Some Figures From The 1950's & 60's

Peter Tork ~ Bassist, singer and multi-instrumentalist for the Monkees, he didn't sing on many of their hits ("Auntie Grizzelda" being an exemption) but he did play an variety of stringed and keyed instruments including bass, guitar, piano, organ, harpsichord, banjo and sitar.

THE MONKEES ~ "YOUR AUNTIE GRIZZELA";


THE MONKEES ~ "WHAT AM I DOING HANGING ROUND";


PETER TORK ~ "HIGHER & HIGHER";


PETER TORK ~ "Solfeggietto"



Paul Whaley ~ drummer for Blue Cheer, the first Metal band. Also the first Thrash band & first Stoner Rock band. I saw and interviewed them years ago and they sounded the same;

BLUE CHEER ~ "SUMMERTIME BLUES";


BLUE CHEER ~ "FEATHERS FROM YOUR TREE";


BLUE CHEER ~ "SATISFACTION";



Dean Haydcock ~ Bassist with 1960's UK band the Hollies

THE HOLLIES ~ "LOOK THROUGH ANY WINDOW";


THE HOLLIES ~ "CARRIE ANNE";


THE HOLLIES ~ "I CAN'T LET GO";



Dean Ford ~ Singer with 1960's Scottish band Marmalade ("I See The Rain Again")

MARMALADE ~ "I SEE THE RAIN";


MARMALADE ~ "BABY MAKE IT SOON";


MARMALADE ~ "OB-LA-DI-OB-LA-DA";



Gus Backus ~ Singer with 1950's & 60's Doo Wop group The Del Vikings ("Come Go With Me");

THE DEL VIKINGS ~ "COME GO WITH ME";



Pete Posa ~ New Zealand Surf guitarist

PETE POSA ~ "GUITAR BOOGIE";



Johnny Hutchinson ~ Drummer for 1960's Liverpool band The Big Three and (briefly) The Beatles;
THE BIG THREE ~ "WHAT I SAY";



Bonnie Guitar ~ 1950's & 60's Rockabilly & Country singer/guitarist

BONNIE GUITAR ~ "MR FIRE EYES";



Mean Steve Carroll ~ 1950's Rockabilly singer and later pro wrestling TV host

MEAN STEVE CARROLL - "IS IT EVER GONNA HAPPEN";



Sol Yaged ~ Jazz clarinetist w/Red Allen, Jack Teagarden, Willie The Lion Smith, Coleman Hawkins;

Mac Wiseman ~ Country and Blugrass singer from the 1950's & 60's;

MAC WISEMAN ~ "LOVE LETTERS IN THE SAND";



Leon Rausch - 91 - American singer with Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys;

BOB WILLS & TEXAS PLAYBOYS ~ "STAY A LITTLE LONGER";



Maxine Brown ~ Singer with 1950's Country group The Browns ("Three Bells");

THE BROWNS ~ "SCARLET RIBBONS" & "LOOK BEHIND ME";


THE BROWNS ~ "THREE BELLS";



Eddie Tigner ~ Pianist for Elmore James and the Inkspots;

ELMORE JAMES ~ "IT HURTS ME TOO";


THE INK SPOTS ~ "I'D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN";



Doris Day ~ Pop and Big Band singer and actor from the 1950's to the 70's;

DORIS DAY ~ "MY LAST HORIZON";


DORIS DAY ~ "SECRET LOVE";



Einar Iversen - 88 - Norwegian jazz pianist and composer

EINAR IVERSON;

Merle Haggard, Ralph Stanley And Other Country Singers

Merle Haggard ~ 79 ~ was one of the stars of the 1960's California based American Outlaw Country movement which included Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, David Allen Coe and Jessi Colter.

MERLE HAGGARD ~ "SING ME BACK HOME";


His family had migrated from Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl and Haggard had mant brushed with the law including a spell in San Quentin Prison where he saw Johnny Cash perform and was inspired to become a musician himself. Released in 1960 he began recording in 1962 and would go on to score 37 number one hits from 1966 to 1987 including classics like "Okie from Muskogee", "The Fightin' Side of Me", "Carolyn", "Momma Tried", "If We Make It Through December", "Sing Me Back Home" and "Pancho & Lefty" (with Willie Nelson) which chronicled the white working class. He also produced an aclaimed tribute album to Bob Wills and was supposed to produce Gram Parson's first solo album but backed out. Parsons would record a version of "Sing Me Back Home". Haggard won Grammy Awards in 1984, 1998, and 1999. MERLE HAGGARD ~ "MAMMA TRIED";


MERLE HAGGARD ~ "OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE";


Ralph Stanley ~ 89 ~ Virginia born banjo player and singer with The Stanley Brothers and The Clinch Mountain Boys from the 1940's onward "Man Of Constant Sorrow", "Pretty Polly" (covered by The Byrds & The Sadies), "Little Glass Of Wine" (also covered by The Sadies) and "O'Death". The Stanley Bros were a major influence on The Everly Bros. Was still working up to a couple years ago and was part of the "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack

THE STANLEY BROS ~ "WORRIED MAN BLUES";


THE STANLEY BROS ~ "HOW MOUNTAIN GIRLS CAN LOVE";


THE STANLEY BROS ~ "RANK STRANGER";


Guy Clark ~ 74 ~ Grammy winning Country singer/songwriter, songs covered by Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Buffett, Lyle Lovett, Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner, and Rodney Crowell, Johnny Cash, David Allan Coe, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Brad Paisley, John Denver, Alan Jackson, Rodney Crowell, The Highwaymen, and Kenny Chesney, recoded with Emmylou Harris

GUY CLARK ~ "COUNTRY MORNING MUSIC";


GUY CLARK ~ "BLUEBIRD WINE";


SONNY JAMES ~ 87 ~ American country singer-songwriter with numerous hits from the 1950's to the 1980's with ballads like "Young Love" and covers of songs like "Running Bear", "Only The Lonely", "Lovesick Blues" and "Abilene", later a producer for Marie Osmond.

SONNY JAMES ~ "YOUNG LOVE";


SONNY JAMES ~ "RUNNING BEAR"


Bonnie Brown ~ 77 ~ American country singer w/1950's band The Browns ("The Bells")

THE BROWNS ~ "THREE BELLS";


THE BROWNS ~ "I HEARD THE BLUEBIRDS SING";


Dave Swarbrick ~ 75 ~ British fiddler singer-songwriter w/Fairport Convention

FAIRPORT CONVENTION ~


James King ~ 58 ~ Virginia Bluegrass singer/songwriter known as The Bluegrass Storyteller

JAMES KING ~ "LEAVING";