BAKERSFIELD BY MIKE NESS

BAKERSFIELD
By: Mike Ness, Social Distortion. (AS played by Hank Ray)

Take me down that line.
Iv’e got a heavy load
I can’t seem to make it on my own
Turn the lights down low
I can’t seem to get you
Get you out of head
Stranded here in Bakersfield,
You seem so close yet far away
Stranded here in Bakersfield,
You’re a million miles away.

I feel the heat comminn down.
Can’t make it through this day.
I can’t hardly fake it
I can’t fce this dayaWas it
something that I said?
Something that I didn’t do?
18 hours more till can be with you.
Stranded here in Bakersfield,
You seem so far away
Stranded here in Bakersfield,
You’re a million miles away.
Will you come be with me in Bakersfield
I am a million years away.

Talking part:
I walked out of that lonely truck stip with my head down, How the fuck did I get into this mess. What would Buck Owens have done? He would have gone home and grabbed that old guitar and wrote a love song, Not just any love song, The one that would make a grown man brake down and cry.

Stranded here in Bakersfield,
You seem so far away
Stranded here in Bakersfield,
You’re a million miles away.
Will you come be with me in Bakersfield
I am a million years away.

Bakersfield Knap-In, 10 Years Of Monthly Flintknapping

Bakersfield Knap-In, 10 Years Of
Photos By Dennis Mahan


Monthly Flintknapping
Flintknappers still “Knap-in” after 10 years
By Dennis Mahan
Flintknappers from near and far gathered in Bakersfield’s Hart Park on Sunday to mark the ten-year anniversary of the longest-running monthly “Knap-in” in the world.
The Bakersfield Knappers, started by Gary Pickett, Ray Harwood, Danny Raines and Sherry Pauley, meet the first Sunday of every month to practice the ancient art of making stone tools such as arrowheads, knives and other projectile points.
“I like the camaraderie,” said Harwood, 49, of Bakersfield, who is an archaeologist with a degree from California State University, Northridge. “We advance our knowledge by keeping in practice and sharing ideas.”
Harwood and other group members give Pickett a lot of the credit for the group’s progress and success.
“Gary is an excellent teacher. He has the gift of teaching and has a lot of patience with us,” said Jim Boatman, 61, of Tehachapi.
Pickett’s interest in flintknapping came more than 20 years ago when he began finding old arrowheads in the creeks of southern Missouri where he grew up. He was fascinated by the arrowheads and thought he could make them himself.
“I just started beating two rocks together,” said Pickett, 44, who moved to Bakersfield in 1997.
It was five years of trial and error before he made much progress, but moving to Bakersfield and meeting Harwood through a flintknapping Web site helped both of them progress faster. They decided to meet every month and work on rocks, but didn’t expect for the small group to grow like it did.
“I’m pleased with the progress and the people it’s brought,” said Pickett.
Every meeting brings folks from all over the state — Inglewood, Ridgecrest and Sacramento — and even from out of state. One man visiting California from Louisiana heard about the group and came out for a visit.
Flintknapper Fred Swanson comes from Weldon for the experience he gets from talking with Pickett. He feels that flintknapping can be good therapy.
“You get hooked on it. It’s an enjoyable, relaxing endeavor. You get started and you kind of forget about everything else,” said Swanson.
For anyone interested, the group will provide the tools, rocks and lessons to get started during the “Knap-in.” For those who would like to get started on their own, tools include deer antler, hammer stones and the more modern “copper bopper,” along with a chunk of obsidian rock.
The next demonstration will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, near the east entrance of Hart Park. For more information go to www.lettherockroll.com.

Party Down in LA

Party Down in LA (HANK RAY)

Cherie she liked to take some drugs, do a little more than hug
And party down in LA, Party down in LA.

I went Michael Jackson’s house, the day that he died.
Heath ledger was the one who sort of went out with the tide.


Cherie she liked to take some drugs, do a little more than hug
And party down in LA, Party down in LA.

I woke up at star bucks someone chain sawed off my feet
Ana Nichole Simpson checked out cause couldn’t stand the heat.

Cherie she liked to take some drugs, do a little more than hug
And party down in LA, Party down in LA.

I saw you on the twilit zone, Vic Morrow got his head chopped off
I never looked at hellicpter quite the same.

Cherie she liked to take some drugs, do a little more than hug
And party down in LA, Party down in LA.

REALLY HAD A CRUSH ON YOU By: Hank Ray

REALLY HAD A CRUSH ON YOU By: Hank Ray

Way back in high school
You were a beautiful princess
It really was painful
I had such a deep love for you

--and it really makes me blue,
--cause I really had a crush on you.

After school you became a rock star
I was wearing army green
The only time ever saw you
Was at night in my dreams

--and it really makes me blue,
--cause I really had a crush on you.

Now I’m old and worn out
I was done doing what I do
I decided to write you this love song
And now I feel brand new

--and it really makes me blue,
--cause I really had a crush on you.

When I die and I fly up to heaven
They will set aside all the blame
I’ll ask to see the most beautiful angel
And Gabriel will call out your name.

--and it really makes me blue,
--cause I really had a crush on you.

“Giant Ants Ate the Blues Player,” an entry on Undead Backbrain

“Giant Ants Ate the Blues Player,” an entry on Undead Backbrain


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Giant Ants Ate the Blues Player
Kaiju Search-Robot Avery has discovered that Bakersfield, California country blues player Hank Ray is making a movie about giant ants.





Taking the classic truth-in-advertising approach to titles, it’s called Giant Ants Eat Bakersfield. It will be about 30 minutes long and the director hopes that it will be available online after a run at the Kern Country film festival. He’s billing it as:

The first Country Music Horror Film ever! It’s A Musical And It Has Giant Ants Eating Bakersfield.




Apparently, filming began about a year ago. Hank commented to Avery: “I filmed this all over Bakersfield. We almost got busted filming on the roof of the old BUCK OWENS recording studio. The film is not finished, and I sort of put it on the shelf. I have had some really good feed back lately so I will start on it again this weekend. Yours was the best feed back so far. I will keep you updated.”

So Avery’s enthusiasm for no-budget independent monster flicks may have caused a potential renaissance in the Bakersfield Giant Ant film industry.

Below is a conceptual image for the film (NOT the real advertising poster), which Hank bodgied up from a classic poster from one of his film’s inspirations, the greatest giant ant movie of all time — Them!




According to Hank, the giant ants are a metaphor for the way the New Country music has come in and taken control of the Old. Now that’s a metaphor that hasn’t been explored in giant monster films before this. He told the Backbrain:

Well, Bakersfield used to stand for an underground or rebellious response to Nashville country Music. When Buck Owens passed away a while back, I went to his funeral. I later wrote some songs about that and one was called “Giant Ants”. It was as though corporate music was like giant ants that took over country music and Bakersfield was one of the things the corporate ants ate. I suppose I am a nut.

Here are the lyrics of Hank’s song on the subject:


ACT ONE SONG:
The old country music is gone

The old country music is gone
You know it never had a chance
The old country music is gone
Corporate music killed it just like giant ants.
Corporate music came to call
Like some giant ants they killed it all
I’d like to hear more like Clarence and Hank
But big corporate music owns all the money in the bank
The old country music is gone
You know it never had a chance
The old country music is gone
Corporate music killed it just like giant ants
America has sold it’s music out
They forgot what Bakersfield and Nashville was all about?
Watch ‘em on TV become a Nashville star
I can’t believe it’s gone this far.
The old country music is gone
You know it never had a chance
The old country music is gone
Corporate music killed it just like giant ants.

The film is meant to be a take-off of those really old B-moster movies where the monsters are so fake that they are cool. Like the tree monster and some of the ones on the old Star Trek.

Anyway, I went to Buck Owen’s ranch and made a mini film of Buck’s son’s band BUCKSHOT for Brighthouse. It showed on cable. That’s how it started. I have others that are helping — Dr. B.L.T., a local song writer, and some local hot-rod club members. My friend Ron Ramos, who almost got pinched on the Buck Owen’s studio roof, helped a lot.

The reason we had to get on the roof was, the studio had just sold, so we made a sign — like the studio was still open and put it on the marquee . Then we took a giant ant off an old pest control truck and painted it with rubberized undercoat, so it looked better. After that I bought some fake human skulls at the holloween store in Bakersfield and some dry ice for smoke.



One night I was wrestling the ant under the giant Bakersfield Arch sign at Buck Owen’s Chrystal Palace. It was so bizarre a sight that the 99 Freeway slowed to a crawl above the Palace.

A lot of the film footage got ruined when I spilled beer on it at a local honky tonk where I’d been filming.

Ah, the unique difficulties that come with country music monsterdom!










Below is a clip of Hank singing a song about a mastodon:

Woody’s Dream


Good luck with the film, Hank.

Source: Hank Ray via Kaiju Search-Robot Avery
Hank Ray’s Journal
Hank’s MySpace page (where you can hear more of his music)

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Published: Apr 19 2009 / 10:03 am
Category: Big Bugs, Film, Giant Monsters, Kaiju Search-Robot Avery, Music, News

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Avery

04.19.09 / 10am
A country musical with giant insects?! I can’t wait to see more from this cool little big bug flick! It looks like a blast. Hank’s a great guy too! Lots of fun!

Giant Ants Ate the Blues Player

04.19.09 / 10am
[...] Original post by Undead Backbrain [...]

Topics about America » Archive » Giant Ants Ate the Blues Player

04.20.09 / 2am
[...] After Armageddon created an interesting post today on Giant Ants Ate the Blues PlayerHere’s a short outlineKaiju Search-Robot Avery has discovered that Bakersfield, California country … America has sold it’s music out [...]

HANK RAY VIDEO IN THIS ARTICLE

THE ORCUTT SYNDROME: BY RAY HARWOOD



"As of late many knappers are creating ever larger
pieces of lithic art in the form of huge bifaces.
Emery Coons reportedly percussion bifaced a 50 inch
preform and managed a 40 inch finished neofact. I
wrote the Coon's family and requested information and
a photo by received no response.
At the California knap in this year, large the key
word.
Many from other states, such as Coons in Oregon, are
also thinking large and obsidian suppliers are selling
more mega slabs than ever.
Named the Orcutt syndrome after an old time knapper
named Ted Orcutt, whom was known for his massive
biface work. More later..." Ray Harwood Aug. 30. 2000

Emory Coons; Big Blade Maker : By Ray Harwood

Emory trade mark eagle.



Emory, the young prodigy.
"I told that kid to leave my rocks alone, he would cut himself, he was 5 years old - DARN KID IS STILL BRAKING MY ROCKS!" - DAD




Emory's work. 2


Emory's work. 3


Emory 4


Two of my first flintknapping buddies were Jim Winn and Barney DeSimone. During the old days they starting going up to Glass Buttes and they would tell me stories of the great biface knappers they had up there. One such knapper was really good at the giant blades and he was just a kid.

His name is Emory Coons and he is one of the few big blade makers in the world. His biggest to date is 41 inches finished (mud sedimentary) and he has a 47 inch (world record) pumpkin blade in the shop waiting to be finished. Emory keeps his blades thicker than Cole’s because he transports them to a lot of shows. He sometimes makes them thinner or even pressure flaked. He has been chipping large blades since the 1990's and most have been 20 to 36 inches. If you are interested in purchasing a large blade he is only limited to what pops out of the ground for color and length. Most large blades are out of silver sheen obsidian, pumpkin or red are harder to find and several out of dacite it's a steel grey color. But you never know what color the next large chunk will be.



Above photo is a 42 inch flake. The 18 lbs billet (The billet he got from Dan Stuber) is sitting above the pit, he used this to strike the rock and remove the monster spall.



One of my favorite stories is when Emory traded a 21 and a 31 inch blade for a Winchester riffle with Leopold scope. To make these giant blades Emory Coons digs a ditch and makes sure there are no rocks left in there that can cause vibration. The 30 lbs billet to the rock then as it gets smaller the 18 lbs billet then the 9 lbs, then, use a 1 inch solid or copper cap to build a lot of platforms to take massive flakes. The first stages involves alternate flaking, driving massive spalls off with a 9 pound copper Billet. For finer work he uses a 2 and a half inch copper bopper to reduce end shock. Barney DeSimone introduced Emory to copper billet technology when Emory was 16 years old and Steve Allely taught his copper platform preparation and use. Brian James was a big influence on horn platforms. Emory was introduced to flintknapping by his father, another great knapper, at the age of five years. Emory met Jim Winn a few years back and Jim began making large blades as well.

Emory makes three to four giant blades a year, this since he was 18 he is now 38. which is about 54 mega-blades to date. Emory is so good at spalling that people nearly kidnap him to reduce giant boulders. He is getting a 43 pound billet and the late Rick Woodram left him a 6 foot drag saw, so who knows what monsters may emerge.

Emory 10, blades




Emory 11. dacite blade



Emory 8. knapping






Emory 9. Face off





Emory 12. dacite blade





Emory 13. blade




Emory with Jim Winn 14



Emory 15



Emory 7 A News Paper

Emory 7 B News Paper

Emory 6, NewsPaper.



Emory 5, in News Paper.


BIO:
Emory Coons was born in Burns Oregon in 1971 and started flintknapping at the age of five, 33 years ago. He has resided in Burns most of his life and attended Burns Union High School winning awards in the crafts department for jewlery two different years. He has been perfecting his skills as a artist ever since, flintknapping, silversmith, lapidary and teaching his craft to others. He has been on OPB on The Caveman at Glass Buttes and Channel 2 News Boise Idaho about the Nyssa rock and gem show multiple times. Several news paper articles have been written on his art from gem and mineral shows he has attended in Nyssa Oregon, Burns Oregon, Madras Oregon, The Dalles Oregon, Pendleton Oregon, Mission Oregon, Salem Oregon and the Oregonian in Portland Oregon and Golden Dale Washington. The Pendleton Mission papers had a mention for round-up as well as the blades he chipped were built into the Umatilla Veterans’ Memorial. He has taught classes in flintknapping at Indian Lake for the Umatilla tribe four years also the wild horse atl-atl demonstration as well as Pipestone Creek Alberta Canada and in Medicine Hat British Colombia Canada for the Jr. Forest Wardens, at Northern Lights out of Slocan Canada twice, also demonstrated flintknapping along the Oregon Wagon Train in 1993, Baker interruptive center, and Windows to the Past for the BLM and Forest Service. Then there's knapp-ins (arrowhead makers conventions) at Glass Buttes Oregon, Ed Thomas Golden Dale Washington knap-in, Richardson’s rock ranch knap-in and the Brad Boughman- Jim Hopper Knapp-in on the upper North Umqua some of the worlds best knappers come to these events to show there skills and teach. Emory attends gem and mineral shows like the Confederated show in Onterio, Nyssa Thunder Egg Days, Prineville Oregon, Hines Oregon Obsidian Days show his father started and the Madras, Oregon gem and mineral show. At these shows he can find most of the exotic materials from other countries, like fire opal from Australia, Brazilian agate, Condor agate from Central America, or crystals, Idaho star garnets and other gems to make arrowheads or jewlery out of. The Fire Obsidian is one of his favorites to find and work. His work can be seen at Boise University (display), Omsi (display), Great Basin Art in Prairie City, Oards 'War Hawk'(tomahawk heads assembled by Great Basin Art), The Edge Company magazine (War Hawks), or some of the local Burns stores. Most of his work has been sought after by private collectors and as gifts. His friend in The Dalles, Jason Hinkle, has oregonthundreggs.com and has put a web page up for Coons Lapidary with pictures and contact information for the selling of his art.

Notes:
Progression of age pictures are numbers 1,13,10,8,4,9,14,15,11,12,oldest to now, the eagle was made 3 days ago, the first picture, at the top of the article, knapped inbetween snow storms.

11 is silver scheen obsidian, the one pictured with Jim Winn is dacite and
picture 15 is the mud sedamentry.





Emory Coon's axes and Danish Daggers(above).'War Hawk'(tomahawk heads assembled by Great Basin Art)









BALLAD OF EMORY COONS

By Hank Ray

I once new a man named Emory Coons
He lived out in the woods just like- Daniel Boone.
He knew how to live out off the land
Just like Ted Orcutt and Ishi the Indian man.

Emory made giant blades out of obsidian and flint
He stayed out at Glass Buttes in a canvas tent.
He learned how to knap when he was very young
even Errett Callahan couldn't believe what he done.


I once new a man named Emory Coons
He lived out in the woods just like- Daniel Boone.
He knew how to live out off the land
Just like Ted Orcutt and Ishi the Indian man.



http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=54296085



COLE HURST, MEGA BLADE MAKER




"As of late many knappers are creating ever larger
pieces of lithic art in the form of huge bifaces.
Emery Coons reportedly percussion bifaced a 50 inch
preform and managed a 40 inch finished neofact. I
wrote the Coon's family and requested information and
a photo by received no response.
At the California knap in this year, large the key
word.
Many from other states, such as Coons in Oregon, are
also thinking large and obsidian suppliers are selling
more mega slabs than ever.
Named the Orcutt syndrome after an old time knapper
named Ted Orcutt, whom was known for his massive
biface work. More later..." Ray Harwood Aug. 30. 2000










MEGA BLADE KNAPPING WITH COLE HURST
By Ray Harwood

PHASE ONE OF COLE'S MEGA BLADE:


PHASE TWO OF COLE'S MEGA BLADE:


PHASE 3 OF COLE'S MEGA BLADE



THESE PHOTOS OF COLE KNAPPING SHOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING THE BIFACE DURING THE CAREFUL PRECISSION KNAPPING PROCESS. The slightest mistake can lead to disaster, in that a lot of time and effort on a very rare piece of stone is gone in a fraction of a second....stone is a very unforgiving medium to work with.
TED ORCUTT UNDOUBTEDLY KNAPPED WITH THE SAME PROCESSES.







.

COLE HURST: MEGA BLADE KANPPER






Many have heard of the large biface knapper of the last century, Ted Orcutt,. Many don’t know that there is an every growing number of modern flintknappers that are following in Orcutt’s foot steps. I plan to showcase as many of these new obsidian biface masters as I can. Here is the first mega blade knapper, Cole Hurst.


Cole Hurst was born October 14th 1960 in Fort Madison, Iowa and within a few years his family moved to East Wenatchee, Washington where he still resides.
Growing up he found arrowheads, scrapers and fragments of stone artifacts which sparked his curiosity in how they were made. Cole started flintknapping in the mid 80's when he was in his mid 20's. Cole Hurst didn’t know what I was doing, just experimenting. It was in the late 80's that he got a copy of "The art of Flintknapping" by D.C. Waldorf. Then later he met D.C. in 1990 when he was there in East Wenatchee with the Buffallo Museum of Science to take part in one of the digs at the Richey Clovis site, which is only a few miles from where he lives. That is when Cole’s knapping really took off. He has made several trips to Glass Buttes to quarry Obsidian, also e has networked with other flintknappers to aquire stone from all over the United States and around the world. Cole bought a rocksaw to conserve on materials as well as a kiln for heat-alteration.

Cole has held the Wenatchee knap-in since 1995. Cole is a member of Knappers-R-Us since it's beginning in 2001 and has a page on www.Flintknappers.com/cole.htm . Cole has chipped different point types found across the U.S. Cole has played with many different styles of knapping. Danish, Egyptian, Mayan Eccentrics, paralell pressure and percussion flaking and Flake over Grinding. Through the 90's his main focus was the Wenatchee style Clovis points. Cole made many and tried several different fluting techniques with pressure jigs, today it is direct percussion fluting. In the mid to late 90's Cole wanted to make larger pieces and began making the large bi-faces, his first deer dance blades. Since that time, the large Clovis points and Ceremonial blades is about 80 percent of Cole’s knapping. He has made many up to 16 or 18" and the quest for even larger blades has lured him. Finding material large enough is a quest in itself. Just in the last few years have Cole found pieces up to and beyond 24". Currently Cole is working on a pair of blades that may exceed 28”
-“Some may think using slabs is kinda cheating. I don't. Much harder to get into with all the squared edges and fragility. Not to mention getting more than one centerpiece by spalling.”- Without slabs hundreds of pounds of obsidian would be wasted, when one boulder can produce one or two giant blade on a good day, if sawn with a diamond saw these precious large pieces can yield dozens of large to giant blades. These giant blades are indeed rare and precious. With many of the lithic sources being considered for National Park status, these quarries will be off limits forever, and the time of the giant blades will end, and their value increase many times over,

Who was Ted Orcutt?



Ted Orcutt, The Karok Master, King of the Flintknappers. at the he
turn of the last century there were many flintknappers working at
their craft. One of these knappers stands out among the rest as he
carried on a sacred tradition, the white deer knapper. The White Deer
knapper had the honor of knapping the massive obsidian blades for the
world renewal ceremony known as the White Deer Dance. The White Deer
Dance was very a huge undertaking and organizers spent years planning
for one event. The event was not only time and labor intensive but
was also financially very costly. To make things work out, each tribe
took a turn hosting the event that often lasted 3 solid days. The
actual dance involved dancers carrying stuffed albino dear skins on
polls followed by obsidian dancers that carried a set of two- twin,
massive obsidian bi-faced blades tied in the middle with a buck skin
thong. He who knapped the sacred, giant, ceremonial blades for the
Karok, Hupa and Yurok was a man of honor. The man who last held this
honor was known as king of the flintknappers, he was Theodore Orcutt.
Theodore Orcutt was born February 25, 1862 near the Karok Indian
settlement of Weitchpec on the Klamath River. Weitchpec is now at the
upper or north edge of the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation in
northern California. His mother was a full blooded Karok Indian, born
at the Karok settlement of Orleans, Oleans is only a short distance
from Weitchpec on Hwy 96, his father was a Scotsman. Theodore's
father, Albert Stumes Orcutt had fair skin, blue eyes and light hair
and was about 5.11 inches tall and ran Orcutt Hydraulic on the South
fork of the Salmon River at Methodist creek, Albert came to this area
from Maine where he was carpenter, although he had been a sailor
earlier in life. Later in life Albert had a small farm and Orchard on
the Klamath River.
Theodore's mother, Panamenik -Wapu Orcutt, was closer to 5 foot 6
inches , with jet black hair, brown eyes and dark skin. His mother
had the characteristic traditional female Karok tattoo on her chin, 3
vertical strait lines. At adolescence all traditional Karok girls had
their chin tattooed with three vertical lines, or stripes. Using a
sharp obsidian tool, soot and grease were stitched into the skin, the
same tattoo was on the biceps. The tattooing was for several purposes
all relating to gender and Klan affiliation. She was considered a
good cook and hard worker, she could make baskets, new the ins and
outs of herbalism and acted on occasion as a midwife. She also spoke
both the Hokan language and English. Theodore's mother stayed close
to him all his life and even in old age she made trips to visit with
him. His mother lived to the advance age of 107 years old.
In about 1865 young Theodore was given his Indian name, "Mus-su-peta-
nac" translated to English means "Up-River-Boy", Karok traditional
names were not given for several years after birth so if the child
died at a young age they would not be remembered by name and the
grieving would be less. The infant mortality rate for Karok in the
late 1800s was not good, at the Federal census of 1910 there were
only 775 Karoks living in 200 Karok homes.
As a child, Theodore road his pony to the local one room school house
and was a quite and good student. He was a quit boy and a very good
writer, had excellent penmanship and was well read, he was, however
largely self taught, because of his many other obligations. He helped
around the house and was diligent in his chores. While the country
was celebrating its first centennial, 1876, Ted was 14 years old and
had begun his flintknapping apprenticeship with his Karok uncle "Mus-
sey-pev-ue-fich" , his mother's brother, whom was a master
flintknapper and was considered the village specialist. It was a
great honor for Ted to be chosen to such a prestigious mentor (mentor-
a wise and trusted counselor) and he practiced when ever he could.
The raw material of choice for stone workers in northern California
at the time was obsidian. Obsidian is a volcanic, colored glass,
usually black, which displays curved lustrous surfaces when
fractured. According to Carol Howe (1979) "the amount of control that
a skilled workman can exercise over obsidian is amazing. Teodore
Orcutt, a Karok Indian, one lived at Red Rock near Dorris,
California. He learned the arrowhead maker's art from his father, who
was the village specialist. The giant blade in figure 1, now in the
Nevada Historical Museum at Reno, Nevada, is an example of his work,
though not ancient, it represents the almost lost hertage of an
ancient art. Orcutt told Alfred Collier of Klamath Falls that it took
years of practice for him to became proficient."
While still in his teens he began to master the art of flintknapping.
First he learned the percussion method of knapping (Percussion method-
the act of creating some implements by controlled impact flake
detachment) and after several years he could reduce a fairly large
mass of obsidian into a flat plate like biface (biface-a large spear
head shaped blank with flake scars covering both faces), he was also
becoming more adapt to the pressure flaking techniques with a hand
held antler tine compressor (Pressure flaking- a process of forming
and sharpening stone by removing surplus material with pushing
pressure- in the form of flakes using an antler tine). His
arrowheads, spear points and other flint work became quite nice and
he began to experiment with eccentric forms and often knapped
butterfly, dog, eagles and other zoomorphic (zoomorphic-abstract
animal shaped art) and anthropomorphic (anthropomorphic-abstract
human shaped art) forms out of fine quality, fancy obsidians provided
to him by his uncle. He was also in his teens when he learned the art
of bead weaver, brain tanning of hides and arrowsmithing.
In 1885, Ted was 23 years old and spend nearly all his time after
work flintknapping and crafting traditional Karok items. It was at
this age that one morning Ted's uncle told him to get his bed roll as
he was now ready to participate in the sacred act of collecting
lithic material. This was an honor that Ted had looked forward to for
many years and he was very excited. Ted ran back to tell his mother
but she was already standing outside with Ted's bed role and some
food she had prepared.
Not only the obsidian collecting was important but the
cerimonialism involved in doing so as well. Obsidian mining was
something that had been done by hundreds of generations of Karok and
it was not to be taken lightly. Before white mining laws came about,
Native Americans relied on the concept of "neutral ground", even
tribes which were bitter enemies could meet at the obsidian quarries
and share knapping and lithic information.
As their buckboard wagon arrived at the obsidian outcrop, Ted jumped
out of his seat down into the dark damp soil, his boots leaving
imprints in the half dried mud, it was early spring and the grass was
vibrant green. Black obsidian chips glistened and sparkled all over
the land scape. When Mus-su-petafich showed young Ted how to mine and
quarry obsidian he first left an offering of tobacco, when he
performed lithic reduction (lithic-greek for stone, term most often
used in science, reduction-the miners often made preformed artifact
blanks to lessen the bulk for transport) Mus-su-petafich drove the
obsidian flakes off the core with a soft hammer stone. Large blocks
of obsidian were quarried by splitting them off giant boulders with
the use of fire. Mus-su-petafich would build a bon fire against the
rock. As each flake came off, no matter what the method of
extraction, he would set it in a pile and categorized them as his
ancestors had and said "this one is for war, this one is for bear,
this one is for deer hunting, this one is for trade, this one is for
sale". The various piles were kept separate until they were knapped
to completion and were all set aside for their original purpose. Mus-
su-petafich told Ted why each flake (or spall) had a special purpose
based on its form, structure, fracture-ability, texture, hardness and
color. There was a different Karok word for each type and variability
in the obsidian. Red obsidian was considered ritually poison and
these were usually saved for war or revenge, at this time in history
many of the customs had changed and Mus-su-petchafich made beautiful
points for sale and trade with varieties of obsidian that were once
reserved for the kill. There were numerous instances when Mus-su-
petchafich had to obtain subsurface, unweathered material, but these
were for the most part small pit mines.
It took Ted many years of mentoring with his uncle before he began to
fully understand the Karok lithic tradition. The two men made
thousands of arrowheads, lithic art and traditional Karok costumes
and marketed them, not only to traditional Indians but also, to a
wealthy eastern clientele. As Ted got older flintknapping became an
obsession, nearly all his extra time was spent either collecting
extravagant lithic material or flintknapping, in bad whether and at
night he would plan his strategy for some lithic challenge he was
working on and his quest for every better lithic material began
taking him farther and farther from home. Oregon's Glass buttes,
Goose Lake, Blue Mt., in Northern California, Battle Mountain
Chalcedony in Nevada Opal, agate and jasper from the coastal areas
and the inland deserts. On several occasions Ted Orcutt made trips to
Wyoming, the Dakotas and many locations in Utah and Idaho where he
would find specific lithic materials for special orders. Herb Wynet
was Orcutt's traveling partner and "sidekick" on many of these trips
and Herb would do all the driving so his friend "Theo" could gaze out
the car window at the country-side. Ted could look at the geology and
topography of an area if he had been there before or not and give a
good prediction, with great accuracy, where the lithic material would
be, he was correct nearly every time. On these trips Orcutt kept a
list of artifact orders on hand, this way he knew what lithic
material to get and what to focus on at his afternoon knapping
sessions on the road. In this manor Ted never fell behind on his
orders while on his flint hunting adventures. In 1902 Ted moved to
Red Rock Valley near Mount Hebron he was now 40 years old and his
percussion biface knapping was becoming better than ever. In the
earlier years Ted and his uncle had made I name for themselves among
the Native Americans in their area by knapping the large White Dear
Dance ceremonial blades for the White Deer Dance Rituals, Ted was now
challenged by these massive blades and he had a compulsive need to go
ever larger and more spectacular using many varieties of flint and
obsidian to make ever more elaborate pieces. By 1905, at age 43
Orcutt was knapping hundreds of obsidian blades of massive size, his
command over the percussion method of knapping was now unrepressed in
the history of the world.
In 1911 Ted was 49 years old when he got the job of postmaster of the
Tecnor post office in Red Rock. It was August of the same year that
Ted sat on the wooden bench outside his house and read about Ishi in
the local newspaper, the whole thing with Ishi took place only a few
miles from Ted's house, curiously, the Hokan language family
encompasses both Yahi (Ishi's language) and Karok (Orcutt's
language). It was a local joke to Ted people would say "hey Theo, did
you hear Mr. Ishi is the last arrow head maker!"
Ted was self-educated, read a good deal and by all accounts wrote a
good hand. The job as postmaster was taxing and left little idle time
to knap stone so in 1926, at the age of 62, he gave up the postmaster
job and began hauling mail from Mt. Hebron, at Technor, in Red Rock
Valley, first with horse and buggy and later in a Model T Ford, which
Ted bought new. During this time Orcutt was knapping more than ever
and was selling items through out the eastern United States, Europe
and Museums through out the world. He had well received exhibitions
at the California State Fair in Sacramento, a permanent display in
the Memorial Flower Shop in Woodland, California and he had shipped
his points to many hundreds of museums and collectors. He had a claim
where he mined obsidian near Wagontire, Eastern Oregon. It was in
this period also that Ted's ceremonial blades went from the 30 inch
long giants to the 48 inch long monsters that made gave him the
title "king of the flintknappers". This same time period Ted took a
half ton block of glass Mountain obsidian and carefully and precisely
knapped a 48 1/2 inch long ceremonial knife, which was 9 inches wide
and only 1-3/4 inch thick. This massive bifaced blade still hold the
world record for size, it rests in the Smithsonian Institute, a
similar one is in the Nevada Historical Museum at Reno, Nevada. In
the Natural History museum in Sacramento there is a massive
collection of large Orcutt blades, 176 in all, they are in an old box
marked "source unknown". The Southwest Museum in Los Angeles has many
Orcutt blades and also some of the White Deer Dance costumes Ted
made. As for the 48 inch blade, one witness to the giant blade
manufacture heard Ted speak really softly while working on the giant
blade, " I get awful nervous when I'm working on this, I'm afraid
I'll break it just before I finish."
It was not entirely unheard of for a collector to find a giant piece
of a broken Orcutt bi-face. In 1983, I worked with Jerry Gates of the
U.S. Forest service in Modoc County, in northern, California. My
duties included surveys near the huge obsidian deposits at Lava Beds
National Park in Lassen, County, California. I observed many chipping
site, several were not ancient. One site had both obsidian flake
scatters in context with old condensed milk cans, log cabin syrup
cans and Prince Albert Tobacco cans. I still recall that the flakes
were large percussion thinning flakes that appeared to be from biface
reduction and were of an opaque green material. I was told by a local
that he thought old sheep herders tried their hand at knapping in the
early 1900s, but I had a different theory, I stood over the site,
camp fire ring in the center can dump off to the side and reduction
type flake refuse and I knew this is where Ted sat, perhaps with his
uncle and reduced his preforms for transport back to the Somesbar
area where Ted Lived at the time. At another such site I observed my
first look at an Orcutt biface, it was just the base, and was a full
5 inches wide and an inch thick. The broken piece was 10 inches long
and it was evident that it was less than half the piece. Jerry Gates,
U.S.F.S. archaeologist in Modoc showed me yet another large fragment
that was covered with lake moss, it was about a foot wide, less than
an inch thick and about a foot and a half long- it was only a small
piece of the mid section. The giant biface fragments were broken
during flintknapping procedures. The giant bifacially flaked blades
broke, most likely, from the effect of end shock, which is a
transverse fracture caused by the obsidian exceeding its' elastic
limits, when the impact is made. Failure of the material to rebound
and recoil before desired fracture occurs, caused the preforms to
snap apart in the center sections. End shock is the reason few
knappers can make large percussion bifaces.




In May, 1946 Ted was 84 years old he moved to the L.D. Parson's
Ranch, Ted still did quite a bit of knapping at the ranch and
performed his duties including maintaining, grooming and shoeing the
horses. Theodore Orcutt passed away later that year ending the rain
of the "king of the flintknappers." Even today at the site of the old
Parson's Ranch obsidian erodes silently from the earth where Ted left
his waste flakes and stash. Unnoticed boulders of the material set as
a silent and forgotten testament to the master Deer Dance Knapper.
I have been asked several times in the last 25 years weather
flintknapping was actually ever a true lost art. Flintknapping is one
of the oldest crafts in the world and it is also one of the most
enduring and actually was never lost. Many knappers, both in the
Brandon gun flint factories and the reservations of the American
Indian, it was never lost, it was interest in it that was lost but
not the craft itself. Even the master Ted Orcutt did not leave this
world without leaving his knowledge and is rumored to have had
several devout students over his live time. One known student of
Orcutt was Fred Herzog . Fred met Ted Orcutt in the late 1920s while
both were working at Lew Parson's ranch and lumber mill in Oal
Valley. According to Fred Herzog (1959) "Teds skill was beyond all
imagination as he made points from 2/16 of an inch up to large spear
points two feet long." Some speculate that Dr. Don Crabtree, whom
knapped in the same style as Orcutt, may have met or at least
observed Orcutt at work. Crabtree was known to have lived and worked
in the northern California area during Orcutt's later years. Crabtree
came to be known as the "Dean of American Flintknapping". Crabtree
himself had hundreds of students and some of them are prominent
knappers and archaeologists today. It is possible that while watching
Crabtree's students we are seeing the Orcutt knapping style as it
once was.
After Theodore Orcutt passed away several have searched for clues to
his legacy. Carol Howe, Eugene Heflin and myself. Eugene wrote a book
called Up River Boy, but after Eugene passed away the book was never
published. I am still seeking information and if you have any -
please let me know. I published an article about Eugene's search for
Ted in Indian artifact Magazine in 2001.









As many of my blog readers know, I am writing a series called “big blade blogs”, I have covered Theodore Orcutt, Emory Coons, Cole Hurst and know, Grog Verbeck. Although my fellow Bakersfieldians were acquainted with Grog, I having been out of the loop for quite some time, had never heard of him. It was quite serendipitous; I was on a trip to Anza Borrego desert with my eldest son James , he was returning home to U.C. Davis and gave me ride to a knap in near Sacramento on the way. There in the center ring was Grog Verbeck knapping out very large, monster bifaces. Grog is a long time student of the master knapper, Greg Ratzat of Neolithics fame, in fact he cooks for the class up at Glass Buttes.

According to “Gogslithicart.com: Grog Verbeck was raised in the small town of Staatsburg, on the great Hudson River in New York. He is descendant of the Cherokee tribe by way of his mother's full-blooded great grandmother and his great uncle served on the Osage tribal council. Since Grog was a young boy he had an interest in Indian artifacts and life skills including bow hunting, tanning and fire starting. In college he pursued Native American studies and new world archaeology. He made his first arrowhead as a boy and has been addicted to flintknapping as an art for nearly ten years.” Grog knaps boulders and spalls and an occasional giant slab. Grog obtains his lithic material from the glass buttes area of Oregon with his long time friend and mentor, Greg Ratzat.


Links:
Grog Flintknapping video:

http://picasaweb.google.com/jharwood2686/AnzoBorrego2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCIiegdC9loTilgE&feat=email#5319217016479070066

Grog’s web Site:
http://grogslithicart.com/index.html

Grog article:

http://tahoeculture.com/2008/12/01/truckee-flintknapping-artist-grog-verbeck/

Grog article:

http://www.heychef.com/assets/FactSheet_Generic_FINAL_email.pdf






Grog a chef by trade and runs a private chef service, HeyChef.com, in Lake Tahoe, California.
“HeyChef! began serving Truckee in 1996 and focused on the private chef services of
accomplished chef, Grog Verbeck. For more than a decade before landing in Truckee, Chef
Grog served in New York as the private chef for Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas, where he
prepared meals for their celebrated dinner guests from the theatre and political worlds, including presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton.” {http://www.heychef.com/assets/FactSheet_Generic_FINAL_email.pdf)


Ballad of Grog Verbeck

Grog, the from Cedar Bog, lives in the moutains with his old sheep dog.


Grog flint knaps giant obsidian blades and the sword in the stone
If you want to by some lithic art call him on the phone.


As many of my blog readers know, I am writing a series called “big blade blogs”, I have covered Theodore Orcutt, Emory Coons, Cole Hurst and know, Grog Verbeck. Although my fellow Bakersfieldians were acquainted with Grog, I having been out of the loop for quite some time, had never heard of him. It was quite serendipitous; I was on a trip to Anza Borrego desert with my eldest son James , he was returning home to U.C. Davis and gave me ride to a knap in near Sacramento on the way. There in the center ring was Grog Verbeck knapping out very large, monster bifaces. Grog is a long time student of the master knapper, Greg Ratzat of Neolithics fame, in fact he cooks for the class up at Glass Buttes.

According to “Gogslithicart.com: Grog Verbeck was raised in the small town of Staatsburg, on the great Hudson River in New York. He is descendant of the Cherokee tribe by way of his mother's full-blooded great grandmother and his great uncle served on the Osage tribal council. Since Grog was a young boy he had an interest in Indian artifacts and life skills including bow hunting, tanning and fire starting. In college he pursued Native American studies and new world archaeology. He made his first arrowhead as a boy and has been addicted to flintknapping as an art for nearly ten years.” Grog knaps boulders and spalls and an occasional giant slab. Grog obtains his lithic material from the glass buttes area of Oregon with his long time friend and mentor, Graig Ratzat.


Links:
Grog Flintknapping video:

http://picasaweb.google.com/jharwood2686/AnzoBorrego2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCIiegdC9loTilgE&feat=email#5319217016479070066

Grog’s web Site:
http://grogslithicart.com/index.html

Grog article:

http://tahoeculture.com/2008/12/01/truckee-flintknapping-artist-grog-verbeck/

Grog article:

http://www.heychef.com/assets/FactSheet_Generic_FINAL_email.pdf






Grog a chef by trade and runs a private chef service, HeyChef.com, in Lake Tahoe, California.
“HeyChef! began serving Truckee in 1996 and focused on the private chef services of
accomplished chef, Grog Verbeck. For more than a decade before landing in Truckee, Chef
Grog served in New York as the private chef for Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas, where he
prepared meals for their celebrated dinner guests from the theatre and political worlds, including presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton.” {http://www.heychef.com/assets/FactSheet_Generic_FINAL_email.pdf)

The song link:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=55033732


Ballad of Grog, the frog from Cedar Bog
By Hank Ray

Grog, the frog from Cedar Bog, lives in the mountains with his old sheep dog.

Grog flint knaps giant obsidian blades and the sword in the stone
and small flakes of stone pressure flaked with bone.

Grog, the frog from Cedar Bog, lives in the mountains with his old sheep dog.


Grog, the frog from Cedar Bog, lives in the mountains with his old sheep dog.

Important Links:

Important Links:
Oildale Love Song, Hank Ray with Fiddle player:
http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/HANKRAYBLUES/30875
Hank’s Haunted House:
http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/blognroll/31577
Bakersfield Sound Blog-spot:
http://bakersfield-sound.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield sound, not Hanks..:
http://www.bakersfield.com/FP/baksound/honky.htm

Lloyd article:
http://www.bakotopia.com/home/ViewPost/68611

Hank Ray’s Journal:
http://hankrayblues.blogspot.com/
BLT Ant Song, With Hank on lead guitar:
http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/HANKRAYBLUES/30876

Hank Ray’s “Myspace” with six songs:
http://www.myspace.com/hankraycountryblues

Bakersfield Soundweb site, Not Hank’s site:
http://www.bakersfield.com/FP/baksound/black.htm

Song about Hank Ray by BLT. Lead guitar by Hank:
http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/drblt/30462

BUCK OWENS joins Texas Country Hall of Fame

"Buck Owens, Mickey Newbury, The Whites join Texas Country Hall of Fame
Wednesday, August 13, 2008 – Buck Owens, Mickey Newbury and The Whites will join the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in an induction ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 16 in Carthage, Texas.

Ralph Emery will serve as special guest emcee. Other inductees that evening will be legendary country star Buck Owens and influential singer-songwriter Mickey Newbury. In addition to tributes to each honoree, The Whites will perform some of their own country and bluegrass music."(CST)

THE NEW BUCK OWENS POST OFFICE ON TV

THE NEW BUCK OWENS POST OFFICE

THE BUCK OWENS POST OFFICE FIRST RUBBER STAMPING




Hank Ray in front of KUZZ truck





John Owens signing autographs




Auto owned by KUZZ radio





Hank Ray with sheriff Donny Youngblood




Hank Ray with Congressman Kevin McCarthy






Dr. BLT with Buddy Allen Owens.






Buddy Owens with Hank Ray





John Owens with Mike


DATA FROM EYE STREET, BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN:



JOHN AND BUDDY OWENS SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS



Buck Owens Post Office unwrapped on Buck's birthday
By JOE BOESEN, Californian staff writer
jboesen@bakersfield.com | Tuesday, Aug 12 2008 3:01 PM
Last Updated: Tuesday, Aug 12 2008 2:53 PM
The Minner Station Post Office in Oildale was officially renamed “Buck Owens Post Office” Tuesday — the same day as the late country singer’s birthday. Several hundred people gathered in the morning to celebrate the man who made Bakersfield famous.
Under a white tent at 118 Minner Ave., Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, Owens’ sons Buddy, Mike and John, along with his nephew Mel Owens, unveiled a plaque in Owens’ honor.
“Dad would’ve been really, very proud,” said Buddy Owens before the plaque was revealed. “My dad loved Bakersfield and he loved the fact that his name was attached to it.”
Those in attendance sang “Happy Birthday” to Owens before the sheet was lifted to show the plaque.
Bakersfield Postmaster James Brouillard and McCarthy also gave speeches about Owens and his impact on the city.
“The post office is an important part of people’s lives and Buck was an important part of Bakersfield,” Brouillard said.
McCarthy commented that passing the bill to get the post office renamed for Buck Owens was a time of great partisanship in Congress.
“If we could continue with that spirit on other legislation, we would be a lot better off,” he said to laughter from the audience.
Buck Owens Post Office is about a block from Buck Owens Production Co. and the studio where Owens spent almost 20 years recording later in his career. The post office is also where he sent his sons to respond to fan mail.
“We licked a lot of stamps at the office,” Buddy said.
After revealing the plaque, the ceremony moved inside where the Owens family cut his birthday cake.
"If Buck saw the post office named after him," his nephew Mel Owens said, “He would’ve said ‘Wow, I did something right along the way to get such an honor.’”
The Owens family donated Buck Owens memorabilia to hang in the lobby. The office was also rehabbed by the United States Postal Service before the ceremony.
Those attending the ceremony remembered Owens as a giving man and an excellent entertainer.
“I would see him at Hodel’s,” said Oildale resident Alice Brown, whose children went to school with Owens’ sons. “He just seemed like a regular guy.”
Hank Decato knew Owens as a great song writer and entertainer.
“He did so much for Bakersfield and never got credit. He didn’t want the credit,” he said. “He helped so many people down on their luck and nobody knew because he kept it quiet.”

Hank Ray with Bakersfield Royal Family Part 3

Hank Ray with Congressman Kevin McCarthy, a fourth-generation Kern County resident, was elected in November 2006 to represent the 22nd District of California in the United States House of Representatives. Taken at the Buck Owens post office unveiling in Oildale, California August 2008.

DATA FROM CONGRESSIONAL WEB PAGE:

About Kevin

"Congressman Kevin McCarthy, a fourth-generation Kern County resident, was elected in November 2006 to represent the 22nd District of California in the United States House of Representatives.

McCarthy is focused on representing the people of the 22nd District and the wide array of interests in his district. The 22nd District of California includes fertile agricultural lands in the Central Valley and the Central Coast, rich energy resources, strong military facilities, and growing communities.

McCarthy serves on the House Financial Services Committee, which oversees our country’s investment companies, banks, savings and loans, credit unions, insurance industry, and housing services. On the Committee, McCarthy is working to put in place new and innovative ideas to help ensure our financial policies help America’s innovators and families realize their dreams and can access many opportunities to achieve growth and prosperity.

As a former member of the House Agriculture Committee and House Natural Resources Committee, McCarthy actively engages in policies under these committees’ jurisdiction. McCarthy remains committed to an agricultural policy that levels the playing field so American farm products can compete in the global marketplace. Additionally, McCarthy is actively looking at new ways our country can reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and updating our outdated water infrastructure in California.

Congressman Kevin McCarthy Speaking with Californians of the 22nd District

In his first month in Congress, McCarthy was one of only three Republicans appointed by House Republican Leader John Boehner to serve on the House Administration Committee. He was also selected to serve as an Assistant Whip on the House Republican Whip Team. Finally, McCarthy was named to the powerful House Republican Steering Committee, which controls the committee assignments of House Republican members. His rapid ascension into leadership roles has not gone unnoticed – a Capitol Hill newspaper selected McCarthy as one of its “rising stars” in the 110th Congress and a few months later, a leading news magazine characterized Congressman McCarthy as a “young-gun” and dubbed him “the strategist” among three up and coming leaders in the House.

Congressman McCarthy was born in Bakersfield, California. Before his 21st birthday, McCarthy successfully opened and operated a small business, Kevin O’s Deli. Owning a small business gave McCarthy important experience about the difficulties that entrepreneurs face from burdensome regulations and onerous taxes. After selling his business and finishing his undergraduate degree and Masters in Business Administration at California State University, Bakersfield, McCarthy worked for former Congressman Bill Thomas, and successfully won his first election in 2000 as Trustee to the Kern Community College DistrictCongressman Kevin McCarthy and Family

In 2002, McCarthy was elected to represent the 32nd Assembly District in the California State Assembly. As a freshman legislator, he was selected unanimously by his Republican colleagues to serve as the Assembly Republican Leader, becoming the first freshman legislator and the first legislator from Kern County to assume the top post. In this leadership role, McCarthy worked with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrat leaders in the state Assembly and Senate to address critical state issues, such as reducing California’s budget deficit, overhauling the state worker’s compensation system, and enhancing California’s poor business climate to create more opportunities for California workers and businesses."

Hank Ray with Bakersfield Royal Family Part 2

Hank Ray with Buddy Allen Owens (Buck Owens's son. This photo was taken by BLT at the Buck Owens post office unveiling in August of 2008.

DATA FROM ANSWERS.COM :
"Singer, songwriter and guitarist Buddy Alan, born Alvis Alan Owens, is the son of country legends Buck and Bonnie Owens. While growing up in Bakersfield, California, he listened to country and rock & roll and formed his first rock band, the Chosen Few, at the age of 14. He switched to country music by his late teens and in 1965 moved to Arizona with his mother and her new husband Merle Haggard. That year he also sang for the first time at one of his father's Christmas concerts.

Buddy Alan's first single, a duet with Buck called "Let the World Keep on a Turnin'," was released by Capitol in 1968 and made it to the Top Ten. That same year, he also recorded his first solo single, "When I Turn Twenty One," written by stepfather Haggard; this one made it to the Top 60. By 1969, Alan had spent a summer touring with the Buck Owens Show and was working at a country music nightclub. That year he released two more singles and also recorded his first album, Wild, Free and Twenty One. He then joined his father's All American Show and continued touring the country. His popularity grew, and he starred in his own shows and made regular appearances as a soloist and musician on Hee Haw for the next seven years. Alan again made it to the charts in 1970 with the single "Santo Domingo." In late 1970, he and Buckaroo lead guitarist Don Rich recorded the popular "Cowboy Convention," and Alan was named Most Promising Male Artist by the ACM. From 1971-1975, Alan continued to release modestly successful singles. Alan was signed to Capitol Records for eight years, but despite his initial promise as a performer, he never made it to the big time. Alan left the music business in 1978 to attend college in Arizona. He then went back to radio as Buddy Alan Owens and became the music director at two local stations in Tempe, Arizona. He was voted Billboard's Music Director of the Year four years running during the late '80s and early '90s. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Music Guide"

Hank Ray with Bakersfield Royal Family Part 1

Hank Ray with Bakersfield Royal Family Part 1


Hank Ray with Kern County (Bakersfield) Sheriff Donny Youngblood. I met Sheriff Youngblood at the unavailingly of the Buck Owens post office. Photo by Dr. BLT.


DATA FROM SHERIFF'S WEB SITE:
"Sheriff Donny Youngblood is a life-long native of Kern County. He attended East and West High Schools, and graduated from Bakersfield College.

He enlisted in the United States Army in 1968, serving 14 months in South Vietnam. Following his return stateside, he spent his last year in the military as an Army Drill Sergeant preparing young men to defend the United States of America. He left the military service in 1971.

Sheriff Youngblood joined the Kern County Sheriff’s Department in 1972 as a Correctional Officer assigned to the Lerdo Facility. Two years later, he entered the Basic Academy to begin training to become a Deputy Sheriff.

During his 30-year career with the Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff Youngblood worked in all areas of the department, promoting to the rank of Commander by the time of his retirement in 2002. His duty assignments included the Patrol Division, Court Services, Narcotics, Boron Substation, East Kern Substations Commander, Watch Commander, Air Support Division Commander, and Detectives.

Along the way, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Administration of Justice in 1982, and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Golden Gate University in 1983. He is a 1986 alumni of the 144th class of the FBI National Academy, and is also a 1989 graduate of the POST Command College Class X.

Following his retirement in 2002, Sheriff Youngblood held the position of Vice-President of Sonitrol in Bakersfield, California. After a campaign fought on the issues of leadership and experience, the citizens of Kern County elected him to the Office of Sheriff-Coroner in 2006.

Sheriff Youngblood holds a commercial pilot’s license with instrument and multi-engine ratings. In addition to flying, he is an avid golfer, hunter and horseman."

SCALING THE PALACE WALLS, BUCK SHOT'S FIRST SHOW AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE

The world famous Buck Owens Crystal Palace


Article by Hank Ray. Photos of Buck Shot by Hank Ray: Crystal Palace and Buck Owens photos courtesy of Crystal Palace. Buck Shot logo courtesy of Buck Shot. Group photo by Dr. BLT.

SCALING THE PALACE WALL (THE RESERECTION OF THE BAKERSFIELD SOUND)


All afternoon I have been anticipating the night’s entertainment at the Crystal Palace. I was excited about hearing a new band that has generated more than a little excitement here in Bakersfield.


Buck Owens, the founding father of the Bakersfield sound.

As I pointed out in a recent issue of Bakotopia : “The name of the band is “Buckshot” and they are locked and loaded, fully loaded for Buck. In fact, one of the lead singers is John Owens, son of the late Buck Owens.
John has been a hard working ranch hand and foreman on the Owens’ Horse Ranch for most of his life; and is the quintessential “American cowboy.”

He is a caricature of the West — he speaks in a direct manner, and is reserved with facial expression and tone. When we first met, I couldn’t help reflecting on the Western movie classic, “Tombstone” when the character Mr. Fabian states to Josephine Marcus, “You’ve set your gaze upon the quintessential frontier type. Note the lean silhouette ... eyes closed by the sun, though sharp as a hawk. He’s got the look of both predator and prey.”



Ranch hand turned country singer, John Owens.


John Owens has none of the attributes of a musician, save one: He has a voice bestowed on him by his father.

In addition to John’s extraordinary voice, the band is the perfect mix of talent. Meeting the band was much like the David Allen Coe song, “Desperado’s Waiting on a Train.”

Buckshot is a group of friends who like to hang out together. One day at the beach they discovered John had the “Owens gift.” Rhythm guitarist, David Allen, started his music career when he got out of the Navy. David, like the rest of the band are hardcore Bakersfield born and bred, and most are relatives of country royalty.

David Allen just before the show



David Allen rips it up on stage at the Crystal Palace!

But despite their country roots, all the band members came from an assortment of local heavy metal bands that have been shaking the walls of Bakersfield for the last decade.

When I asked David to describe Buck Shot’s music, he relaxed his arms over his guitar, turned his head toward the band and said, “We got a bunch of rock guys with an old school country guy, so it’s going to have an almost Southern rock edge.”

Simon Faughn, as John Owens points out, is as far from country in appearance as a person could be — shaved head, Mr. Spock side burns, and two sleeve tattoos down his arms. Simon has played in many local metal bands over the years. In fact, he is also concurrently in a popular band called 800 lb. Gorilla. And where does an 800-lb. gorilla sleep? Any where he wants to — even the world famous Buck Owens Ranch!

Simon, relaxes just before the show.

Simon warms up at the Buck Owens Ranch Studio.

Simon went on to describe his musical influences with Buckshot …

“Once we start writing our own music, that’s when our real distinctive sound will emerge, and our roots will shine through. Hank III is my absolute favorite. The influential roots I pull from go way back. I like that old boondocks, hillbilly, redneck sound, I LOVE THAT!”

Mike Martin holds down the lead guitar, backup vocals, and sports a red, white, and blue Fender Telecaster in the tradition of Buck Owens, whose songs they cover so well. Mike screeches and twangs like the old masters, and I am sure Buck would approve. His vocal high notes are reminiscent of Buck’s old partner in rhyme, Don Rich.


Mike Martin shreds the Telecaster as Buck Shot's lead guitarist
Like most of the band, Mike’s family was also involved in the early Bakersfield music scene. His grandfather is the great Lloyd Reading.

The rhythm section of Buckshot is comprised of DD Boutros, bass; and Colby Swank, drums. They too are products of the local metal scene and sharpened their chops in local head banging homeboys, “Myndsick.”


(upper) DD Boutros slaps out the rhythm on bass for Buck Shot at Crystal Palace. (Lower) DD warms up at Buck Owens Ranch Studio.


Colby and DD create a wall of driving sound that sets the canvas for what is sure to be called a “new Bakersfield sound” masterpiece!”(Hank Ray, Aug. 7, 2008; Page 9).


Colby Swank on the Palace stage, pounds out the time





Colby Swank and step father Mark Yeary

Since, I first met the band at the Buck Owens Ranch; Mark Yeary was added on keyboard. Mark has been keyboardist for Merle Haggard for over 20 years and is drummer, Colby’s step father.


Mark Yearly has been keyboardist for Merle Haggard and more for over 20 years

David Allen, rhythm guitarist, whom started his music career when he got out of the Navy, plays a beautiful flamed Fender Telecaster. The Fender Telecaster is the guitar that defined the original “Nashville West” rebellion decades before, note that many “Bakersfield sound” pioneers consider the “N.W.” word a bad thing; “Bakersfield has nothing to do with Nashville” . David, like all the members of the band are hard core Bakersfield born and bred, most are relatives of country royalty but they all kept it pretty close to the vest.





I had been watching the clock when the hands finely landed at on 4:30 P.M; I climbed in the old car and pulled out of the driveway, rolling down the sweltering one hundred degree Bakersfield streets, rolling along with dust and discarded cigarette butts, paper plates and cups passing the very resting place of Buck Owens on Panama Lane and the 99 free way in South West Bakersfield. Once I hit the 99 it was only a matter of minutes until I hit Buck Owens Blvd. , the off ramp leads right into the Crystal Palace. When my wife and adult son pulled up in the rear parking area of the Crystal Palace, between the KUZZ radio station and the actual Palace, there was already a steady stream of patrons heading toward the front entrance of the venue. I leapt from the car and headed for the front door just before I hit the board walk I caught the figure of the band exciting from a rear door. John Owens exited first followed closely by his “country-metal hybrid compadres”. The guys informally gathered around the small lawn just outside the rear of the Palace. I sensed some adrenaline induced tension and perhaps even a little pre-stage apprehension. However, Mike, the lead guitarist, said he had played so many shows with other bands that he was fairly composed. It seemed to that the focus of their conscious minds were on the upcoming task at hand, they probably didn’t even know I was there. Not only was the band playing a world famous venue for the first time, but it was a trial, a test and perhaps even reckoning of sorts. John Owens was, in effect, being handed his father’s sword. In addition it was a trial by fire, it the show is up to the high standard of the Crystal Palace the act will go on to the world famous Buck Owens Birthday Bash next week, and if not the trip is over. This is a lot of pressure by anyone’s standards.

Above; Buck-Shot just before the show, on the back lawn of the Crystal Palace.


I took a couple photos during the pre-show ritual on the back lawn and then the band started heading west, following John like marching soldiers over the wooden planks of the boardwalk, boots clanking like the scene from “High Noon” with Gary Cooper. There is no sound as prepatory for a country music event as workin’ cow boots on the rustic wooden boards of the Palace walk. We walked at a fair gate toward the front door, a quick left turn and the large oak door with crystal glass was being held open by John Owens himself, until we all got inside.

John Owens holds the door open for band members and fans alike.


Once inside the foyer one sees a beautiful lacquered wooden floor, above is a giant mural of the dustbowl migration that fades into the work camp days of the Bakersfield sound and beyond.



The Crystal Palace Mural (above).

To the left of the front entrance is a full length glass case filled with historic memorabilia critiquing the live and amazing career of the father of the Bakersfield sound; Buck Owens. To the right is a full length of the room counter which houses the museum store and cashier. It is reminiscent of the old wooden bars from the old westerns and Bakersfield’s own “Black Board” days.
Walking in the direction of the bar/ concert hall we weaved through the forest- maize of renowned figures, like great pillars in an ancient palace, larger than life bronze statues adorn the front foyer and also into the front section of the concert all the way from Hank Sr. to Elvis. Once inside the wall are cover with well lighted glass museum cases and historic photos and memorabilia all with amazingly detailed western salon architecture, similar to Knott’s Berry Farm or Disneyland. Once inside John quickly turned to enter the back stage area, and poof, my camera flash went off in his face! Not only did he get a bad case of “retinal burn,” but I think I had got on his last nerve, so I backed off a bit.
The rest of the band headed to the back of the theater and took up positions on the rear lower bar. They mounted up on them bar stools like their favorite ponies and ordered a few frosty adult beverages and began the second of the pre-show rituals.





Buck Shot sits at the rear bar at the Palace for a pre-show ritual and strategic talk

A few minutes later they were joined by John. John had been briefed by those in the know and he briefed “da boys” as confidently as a combat officer in the trenches. He said, from here we go upstairs to the “Green Room, where we get ready for the show, looking slightly toward my direction, he said; “band member only!” I took this as my subtle hint to “exit stage right”, so I missed a lot of the pre-show chatter. But that’s show biz!

At this point in time I sat down with my wife and son and ordered my chow, I can’t understand why I don’t weigh over three hundred pounds…I love to eat. I ordered the house salad with honey mustard dressing; my son ordered the barbecue chicken pizza and my wife ordered the “Don Rich” steak with mashed potatoes. We also had the Dwight Yokum biscuits; with biscuits that good, how in the world did Dwight Yokum stay so thin! As always the Crystal Palace food and service was amazingly good.



Hank Ray eating his "Not just another dinner salad" my sons BBQ Pizza and mywifes Don Rich Steak.
GREAT CHOW!!!


As I finished up my last delectable tidbit of salad, the band was walking up onto the stage. They appeared as seasoned veterans and systematically took their perspective places on the platform, the platform that has showcased some of the best country acts in the world for over a decade. John Owens went up to the microphone, but it seemed like it was not yet connected quite yet. No one introduced the band but all of a sudden a country music hurricane came pouring down off the stage in to my face! A hunk of salad still dangling from my joules, I grabbed my camera and headed for the dance floor to obtain some images. I was busily taking photos and listening to the band so I was not positive of the set list, however these are last nights notes on my salad stained napkin; Act Naturally (Buck Owens), Folsom Prison Blues(Johnny Cash), Under Your Spell Again (Buck Owens), The More I Drink (Blake Shelton), Streets of Bakersfield (Buck Owens- Written by Homer Joy) and an encore of the Buck Owens classic, My Heart Skips A Beat. The set was filled with energy and the air was filled with flashing colored lights from above the stage. Mike Martin and David Allen entrenched themselves into a guitar laden duel, like true guitar slingers or battling warriors at the palace walls.
Mike and Dave, guitar slingers

In the fashion of 1970s guitar heroes like Johnny Winter or Ted Nugent they slashed a new path for up and coming country guitar pickers to emulate; Their Telecasters ablaze with blue and red stage lights flashing.









Buck Shot live at the Palace.


Jim Shaw from Buck Owens fame and Mark Yeary from Merle Haggard;giants in country music keyboard.




Buck Shot

After the electrifying performance Colby said that it was a dream realized; He had sat watching his father play on stage with Merle Haggard and giant venues, this was his turn and he and DD both said they had a great stage adrenaline rush.

The performance was a success and Buck Shot goes on to play at the Buck Owens Birthday Bash and on into country music history.

LLOYD READING GIVES CONCERT FOR DR. BLT'S STUDENTS AT COLLEGE

Photos by:Dr. BLT, Hank Ray, and some random dude. (copyright 2008 Nu Bako Sound Recordings/Krocker Records)





Here are "da boys" at the gas station on the "Grape Vine" , on the way up to the gig.
It was a really fun trip, Dr. BLT drove and Lloyd and I road along. Bruce and Lloyd and some great debates and conversations and topped it off with Lloyd's great dust bowl stories. I picked my black,resonator guitar


Here Lloyd Reading and Hank Rayplay for the fans. Note the special guest above!






Above:Lloyd Reading sings and played guitar at The College of the canyons (Photo courtesy of : Dr. BLT; copyright 2008 Nu Bako Sound Recordings/Krocker Records)
Hank Ray sings "Black Board Love Song" in upper middle photo above.(Photo courtesy of : Dr. BLT; copyright 2008 Nu Bako Sound Recordings/Krocker Records) Llod Reading plays lead guitar for Hank.






Abobe
Above Lloyd posseswith some of his adoring fans.








Country music legend, Lloyd read sign autographs for fans in a magazine he was featured in. Lloyd really captured the imagination and heart of the audience with his captivating ballads.




Here is the 3of us joking around and congratulating each other on a job well done. Exposing some more younger folks to our traditional music and performance style.


Rockwell Canyon road,the street the college is on, Bruce and I are writing a song by that name. This is the name of our buddy at Trouts as well.





Dr. Bruce and Lloyd dine on the memorries of tonights performance.Lloyd interwieved his personal recolections of the dust bowl and the early music that sprang from it between songs.



Here is Lloyd Reading and myself holding Dr. BLT's card at the burger joint, this was right after the performance at the College of the Canyons in Valencia. Dr BLT had set up the performance to correspond with the curriculum for a large class of graduate students. It was the best audience I had ever played for.


Here is a photo taken by the waitress at the Island Resteraunt there in Canyon Country, just a little east of the College. To quote Samual L.Jackson in the film "Puilp Fiction", -"now that's a taste burger!".



Here is Lloyd after dinner, we ravaged a set of burgers. After this Dr, Blt and I dropped Lloyd at went on home with some great new memories.



Here Dr. BLT drops Lloyd off at his Bakersfield home where he lives with his daughter Anna. We got him home about 10:30. Thanks Lloyd, job well done.



Reading in College (the song)
words and music by Dr BLT copyright 2008 Nu Bako Sound Recordings/Krocker Records
Media (Permission obtained)


In Vygotsky's sociopsychological theory of human development, mentoring, or something I've frequently referred to as "cross-generational mentoring," is deemed essential to the healthy development of children and adolescents. Having folks from an older generation share their talents, their songs, and their stories with folks from younger generations is crucial to the formation of identity in developing children. Furthermore, this sort of bonding experience is essential in terms of a child attaining a sense of being connected to something larger than him/herself. Cross-generational mentoring is the key to attaining a sense of one's roots, one's culture, one's community, and one's history.

In the Developmental Psychology course I teach at Chapman University on Rockwell Canyon Rd. on the College of the Canyons campus in Valencia, California, I try to bring theory to life by offering living examples.

89-year-young Bakersfield sound legend, Lloyd Reading, who jammed with all of the greats associated with the birth of the Bakersfield sound, and who was right smack dab in the middle of this exciting movement as it was spawning some of our greatest country stars, is the living embodiment of Vygotsky's theory of human development, involving mentoring.

Lloyd was offering songs and stories to my students that depicted a very personal history involving the old days when he migrated with his family from Oklahoma to California in the midst of the California gold rush, and began his career and enduring legacy as a Kern County country star. He laid the groundwork for Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, though he would always be humbly standing just one short step behind the spotlight of giants like these.

I call Lloyd Reading the Kern County country music conduit. He is taking the lead among all others in bringing the Bakersfield sound of yore to new generations that hunger to be connected to something bigger than themselves--something bigger than the here and now.

After downing a some burgers and fries at Islands on Valencia Avenue, we began taking the ride back to Bakersfield, on the same grapevine Lloyd once traveled by foot. As we drove back, Hank Ray, one of the most promising among the new crop of Bakersfield-sound-grounded artists, entertained Lloyd and myself with spontaneously spawned choruses to what may soon develop into fully-arranged tunes that chronicle our visit.

We took Lloyd with us. We wish we could take him with us wherever we go. We took a living legend to the classroom. We took the country to the city, and the city will never be the same.

Buck Owens; His Son John has arrived to Revive his Father's Legacy.

(Photos by: Hank Ray; bottom photo is Buck Shot with Hank Ray slouching in front)




Buck Owens; His Son John has arrived to Revive his Father's Legacy. Since the passing of Buck Owens, the father of "twang", "the Bakersfield sound" has faded into the darkness. An answer to a pungent cry from the this musical darkness to unite Bakersfield's’ fragmented music scene and create a new Bakersfield sound. Truly, Owens is passionate about his music, I don’t see much encouragement of the music that has been named “Bakersfield sound” and it would be a nice backlash to the highly polished “American Idol” pop-country music that now rules the roost. His band,
"Buck Shot", will be at the Crystal Palace on August 6th and again at the
"Birthday Bash". John Owens has a sound you will find sharp and refreshing. The band made up of local heavy metal musicians ads substance to the music, but it is unmistakably OWENS!


The name of the band is “Buckshot” and they are locked and loaded, fully loaded for buck, Buck that is, for one of the lead singers is John Owens, son of the father, of the Bakersfield Sound. John has been a hard working ranch hand and foreman on the Owens’ Horse Ranch for most of his life; he is the quintessential American Cowboy persona and carries himself in accordance. He is a caricature the west; speaks in a direct manner, he is reserved with facial expression and tone. When we first met, I couldn’t help reflecting on the 1993 western movie classic “Tombstone”; when the character Mr. Fabian (the young actor) stated to Josephine Marcus (as they exit the stage coach), when it first arrives in the dusty streets of Tombstone: “you've set your gaze upon the quintessential frontier type. Note the lean silhouette... eyes closed by the sun, though sharp as a hawk. He's got the look of both predator and prey”.
John Owens has none of attributes of a musician, save one; he has a voice bestowed on him from the father; his father, the father of the Bakersfield sound. Mr. Owens truly has the best country music voice I have ever heard.

BUCK SHOT

Simon Faughn and Buck’s son, John Owens: on lead Vocals

David Allen: on rhythm guitarist,

Mike Martin: on lead guitar, Harmony vocals

DD Boutros: on bass

Colby Swank: on drums.

BUCK SHOT...FEEL THE BLAST!

Son of the Father, of Bakersfield Sound.
By Hank-Ray



GET READY FOR A HURRICANE! (Top photo: By Dr. BLT, photo below by Dr. BLT; Roxie Thiessen photoshop, all other photos by Ray Harwood)

A city struggling to find a new identity, or maybe retrieve a lost glory, since they lost their soul; the architect of the Bakersfield Sound, Buck Owens. The Bakersfield sound was a genre of country music developed in the mid- to late 1950s in and around Bakersfield, California. Bakersfield country was a reaction against the slickly-produced, string orchestra-laden Nashville Sound, which was becoming popular in the late 1950s. Buck Owens and the Buckaroos and Merle Haggard and the Strangers are the most successful artists of the original Bakersfield sound era. Fender Telecaster "twang" with a driving beat!
Recently a large apportionment has been allotted to, restore North of the Kern River in Oildale, where much of the magic took place half a century ago. Included in the renovation is a giant mural of the Bakersfield sound; Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and the ghostly images of the dust bowl migration. Though many of the cities 322,500 Bakersfieldians don’t care, some even despise the legacy an older country acts such as Hank Ray, The Blackboard Playboys, and Dr. Bruce Thiessen play in dark corners of the Bakersfield night without much fan fair, the Buck Owens Crystal Palace remains somewhat of a tourist destination. Bakersfield needs a defibrillator, something to bring it back to life.


There has been a VERY slight swell in the tide of Bakersfield country music recently with, younger, local Punk and Metals bands picking up telecasters and playing a heavier revitalized Bakersfield sound, the anthem being “Streets of Bakersfield”, made popular by the classic duet of Buck Owens and Dwight Yokam, many years ago. In 2005 a young punk band called the Kookoonauts received a fair amount of airplay on the local station, KRAB radio with a cow-punk song called Searching, the guitar was defiantly “TWANG” and the driving drums numbed the indo-cranial cavities. The band was disbanded when the guitarist was badly beaten in one of the downtown venues on brutal streets of Bakersfield. The iron Outlaws are a fantastic Bakersfield country band with definite “Bad Religion’ overtones, especially with their tune “If I could only die for love”. We are sure to see huge things from them, and I am sure some young Bakersfield ladies have hung out wanted posters on these Iron Outlaws! As far as perpetuating the legacy of the Bakersfield sound, it is coming soon, like a tsunami on the horizon, and it is coming from the very house of Buck.
I had just gotten through touring all the old abandon Bakersfield Honkytonks from the golden age of “Nashville West” with Mr. Lloyd Reading, an alumnus of the 1930s “Blackboard craze”. When Lloyd’s daughter Anna told me her son was also into country music, this sparked more than just a flash interest and when I heard the bands demo the ink in my pen began to boil over. The band had so much drive, power and freshness it blew me away, I must have listened to it over and over a hundred times or more, and I am actually listening to it now as I put pen to paper. The band sounds to me like a cross between Alan Jackson and Social Distortion; with some Mavericks thrown in for good measure!





The name of the band is “Buckshot” and they are locked and loaded, fully loaded for buck, Buck that is, for one of the lead singers is John Owens, son of the father, of the Bakersfield Sound. John has been a hard working ranch hand and foreman on the Owens’ Horse Ranch for most of his life; he is the quintessential American Cowboy persona and carries himself in accordance. He is a caricature the west; speaks in a direct manner, he is reserved with facial expression and tone. When we first met, I couldn’t help reflecting on the 1993 western movie classic “Tombstone”; when the character Mr. Fabian (the young actor) stated to Josephine Marcus (as they exit the stage coach), when it first arrives in the dusty streets of Tombstone: “you've set your gaze upon the quintessential frontier type. Note the lean silhouette... eyes closed by the sun, though sharp as a hawk. He's got the look of both predator and prey”.
John Owens has none of attributes of a musician, save one; he has a voice bestowed on him from the father; his father, the father of the Bakersfield sound. Mr. Owens truly has the best country music voice I have ever heard.
Aside from his extraordinary voice, his band is the perfect mix of talent. Meeting the band was much like the David Allen Coe song; “Desperado's Waiting on a Train” , they area group of friends that like to hang out together and maybe share a frosty adult beverage, one day at the beach they discovered John had the Owens gift. David Allen, rhythm guitarist, whom started his music career when he got out of the Navy, plays a beautiful flamed Fender Telecaster. The Fender Telecaster is the guitar that defined the original “Nashville West” rebellion decades before. David, like all the members of the band are hard core Bakersfield born and bred, most are relatives of country royalty but they all kept it pretty close to the vest. Despite their country roots, all the band members came from an assortment of local heavy metal bands that have been shaking the walls of Bakersfield for the last decade. David traded in his beloved Fender Stratocaster for the telecaster for this new venture. When I asked David to describe “Buck Shots” music, he relaxed his arms over his Telecaster, turned his head toward the band and remarked: “You gotta look, we got a bunch of rock guys with an old school country guy so of course it’s going to have an edge, and it’s almost southern rock”.



Simon Faughn, as John Owens points out, is as far from country- in appearance- as a person could be; shaved head, Mr. Spock side burns, and two “sleeves” of tattoos down his arms. Simon sings lead along with John and their voices blend perfectly with each other. Simon describes his music relationship and influences with “Buckshot as such”: Once we start writing our own music, that’s when our real distinctive sound will emerge. Our roots will shine through; Hank III is my absolute favorite. The influential roots I pull from go way back, I like that old boon-docks –hillbilly-red neck sound, I LOVE THAT! John and I are the two lead singers and we go back and forth; he will highlight one song and then I’ll highlight the next and then we may do a duet.” Simon has played in many local metal bands over the years, in fact he is also concurrently in a popular metal band called 800LBS Gorilla, and where does and 800 lbs Gorilla sleep? Any where he wants to, even the world famous, Buck Owens ranch!


Mike Martin holds down the post of lead guitar and backup vocals, he sports a red white and blue Fender Telecaster in the tradition of Buck Owens, whose songs they cover so well. Mike screeches and twangs like the old masters and I am sure Buck would have approved. His vocal high notes are reminiscent of Buck's partner in rhyme, Don Rich. Like most of the dudes in the band Mike's family was steeped in the early Bakersfield music scene, his mother Anna was the one whom introduced us, his Grandfather, Lloyd Reading, was involved in the late 1930s honkytonk circuit.


The rhythm section of Buckshot is made up of DD Boutros on bass and Colby Swank on drums. They too came from “metal” backgrounds and sharpened their chops in Myndsick. Colby and DD create a wall of driving sound that sets the canvas for what is sure to be called a “new Bakersfield sound” masterpiece!
They started getting together and casually jamming at the Owens ranch, even today they say it is mostly for fun, from my perspective, phenomena.

Lloyd Reading, His Journey Through The Past, Part 3. "THE BLACKBOARD" By: Hank Ray of Bakersfield

Here is the way the Blackboard appeared in the 1920s-1951. It is made of wood.
(Photo Courtesy of Buck Owens family)

“The Blackboard was the biggest, loudest, roughest bar in Bakersfield for the better part of a quarter-century. Its owners could not have known, back in 1949, that it would become known as the freewheeling cradle of the Bakersfield Sound, the most legendary of the city’s half-dozen country-music incubation stations. But that's just what happened. Nashville had the slick studios and the celebrity mansions, but Bakersfield had raw-edged Telecaster guitars and the vague sense that something special was happening here - at places like the Blackboard.” ( Robert Price.BKS)

Lloyd Reading,1930s Bakersfield country music legend -played the Blackboard over one hundred shows here! Hank Ray, historian and country blues player, standing in front of the actual ruins of the original Black-Board. Hank had brought amps and a car power converter, for the amps -it was just too damn hot to play! It would have been really awesome to jam with a real Blackboard legend at the original spot, some 70+ years after he ripped up the joint with his tunes.




Blackboard, owned by Frank Zabaleta and Joe Limi( standing on the side-walk), was the place to be back in the day. In 1951 the cafe reopened after a major remodeling and became known around town as the hottest places to hear, non horn playing, music acts, The Blackboard’s heyday came in the decade or so starting in 1952. The famous,” Bakersfield Sound,” a string twisting –twang Fender guitar based music, with a hard driven beat, a new country music style unique to the Bakersfield area, was born and burnin’. The new building is made of cement with a brick front. Photo Courtesy of Adoph Limi.
Below show inside the Blackboard, owned by Frank Zabaleta and Joe Limi
Blackboard

(from: Kern County Museum)

The world famous landmark,"The Bakersfield sign", arched walk-over Union avenue. Even tho it defined Bakersfield, the city fathers tore it down and luckily Buck Owens stepped up to the plate and had it restored and erected on the side street next to his Crystal Palace. Even though the sign is a true piece of classic Americana, the city fought Buck all the way, just like the hypocritical S.O.B.s did on the naming of "Buck Owens Blvd", which runs in front of the Palace. This postcard was sold back in the day, this copy was from the Kern County Museum. The Palm trees were moved to the new auto mall between Gasoline Ally and Wibble Road, near Harris St.by Stier's RV.




Buck Owens talks about the Black Board: “There were fights, there were a few fights .-bit I don’t remember (under his breath Buck and then continues :) , people would talk about the Black Board who had never been there, who were just telling stories. There might have been one fight a week, but to hear people talk about it, it was such a den of iniquity…it was not safe to enter into the doors, some nice people came in”.









Merle Haggard talks about the Black Board: “Those places were the epitome of the red neck honky-tonk. Up and down the valley each town had their own “Black Board” (Black Board type honky-tonk) and their own Lucky Spot, their would be three or four clubs to a town and thy were all much alike. If you’d be Hank Williams in 1950and you came to California, you would be on tour, you would play the Saturday night dance hauls, the
Blackboard in Bakersfield and the Hitchin’ post in sad Sac – those were in business when I started”.

“The Blackboard Café, Bob’s Lucky Spot, the Rainbow Gardens, the Pumpkin Center Barn Dance, the Beardsley Ballroom, the Clover Club, Tex’s Barrel House,
Trout’s and a number of other establishments offered music seven nights a week. This provided enjoyment for the patrons but more importantly allowed the musicians a place to hone their skills.” (Jeff Nickell, Kern County Museum; July 2009).



Painting Pictures with Time, Lloyd Reading Of Bakersfield Was There 70 Years Ago, A True Blackboard Legend!

”Saw ya won’t me ta tell ya about the Blackboard ay”

I had gone on the tour of the old Bakersfield honky tonks last week with the country music legend, Lloyd Reading . Well, yesterday was time for the king of all haunted honky-tonks worldwide, The Blackboard! I had plans to set up amps and put a converter in my old truck, so as the time drew near I packed up the gear and called Anna, Lloyd Reading's daughter .We met in front of an empty lot next door to the Kern County Museum, which had oddly enough just published an article about the Blackboard that morning in the newspaper’s magazine “Bakersfield Life”. When I first got there, I was not sure which empty field had been where the famous Blackboard stood… I set up in front of a little occupational center parking lot just north of the museum. I turned up my Hip shot-B-Bender-Stratocaster and was playing as load as I could. I suppose I was tryin’ to scare up some old Blackboard ghosts, I was in the mood for a spectral dance. As I played, clad in “cowboy armor” hat-boots-gingum (sp?) shirt and blue jeans. As I played there on Chester Ave, I got a lot of looks from passers by on their trek over the bridge into Oildale. Of all the looks I got, all were inquisitive. Hey…no one thinks I am a nut! Even though it is like 120 degrees! I played my songs “Bakersfield Girl “(magazine cover model Dolly Dagger’s favorite song SEE LINK : http://www.myspace.com/candiekisses126) then I played a heavy blues version of Walk these Streets Alone
(The New York “Mercs” favorite song : SEE LINK : http://www.myspace.com/hankraycountryblues). Ya- it is selfless self promotion…I know!

As I waited for Lloyd and Anna, I could feel a magic about the place, even though it was hot as hell, this is indeed a haunted Honky-tonk! Just about then I saw their red Dodge Caravan parked in a lot just north of my locality. I walked over to them. Anna was the first to speak, “yer in the wrong spot, the Blackboard was over here! I ran back through the perilous Bakersfield heat and got my truck, did a "u" turn on Chester Ave. and came back around to the very South East corner of the Kern County Museum . “This is it!” Anna declared, and I replied –“ it is hotter than hell”, Lloyd responded; “this is Bakersfield!”

I did not set up, I decided it was just to hot to set up the equipment, so the dreams of me playing at the place of the original Blackboard, with one of its’ legends, was not going to happen today.
It is hard to describe the feelings I had being here, "hallowed ground of the Bakersfield Sound" with him, a true Blackboard Legend! I suppose it would be like a Disney fan going to Disneyland and watching the film Fantasia or Steamboat Willie with Walt Disney himself! Anyway, the heat was getting to me. So we decided to have Lloyd show me the layout of the Blackboard and how it was back in the day. He did a bee-line to the chain link fence and waived his right arm in gesture;”here is where she stood” I gazed at the empty dirt field with artifacts of the old place abundant all over the surface. “Here is where the door to the restaurant was” pointing to the South-East corner of the little field next to a large weed.


These 2 photos show Lloyd Reading pointing out where the door, bar and actual chalk covered blackboard, that the bands signed in on, were in the world famous honky tonk, The Blackboard. LLOYD Reading, of Bakersfield, is one of the only surviving players from the Black-Board days. Just this year he will turn 90 years of age and is a Black-Board alumni of the late 1930s.


“Here is where the actual “Blackboard's Blackboard was,” Waiving his guitar pickin hand over to the West about 15 feet in from the current sidewalk. “What?”
I declared, there was an actual Blackboard! I suppose everyone in Bakersfield new this but me, but wow! When you walk in the door, there was a school room blackboard on your left and that is where the bands signed in to their playing slot, “played for three hours, with no breaks, "unless there was a fight”. Next Lloyd showed me where the "behind the bar door" in the wall was where the waitresses passed through from Joe's Restaurant next door, to the bar, There was some legal or code issue, so the the Black Board had to serve food to keep their license. R.T.I.…red tape issue!
The owners, Frank Zabaleta and Joe Limi had set it up so their waitresses went behind the bar out the hidden door into the back of the Black Board and then into the back of Joe's Rester aunt next door to the south on Chester Ave. The waitresses would take the orders at the Black Board and then rush out the back to Joe's pick up the order and come back in the hidden door. The bar tender was never allowed to get involved in the food part of the set up. according to Llod Reading; "there were three tables at the Black Board and they were large wooden cable spools set on their side- the waitress set the food on the spools". (After this we got our guitars out and got some Kodak moments on film and picked a wee bit of a tribute to the ”Honky-tonk Angles” OF THIS, MOST FAMOUS OF ALL THE HAUNTED HONKYTONKS!




Lloyd Reading,1930s Bakersfield country music legend -played the Blackboard over one hundred shows here! Hank Ray, historian and country blues player, standing in front of the actual ruins of the original Black-Board. Hank had brought amps and a converter for car power for the amps -it was just too damn hot to play! It would have been really awesome to jam with a real Blackboard legend at the original spot,some 70 years after he ripped up the joint with his tunes. Note the Archaeological importance of this "historic site", From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Historical archaeology is a branch archaeology that concerns itself with "historical" societies those that had systems ofwriting (Buck and the boys all had song “ writing”). It is often distinguished from prehistoric archaeology which studies societies with no writing. However, in current international usage the term historical archaeology is particularly used, especially in North America and Australasia, to describe the archaeology of the most recent past - from approximately AD 1500 to the present - meaning that it is concerned with the material remains of the modern period.
Bakersfield sound and Blackboard artifacts everywhere, maybe Buck's guitar pick is in that old field?!

Long before Buck Owens opened the very upscale, hugely popular, Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, "he helped shape the music that would come to define Bakersfield in an unassuming little honky tonk on Chester Avenue."
The Blackboard’s was originally a cramped little wooden shack like cafe built in 1925, when Buck Owens was four years old (Buck Owens: August 12,1929- March 25, 2006.) that served breakfast to blue-collar oil and agricultural workers and had live country music at night.
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THE HANK RAY INTERVIEW WITH LlOYD A. READING June 22, 2008 at the NEW-Blackboard at Trout's tR

HANK RAY PHOTOS DURING THE INTERVIEW:



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Lloyd at the Buck Owens Chrystal Palace
Interview:


http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.photo.gif
Add Image
The above photo by Dr. Blt From:
"Bakersfield Sound Undergroud" with Don Kidwell usually on Lead Guitar is on base(BLT is a Bakersfield artist and blogger)

Below, the California Playboys, with Lloyd Reading (photos from Lloyd Reading Collection):





REVIEW OF SONG WRITING WORKSHOP
Category: Music
REVIEW OF SONG WRITING WORKSHOP THAT LlOYD READING HELPED WITH
I went out to the Black Board tonight, and all this week for a free songwriting workshop.
SONG WRITERS' WORKSHOP
The workshop was put on by Tom Rockwell, business manager at Trout's Nightclub, and the proprietor of the new Blackboard stage and basement where the workshop was held. Rockwell (as he is known by all) is always on the move making sure everything is going right, to him everybody is important and everything that is going on in the place is meaningful. I am but a rank amateur at music but I love writing songs as a hobby, for fun and I tell you my skills were modified 10 fold by this exiting 3 day workshop. Some of the finest country music song writers in the world came in and helped out, including Red Simpson and Lloyd Reading.
Rockwell did an outstanding job and was there filming and or recording the class the whole time. We each took turns in the "hot seat" where we got real world stage experience in front of the class and interested on-lookers. I admit I had some bad stage freight, but everybody made me feel right at home and by the end of the third night I was fairly confident, lots of encouragement… unfortunately I was just too tired to perform my tunes. I did get some good performance early in the week though, so I came out of it feeling pretty good about my stage experience. I learned that song writing is a lot about writing and rewriting lyrics over and over until you get the product you desire and then working out the music with other musicians. Some of the Blackboard Playboys were there with high degree of musical expertise and were very helpful in this process.. This was like an inspirational work shop for song writing! A fun, and highly recommended, experience. That's-a-foe-show---
Watch the Trout's' Blackboard calendar for future free workshops

Letter from Lloyd's Daughterabout the article:
"Dad LOVES what you did on your site. One correction. Dad never played with Bob Wills. He met him about ten times but never played professionally with him. He appeared with Rose and Cal Maddox, knew Emogene (Jeanne) Sheppard and can tell you great stories about them. 'Course he has a lot of great stories. One photo has Arthur spelled Aurthur and in one place his name is spelled Loyd instead of Lloyd.
BUT,Good Job, Anna Reading"











Here Lloyd with country star Terry Hanson and Bakersfield sound Guitar hero Don Kidwell.

LLOYD Reading, of Bakersfield, is one of the only surviving players from the Black-Board days. Just this year he will turn 90 years of age and is a Black-Board alumni of the late 1930s.
I consider myself really lucky to have met and played music with Lloyd. He is a great
singer, guitarist and song writer. He has the voice of Ralph Stanley and writing skill of Hank Williams. Lloyd is a great source of information on the early days of country music and has toured and played with many of the greats, including Bob Wills.
He is the nicest fellow you can meet. I hope to play music with him again soon and perhaps we can get another interview! You can find Loyd at Trouts' Blackboard and Green Room for jam session, shows and festivals. Lloyd got a standing ovation at this years Bakersfield Music Festival (Buck Fest). Lloyd was also honored at the Bakersfield Music Awards at Trouts.

Interview:

I’ve been doin’ this music since I was 14. I had a band in Visalia in 1952 and had the band for 47 years, “The California Playboys”. I did all the Bob Wills stuff. I grew up with that music in Okalahoma. I had Joe Holly in my band for eight years before he passed away and we did all that stuff. I always followed that trend, because I grew up with it.
I’m going into the studio soon with my grand son, Mike, as engineer and I have a lead fiddler from the Fresno area comin’ down. She does all the Bob Wills stuff….those long….. drawn out notes, were going to get those recordings started and give them to Joe Streep.
Ya, I came here in 1938 and left and came back and I’ll be here until I die. I am proud to be here. (Hank Ray from: Bakotopia Magazine, Page 14: July 2008)
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What has been known as the Bakersfield sound originated here of all places- Bakersfield.. Buck Owens, along with Don Rich and Merle Haggard usually get the credit for this Country music sub-type, “TWANG” and rightfully so. However, this music did not generate in a vacuum, it evolved out of the California Western swing, and this originated at the Black-Board and similar honky-tonks in and around Bakersfield, California. One of Buck Owens' first musical jobs in Bakersfield was playing at the legendary Blackboard, owned by Frank Zabaleta and Joe Limi. “In 1951 the cafe reopened after a remodeling and became known around town as one of the hottest places to hear new music acts. The famous “Bakersfield Sound,” a twangy, new country music style unique to the area, was off and running. The Blackboard’s heyday came in the decade or so starting in 1952, when music legends Patsy Cline , Merle Haggard and Bill Woods and his Orange Blossom Playboys — including Buck Owens playing his Fender Telecaster — graced the small stage.”
"The Blackboard was hot, but Rainbow Gardens was close behind, thanks to visits by performers like the Everly Brothers, performing here in about 1958 with Buck Owens, Jelly Sanders and others" (BKS). Lloyd played in the same band with Jelly Sanders and many of the others. More episodes to come on this later!

The following was taken from CMT.COM
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Buck Owens, a principal architect of country music's famed Bakersfield Sound, died Saturday (March 25) at his home in Bakersfield, Calif., at age 76. The cause of death was not immediately known. He underwent surgery for throat cancer in 1993 but
maintained a busy schedule in recent years at his Crystal Palace restaurant and nightclub in Bakersfield. He was scheduled to perform there this weekend, according to his official Web site.

A man of boundless talents, Owens distinguished himself as a singer, guitarist, songwriter, bandleader, music publisher, talent booker, television personality and broadcaster. Although he regularly topped the country charts during the 1960s and early '70s, his greatest recognition came from his role as the grinning co-host of the country music television series, Hee Haw.

Alvis Edgar Owens was born Aug. 12, 1929 in Sherman, Texas. His parents were sharecroppers who moved to Mesa, Ariz., in 1937. It was in that city that Owens got his start in radio when he was 17, performing on the Buck & Britt show on radio station KTYL. In 1948, he married singer Bonnie Campbell, who would later carve out her own career as Bonnie Owens and marry Merle Haggard.

In 1951, the young couple migrated to Bakersfield, where Owens formed a band, the Schoolhouse Playboys, in which he played saxophone and trumpet. He had also developed his skills as a guitarist. During most of the '50s, he played in the house band at the Blackboard nightclub near Bakersfield. At times, he would venture into Los Angeles to play guitar on sessions for such artists as Tommy Collins, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Sonny James and Gene Vincent. He even got a deal himself with Pep Records in 1955. For that label, he cut several singles, including the rockabilly tune "Hot Dog," which he recorded under the name Corky Jones. (Owens returned to that song in 1988 for his short-lived comeback effort as a recording artist.)

Having become acquainted with Owens via his work for other artists, Capitol Records producer Ken Nelson signed him to that label in 1957. Two years afterward, he had his first chart hit, "Second Fiddle" He followed it with three Top 10 singles, including the self-penned "Under Your Spell Again." Between 1963, when he first reached the top of the charts with "Act Naturally," and 1972, when he last topped them on his own, Owens scored 20 No. 1 singles and placed another 13 songs in the Top 10. Many that reached the No. 1 spot tended to stay there: "Love's Gonna Live Here" (1963) for 16 weeks; "I Don't Care (Just As Long As You Love Me)" (1964), "Before You Go" (1965) and "Think of Me" (1966) for eight weeks each; and "My Heart Skips a Beat" 1964) and "Waitin' in Your Welfare Line" (1966) for seven weeks each. In all, Owens racked up 28 BMI awards for his radio-friendly singles.

During the late 1950s, Owens moved to the Tacoma, Wash., area. It was here that he met Don Rich (real name Donald Eugene Ulrich), the singing partner who would give Owens' songs the distinctive high, nasalized, heart-in-the-throat pitch that became his vocal trademark. (Rich remained with Owens until he was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1974.)

Under the tutelage of his manager, the late Jack McFadden, Owens took a serious turn toward capitalism. In 1964, they formed the OMAC booking agency which eventually handled such clients as Haggard, Joe and Rose Maphis, Wynn Stewart, Freddie Hart and Rose Maddox. In 1967, Owens launched his own music publishing company, Blue Book Publishing. (He sold the company to Tree Music Publishing in the 1980s, and his catalog is now a part of the giant Sony/ATV firm.) Moreover, Owens began to acquire and develop radio stations. (In 1999, Clear Channel bought his KNIX-FM in Phoenix for $84 million and his jointly owned KESZ, also in Phoenix, for $58 million.)

Yet another feature of the Owens empire came through Buck Owens Productions, which produced his syndicated television series, The Buck Owens Ranch Show. Starting in 1966, the show was shot in "batches" in Oklahoma City, much as Hee Haw would later be done in Nashville. In all, 78 half-hour color shows were taped, and the show at its peak aired in around 100 markets. Several of these shows are now available on home video, and excerpts from them were used as country music videos in the late 1980s. Owen's top-notch band, the Buckaroos, won CMA's instrumental group of the year awards in 1967 and '68.

Owens teamed with Roy Clark in 1969 to host Hee Haw, originally a show for CBS-TV. CBS dropped it in 1971, but the show continued and became even more successful as a syndicated effort. Besides introducing acts, telling jokes and appearing in skits, Owens and Clark had a "pickin' and grinnin'" spot in each show, and both sang and recorded in the popular Hee Haw Gospel Quartet.

His recording career sagging, Owens was essentially reduced to being a face of Hee Haw until Dwight Yoakam came along in the mid-1980s. Like Owens, Yoakam was passionate about West Coast country music, and he was loud in his praise of the old master. In fact, Yoakam made so much noise -- including making a personal plea to his idol -- that Owens recorded (and made a music video of) "The Streets of Bakersfield" with him. It went No. 1 in 1988, the last time Owens would view the chart from that vantage point.

Also in 1988, Owens re-signed to his old label, Capitol Records. That union resulted in two albums -- Hot Dog in 1988 and Act Naturally in 1989 -- and five charted singles, none of which reached the Top 20. However, his "Act Naturally" duet with Ringo Starr did make it to No. 27 in 1989. (Starr also sang the lead vocal on the Beatles' 1965 cover version of Owens' hit.) It was accompanied by an amusing "Old West" music video in which Owens' manager, McFadden, played the sheriff and actor Vic Tayback the bartender.

Owens withdrew from his Hee Haw hosting duties in 1986 and was never replaced, although the show continued into 1994. In 1996, he was elected to both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Earlier that same year, he had opened his opulent Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, where he performed virtually every Friday and Saturday night.


*************************************************************************************** Response to:Bakotopia: March, 2008 Issue “What is the Bakersfield Sound” “:
KOOKOONAUTS BLOG

The Kookoonauts, here playing Centennial Gardens (RaboBank Arena), of Bakersfield were given credit for bringing the Bakersfield twang to punk rock, writer Nick Belardes called it "Rural Punk" and the Kookoonaut's song "Searching" was the one to set the bar to and the first song of that sub-type of music. The singer/guitarist was a huge Buck Owens and Bakersfield sound fan.


Kookoo-blog from Bakotopia:
Firstly, the front cover is a masterpiece, a heartfelt image of Buck Owens in saddle art painstankly crafted by “Pain Is Beauty Tattoo Shop on18thStreeet.

In, “OH My Word” , Matt Munoz, Bakotopia Editor, asked the question “did the Bkersfield Sound” leave us that rainy day?” (The day Buck Owens passed away). Certainly a driving force , one the founders mentors of the style was gone but his influence will not soon diminish. The main focus of mainstream country music is American Idol, hardly the sound of early Buck Owens recordings. The truth is however,
Buck himself wavered from the distinct sound himself in later years. His recording of “Big In Vegas” has orchestra in it. The Bakersfield sound may not huge in Bakersfield but it has transcended State and International lines and has pockets and all over the world.

“A call to Arms” by Chase Brockett , is a pungent cry from the darkness to unite Bakersfield's’ fragmented music scene and create a new Bakersfield sound. Truly he is passionate about his music, I don’t see much encouragement of the music that has been named “Bakersfield sound” and it would be a nice backlash to the “American Idol” country music that now rules the roost.

Bakersfield has pioneered many types of music,
Even Rural Punk, Korn Ther is even other types of country from Bakersfield and also Blues , Jazz, Norteno, Mariachi, Asian , Arabic Music, African styling - Matts’ own styling and so on- and you could go on forever, But this does not relinquish the fact the there was a new country music styling invented called “The Bakersfield Sound” .Listen to it, it is obvious, it may only have been partly evolved in Bakersfield but it is a very different and distinct sound- defiantly exits and Buck Owens had a big part of the development. It is no myth and many millions of fans and bands all over the world have heard of the Bakersfield Sound. The sad part is that folks here seem to be almost embittered by the concept and want the style to die here so a new music can take the name. Korn can not be undervalued for their influence and success and are the pride of Bakersfield, but this was not the topic set fourth by Matt.



The Bakersfield sound , a highly stylistics breakaway from Nashville crap, was developed at honky-tonk bars such as The Blackboard in Oildale, California, and on local television stations in Bakersfield airing “The Buck Owens’ Ranch” and throughout California in the 1950s and 1960s. The town, known mainly for agriculture and oil production, was the destination for many Dust Bowl migrants and others from Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and other parts of the Southwest. The mass migration of these "Okies" to California also meant that their music would follow and thrive, finding an audience in California's Central Valley (Okies, is the defamatory and derogatory ). Bakersfield country was a reaction against the slickly-produced, string orchestra-laden Nashville Sound, which was becoming popular in the late 1950s. Artists like Wynn Stewart used electric instruments and added a back beat, as well as other stylistic elements borrowed from rock and roll, this included the tawny leads on the Fender Telecaster and an in your face steelguitar style. In the early 1960s, Merle Haggard and Buck Owens and the Buckaroos, Clarence White with “Nashville West” (Clarence invented the “B” Bender and pioneered its’ use) among others, brought the Bakersfield sound to mainstream audiences, and it soon became one of the most popular kinds of country music, also influencing later country stars the had the same sound but were from no where near Bakersfield, California such as Dwight Yoakam, Marty Stuart, The Mavericks, and The De-railers.
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Songs about the Black Board:

1).GOIN” To THE BLACKBOARD TONIGHT (THE BACKERSFIELD SOUND) BY: Hank Ray 3-28-2008 (Copy Write 2008, B.L.T.Nu Bakersfield Music)



I’m going to the Black Board tonight.
Goin’ where the beer is cold and music right.
pretty girls dancin under the bar room lights and..
The Playboys are rippin up tonight.

So I’m driven over that Kern River Bridge
Going to hear that Bakersfield Sound
…Bakersfield sound

Merle Haggard and Buck Owens both played here before.
They must drove this bridge 100 times or more.
Clarence White was Bakersfield Bound, that’ for sure
I love that country music and got to hear some more.

I’m going to the Black Board tonight.
Goin’ where the beer is cold and music right.
pretty girls dancin under the bar room lights and..
The Playboys are rippin up tonight.

So I’m driven over that Kern River Bridge
Going to hear that Bakersfield Sound
…Bakersfield sound



Dr BLT's Blog n Roll Studio -> Bakersfield sound pioneer helps younger songwriters pen song about the Blackboard where he played
Bakersfield sound pioneer helps younger songwriters pen song about the Blackboard where he played
larger view

Mr. Lloyd Reading, formerly of the Bob Manning Trio and the Blackboard Playboys, is helping to bridge the Bakersfield sound generation gap, by joining a couple of younger Bakersfield-sound-rooted songwriters with a song that pays tribute to the Blackboard, the very plays he and his band-mates used to jam.

Mr. Lloyd Reading is keenly aware of our efforts to bridge the Bakersfield sound generation gap and to make his music, and the music of his cohorts of the Bakersfield sound genre more accessible to younger generations through community education and mentoring. Hank Ray is involved in documenting Lloyd Reading's historic past by filming his rich body of songs and stories.

Mr. Reading told us "I'll cooperate in every way. Just let me know what is needed." In the works are a recording in which he will sing this song with us, a song he helped us pen.

There may still be a little editing to do, but here's what the three of us have so far:

Them Blackboard Days

words and music by Dr BLT, Lloyd Reading and Hank Ray copyright 2008 Nu Bako Sound Recordings/Krocker Records

well, I heard you were there

in the beginning

back when country music was livin'

back in the day

them Blackboard days

Mr. Reading, tell us a story

'bout that Bakersfield sound glory

talk about the day

them Blackboard days



chorus 1:

them Blackboard days

sittin', strummin' on the stage

Mr. Lloyd Reading

won't you tell us 'bout the Blackboard days

them Blackboard days

in the old cafe

Mr. Lloyd Reading

won't you tell us

'bout the Blackboard days





on the heels of the great depression

well, I think we all learned our lesson

back in the day

them Blackboard days

in the days of the Edison work camps

picked guitars

by the kerosene lamps

back in the days

them Blackboard days

(chorus 1)



them Blackboard Days

sittin' strummin' on the stage

with the Bob Manning trio

people gathered as

the band would play

them Blackboard days

sittin', strummin' on the stage

Mr. Lloyd Reading

won't you tell us 'bout the Blackboard days



LLOYD READING DISCUSSES THE BLACK BOOARD DAYS AND SINGS TO COLLEGE CLASS. GRAD STUDENTS LEARNED ABOUT THE BAKERSFIELD SOUND AND BEFORE


Photos by:Dr. BLT, Hank Ray, and some random dude. (copyright 2008 Nu Bako Sound Recordings/Krocker Records)





Here are "da boys" at the gas station on the "Grape Vine" , on the way up to the gig.
It was a really fun trip, Dr. BLT drove and Lloyd and I road along. Bruce and Lloyd and some great debates and conversations and topped it off with Lloyd's great dust bowl stories. I picked my black,resonator guitar


Here Lloyd Reading and Hank Rayplay for the fans. Note the special guest above!




Above:Lloyd Reading sings and played guitar at The College of the canyons (Photo courtesy of : Dr. BLT; copyright 2008 Nu Bako Sound Recordings/Krocker Records)
Hank Ray sings "Black Board Love Song" in upper middle photo above.(Photo courtesy of : Dr. BLT; copyright 2008 Nu Bako Sound Recordings/Krocker Records) Llod Reading plays lead guitar for Hank.






Abobe
Above Lloyd posseswith some of his adoring fans.






Country music legend, Lloyd read sign autographs for fans in a magazine he was featured in. Lloyd really captured the imagination and heart of the audience with his captivating ballads.




Here is the 3of us joking around and congratulating each other on a job well done. Exposing some more younger folks to our traditional music and performance style.


Rockwell Canyon road,the street the college is on, Bruce and I are writing a song by that name. This is the name of our buddy at Trouts as well.





Dr. Bruce and Lloyd dine on the memorries of tonights performance.Lloyd interwieved his personal recolections of the dust bowl and the early music that sprang from it between songs.



Here is Lloyd Reading and myself holding Dr. BLT's card at the burger joint, this was right after the performance at the College of the Canyons in Valencia. Dr BLT had set up the performance to correspond with the curriculum for a large class of graduate students. It was the best audience I had ever played for.


Here is a photo taken by the waitress at the Island Resteraunt there in Canyon Country, just a little east of the College. To quote Samual L.Jackson in the film "Puilp Fiction", -"now that's a taste burger!".



Here is Lloyd after dinner, we ravaged a set of burgers. After this Dr, Blt and I dropped Lloyd at went on home with some great new memories.



Here Dr. BLT drops Lloyd off at his Bakersfield home where he lives with his daughter Anna. We got him home about 10:30. Thanks Lloyd, job well done.



Reading in College (the song)
words and music by Dr BLT copyright 2008 Nu Bako Sound Recordings/Krocker Records
Media (Permission obtained)


In Vygotsky's sociopsychological theory of human development, mentoring, or something I've frequently referred to as "cross-generational mentoring," is deemed essential to the healthy development of children and adolescents. Having folks from an older generation share their talents, their songs, and their stories with folks from younger generations is crucial to the formation of identity in developing children. Furthermore, this sort of bonding experience is essential in terms of a child attaining a sense of being connected to something larger than him/herself. Cross-generational mentoring is the key to attaining a sense of one's roots, one's culture, one's community, and one's history.

In the Developmental Psychology course I teach at Chapman University on Rockwell Canyon Rd. on the College of the Canyons campus in Valencia, California, I try to bring theory to life by offering living examples.

89-year-young Bakersfield sound legend, Lloyd Reading, who jammed with all of the greats associated with the birth of the Bakersfield sound, and who was right smack dab in the middle of this exciting movement as it was spawning some of our greatest country stars, is the living embodiment of Vygotsky's theory of human development, involving mentoring.

Lloyd was offering songs and stories to my students that depicted a very personal history involving the old days when he migrated with his family from Oklahoma to California in the midst of the California gold rush, and began his career and enduring legacy as a Kern County country star. He laid the groundwork for Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, though he would always be humbly standing just one short step behind the spotlight of giants like these.

I call Lloyd Reading the Kern County country music conduit. He is taking the lead among all others in bringing the Bakersfield sound of yore to new generations that hunger to be connected to something bigger than themselves--something bigger than the here and now.

After downing a some burgers and fries at Islands on Valencia Avenue, we began taking the ride back to Bakersfield, on the same grapevine Lloyd once traveled by foot. As we drove back, Hank Ray, one of the most promising among the new crop of Bakersfield-sound-grounded artists, entertained Lloyd and myself with spontaneously spawned choruses to what may soon develop into fully-arranged tunes that chronicle our visit.

We took Lloyd with us. We wish we could take him with us wherever we go. We took a living legend to the classroom. We took the country to the city, and the city will never be the same.

Lloyd Reading, His Journey Through The Past, Part 2 - RAINBOW GARDENS

Lloyd Reading, His Journey Through The Past,Part Two, Rainbow Gardens Honky Tonk

Kern County Museum BW photos.


Lloyd, his daughter Anna and myself, had just left the the old Pumpkin Center Barn Dance and I fallowed there red dodge mini van down Taft Hwy to Union Ave. I followed then in my old Dodge truck for several miles North to the "Basque Club". We pulled into the parking lot and excitedly got out of our cars. Lloyd thought the building had been torn down and moved, however it turned out that it was Union Ave that had actually been moved and the building was the same, someone had put stucco on it and taken off the large wooden panels on the front that used to open up for ventilation.

Some Basque fellows were playing handball in the back, the place was very famous for this years after Lloyd had frequented the place. The old place was closed but one of the fellows was kind enough to unlock the front door and let us have the run of it. We were in shock to see the wooden dance floor and stage just how it was the last time Lloyd was there 70+ years ago. It was an honor to sit on the same stage as Lloyd Reading over seven decade since he rocked the house and pick some tunes with him. I think it was one of the coolest things I have ever done, the best musical moment "that's -aw-foe-show". It was hot in there and the ghosts of the past were dancing around the stage as we played on, wouldn't you know it my B string tuning peg was broken and I had a sour note, the ghost audience was oblivious to my circumstance and danced on. Where is Richard at the Trouts' Blackboard when I need his tuners ear!

Next time catch a ride with Hank and Lloyd to another haunted honky-tonk!












"The Blackboard was hot, but Rainbow Gardens was close behind, thanks to visits by performers like the Everly Brothers, performing here in about 1958 with Buck Owens, Jelly Sanders and others" (BKS). Lloyd played in the same band with Jelly Sanders and many of the others. More episodes to come on this later!

I consider myself really lucky to have met and played music with Lloyd. He is a great
singer, guitarist and song writer. He has the voice of Ralph Stanley and writing skill of Hank Williams. Lloyd is a great source of information on the early days of country music and has toured and played with many of the greats, including Bob Wills.
He is the nicest fellow you can meet. I hope to play music with him again soon and perhaps we can get another interview! You can find Loyd at Trouts' Blackboard and Green Room for jam session, shows and festivals. Lloyd got a standing ovation at this years Bakersfield Music Festival (Buck Fest). Lloyd was also honored at the Bakersfield Music Awards at Trouts.

Interview:

I’ve been doin’ this music since I was 14. I had a band in Visalia in 1952 and had the band for 47 years, “The California Playboys”. I did all the Bob Wills stuff. I grew up with that music in Okalahoma. I had Joe Holly in my band for eight years before he passed away and we did all that stuff. I always followed that trend, because I grew up with it.
I’m going into the studio soon with my grand son, Mike, as engineer and I have a lead fiddler from the Fresno area comin’ down. She does all the Bob Wills stuff….those long….. drawn out notes, were going to get those recordings started and give them to Joe Streep.
Ya, I came here in 1938 and left and came back and I’ll be here until I die. I am proud to be here. (Hank Ray from: Bakotopia Magazine, Page 14: July 2008)

Lloyd Reading, His Journey Through The Past, Part 1 -Pumpkin Center Barn Dance

Kern County Museum for B & W Photos

"Cousin Ebb's Pumpkin Center Barn Dance"







Above Lloyd shows me the doors that he and the Bob Manning Trio used to bring there music gear into the Pumpkin Center through. What an honor this was to share this 70+ year reunion with Lloyd. The photos are taken by Lloyd's daughter Anna and myself. Bob Manning's black 1937 Chevy coupe used to park right here while Lloyd climbed out of the trunk, where he used to ride, he folded up like a human pretzel with his guitar and an accordion under him and an old stick holding the trunk lid from falling on his head.


Lloyd standing in front of where he played his music 70 years ago, on the Pumpkin Center Stage. The original asbestos tiles were put in so the bands wouldn't echo, you can still see them dangling above. Lloyd said before the tiles the echoes would mess up the band's timing.


Here is the Pumpkin Center back in the 1950s, looking much the same as it did in the 1930s, people changed. The old place still looks pretty much the same today inside and on the sides.. outside. Note the lamps are still hanging there in the modern photo above.


ABOVE: Lloyd Next to the old safe in the back office of the old Pumpkin Center Honky Tonk, 70 years later in the large quansit hut metal building.
"The earliest strains of the Bakersfield Sound emanated not from the rowdy Blackboard, but from the Beardsley Ballroom in Oildale, the Rainbow Gardens and Rhythm Ranch, both on South Union Avenue, and the Pumpkin Center Barn Dance just south of town." (BKS)


Lloyd at in the old Pumpkin Center Honky Tonk, 70 years later in the large quansit hut metal building. See the curvature of the side and the original windows that were left open to cool off the dances back in the 1930s when Lloyd laid down the swing and fiddle tunes for over 3,000 farmers, wild caters and bar room queens.





THE HANK RAY INTERVIEW WITH LlOYD A. READING June 22, 2008 at the Blackboard

HANK RAY PHOTOS DURING THE INTERVIEW:





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Lloyd at the Buck Owens Chrystal Palace

I consider myself really lucky to have met and played music with Lloyd. He is a great
singer, guitarist and song writer. He has the voice of Ralph Stanley and writing skill of Hank Williams. Lloyd is a great source of information on the early days of country music and has toured and played with many of the greats, including Bob Wills.
He is the nicest fellow you can meet. I hope to play music with him again soon and perhaps we can get another interview! You can find Loyd at Trouts' Blackboard and Green Room for jam session, shows and festivals. Lloyd got a standing ovation at this years Bakersfield Music Festival (Buck Fest). Lloyd was also honored at the Bakersfield Music Awards at Trouts.

Interview:

I’ve been doin’ this music since I was 14. I had a band in Visalia in 1952 and had the band for 47 years, “The California Playboys”. I did all the Bob Wills stuff. I grew up with that music in Okalahoma. I had Joe Holly in my band for eight years before he passed away and we did all that stuff. I always followed that trend, because I grew up with it.
I’m going into the studio soon with my grand son, Mike, as engineer and I have a lead fiddler from the Fresno area comin’ down. She does all the Bob Wills stuff….those long….. drawn out notes, were going to get those recordings started and give them to Joe Streep.
Ya, I came here in 1938 and left and came back and I’ll be here until I die. I am proud to be here.


http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.photo.gif
Add Image
The above photo by Dr. Blt From:
"Bakersfield Sound Undergroud" with Don Kidwell usually on Lead Guitar is on base(BLT is a Bakersfield artist and blogger)

Below, the California Playboys, with Lloyd Reading (photos from Lloyd Reading Collection):







"Lloyd Reading was born June 2, 1919 in Oklahoma. Came out to Bakersfield, California in 1938 during the Dust Bowl. Sang at the "Blackboard Cafe" in Bakersfield in '38 thu '39 as part of the Bob Manning Trio. First group to play country music live in Bakersfield. Before them it was "Horn" Bands. Played with the "Rocky Mountain Cowboys" near Visalia from 1940 to 1950. Played with Jelly Sanders for two years in that area. Formed the California Playboys, for 40 years. Had Joe Holley, Bob Wills left handed fiddle player for 7 years in his band. Now at 89 years old he still performs at many local venues. Considers "Trouts" Nightclub as his home away from home. Anna Reading is the daughter of Lloyd Reading" (Myspace).






REVIEW OF SONG WRITING WORKSHOP
Category: Music

REVIEW OF SONG WRITING WORKSHOP THAT LlOYD READING HELPED WITH

I went out to the Black Board tonight, and all this week for a free songwriting workshop.
SONG WRITERS' WORKSHOP
The workshop was put on by Tom Rockwell, business manager at Trout's Nightclub, and the proprietor of the Blackboard stage and basement where the workshop was held. Rockwell (as he is known by all) is always on the move making sure everything is going right, to him everybody is important and everything that is going on in the place is meaningful. I am but a rank amateur at music but I love writing songs as a hobby, for fun and I tell you my skills were modified 10 fold by this exiting 3 day workshop. Some of the finest country music song writers in the world came in and helped out, including Red Simpson and Lloyd Reading.



Rockwell did an outstanding job and was there filming and or recording the class the whole time. We each took turns in the "hot seat" where we got real world stage experience in front of the class and interested on-lookers. I admit I had some bad stage freight, but everybody made me feel right at home and by the end of the third night I was fairly confident, lots of encouragement… unfortunately I was just too tired to perform my tunes. I did get some good performance early in the week though, so I came out of it feeling pretty good about my stage experience. I learned that song writing is a lot about writing and rewriting lyrics over and over until you get the product you desire and then working out the music with other musicians. Some of the Blackboard Playboys were there with high degree of musical expertise and were very helpful in this process.. This was like an inspirational work shop for song writing! A fun, and highly recommended, experience. That's-a-foe-show---


Watch the Trout's' Blackboard calendar for future free workshops

Letter from Lloyd's Daughterabout the article:


"Dad LOVES what you did on your site. One correction. Dad never played with Bob Wills. He met him about ten times but never played professionally with him. He appeared with Rose and Cal Maddox, knew Emogene (Jeanne) Sheppard and can tell you great stories about them. 'Course he has a lot of great stories. One photo has Arthur spelled Aurthur and in one place his name is spelled Loyd instead of Lloyd.
BUT,Good Job, Anna Reading"











Here Lloyd with country star Terry Hanson and Bakersfield sound Guitar hero Don Kidwell.

"Riding The Reading Rail-Road", A Night Of Historic Country Music with Lloyd Reading:

"Riding The Reading Rail-Road", A Night Of Historic Country Music with Lloyd Reading:

Lloyd Reading came to the Buck-a-room Recording Studio and played many of his classic tunes and we filmed an hour long interview there about the old Black Board days in Bakersfield. Lloyd talked about the dust bowl days and when he fist met Buck Owens.


Dr. BLT, Lloyd Reading and Hank Ray pose for a photo after a long night of song writing and interviewing Lloyd on the old Black Board Days.


Below: Dr. BLT presents Lloyd Reading with a CD of the song "Playboy Lloyd" which chronicles Lloyd's old band "The California Playboys", co-written by Dr. BLT and Hank Ray.


BELOW: DR. BLT and Lloyd Reading write a song together about the old Black Board Days.




Lloyd Reading - "Bakersfield sound Legend"
By Hank Ray, for Bakotopia.com .
I consider myself really lucky to have met and played music with the great Lloyd Reading.

Not only is he a great singer, guitarist and songwriter, but one of the nicest fellas you’ll meet.

Lloyd has the voice of Ralph Stanley and writing skills of Hank Williams Sr.

Lloyd is also a great source of information on the early days of country music and has toured and played with many of the greats, including Bob Wills.

Country music historians consider him a living legend and an important part of the early country scene, and one of the founding fathers of the “Bakersfield sound” or “Bakersfield twang” as it was still considered country swing back then.



Lloyd Reading was born on June 2, 1919 in Oklahoma. As a teenager, Lloyd got the itch to pick the guitar and has been “picking up a storm” since 1933. Relocating to Bakersfield in 1938, during the Dust Bowl era, he began singing at the original Blackboard Cafe in Bakersfield that same year as part of the Bob Manning Trio.

According to some sources, The Bob Manning Trio, with Lloyd on the flat top box, was one of the first bands to play live country music in Bakersfield, since the area was mostly comprised of horn-oriented swing bands.

Later in his career, Lloyd played with the Rocky Mountain Cowboys near Visalia from 1940 to 1950 - that’s 10 years of honky tonkin’ (“honky,” the early1970s derogatory term for Caucasians, comes from “honky tonk,” slang for bar with live music, libation and girls). After a decade with Rocky Mountain Cowboys, Lloyd then toured with important musical figure Jelly Sanders for two years in the same area. But Lloyd’s crowning achievement came while forming The California Playboys, a group he led them and toured with for 40 years.



“I was fortunate enough to have Joe Holley - Bob Wills’s left handed fiddle player - for seven of the 40 years in the band,” remarked Lloyd.

Although Lloyd was never in a band with the great Bob Wills, he did meet the man known as “The King of Western Swing” many times while touring, and often shared band members.

Now at 89, Lloyd Reading still performs at many local venues, but considers Trout’s nightclub in Oildale his home away from home.

Our local legend takes the stage during most Thursday and Sunday night jams at the Blackboard stage inside Trout’s. On Monday and Tuesday nights he attends Green Room song writing sessions in the basement of of the historic club, where I had the pleasure of meeting him for the first time. Lloyd is always more than happy to share his experiences with a stranger.


Above: Lloyd Reading (left,) and Hank Ray (right,) during a writing session at Trout's - 2008

I hope to play music with him again soon and perhaps we can get another interview for Bakotopia! You can find Lloyd at Trout’s Blackboard and Green Room for jam session, shows and festivals. Lloyd got a standing ovation at this year’s Bakersfield Music Festival (Buck Fest), and was also honored at the recent Bakersfield Music Awards at Trout’s.

Lloyd Reading, in his own words:

“I’ve been doin’ this music since I was 14. I had a band in Visalia in 1952 and had the band for 47 years, The California Playboys. I did all the Bob Wills stuff. I grew up with that music in Okalahoma. I had Joe Holly in my band for eight years before he passed away and we did all that stuff. I always followed that trend, because I grew up with it."

“I’m going into the studio soon with my grandson, Mike, as engineer and I have a lead fiddler from the Fresno area comin’ down. She does all the Bob Wills stuff ... those long, drawn out notes. We’re going to get those recordings started and give them to Joe Streep. Yeah, I came here in 1938 and left and came back, and I’ll be here until I die. I am proud to be here.”

A NIGHT AT TROUTS' WITH SOME ELVISISM

TROUTS & The Blackboard Stages of BAKERSFIELD
July, 11 2008 at FRIDAY! "ELVIS PRESLEY" Tribute! Don Rose - LIVE from LAS VEGAS! - 7pm
805 N Chester Avenue, Bakersfield, California 93308
Cost : $15.00 advance - $20.00 at Door
Don Rose returns to the Blackboard Stage @ Trout’s Nightclub - Bakersfield with his world class tribute to ELVIS PRESLEY! Don’t wait, get your tickets now! Call (661) 399-6700 for tickets and information.
Don did a great show at Trout’s, very energetic and very Elvis® . It was karaoke on steroids. Don was a great crowd pleaser and even signed some boobs after his set.
“Don started performing his Elvis® show a few years after Elvis® passed away, sing mainly for his own enjoyment in the basement of his parent's home. He was eventually talked into performing for some friends in the living room, and thus his performance career had begun. He started with tapes through college and progressed to his own band. He has since made his career as an entertainer not only doing Elvis®, but also with his own show group, The Don Rose Revue.
He has performed his Elvis® tribute all across the United States and Canada. He has toured in Germany and Switzerland, and played in showrooms of major Cruise lines. He now makes his home in Las Vegas where he spends about half the year - the other half on the road, playing major Casinos, doing corporate and convention work, along with concerts and one-niters.”






After the ELVISM, The Blackboard Playboys: Don Kidwell, Annie Kidwell, Mark Year, Johnny Barnett & Pat “Banny” Banister were on the Blackboard stage for a great night of music!






The Playboys did some great country tunes and Rockwell made a surprise appearance and rocked the house with a country medley reminiscing Jerry Lee Luis and Elvis with a Dwight edge!




Lloyd Reading came in to enjoy the Blackboard Playboys and was really tuned in when they cut loose on some Bob Wills tunes!


Lloyd and Rockwell


Lloyd watching the Playboys do some Bob Wills!

FOURTH OF JULY 2008, Buck's Red, White and Blue Guitar

Bakersfield Sound Underground published a new entry entitled "Buck's Red, White and Blue Guitar song released with others "live" to benefit Buck Owens Wellness Center" on 7/3/2008 10:30:43 PM, written by drblt.


Buck's Red, White and Blue Guitar song released with others "live" to benefit Buck Owens Wellness Center

"On July 4th, 2008 from about 8 am to 10 pm, me and Hank Ray will be on the patio at Starbucks on Rosedale highway near Calloway, in Bakersfield, Californian, performing my own new, original song, Buck's Red, White and Blue Guitar (featuring the deft guitar skills of local guitarist, Hank Ray), "live" (among 19 others on the CD) and signing autographed copies that will be sold for the benefit of Buck Owens Wellness Resource Center. 50% of all profits will be donated to this organization." (From Bakersfield Sound Underground).


The other songs we will be performing, some of which are from the CD, include more original Dr BLTunes paying tribute to the United States and to the American heroes of country music.






"From Bakotopia" : "You don't have to wait until the sun goes down to get a bang out of your July 4th weekend. I'll be releasing my new July 4th song, Buck's Red, White and Blue Guitar, and Bakesfield's own guitar legend-in-the-making, Hank Ray who plays on several songs from the limited edtion CD, has written one, and co-written another, will join me on the guitar. Maybe I'll even talk him into performing a couple of his own originals. "



50% of profits will go towards Buck Owens Wellness Resource center. Find out the details at:



Bakersfield Sound Underground



http://www.bakersfieldsound...

Hank Ray's B Bender Telecaster

It's an American ash body (like Howard's) with a Fender Mexico neck, tortoise pick guard, a PW style bender made by Matney's Music in North Carolina (I think).

Matney's Music

Address: 2894 Harmony, Harmony, NC 28634

Phone: 704-546-5583

Website: N/A

E-Mail: N/A

I'm going to reset the spring today as it seems a little bit stiff to pull (I actually just did it). It's a pretty clever mechanism that's easy to adjust to your own style.









Hank Ray's B Bender Telecaster:




HOWARD YEARWOOD WITH HIS TELECASTER WITH PARSONS WHITE STRING BENDER AT TROUTS IN BAKERSFIELD. (ABOVE)





Howard Yearwood with his string bender at world famous Trouts. Theresa Spanke looks on, getting ready to sing. THIS IS THE GUITAR HOWARD SOLD ME! (Above)




HOWARD YEARWOOD B bending my Strat.From what I read there are several benders : "One is the routed B Bender like the Nashville Tele has. Its mechanism is linked to the strap button near the neck. Pull down on the neck while wearing a strap and it stretches the string. Then you can also have the hipshot that is activated by the hip pushing a lever by the tail of the guitar. It mostly is a B string thing too. The third version is the palm bender that attaches to the bridge tailpeice and you use your palm to push it down thus stretching the string."





ROCKWELL AT THE BLACKBOARD/ HANK RAY AT BAKERSFIELD SOUND STUDIOS FOR BLT RECORD


The Parsons/White B-Bender is still the world's best B-Bender. The first B-Bender, built by Gene Parsons for Clarence White, changed the history of country rock and the Telecaster guitar. I have a Hip Shot that mounts to the tail piece of my Mexican Fender Stratocaster. Howard Yearwood mounted mine on my Strat this winter. I had not seen Howard in 25 years or so and he was playing lead guitar for Homer Joy ( Homer Joy is no relation to Homer Simpson, but did write "Streets of Bakersfield for Buck Owens).
It was at a show set up by Rockwell at the WORLD FAMOUS "BLACK BOARD STAGE" at Trouts
in Oildale, just North of the Bridge from Bakersfield, California. It was a great show
and Howard lit up the stage with his maple Tele with bending that would have made even Clarence smile (he didn't smile much). Homer sang and played rhythm (Theresa Spanke- sang back up and lead on a couple outstanding tunes) Howard did the B bendin'. After the show howard and I talked for dozens of minutes about his life and mine and the love we both had for the music of Clarence White. He invited me over to his home in the San Fernando Valley and he hooked me up with his old "Hip Shot" B bender. I have not seen one on a Strat before, but he adapted it and it works great------BOOYYYING...TWANGGGG! The first I used it was on the recording sessions at Bakersfield Sound Studio on BLT's next record. I can't wait to hear it. I will be recording a demo with it soon with the "Fried Burritos" (that do songs about the
original band).
About Howard Yearwood
SESSION GUITARIST AND RECORD PRODUCER * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * **** Instruments played: GUITAR (acoustic, electric, high strung, Gretsch, various Telecasters w/B benders, baritone, 12 stg. acoustic and electric, Coral electric sitar)***** BASS (electric and upright)***** DOBRO***** WEISSENBORN***** LAP STEEL***** MANDOLIN***** BANJO***** UKE***** KEYS***** ********************************************************************** People with whom I've performed and recorded: DIANE MARIE AULT, JEFFREY MICHAELS, HOMER JOY, ALBERT LEE, ROBERT HEFT, JOHN FOGERTY, FREDDY FENDER JR., VINCE GILL, BYRON BERLINE, MICKEY JONES(Bob Dylan, Kenny Rogers), ROSE MADDOX,THERESA SPANKE, CHARLIE RICH, KEVIN McKENDREE, LEROY MACK, LEE SKLAAR, JAYDEE MANESS, Al PERKINS, ED PONDER, GREG LEISZ, THE GOSHORN BROS., CANDY GIRARD, FRED NEWELL, TOMMY SPURLOCK, GARY MORSE, ERIC NILSEN, DOUG ALTMAN, RYS CLARK, BUDDY & JULIE MILLER, JIM LAUDERDALE, THE LOST CANYON RANGERS, MAYF NUTTER, JAMES INTVELD, SHARON CORT, MICHAEL CHAIN, TERRY HANSON, BILLY BLOCK, RONNIE COX, EDDIE DEAN, JOHN JORGENSEN, GEORGE HIGHFILL, GARY HILL, DAVE RAVEN, JEFF CONNORS, CHRISTINE CLARK, JACK DANIELS, PAUL MARSHALL, JIM CHRISTIE, JONATHAN YUDKIN, SPADY BRANNEN, BILLY PANDA, SAMANTHA ELIN, JO ANNE KURMAN, TRACY BARNES, LANIE MITCHELL, ERIC WHITE, JOHN AND NANCY STEVENSON, DEAN DOBBINS, JAN MICHAEL VINCENT, DAVID CARRIDINE, ERIN O'BRYAN, & (oh yeah) FRANK SINATRA ...................... opened for WILLIE NELSON, RICK NELSON, MEL TILLIS, BILL MONROE, LESTER FLATT, MARTY STUART, JIM AND JESSE, RALPH STANLEY, DEL McCOURY, DOC WATSON, THE COUNTRY GENTLEMEN ........and too many So. Cal and Nashville artists to mention ****************************************************************** HOLLYWOOD STUFF ************************************************************************** FILM: "Letters from a Killer) (Patrick Swayze), Man on the Moon (Jim Carrey), The Theory of Everything (haven't been paid yet), Revamped (vampires, bikers, bar fight, I wrote the song)* TELEVISION: Beauty and the Geek (banjo @ hodown), The Home Show, Days of Our Lives, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman (recurring role), FamilyMatters, Beverly Hillbillies video (promo for the film with Jim Varney and Jerry Scoggins)**************************************************************** COMMERCIALS: Dr. Pepper w/Charlie Rich and David Naughton, Continental Airlines, VanDeCamps ******************************************************************** VIDEO GAMES: Redneck Rampage (soundtrack)

Howard and I have been Clarence White fans since the late 1960s. We spend hours in the late 1970s talking about Clarence and his music and trading rare tapes. Howard used to teach me Clarence style bluegrass flat picking but I am fairly inept and was only able to pick up a little here and there. My brother Ted and I were giant fans of all thing Clarence and we still collect his stuff today. I used to live in Palmdale not far away from where the accident was, it still makes me sad. I did get tojam with Eric White fairly often when I lived in the Lancaster/ Palmdale area, usually at "Del Sur Gardens" and "The Buffalo Club".

Clarence White (FROM THE FENDER PLAYERS' CLUB)

"An extraordinary country flatpicker, Clarence White inspired the emerging country-rock scene in the late 1960s. Influenced by Bill Monroe and Doc Watson, White began his career playing bluegrass and country with his brother Roland in their bands the Country Boys and the Kentucky Colonels, before moving into session work in the mid ‘60s.







In 1966 he signed with Bakersfield International Records, where he and friend Gene Parsons formed Nashville West, and along the way, invented the Parsons/White String Bender, an amazing device attached to a guitar strap that allows guitarists to get a pedal-steel string bend from a Fender Telecaster.
Also influenced by British rock bands of that time, White found his talents in demand with the hitmaking folk-rock band the Byrds at the same time their personnel lineup was falling apart. He participated in the Byrds’ direction change into country music during Gram Parsons’ brief tenure with the band, and played on the groundbreaking album Sweetheart of the Rodeo in 1968 before joining the band full-time along with Gene Parsons (no relation).





White made five albums with the Byrds, all heavily country-influenced, until the band broke up in 1973. Following the breakup, he hooked up with his brother again along with other country-rock artists of the time for touring and recording. Tragically, at the very peak of the country-rock scene he had helped create, Clarence White was killed by a drunk driver while loading his car after a gig in California in July, 1973. "



THE NIGHT I BOUGHT MY TELECASTER:



Jeffrey Michael's 40 Years Ago In Bakersfield, In A Night At Joes'
Jeffrey Michael's

About Joes


"Joe’s Great American Bar & Grill opened March 7, 2005. Our style is true and true, red white and blue, with a real traditional and warm establishment. Our hours are 10am to 2am seven days a week. During football season we open at 9am Saturday and Sunday and serve breakfast until 11am (subject to change, call for details). We are a full bar and have a great food menu. There is plenty of room here with a capacity of 210 with lots of parking. This place is a melting pot for all, whether you are 21 or 101, you will fit right in. Joe’s is also the proud owner of Champs Sports Pub, the best Sports Bar in Burbank and one of the very first sports bars in Los Angeles since 1983.

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

We have live entertainment seven nights a week. We pride ourselves in being one of the best live entertainment bars with a large dance floor in the San Fernando Valley. We have an eclectic selection of music such as Country, Swing, Rockabilly, Rhythm & Blues, Karaoke and good old fashioned American Classic Rock and Roll. You have got to check us out, the joint is jumpin every night of the week. This is definitely a great place to come for drinks with friends, do some dancing, and a great place by far to bring a date." (joesgreatamericanbar.com).









I headed down to Burbank form (and for) Bakersfield Friday night to see Jeffrey Michaels play at "Joe's' Great American Bar". There was almost no traffic on the way up the "Grape Vine" or down the grade and over to Burbank. I arrived about dusk and the band was unloading in front of the bar. I had met Jeffery over Myspace, whom his lead guitar player, Howard Yearwood recommended. I walked down the sidewalk into the bar and introduced myself to the band. After that I helped Howard unload his equipment. I felt like I was a small part of something really big.

I had intended on interviewing the band before the show but they we really buzzy setting up and greeting fans. I setup my video camera and visited a bit with Mark Thomas, who does upright, and electric bass. Mark listened to my rambling about my country music horror film - where giant ants eat Bakersfield, he thought I was nuts. I didn't get the interview or giant ant film footage I went for, but I saw a truly great country music show. It brought me back to the old Flying Burrito brother shows I used to thrive on. I stayed for one set and had to go, but it was one of those shows you could hang for hours and throughly enjoy every second. The electricity of the performance was emanating from the entire band the entire time. I had spoken to Jeffery on the phone the day before the show and he had said "the band plays every show with the conviction and energy they would use at a giant arena, and they surly lived up to their creed! I was really stoked when Jeffery dedicated a Buck Owens song to yours truly, Hank Ray, "all the way from Bakersfield" - that was cool. There was some really cool elements to this show that really stood out to me. Jeffery has some really classic Dwight Yokem moments, done well, Howard Yearwood pulled off some amazing Clarence White, Albert Lee and even some James Burton. But throughout they maintained a sense of themselves, it was a great show - they are something good and I am sure they are on they way to the top, BLT said this best in his classic Jeffrey Michael interview (Rising Up from the Underground, BLT 2008) and his quotes are near the end of this blog..


About Jeffrey Michaels from Myspace:
"The inception of Jeffrey Michael's sound echoes back twenty years to rural Appalachia. There, in what’s known as the ‘Tri-state area’ where the borders of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia all come together, Jeffrey grew up. The geographical location provided multiple musical influences. He soaked-up his parents love for the oldies, the Southern rock and country music of his surroundings, and the gospel and blues music of his idols.

It’s no wonder Jeffrey's music cannot be put into a category, nor labeled by the current music scene. Characterized by powerful vocals that range from ethereal and haunting to raw and raucous, Jeffrey's innovative melodies and eclectic array of styles manage to bring elements of roots, blues, and rock & roll to country, and create a soulful and passionate sound unequaled by today's standards.

Years of touring with national acts have honed Jeffrey's stage skills to that of a consummate professional, while his natural charm and down to earth personality keep him accessible to his audience.



Jeffrey Michael's debut album, "Endless Rd." Released in 2001 continues to gain critical acclaim nationally. The 2005 release of the singles “Mile High” and "One Woman Man" set the stage for the release of his current self-titled album, Jeffrey Michaels which is available at C.D. baby, select stores, and live performances


Spending the past few years touring and living in east Texas. Jeffrey has moved back to, and currently performing in Southern California. Jeffrey is working on a new album which contains 11 new originals as well as a remake of Buck Owens "Second Fiddle. Hoping to be out in the fall of '08. WINNERS RECORDS partners with Steven Sharp's Sharp Objects In a superb 16-year career, Steven Sharp has promoted more than 60 No.1 hits to Country Radio, including Alan Jackson's first chart-topper, "Here In The Real World". Steven has Jeffrey Michaels' powerful story song "Mile High" slated to be released Aug. 22 to over 2800 radio stations in the United States and overseas, supporting Jeffrey's newest CD, which debuted in Ft Worth, TX, April 6, 2005.

Exerts from: Jeffrey Michaels: The historic very first Bakersfield Sound Underground interview ever!Rising Up from the Underground Dr BLT Interviews Jeffrey Michaels :“The sound comes natural to me. As a kid I didn't know that there was something called the Bakersfield sound. I watched HEE HAW and knew that when Buck sang he meant it. He seemed to be sad when he sang a sad song, and happy when
he sang something up beat. That's what singing is to me. It's putting your heart in to what you're saying. I love that the Bakersfield sound wasn't about going against
the grain, but just doing what you feel.Howard Yearwood is on B-Bender, baritone guitar, banjo, and the B.U.Vox. Then we have Mark Thomas, who does upright, and electric bass.










Then, we have Paulie "Deadwood" Sinacor on drums. I'm working on a new album that I hope to have done by July.
The band has been performing some of the material that's going to be on it. I feel like it's getting a good response.Jeffrey Michaels: Where else? Myspace. www.myspace.com/jeffreymichaelsmusic

This is more than a concert or show review for me; it was sort of a crossroads for me. When I was a kid I was a huge fan of twang, you know – “the Bakersfield sound”. I loved the early Buck Owens music and all the incarnations of the Flying Burrito Brothers. My brother and I would sneak into the Palomino Club in North Hollywood and watch The Flying Burrito Brothers, Emmylou Harris and the Hot Band, Freddie Fender, Country Gazette and so on. I was hooked on the music, and my dad and I never missed Buck Owens on T.V. This was the late 1960s and early 1970s. In about 1976 or so I got the erg to learn the music myself, some of the local folks around my school said there was a guy that played guitar like Clarence white (Clarence was the guitar god among my buddies), he played bluegrass in a band called “Hot Off The Press”. My brother drove me up to Calabasas and we caught a couple shows and later we saw them at some of the many Bluegrass festivals they had around back then. Not long after that I went over to the Blue Ridge Picking Parlor on Reseda Blvd near Ventura Blvd. My dad had made me a nice little banjo when I was about 13, so I had a little picking experience. I didn’t have much money, but I scrimped and saved and mowed a lot of lawns and started taking flat pick guitar lessons from Howard Yearwood. I took the lessons for about a year and discovered I simply could not do it. But those days were great for me; we would talk about Clarence White and trade rare tapes stuff. I quite the lessons but still touched base with Howard at the local festivals until about 1978. Then one day I went to see Homer Joy play at the Black Board Stage, Homer Wrote Streets of Bakersfield for Buck Owens. In any case we reunited after 30 years as friends and are friends once again.