was recording demos there.
NEIL SEDAKA - One of the singer-songwriters I met in the Brill Building when I first went to New York City about the same time I met Bobby Darin who was recording demos there.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
J-K-L LINKS UPDATED and BRENDA LEE
The Little Richard and Darlene Love ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME Inductee links have been updated!
To Celebrate! BRENDA LEE!
USE THE SEARCH FEATURE EMBEDDED IN THE SIDEBAR TO BRING UP OUR POSTS ON BRENDA, Little Richard, or Darlene Love!
To Celebrate! BRENDA LEE!
USE THE SEARCH FEATURE EMBEDDED IN THE SIDEBAR TO BRING UP OUR POSTS ON BRENDA, Little Richard, or Darlene Love!
Monday, February 24, 2014
D-E-F LINKS CHECKED and TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD
Just completed checking all our side bar links under the D - E - F group and they are all working fine!
REVISITED!
Bobby Denton in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame...
Jackie DeShannon in the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame...
And to celebrate : TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD!
USE THE SEARCH FEATURE EMBEDDED IN THE SIDEBAR TO BRING UP OUR POSTS ON Bobby Denton, Jackie De Shannon, or TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD!
REVISITED!
Bobby Denton in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame...
Jackie DeShannon in the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame...
And to celebrate : TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD!
USE THE SEARCH FEATURE EMBEDDED IN THE SIDEBAR TO BRING UP OUR POSTS ON Bobby Denton, Jackie De Shannon, or TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD!
Monday, February 10, 2014
DOWN TIME OR TAKE YOU ALONG IN OUR TECH PROCESS? ENJOY OUR OLDER POSTS AND LINKS IN THE MEAN TIME?
Christine here. As some of you who also read my blog CHRISTINE TRZYNA- WRITERLY LIFE know, I've removed my personal blog from the Internet, don't know for how long, but at least until I've got the stuff you don't see fixed.
WES BRYAN - MY LIFE IN MUSIC blog also needs work on its innards.
So we planned down time for this blog too... But well, my personal blog and this blog are of a different nature. My personal blog is more like a literary diary. This one has value as a memoir and music history publication and we receive thousands of hits every month on older posts because it's still useful and interesting "as is," so I'm going to try to attend to technology issues, etc, and take you along in the process...
(I know this can be deadly BORING for the reader... what a decision!)
We feel responsible for keeping links and videos as fresh as possible and since we've been blogging since 2007 a lot of things have changed. Many out of our control, some frustrating, all which need attention ; We used to post a technology update PAGE and one day it just went POOF!
Just the other day I checked on all the links in our extensive list on the side bar under A-B-C and found four that need replacement along with corresponding posts which takes an hour or two - so you have some idea of what's ahead. We take pride in knowing that anyone interested in our subject can link to other writers, other sites.
Please be patient!
There will be musical intermissions!
THANKS FOR READING WES BRYAN - MY LIFE IN MUSIC!
WES BRYAN - MY LIFE IN MUSIC blog also needs work on its innards.
So we planned down time for this blog too... But well, my personal blog and this blog are of a different nature. My personal blog is more like a literary diary. This one has value as a memoir and music history publication and we receive thousands of hits every month on older posts because it's still useful and interesting "as is," so I'm going to try to attend to technology issues, etc, and take you along in the process...
(I know this can be deadly BORING for the reader... what a decision!)
We feel responsible for keeping links and videos as fresh as possible and since we've been blogging since 2007 a lot of things have changed. Many out of our control, some frustrating, all which need attention ; We used to post a technology update PAGE and one day it just went POOF!
Just the other day I checked on all the links in our extensive list on the side bar under A-B-C and found four that need replacement along with corresponding posts which takes an hour or two - so you have some idea of what's ahead. We take pride in knowing that anyone interested in our subject can link to other writers, other sites.
Please be patient!
There will be musical intermissions!
THANKS FOR READING WES BRYAN - MY LIFE IN MUSIC!
Thursday, February 6, 2014
ABRAHAM LINCOLN ON FRIENDSHIP
"If friendship is your weakest point, then you are the strongest person in the world." - Abraham Lincoln
Friday, January 31, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Saturday, January 18, 2014
(56) BUDDY KNOX : AN INTELLECTUAL and A GENTLEMAN : FROM THE WES BRYAN - MY LIFE IN MUSIC ARCHIVES
POST (56) BUDDY KNOX : AN INTELLECTUAL and A GENTLEMAN from the WES BRYAN - MY LIFE IN MUSIC ARCHIVES
October 24, 2007
Now friends, I've gone off on a tangent about Elvis returning to the United States, at a time when I was on the Buddy Knox tour. It was great to be there when Elvis got off the train, to be part of the party at Graceland TM, and to be considered an actual friend of Elvis' Presley and a few of his friends, people who made it happen for him.
October 24, 2007
Now friends, I've gone off on a tangent about Elvis returning to the United States, at a time when I was on the Buddy Knox tour. It was great to be there when Elvis got off the train, to be part of the party at Graceland TM, and to be considered an actual friend of Elvis' Presley and a few of his friends, people who made it happen for him.
But I want to tell you nothing made me prouder than to be associated with a Rockabilly Superstar like Buddy professionally. When Buddy said "You're coming on the road with me," he was including me in on the road to success.
As I said on an earlier post about the plane crash that killed the Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens, and Buddy Holly, Buddy Knox and I were forced to confront our own mortality because of it. We were grateful to have a tour that was the top of the line with a plush tour bus and a caravan of cars. We had bookings in fine dinner clubs and the best of venues to perform. They had been on buses that broke down and were only trying to make up travel time taking that plane. Jerry Lee Lewis' tour bus was a gray painted school bus, hardly plush at all, despite his success with "Great Balls of Fire."
We shared driving a car and hotel and motel rooms along the way, while the musicians lived out of the tour bus. It could be grueling, but Buddy and I, and the musicians we traveled with lived clean. We didn't do speed to stay awake, but relied on our youthful energy and zeal for entertaining. Despite the obvious stress he always treated the musicians in his band with kindness and courtesy.
We shared driving a car and hotel and motel rooms along the way, while the musicians lived out of the tour bus. It could be grueling, but Buddy and I, and the musicians we traveled with lived clean. We didn't do speed to stay awake, but relied on our youthful energy and zeal for entertaining. Despite the obvious stress he always treated the musicians in his band with kindness and courtesy.
Before it was all over we toured in 47 of the fifty states, skipping Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah - because the Mormons (now the Latter Day Saints) objected to Rock and Roll. We would tour for about two years, using New York City for our breaks, sharing hotel rooms along the way and in New York.
Buddy performed "Party Doll," "Hula Love," and a number of other songs that he had hits with. He liked to go on first, then sit back and enjoy the show. Between his performance and mine, the band played. We got people up and dancing and everyone had a great time of it.
Buddy Knox was an intellectual, a gentleman, and more than all that, a decent human being. He treated people from all walks of life the same and his generous spirit was always evident. He tended to leave big tips.
Sometimes he and I would walk into a diner and the waitresses would ask us if we were the Everly Brothers. (We didn't look like brothers, but brothers as singing duos were popular then.)
Buddy would say "Have you heard of Buddy Knox?"
The waitresses would say something like "Yea, He has Party Doll!"
Buddy would introduce himself, and then play a couple numbers for the whole diner, which thrilled everyone. He signed autographs and he still left big tips.
Sometimes he and I would walk into a diner and the waitresses would ask us if we were the Everly Brothers. (We didn't look like brothers, but brothers as singing duos were popular then.)
Buddy would say "Have you heard of Buddy Knox?"
The waitresses would say something like "Yea, He has Party Doll!"
Buddy would introduce himself, and then play a couple numbers for the whole diner, which thrilled everyone. He signed autographs and he still left big tips.
Rockin Country Style Discography - BUDDY KNOX
Link above to Buddy Knox's official site. (His great son Michael is behind this site.)
Rockabilly Hall of Fame on Buddy Knox
Living closely as we had to, Buddy Knox and I became close friends on tour. When he married my father and I attended. I was in his wedding party. I am so proud to have known Buddy Knox. He truly was one of the good guys in Rock and Roll!
When Buddy was dying in 1999, he said to his son Michael, "Don't let them forget me." Michael promised.
I promise too Buddy.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
JIM MORRISON TRIVIA : HIS FAVORITE SINGER WAS ELVIS
According to the film WHEN YOU'RE STRANGE, a film about the Doors by Tom DiCillo, Jim Morrison's favorite singer was Elvis. Towards the end of Jim's career, he had switched his affiliation to FRANK SINATRA!
When You're Strange is C 2010
When You're Strange is C 2010
Saturday, January 4, 2014
LENNONYC : JOHN LENNON and JACK DOUGLAS, MUSIC PRODUCER ON ELVIS and the EARLY ROCK AND ROLLERS
LENNONYC is a documentary put out by PBS : AMERICAN MASTERS
Jack Douglas was the music producer of Lennon's album DOUBLE FANTASY. In this film, he talks about the song "Starting Over" and John talks about that time in his life when he was reaching back to his roots in early Rock and Roll.
JACK : "He's doing his Elvis Impersonation... the Elvis intonation. It brought back the feeling of early Rock and Roll."
JOHN : "It was tongue and cheek Elvis. It was John Lennon - American Rock and Roll - not competing but enjoying it."
John Lennon goes on to mention Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly, and Elvis Presley as inspirations to him as a developing musician.
Jack Douglas was the music producer of Lennon's album DOUBLE FANTASY. In this film, he talks about the song "Starting Over" and John talks about that time in his life when he was reaching back to his roots in early Rock and Roll.
JACK : "He's doing his Elvis Impersonation... the Elvis intonation. It brought back the feeling of early Rock and Roll."
JOHN : "It was tongue and cheek Elvis. It was John Lennon - American Rock and Roll - not competing but enjoying it."
John Lennon goes on to mention Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly, and Elvis Presley as inspirations to him as a developing musician.
Friday, January 3, 2014
OUR ELVIS PRESLEY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION - 2014!
When we began blogging in 2007, we dedicated this effort to ELVIS PRESLEY.
And every year we having Blogger Celebration focused on Elvis for his birthday. Elvis was born January 8, 1935. He'd be 79 years old if he were alive today.
This year the nature of our celebration is different because of the YouTube videos that have been posted by people who have somehow gotten their hands on HOME RECORDINGS. Now these people may have been there (or maybe their parents were since so many of us from the early rock and roll era are senior citizens now or have passed on). We don't know, but we think they're authentic.
We want to let you know that we're planning some Down Time in 2014. This blog is experiencing a lot of glitches - some mystifying - that need to be resolved that will take some time and focus, as well as updating of videos and links, and we haven't given up on a good slideshow to replace the one that went down with changes at Photobucket. (Some of our pages and posts just went poof!)
But for now relax and enjoy, and let the year begin on Elvis!
This popular publicity photo of Elvis is one of my favorites.
And every year we having Blogger Celebration focused on Elvis for his birthday. Elvis was born January 8, 1935. He'd be 79 years old if he were alive today.
This year the nature of our celebration is different because of the YouTube videos that have been posted by people who have somehow gotten their hands on HOME RECORDINGS. Now these people may have been there (or maybe their parents were since so many of us from the early rock and roll era are senior citizens now or have passed on). We don't know, but we think they're authentic.
We want to let you know that we're planning some Down Time in 2014. This blog is experiencing a lot of glitches - some mystifying - that need to be resolved that will take some time and focus, as well as updating of videos and links, and we haven't given up on a good slideshow to replace the one that went down with changes at Photobucket. (Some of our pages and posts just went poof!)
But for now relax and enjoy, and let the year begin on Elvis!
This popular publicity photo of Elvis is one of my favorites.
Monday, December 30, 2013
ELVIS PRESLEY : OH HOW I LOVE JESUS
Several home recordings of Elvis and friends singing at his house have emerged on YouTube in recent months, and this is one of them. Because this blog focus isn't on Gospel Music, though you can pull up the Gospel Music Association in a previous post, we haven't written much about Elvis and Gospel music, but he loved Gospel music, and I have memories of those times when he sang Gospel - even at parties. He could bring tears to your eyes.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
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