(250) I MEET BRIAN WILSON

One day in the studio I met Brian Wilson, of the Beach Boys, who showed me some of the lyrics he was writing, wanting my opinion. I was honored when anyone asked my opinion. I thought Brian was insecure about his talent. And today I know that Brian has struggled for years to overcome so much, I can admire him as much for his ability to persist as I can his musical genius.

At the time what we had around the studio was fun working. His wife Marilyn, used to drive by me as she dropped Brian off or picked him up from the studio, and she'd give me the finger - along with a big smile and a laugh!

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(249) SURF MUSIC and ME

Maybe songs from the late 1950's like Buddy Knox's "Hula Love" and Pat Boone's "Love Letters in the Sand," and the Hawaii craze that started when Hawaii became a state of the United States, started it...

Although I was not so much into it myself at the time, having been raised in the Smokey Mountains far from any ocean and more into my roots in Country, the summer of 1962 was the summer that California surf music washed across the United States like an tidal wave from west to east!

In the studios I began to meet the surf music stars.

INTERVIEW WITH FRANKIE AVALON IN VEGAS on CHARLIE BASS SHOW

In this interview, Frankie talks about the history of the singers coming out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - so very many - including Fabian. "It's a neighborhood, ethnic people who survived together..."

If you click on the link above you'll get to the FRANKIE AVALON on the HISTORY OF ROCK page.

(248) FRANKIE AVALON GEARS UP FOR THE BEACH MOVIES!

My Friend from New York, Frankie Avalon, was also headed for a movie career. (He would eventually make eight beach movies in about three years for Warner Brothers.) Frankie, from Philadelphia, and an Italian family, was teamed up with Annette Funicello, who became the Italian-American princess of films. He would make "Back to the Beach," "Beach Blanket Bingo," "Beach Party," "Muscle Beach Party,"...



Surf music was the craze and taking the teen idol romance movie to the beach made a lot of sense. I knew Frankie Avalon in New York and at one point while with United Artists I'd been considered to star in beach movies myself. But the farm country aspect of me, that aspect that I had in common with James Dean, was too strong.

(247) NICK ADAMS THE REBEL

Nick Adams, the actor, was a friend of mine and a friend of Elvis' who came up to the parties at Elvis'. He was a serious, hard working actor, who had been THE REBEL in a 1959 television serious. He used to say that other people bet on horses, but he bet on himself.


Nick had been a friend of James Dean's - good friends - and as you can imagine, he was fascinated with me and all the James Dean connotations. Nick had spent a lot of time with Jimmy in Los Angeles and after Jimmy died in that car crash, he wrote about him for publication. I talked to Nick the way I talked with Jimmy's friend Christine White. I wanted to know everything about James Dean.

Maybe what made Elvis, Nick, and me friends, was that we all came from hardworking families who had lived impoverished. We didn't have to be reminded that we were living a life in Hollywood that wasn't just a dream - and that was ever more true as Elvis's parties were attended by some of the most beautiful women! Nick was the most reserved of our bunch when it came to the women, but he sure appreciated them!

While Elvis and I were southerners, Nick had grown up the son of Eastern European immigrants in the North.

By 1962 Nick's determination was bringing him closer to his ambitions to win an Oscar. Not to get ahead of our story here, but if you click on the title above, you'll get to a good bio of Nick, which mentions his eventual death as a murder mystery. (At the time we all believed it to be an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.)

(246) BOBBY DARIN stars with NICK ADAMS

My friend Bobby Darin came out to LA from New York to pursue an acting career, had a whirlwind romance with actress Sandra Dee, and married her. I got to pitch songs to him on the set of some of their movies and in the offices of his music publishing house. Bobby continued to make television appearances as a singer, as he did on the Judy Garland show, while pursing an acting career.

Bobby made a World War II story film in 1962 that also stared Nick Adams, my friend and Elvis'.

WES BRYAN - MY LIFE IN MUSIC RIGHTS INFORMATION

Once in a while we'll be posting a notice like this one that reminds readers that the original content of this blog is Copyright Wes Bryan and Christine Trzyna with all rights reserved including Internet and International Rights.

If interested in speaking to me, Wes Bryan, please contact us at the e-mail address wewritethebook@yahoo.com

We appreciate your contribution of positive suggestions for this blog!

We are linking to a good many web sites, favoring the official web sites of various famous and important people as well as reference sites and historical YouTube video. If we link to your site or a video you uploaded and you don't want us to reference it, please let us know, and we'll take down the link. We also attempt to review our Youtube videos for the same reason, and will take down or substitute any link that proves to be someone else's copyright. The content of other people's sites remains their own property.

Thank you for your consideration and courtesy.

Christine Trzyna & Wes Bryan

HENRY Z. JONES, Actor, Singer, and Genealogist, on ELVIS PRESLEY

This is from PSYCHIC ROOTS, Serendipity and Intuition in Genealogy, by Henry Z. Jones, C 1993, and published by Genealogical Publishing House in Baltimore.

This book is about how researchers sometimes find or get information needed during a roots quest through paranormal means, such as dreams, visions, hunches, odd coincidences, synchronicity, and serendipity.

Henry was an actor in Hollywood for some time - his first career - and was on Tennessee Ernie Ford's show. He says that he was an Elvis Fan and he and his partner tried to style their voices on Elvis for some time. They were signed by the same man who produced Elvis in his RCA Victor years, Steve Sholes. Henry got involved in intense research on the Palantine German's, Germans who went to Ireland and then the United States, and is now a Fellow of the American Genealogical Society. One of the families he research is the Pressler's, who are Elvis' ancestors (and the origin of his family name)! Henry says that several of Elvis' key band members played on their sessions and his very first role was on MGM's "Girl Happy," which starred Elvis. He was thrilled and Elvis "Couldn't have been nicer to me."

So here is what happened to Henry while he was watching - in grief - when CBS- Television showed the last filmed concert of Elvis', which had occurred October 3, 1977.

"As I sat back in my chair, stressed out but determined somehow to watch Elvis' final appearances, I felt an unknown energy almost an electricity, pulsing throughout my living room. It was so strong, I could almost touch it. Then, at the very mini second the show began, a large framed picture of my daughter, hanging on the wall opposite my chair, crashed to the floor with a gigantic boom. In all my years of living in that house no picture had ever fallen and none ever did again."

MAY 8 - RICK NELSON HAPPY BIRTHDAY ! - THE NELSON TWINS

Rick Nelson was born May 8, 1940. HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICK!

I met Rick Nelson in Los Angeles through Elvis. He and I played on EP Enterprises, Elvis' football team in pick up games at Valley College and public parks. I have only good things to say about Rick, who came across as rather shy at first, but played to win. He was raised on his parent's television show "Ozzie and Harriet," and had grown up in the business and turned into a teen heartbreaker ! Friends of mine were always trying to find good songs to get over to Rick and his people.

Some of my generation of musical artists, have children who've followed in their footsteps into the music business. Rick Nelson's sons, who go by "The Nelsons," are two of them.

Click on the title above to get to the official RICK NELSON WEB SITE!

HELLO TO OLD FRIENDS IN AKRON !!!

Friends of mine from my Akron days recently contacted us and I want to say hello to them, Buddy Crine, Dominic and David Allen Coe, and the gang who hung out at Kippy's and Billy Lee's were nice enough to contact me through friends. I remember you all - Dominic was a "Fonzie" -like guy in those days. As usual, I feel surprised that they found me! Wes

Coming this summer 2009 on Wes Bryan - My Life In Music - SURF MUSIC

Come summer 2009 it's our plan to cover a bit about the surf music craze that hit the Pacific Coast and was so much the soundtrack of the early 1960's in Southern California. Stay Tuned!

Breaking News ! We read it on the net too... JAMES DEAN LOOK ALIKE WRITES HIS ...

Well, today's Business Week article says it's an autobiography, but actually it's a MEMOIR!

And "The Lonely Idol" isn't the actual title on the manuscript, just a way of referring to the book till it's published... but that's OK...

This book is a literary effort, coming from a place of heartfelt honesty, and the wisdom of maturity, several years in the writing and finely honed, a truly enjoyable read, not in the least bit boring...

(OK. We've been told it's a page turner!)

Besides Wes' remarkable life, just how many actual (rather than poser) close friends of Elvis Presley are alive who have not yet spoken... ?

... but WOW!

It's always interesting to see what shows up on the net about Wes Bryan, who I've gotten to know well through the years and feel honored to have worked with. Unlike so many others who have let fame go to their head he remains down to earth and at times amused by this celebrity.

Hollie's web site is Hollie LA. She's Bryan and April's daughter and they are so very proud of her! TO GET TO HOLLIE's Web Site go to the Link to the right!

(Wes is sometimes the King of Understatement and I just love his Smokey Mountainisms! Sugar Shack indeed!)

We've sourced the article to Mark J. Price of the Akron Beacon Journal, who wrote about Wes a few years back. Here (click on the Title above!) is the article as it appeared last week and which Business Week and California Chronicle, picked up.

THANK YOU MARK J. PRICE !

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Quote on Friendship

"I count myself as nothing else so happy as a soul remembering my good friends." - William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

1962 PHIL SPECTOR's TO KNOW HER IS TO LOVE HER THE BEATLES

The "Silver Beatles" recorded the Teddy Bear's hit "To Know Her Is To Love Her." That's John Lennon singing...

The Teddy Bears original

CELEBRATING EDDIE COCHRAN - A LASTING IMPACT - KEITH RICHARDS - TOM PETTY !

TODAY WE REMEMBER EDDIE COCHRAN, born October 3, 1938, died April 17, 1960, and his lasting impact on ROCK N ROLL! Here he is on Dick Clark American Bandstand performing his "hard rock" song called Somethin' Else !



Now, here's Tom Petty's version:




and finally Keith Richards!

(244) DORE RECORDS - HOME OF THE TEDDY BEARS and JAN and DEAN

Mike Callaham and Dave Edwards, at the link above, tell the Dore Records Story...

Quote, "Dore Records started with a #1 hit in August, 1958, with "To Know Him Is to Love Him" by a trio called the Teddy Bears. The song was written and produced by Phil Spector, the leader of the group, which also contained Annette Kleinbard, and Marshall Lieb. After the one hit, the Teddy Bears left Dore for the greener pastures of the larger Imperial label in 1959." Unquote

Quote "Dore had hits in 1959 and 1960 with the duo Jan and Dean... Jan and Dean had four more charted hits for Dore in 1959 and 1960 before leaving for the Challenge label, and then Liberty...

Thanks Mike and Dave for another great informational site!

LISTEN TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL CTNWB

YOUTUBE Music Videos - http://www.youtube.com/CTNWB is our Channel !

You can watch our video collection that relates to this blog by going to YouTube and putting CTNWB in the search block. Or simply put in the words WES BRYAN! You can listen by clicking the station embedded in this blog in the red frame.

We make an effort to delete any videos that are taken down by their owners. And we thank all of those of you who are appreciative of these historical videos... If you are reading our blog and come to a discontinued video before we notice it, PLEASE LET US KNOW!

CLICK ON THE TITLE ABOVE to get there!

(242) THE APOLLO RECORDS STORY

Click on the title above to get to the link of a site by David Edwards and Mike Callahan - who we've posted before - that's all about the APOLLO RECORDS of New York City that Ersel Hickey recorded on.

Quote, "The Apollo Records discussed here was formed in New York City in 1944 by Ike and Bess Berman, with Hy Siegel and Sam Schneider. The label recorded rhythm and blues, gospel, jazz, and popular music. Kenwood was a reissue label with issues given the same number as the original Apollo release, although it is not known if all the Apollo LPs were reissued on Kenwood. The albums were all mono to our knowledge." unquote.

These guys do a lot of research so we'll let them tell the story of Apollo. Ersel didn't have an album, he had singles!

Thanks Mike and Ed!

CHRIS ISSAK performs ONLY THE LONELY ROY ORBISON

Chris Isaak says Roy Orbison sang high but was a manly man...



Christine here: Chris Issak is one of my favorites! And it makes complete sense to me that Lisa Marie toured with him!

SPRING 2009 BEGINS and We're Going On VACATION!

Friends, we are taking off for a couple weeks as spring begins. If you've arrived here at WES BRYAN- MY LIFE IN MUSIC during this time, please use this time to check out previous blogs or follow links to the artists you're most interested in or click on our Youtube station to the left and listen to the sound track of my life time!

Wes Bryan and Christine Trzyna

ELVIS 1962 SHE'S NOT YOU Recorded in 1962 on this date!

Elvis You Tube video of "Shes Not You" recorded March 19, 1962 according to this Elvis fan YouTuber!

(241) ERSEL HICKEY on APOLLO

So Ersel stayed in New York, and continued to write songs and record and perform. One time, years later Johnny Rivers and I were talking, and Johnny said, "Ersel was like the original Punk Rocker!" Well, maybe not quite, but in his pose he was.

Here's the Rockin' Country Style discography for Ersel:
http://rcs.law.emory.edu/rcs/artists/h/hick1000.htm

You'll notice that in 1962 two of his songs were considered to be ROCKABILLY. "Upside Down Love" and "The Millionaire"

Terry Gorden over at RCS has listed the Apollo Label as founded in New York in 1942 by Ike and Bess Berman. As you know, if you've been reading WES BRYAN- MY LIFE IN MUSIC, small labels were often regional and many of us from that era recorded over time on several.

From JOHN LENNON by PHILIP NORMAN : ROULETTE RECORDS's MORRIS LEVY

quotes from pages 745-746 hardback edition of Philip Norman's JOHN LENNON biography...

Christine Trzyna here.

In WES BRYAN - MY LIFE IN MUSIC, we've mentioned a number of early rock and roll managers. One of them is Morris Levy, who both Wes Bryan and Buddy Knox had dealings with in the late 1950's and early 1960's. At they time he was the Roulette Records guy. In this book we learn that Morris Levy also had a deal with John Lennon. In 1975 John still owed Morris an album.

"To show that he and his band were not slipping back into old L.A. ways, he (John Lennon) broke an iron rule and sent Levy several tracks in a rough mix. But, tired of waiting around for his royalty cut, the Octopus issued the unfinished tracks as an album on his own Adam VIII label, titling it Roots:John Lennon Sings the Great Rock & Roll Hits, jacketing it with a garish head shot from the Let it Be Era and marketing it as a cheap-shot TV special offer. The result was a second round of litigating, with Levy suing John for defaulting on the judgement from their earlier court case and John counter suing for release of inferior product under his name without his authorization.'

"... On the witness stand, according to Bob Gruen, "John had to explain why a rough-mix tape was not meant to be sold on the market, and he ...described the difference between that and a final mix and how it was made.... He was incredibly clear and coherent and I remember thinking, if I was a musician this was the best description I could possible have."

John Lennon was awarded more than $144,700 and succeeded in having the Adam VIII compilation withdrawn from sale.

"Rush released before too many TV viewers could send their money to Morris Levy, John's fully mixed album was entitled simply Rock and Roll. Buyers who were expecting a straight nostalgia trip in the current mode were in for a surprise. Some of the tracks, like Buddy Holly's "Peggy Sure" and gene Vincents "Be Bop-a Lula," certainly were just as he used to play them with the Quarrymen and first -draft Beatles in Liverpool and Hamburg. Others, like Bobby Freeman's "Do you Want to Dance?" and Larry Williams, "Bony Maronie" were slowed down almost beyond recognition; Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen," seemed to have collided with the Coasters' "Little Egypt," while "You Cant' Catch Me" sounded like the Beatles "Come Together"....

TRIBUTE TO JAMES DEAN - THE ORIGINAL REBEL - USING THE CRYSTALS' HE'S A REBEL

James Dean - THE ORIGINAL REBEL...