From The Big O To The Wild Man

Roy Orbison
1936-1988
Roy made a lot of good music at Sun Studio before he moved uptown. 'You're My Baby' and 'Go!Go!Go!' are both classic 1956 rockabilly.

Marvin Rainwater
born 1925
Marvin's fourth MGM 45, 'Mr. Blues w/ 'Hot and Cold' does it for me, can't go wrong with either side.  

Jackie Lee Cochran
1934-1998
'Mama Don't You Think I Know' is my pick.

Clyde Stacy
born 1936
I first heard Clyde on the "Big Al Downing and  His Friends" record. It's one of rockabilly's finest moments. 

Here's a picture of my Hoy Hoy.

Hasil Adkins
1937-2005
I first met Hasil Adkins before he played at Dick's Last Resort in 1998 during downtown's Street Scene. He told me he hadn't been to San Diego since 1957, when he was in the Navy. He also asked if I was a fan of his music and if I had any favorites he could play, "and don't gimme that She Said..". I chose 'She'll See Me Again' from his 1986 Norton record.Sure enough, he played it and it's still my favorite song of his. ['Head On The Wall' is right up there too]
After the show we got to have a few beers with Haze [he liked his beer warm, cold beer hurts your throat] while he told stories about his crazy neighbors in WV. I think Scott from Meatwagon videotaped it all. We also saw the show at The Garage in L.A. [with Lux and Ivy in attendance] which lasted about 15 minutes before Haze was overcome with spirit of Keith Moon. The Fat Possum tour manager said that was his way out when he didn't feel like playing. I also saw what turned out to be Hasil's last show at the 2004 Rockaround in Las Vegas.  

A New Spark

Here are some rockabilly artist caricatures I've been doing over the past few years. They were all just pencil sketches I had kind of abandoned since I didn't know what to do with them.

I recently received a complimentary note from a well-respected rock author which has inspired me to ink these guys a few at a time and post them up here. Rockabilly music has been a big part of my life since the mid 1980's when The Cramps opened up the doors to the wild side of life. Here are the first five.

Johnny Powers
born 1938
I first hear Johnny on the "Bop That Never Stopped" comps, which led to his Rollercoaster LP's. 'Long Blond Hair' from 1957 is still my favorite.

A signed 8 x 10 from about 1991 when Johnny gave me orders to "keep rockin'."

The mysterious Tommy Lam
I think everyone agrees 'Speed Limit' from 1959 is Tommy's best.

Gene Vincent
1935-1971
I'll never get tired of hearing 'Race With The Devil'. Gene kept on making good music on through the 60's and up until his death in 1971. 

A flier for the '58 Blue Caps reunion with Jerry Merritt. Buddy Knox [whose guarantee wasn't met] stayed on the tour bus for the San Diego show. 1996 

Malcolm Yelvington
1918-2001
Malcolm was a country musician playing rockabilly before it was called that. His unissued Sun track, 'Got Me A Trumpet' is another favorite of mine. 

Joe Clay
born 1939
Joe recorded nine rockin' sides for the Vik label in 1956. The unreleased, 'You Look That Good To Me" featuring guitarist, Mickey Baker is a real scorcher. I got to see Joe perform in San Diego in the late '90's.

Misplaced Misunderstood

The Misunderstood
Rick Moe, Rick Brown, Tony Hill, Steve Whiting and Glenn Campbell

Psychedelic rock greats, The Misunderstood, from near-by Riverside, CA.

Drawn in September of last year and found again yesterday.

What About Us?

Like the Coasters asked, 'what about us', Pop Hall of Fame?

More ignored founding fathers, pioneers and influential artists from unpopular genres like rockabilly, garage glam and doo-dah.

Charlie Feathers
1932-1998

Link Wray
1929-2005

The Sonics
Andy Parypa, Larry Parypa, Jerry Roslie, Bob Bennett and Rob Lind

T. Rex
Marc Bolan, Mickey Finn, Bill  Legend and Steve Currie

The Bonzo Dog Band
Clockwise from left: 'Legs' Larry Smith, Rodney Slater, Neil Innes, Vivian Stanshall, Dave Clague and Roger Ruskin-Spear.
Difficult to see: Vernon Dudley Bohey-Nowell, Dennis Cowan, Sam Spoons, Joel Druckman, and the Rawlinsons

Pete Johnson
1904-1967
Our new Epson scanner rotates this drawing slightly every time I try to scan it. Roll 'em, Pete.

Ramones Rumored Return

Wigs all around: Meet the new Ramones [l-r] Rici, Pauly, Marky and Gigi.

   Marky Ramone is rumored to be adopting some new brothers to play with. Founding Kiss members, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have been in talks with Ramone about touring under the Ramones' name. Simmons commented, "After going over the figures with Mark, it looks like we could make even more money being another band." Kiss will still be touring this summer with stand-in members [rumored to be earning minimum wage] while Stanley and Simmons work as Pauly and Gigi Ramone. Former Cars front man, Ric Ocasek will also be joining the family as lead vocalist.

The Original Syd and Nancy

Syd and Nancy
C. Earnhart 2013

Paul and Art

Simonon and Garfunkel
C. Earnhart 2013

Ignored Pioneers, Part 2

Some other Little Richard-style rockers. Honorable mention to Tony Harris and Big Al Downing.

S.Q. Reeder, Jr.
Eskew Reeder
ESQUERITA!
1935-1986
Some people think Little Richard was doing a toned-down Esquerita impersonation. If he was, it must have been hard for him to control, more than a couple of Richard's Specialty sessions begin with Art Rupe begging him to "please, slow it down".
Blue Cap, Paul Peek used his pull as clapper boy and got Eskew signed to Capitol Records who actually released, Esquerita!, one of the rawest albums of the 50's, just maybe a few years too late in style. Despite it's greatness, I doubt "There's a hole in my heart and my love leaked out" got much air play. 
The liner notes to S.Q.'s 1959 LP say, "...Esquerita stoutly insists on his right to wear what he calls "Esquire-ita" outfits: generally a lace-ribbed jacket-shirt with a fist-sized rhinestone brooch at the top button, and wraparound, close-fitting sunglasses splashed with smaller rhinestones. An oversized wrist watch and band hold tightly onto one chopping arm and his long hair sails skyward."



Larry Williams
1935-1980
Lloyd Price's valet and the author of  "Slow Down", "She Said Yeah", "Bony Moronie", "Short Fat Fanny", Dizzy Miss Lizzy", 'Bad Boy" and several others. When rock music was young and dumb Larry was the man. Another old pal of Little Richard's, Larry ended up producing Richard's Okeh sessions in 1966 and '67 and ten years later almost killed him over a drug deal. William's was found shot in the head in Los Angeles home. His songs have been covered by everyone from Bill Haley to The Jam.    

Don Harris
1938-1999
and
Dewey Terry
1937-2003
Don and Dewey were also more successful as songwriters with Dale and Grace's 1963 #1, "I'm Leaving It Up To You". The Searchers' and Premiers both recorded "Farmer John" and The Olympics' "Big Boy Pete" in 1960. The duo's own recordings for the Specialty label, like "Justine" and the Sonny Bono penned, "Koko Joe" were a little too crazy for the radio. The pair also backed-up former label mate, Little Richard for his 1964 comeback.



Ignored Pioneers

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is back at it again, currently trying to decide if Randy Newman is more rockin' than Kraftwerk or Chic. Oooh, what about the Captain and Tenille?
The hall could easily avoid a lot of criticism by changing their name to the more accurate, Pop Music Hall of Fame. Instead, they clutch onto their misnomer and show us annually how little they know about rock music. Face it guys, you are all about the most popular music, whether you think it sounds cool or not. The hall knows damn well they will be inducting Christina Aguilera long before Arthur Lee and Love are ever considered. They don't dig The Sonics, like me and you, they don't get it.
Here are some more caricatures of the ignored, some of rock's founding fathers who have been left out of the hall for over 25 years now. I guess they figured they had all their bases covered with the induction of Jelly Roll Morton?

Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup
1905-1974
Arthur's 1947 release of "That's All Right" was Elvis' first record for Sun in July of 1954. Elvis also recorded Crudup compositions, "My Baby Left Me" and "So Glad You're Mine". Unfortunately, Crudup's royalties were not collected in his lifetime.



Mr. Blues, Wynonie Harris
1915-1969
Wynonie hit #1 in the R and B charts with "Good Rockin' Tonight" in June of 1948. "Bloodshot Eyes", "Good Morning, Judge", "Down Boy Down", "Blow Your Brains Out" and many more great songs done before Elvis was King.



Roy Brown
1925-1981
The composer and first recording of "Good Rockin' Tonight" in September of 1947. Chosen as Elvis' second release for Sun Records in September of 1954. Roy finally did hit the #1 spot with "Hard Luck Blues" in 1950. Hard luck was right though, soon after Roy was blackballed for trying to collect his royalties from King Records.



Amos Milburn
1927-1980
Amos had a #1 R and B hit with "Chicken Shack Boogie" in December of 1948 and a #2  with "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer" in 1953. The Rolling Stones covered Amos' 1946 tune, "Down The Road Apiece" on 1965's The Rolling Stones, Now! LP.  

Roy Hall
1922-1984
Roy's "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On" was released by Decca in September 1955. Roy's after-hours club in Nashville, The Music Box, was where a under-age Jerry Lee Lewis played piano 'til dawn. "Three Alley Cats" from 1956 is my favorite.



More to come...

Is That Exactly What I Thought I Read?

The Who in 1966

clockwise from top: John Entwistle, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend and Keith Moon

The Who since 2002

l to r: Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey

They don't give a shit Keith Moon is dead

Is that exactly what I thought I read?

Pete Townshend - Jools and Jim

So, the organizers of the upcoming London Olympic games don't even know Moonie's dead. London, the city where Moon lived and died in 1978. Maybe they were under the impression a successful sobriety had kept him from the headlines for the past three decades? "He moved away to Malibu years ago." More than likely, we are dealing with people under 30 and the popular excuse, "how am I supposed to know what happened before I was born?"

The above Who caricatures were done in late 2003 while working at Lyle Tuttle's.

Three 50's Rockers

Brian Holden

1939-1991

The original Ziggy Stardust.

Jalacy Hawkins

1929-2000

What walks on two feet and looks like a goat? It's that crazy Screamin' Jay in a bright yellow coat. I got to see Jay twice around 1989-91 with Bo Diddley Jr. playing guitar.

Wanda was born in 1937.

I've seen her perform quite a few times from 1995 up until a couple of years ago and she still sounds incredible.

A few more scans of rock and blues caricatures from about 12 years ago.

Three Fathers from the South

The Father of the Delta Blues

1887-1934

The Father of Country Music

1897-1933

The Father of Texas Blues

1893-1929

More old caricatures from the late 90's.

Not Right

Dr. Ann Johnson had suggested Twiggy Pop to me, but I've always preferred Twiggy as a Stooge. A Twiggy Pop painting is coming soon.

Chris Earnhart

2012

You Remind Me

OUTSIDERS

Chris Earnhart 2010

One of my favorite bands. I first heard their music through the Tell-Tale Hearts in 1984 then the Pebbles' The Continent Lashes Back comps. In the early 90's I recieved a cassette of the early singles and self-titled debut lp from Mr. Ron Swart, who supplied the tunes for the original Pebbles comps. Thanks, Ron.

Their amazing second album, CQ can heard at http://psychedelic-rocknroll.blogspot.com/

CQ is really an over-looked masterpiece of the psychedelic era.

You also can't go wrong with the singles collection, Strange Things Are Happening.

No Elvis, Beatles or the Rolling Stones

"I don't think about that stuff. I just think about who's doing what to me and what I'm going to do about it."
Joe Strummer on politics, 1977

"Although they are talented musicians, they seem to have dug themselves into an unoriginal Who hole out of which it may be difficult for them to climb."
Caroline Coon on The Jam, 1977

The nutty sound of 1979 in '82.

This was the Modern World

The Creation

The Animals

John's Children

The Gangs of New York

The Velvet Underground

Ramones

Talking Heads