groyster1
277 posts
Jul 30, 2010
7:20 PM
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my love for blues began in the mid-late 60s listening to john r r&b late night on clear channel wlac in nashville-I lived in oak ridge,tennessee as I do now---did anybody in the forum ever hear john r---I know there must be some in this forum older than me
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Kyzer Sosa
721 posts
Jul 31, 2010
12:54 AM
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im not too far from ya groyster (hendersonville), and im probably a bit younger than you but i do remember a bit about him...let me do some homework, i may be able to put my finger on something...
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Kyzer's Travels
Kyzer's Artwork
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groyster1
278 posts
Jul 31, 2010
7:36 AM
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@kyzer
you can buy some recordings of some clips of his shows on cd from amazon-the first time I heard howlin wolf or muddy waters was on his show he played 100% african american music and would play demos for struggling artist to give them exposure
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GEEZER1
63 posts
Jul 31, 2010
1:39 PM
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How could I forget John R on WLAC Nashville, He was on late at night playing the greatest blues artists and advertising for Randy's Record Shop, seller of blues records or "Race records " as they were called back then, His Theme song was "Dig These Blues" by the "Four Clefs". when you heard them start playing , you knew some good blues would be played even if it did fade in and out and a little static , winter was the best time to listen to John R
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joeleebush
41 posts
Jul 31, 2010
3:07 PM
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I started listening to R&B in 1948 when I was 9 years old, here in Atlanta. On WAOK and WBGE...The Roosevelt Johnson Show, Jack The Bell Boy, Daddy Sears and "Diggin' the Discs", and Zilla Mayes, "The Dream Girl".
In all those years I never heard the music called "race music". Anywhere in Georgia or Florida or Alabama. Must have been a northern thing.
As young adults we started listening to WLAC with John R. and of course "the jivin' hoss man..."Hoss Allen".
Parked with a honey in the city parks practicing "tongue warbles" etc. etc. etc.
Coca Cola made a big promotional radio that operated on 2 of those big dry cell batteries and we'd go up on top of Stone Mountain at night, kids from all over the city and party...listening to WLAC. The signal would come in loud and clear up on top of that granite mountain.
Just some rambling memories here from an old guy....
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groyster1
281 posts
Jul 31, 2010
3:48 PM
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there was actually a time period when blues or r&b was actually called race records but that time period goes way back to the days of 78s--I always thought john r was black until I found out later but then again it never made a bit of difference to me"this is john r way down in dixie"
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GEEZER1
64 posts
Aug 01, 2010
2:19 PM
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Here in Memphis we had a great time of it back in those days, Dewey Phillips on WHBQ "Red Hot and Blue. WDIA an all black station with BB King,Rufus Thomas. etc. KWAM in W Memphis Ark with radio shows live with Howling Wolf, and some times Sonny Boy (Rice Miller) This Geezer heard Dewey Phillips play Elvis for the first time on WHBQ, Blue Moon of Kentucky and "Thats Alright" ripped off of Authr Big Boy Crudup of course, it was some great times for sure. Years later I learned how to bend on a harp and get some of those sounds, but never as good as those masters. We also had Beale street to hear it live. wish i had saved some of those show bills on telephone poles, but didn't.
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GEEZER1
65 posts
Aug 01, 2010
2:21 PM
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p s I knew they called them "Race Records" Because my Dad and Brother owned a record ship and that was what RCA and others called their blues recordings....
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groyster1
283 posts
Aug 02, 2010
10:12 AM
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@geezer
thanks for your posting-its great for me to reflect back to john r show and how my love for blues music began--john r and hoss allen--rip
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groyster1
2039 posts
Oct 07, 2012
3:22 PM
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thought I would reflect back again about john r....I saw terry bean at a festival in fairview,tn and he talked about his early influences in north mississippi....I love the history of the blues...it will never die
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