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"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." Dr. Hunter S. Thompson  "It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it." David Stanowski To find older articles; use Search or Site Map |
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Thursday
09 February 2012
Benefit for Gary Lee Rodriguez! How many times has Gary Lee stepped up when a fellow musician needed help? Well now it's his turn to need your help! Gary Lee was involved in a serious work-related accident and has been unable to work, and needs help with his medical bills. Save the date, Saturday 03 March
Contact Mike Fontenot 409-599-5525 or Gary Lee 713-725-0212 to find out how you can pitch in and help! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
And now a word from our sponsor 
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Friday
15 July 2011
Win a Texas Customs Limited Edition Classic Guitar Texas Customs Guitars is focused on providing top-quality custom made guitars. Company officers wanted to find a way to help raise funds for the Houston Food Bank, so they teamed up with Barry’s Pizza to create a guitar giveaway to raise money for the Houston nonprofit organization.  Through Labor Day, simply come in to Barry's Pizza to register to win this awesome guitar. While you are on location, please consider making a cash donation, of any amount, to the Houston Foodbank for the privilege of registering. The Texas Customs Limited Edition Texas Classic guitar is currently on display at Barry’s Pizza, 6003 Richmond Avenue, Houston, Texas. The Texas Classic guitar is based on a 1950’s design, with a body made from premium red mahogany and premium silver maple, with a hand-rubbed tobacco burst finish. This guitar, is one of a limited edition of only 25, is not only an outstanding musical instrument, but also a beautiful work of art. The Houston Food Bank is the largest source of food for hunger relief charities in 18 southeast Texas counties. A network of nearly 500 food pantries, soup kitchens, senior centers, and other agencies feeding a total of 137,000 people each week provides more than 65 million pounds of food and prepared meals annually. Barry’s Pizza says Texas Customs has partnered with us to help promote the fine work that the Houston Food Bank does in the Houston community. It is a real pleasure to work with both groups to produce this fundraiser that will not only benefit a worthy organization but will also create a positive effect in the community. The event will also put a great Texas made custom guitar in a lucky contestant’s hands. The drawing will be on Labor Day, September 5th. There will also be quite a few additional gifts, treats and fun stuff that registrants will have the opportunity win the day of the drawing. Everyone is invited to come join the fun at Barry’s Pizza for a preview and to sign up for the drawing! Sheila Marshall will be performing the day of the drawing, Labor Day, September 5th, 7:30-11:00 pm!! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
And now a word from our sponsor
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Tuesday 12 July 2011
Magazine! I think the first time that I experienced Magazine was 6-8 years ago. The band was impressive that first time, and it has maintained that level over the years! It had been a few months since I had seen the band, so I was looking forward to the gig on July 3rd at Boudreaux's, with band leader Marty Monte's new rhythm section. Galveston County is truly blessed with some very talented musicians, and that is especially true of local guitar players. I would never want to be put in a position to have to pick the best guitar player in the County, but it is safe to say that Marty would have to be right at the top of the list! And the pride of Port Arthur uses his honey-coated Southeast Texas drawl to great effect in his role as lead singer, too! I can certainly attest to the fact that the latest configuration of Magazine is better than ever, and Marty never fails to amaze! It's hard to remember all the great songs we heard that day, but "Stranglehold" is always one of my favorites. They do a fantastic job covering that one! Marty also introduced some of the latest songs he has written, and gave me a copy of his new CD, recorded at Sugarhill Studios, called "It Ain't That Bad". He told me to listen to it, and then tell him what my favorite song was. I failed in my assignment, because I couldn't choose between "Gypsy Eyes" (electric version), and "So Long"; but it's ALL GOOD!! Be sure to catch the band live around Galveston County, and pick up the CD; you won't be disappointed!! Check it out: "Radar Love": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hayIyfVYrAA "Fly Like an Eagle": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg99Rw0dNnI "Gypsy Eyes": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oehr1zYfAco |
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Monday
14 March 2011
Stewart Beach!!! One of the truly amazing perks of living in this wonderful and yet crazy city is the opportunity to experience live Rock & Roll on the beach! I still remember how hopeful I was when I drove out to the Ship Channel, on the top of the Seawall, the day after Ike, to survey the damage to the East Beach Pavilion; Galveston's Rock & Roll cathedral on the beach. The Baja Beach Club was gone, and so was Nash's Bait Camp, but the Pavilion was still there! Yes, even from the Seawall, it was clear that the walls and part of the roof were gone, but could it be saved? Rebuilding was not to be, as the Park Board decided to tear it down with the promise to build a new pavilion at a later date. That was the day the music died on the beach! However, the Park Board and the Convention and Visitor's Bureau have announced an interim step until a new East Beach Pavlion can be built; music at Stewart Beach!! The pilot program begins this Sunday, 20 March, at 1 pm and will feature Galveston's Band on the Sand, The Line Up, Rockin' the Stewart Beach Pavilion until 4 pm!! The plan is to have The Line Up playing at Stewart Beach every third Sunday through August!! We hope to see you out there this Sunday supporting live music on the beach! http://www.galveston.com/stewartbeach/calendar/ |
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Thursday 27 February 2011
Benefit for Legendary Galveston Blues Guitarist Roy Lee Nelson I am very sorry to report that Roy Lee is in the latter stages of terminal heart disease. His fellow musicians and many fans are gathering together in a tribute to this legendary local guitarist this Saturday, 29 January 2011. The benefit is being organized by local musician Gary Lee. The celebration of the life and work of Roy Lee Nelson will begin at Noon and run until 2 am, at Melrose Pub, 2002 Postoffice. There will be auctions, raffles, and draws to raise money, so that Roy Lee will have the opportunity to experience at least some of the items on his "bucket list". The following soloists and bands will be performing at the benefit: Boo Schaaf Zak Perry Dwayne Hatfield Carl, the piano man Sneak Preview, featuring Gary Lee & Mike Fontenot Magazine, featuring Mike Fontenot Tommy Procter and Viva Los Chuys Reyna & Powerplay The Billy Bourbon Band Tomz Katz Hoozat Band Thrill Hill & the Real Deal Jimmie Ray and Remedy and Roy Lee's original band Unfinished Business The evening will end with an All-Star review Roy Lee Nelson  |
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Wednesday 29 December 2010
Mean Gene Kelton! I am very sorry to report that Gene was killed in a traffic accident last night. Texas has lost a great guitar player and song writer!  "Originally from Mississippi, "Mean" Gene Kelton was a staple on the local blues music scene for years with his band The Die Hards, though he was most well-known outside the city for novelty hits like "My Baby Don't Wear No Panties." Kelton was driving his Ford Explorer on FM 2100 in Crosby on Tuesday evening when he attempted to pass a car stopped to make a left turn and collided with a school bus carrying the Crosby ninth grade girls' basketball team. Kelton was killed in the wreck, but the 12 occupants of the bus escaped serious injury." Culture Map "In addition to his musical legacy, Kelton will be remembered for his active role in the musical community. "If there was ever a cause or a fundraising event, Kelton was always not just there but a part of it, making it a bigger success. He was a guy you could always count on," says Wood. "He will be missed." Kelton is survived by his wife Joni, his mother and his two children." "A native of Mississippi, Kelton (whose given name was Sidney), formed the Die Hards in 1992, singing lead vocals and playing guitar and harmonica. The band's blend of blues, Southern rock and rockabilly was an instant hit on the biker circuit, and the Die Hards appeared alongside Lynyrd Skynyrd, David Allan Coe, the Marshall Tucker Band and Omar & the Howlers, among many others. In early December, he opened for ZZ Top in Odessa. Their song "My Baby Don't Wear No Panties" became especially popular across the region via the TouchTunes Music Corporation, which distributes music to digital jukeboxes. According to Kelton's Web site, Kelton's music was available on 16,000 jukeboxes nationwide, and "Panties" went to No. 1 eight times. Kelton also starred in the 2009 independent movie Marfa Red, which was later renamed The Passage. His book, Gigs From Hell, just shipped last month. Here is an excerpt from the introduction:" Houston Press "Bright lights, facing the crowd, you'll bare your soul to the critics, hecklers, assholes, groupies and worshippers. You'll know the hopelessness of chasing your dream like a hobo chasing a freight train. You'll feel victorious from conquering the neon world with nothing but a song and a guitar, and then the loneliness of a cheap motel after a show." The Die Hards were scheduled to play at Rooster's Steak House in Baytown Thursday night and a daytime show at Rowdy Bucks Saloon in Crosby on New Year's Eve. "While he was known mostly in blues and biker circles, Kelton had recently branched out into acting, co-starring in Roberto Minervini's The Passage (formerly titled Marfa Red). The independent production, which chronicles an emotional road trip to Marfa, TX taken by a terminally ill woman, an ex-con (played by Kelton), and a British artist, received a $7,000 grant from the Austin Film Society back in September (which we reported on). Shortly after our post, Kelton posted to Art Attack: "Would like to thank the academy"... just kiddin'. Thanks to the Houston Press for this story and also special thanks to all involved with the making of the movie: "The Passage." For those of you who would like to read the "behind the scenes" story of the making of the movie (getting harassed by cops, lost in the desert, etc...) - and - how I (with ZERO acting experience) was literally plucked off the streets and placed in a co-starring movie role - please visit my website http://www.meangenekelton.com. Thanks, Mean Gene Kelton" Houston Press Leave your condolences: Mean Gene Kelton on Facebook $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Mean Gene Video Without Profits; the Strand Will Not Survive Guitarist, Singer 'Mean' Gene Kelton Killed in School Bus Crash: MyFoxHOUSTON.com |
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Thursday
23 December 2010
"It Might Get Loud"! Davis Guggenheim directs this fascinating profile of three contemporary guitarists: Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, U2's The Edge and Jack White of the White Stripes. Each talks about their creative process, technique and influences as cameras follow them to key locations in their own music history. A jam session featuring all three musicians is woven into their discussions "It Might Get Loud" is available as an on-line download from Netflix. Enjoy! |
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Wednesday 05 May 2010
George Elson is Back! The news that the media covered
was that George Elson, and his partners, reopened M&M Restaurant
& Bar with a new vision. The April
issue
of Galveston Monthly Magazine told the story of the rebirth of the
M&M, however, our sources tell us there may be much more to
this
story.
It seems that back in the 1980's, George Elson opened a pizza parlor just off Stewart Road. It didn't take long for him to transform this establishment into the hottest acoustic venue on the Island. It quickly became home to Galveston's top solo and duo acts. Legend has it that George was also able to book out-of-town talent that in some cases eventually went on to stardom! Is history repeating itself? Two
months after its 01 March opening, Mr. Elson has booked one of the
regular stars from the old pizza parlor days for the first performance
on the M&M patio! There has been no official announcement about
whether he intends to turn M&M into the Island's new hot spot,
but
those who remember the pizza parlor should be sure to come out on
Saturday to help launch live music at the M&M with
Mark Lee.
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Wednesday 03 December 2008
Road Trip! As many of you know, I don't leave the Island very often in search of live music, because we usually have so many great offferings right here at home. However, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, our local selection has been greatly diminished. This situation lead me up to the friendly confines of San Leon, last Sunday, to see one of my favorite bands, the Lawst Dogz! As usual, the Dogz Rocked the House, but it also gave me the chance to check out a new venue!  The Green Parrot Bar & Grill is a great new venue with a large outdoor patio that allows its customers to enjoy live music under the open Texas skies. If your band is looking for some gigs, until more venues get rebuilt here in Galveston, give Rhonda a call at 281-339-1392. She is booking Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons! It's worth a Road Trip to check this place out!!   |
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Saturday
15 November 2008
New Band! One of the real bright spots during the days just after Hurricane Ike was when I received a call from my good friend Mark Lee. He reported that all of his guitars and amps had survived in his house, out in the Uncivilized Territories, west of the Seawall!! This turn of good luck inspired him to start a new band called StillWorks! I've had the pleasure of hearing them twice, and these guys Rock! Check them out. To book the band call Mark at 409-682-8547. StillWorks |
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Thursday
16 October 2008
Island Music! From Robert Donovan: Folks, I got an ol' fashion ass-whoppin' from Hurricane Ike. Island Music had 7' of water inside the store and as luck would have it, we put everything 4' to 5' off the ground. So what's going to happen to Island Music? Who knows, but here are my plans; I have set up an office, working off a cell phone (409) 877-2565. If you have a urgent problem, please call me at this number. The land line (409) 763-6197 is scheduled to be back in service Oct. 15th, but as the phone company said to me, "But don't count on it." As most of you know, a big portion of my business was sound equipment, in churches. Many of these churches have water damage, like most of Galveston. My days are spent, right now, trying to help them get back running. I am also available to "ANYBODY" who might need me to come by and appraise your musical equipment for insurance purposes. This is free of charge, but please keep me in mind as you are replacing it, this probably will be the differences of Island Music having a retail store again! I also am working to get school band instruments in the hands of the kids returning to GISD. If you filled out papers to rent an instrument, you will be hearing from me in the next few days, if not please call me on the cell number. I hope you are all okay and if you need any help from me, please call! Robert "Bubba" Island Music |
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Friday 03 October 2008
It's Back! Miss Jacquelyn and I began the day of the storm watching the waves crash around the Balinese Room, until it got too dark to see what was happening. As we sat down to supper, the news announced that "Everyone still on Galveston Island faced certain death". After we were finished eating, we moved to the back porch to watch this bad boy named Ike unfold. The yard flooded as the eye approached, but we were very lucky because, the water didn't quite make it into our house! When we went to bed, after the back edge of the eye wall had passed directly over us, we had no idea what we would see in the daylight. The first indication of how bad things really were was when we saw that the Balinese Room was gone! That magnificent part of Galveston's past had stood its ground against every hurricane to come our way since 1923! When we realized what had happened, we could only hope that the local music community could bounce back from this storm after losing one of our most enduring symbols! As we toured areas north of Broadway, we saw just how bad the flooding had been closer to the Harbor; the losses were staggering! Would the City be able to recover from this? It wasn't long after that when we saw members of the Gonzalez family and said that Willie needed to return from San Antonio, because we needed some spiritual nourishment in this time of stress and trauma; we needed Rock and Roll! The next day, we drove by The Spot and saw Dennis and his crew cleaning up and getting ready to open. It was most encouraging to see it open the next day. There was at least one live-music venue that had survived and was open for business! The next day, Willie called, and I told him that The Spot was open, and that we needed some Rock and Roll. It was my hope that he and Stacy and Jeff would return soon. He said that he would call Dennis and see if they could put something together. A few days later Mark Lee called to say that his house in Jamaica Beach had survived, and that all of his guitars and amps had made it through the storm without damage! These were all good omens of a return of the live-music business to our battered and bruised island. Do to the lack of local phone and Internet service, Willie was unable to let me know that The Line Up launched the new music season at The Spot last Sunday! The even better news, for those of us who missed it, is that they will be playing again this Sunday, 05 October, from 3 to 7 pm! You don't want to miss this one! Come on out and join us, this Sunday at The Spot, 3-7 pm! |
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I first held forth on the prolific creations of my good friend, and local Renaissance Man, George Douglas Lee, on this Blog, back in October of 2005. Many things have happened to "the Man of Steel" since then! The breath and quality of his creations remain utterly amazing for anyone, let alone a man who barely clings to life, and rarely passes the most basic tests of sanity.  At that time, George was off for his bi-yearly "tune up" at the The Texas State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Back in those days, George was surviving on lobotomies and high colonics, and his most serious diagnosis was that he was "full of shit". Since then, readers of his column, "One Day in a Row", are well aware of the fact that the medical doctors of Southeast Texas are no longer satisfied to do the simple things to George that the staff at The Texas State Hospital for the Criminally Insane regularly subjected him to.  Now George has become a self-described "human specimen", as the doctors have in essence forced him to "donate his body to science". The experimentation on poor George, for their curiosity and profit has reached absurd extremes. His time booked into medical facilities has thwarted his efforts to form a new Rock and Roll band, as other musicians are loath to practice in hospital rooms. This lack of connection with other musicians necessitated his most recent musical project, "A Simple Time and Place"; a CD where George played all the instruments and fused them together with his computer software! This is a process that George likes to call, "playing with himself"!  It is always amusing when George goes off on one of his rants about the derivative and simplistic quality of most of the music being created today. He is especially critical of the unsophisticated lyrics. George has every right to be put off by many song writers, because you will notice, in this recent composition, and in his earlier efforts that he takes great care to craft poetic lyrics that always tell a story. The story may not make sense to us mere mortals; but there is always a story in there somewhere. What else has our local Renaissance Man be up to in recent weeks? I just had a chance to screen George's first movie, "Laughing Boy", that was based on his play of the same name. This autobiographical effort gives anthropologists a new glimpse into what makes George tick. It's an adult look into George's life that is not intended to be viewed by "sensitive audiences".  His new play, "The Boys from Branson", is an hysterical look at our recent dealings with the two unnamed characters who blew into town with grand plans of transforming Galveston into a tourist mecca for their "Ocean Opry". This should be a big hit when it is produced for the stage! George was also recently commissioned to do a portrait of local band leader Frank Incaprera, that now hangs in City Hall! In addition, George just completed the art work for Thrill Hill & the Real Deal's, self-titled CD, that was featured in the previous post on this Blog. Future projects include a new column on Galveston politics, for The Wizard, and an effort to write "THE BOOK" as described in my recent marketing plan for the City. Many people ask why such a man, who wears so many hats as artist, play write, screenwriter, song writer, musician, columnist, comedian, actor, male stripper, philanthropist, retailer, historian, explorer, Shaman, novelist, and panhandler would choose to live on this large sandbar in the Gulf of Mexico. The answer is quite simple; George is a BOI, and no matter how hard he tries to leave, he always returns like a homing pigeon. Unfortuneately, this makes him the biggest fish in this little pond, so he doesn't get the respect that he so richly deserves! It would certainly help a lot if people would start greeting George properly when they see him. If you encounter George tooling around town in his Mustang convertible, a simple wave would suffice instead of giving him "the bird" that so many insist on using. This is just not right! Also, if you're walking down the street, and see George approaching, don't pretend you don't see him, and then skulk off to the other side of the street. Walk up to George, greet him like the Southern gentleman that he is, and engage him in conversation. This man is a veritable fountain of information and opinions. Some of his favorite topics are: music, art, comedy, the theater, movies, Formosan termites, Parrot Heads, parking meters on The Seawall, high colonics, roll-your-own-cigarettes, Carpetbaggers, The Texas State Hospital, Scalawags, illegal immigrants, Yankees, The Uncivilized Territories, bungee jumping, Liberals, cross dressing, Hollywood, Austin, psychedelic drugs, Republicans, Communists, Galveston politics, quotas, the decline and fall of the American people, and Bill & Hillary. So now you don't have to be intimidated when you have an encounter with George, just bring up one of these topics, and you will be on your way to a lively and enlightening conversation. I love discussing these things with him!  Links to George: My Space CD Baby George Douglas Lee George Laughing Boy Portrait of Frank Incaprera One Day in a Row George On Stage |
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Saturday 15 December 2007
Led Zeppelin Reunion!  Some may have thought that I was a bit lax, when I didn't post anything on the reunion the next day. The LZ Reunion played to an international crowd at O2 Arena, in London, on Monday the 10th. The band hasn't played a concert since 1980 when drummer John Bonham died, but they were ready to go on Monday with Jason Bonham filling in for his Dad! Set List: Good Times Bad Times Ramble On Black Dog In My Time of Dying For Your Life Trampled Under Foot Nobody's Fault But Mine No Quarter Since I've Been Loving You Dazed and Confused Stairway to Heaven The Song Remains the Same Misty Mountain Hop Kashmir Encore: Whole Lotta Love Rock and Roll I hesitated to post for two reasons. First, it's hard for me to find the words to write about one of the greatest bands of all time. What more can you say that hasn't already been said. How many times can you say awesome? Zeppelin is right at the top of my list of "Bands That Changed The World"; and they certainly did change my world! I noted in my 26 November posting, about Jeff Beck, that three of the greatest guitar players in history had come out of the Yardbirds, but that Jimmy Page was my favorite. At 63, he can still let it rip like no one else! I also noted how much we owe to the British Invasion of 1964, that "saved American Rock & Roll from its dominance by the choreographed vocalists of the early 1960's"! I am so glad that the three remaining members of the band have not "mellowed" one bit! The last thing that we need to see is another Blues Rocker who starts writing songs like "Wonderful Tonight". The only way to go out is in a blaze of glory with the amps on full volume! Once you have played music like the LZ, if you ever have the urge to pick up an acoustic guitar, and start playing at a coffee house; it's time to crawl out on a high ledge, and put yourself out of your misery! The second reason that I hesitated to post about the reunion was that I was waiting for people to put up some good videos, which are shown below. I have always noted in the past that Led Zeppelin music is a great antidote for the depression that creeps in this time of year from the never-ending drone of Christmas music. In the end, you just can't describe the Zeppelin in mere words, so just listen! Enjoy! Zeppelin's Rocking Return (WSJ) Led Zeppelin Finds Its Old Power (NYT) Led Zeppelin rocks again in London (LAT) Led Zeppelin Official Site Every concert set list from every Zep live show, ever Reunion Announcement Wikipedia entry  |
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Monday 12 November 2007
Hurricane Zero! What happens, in Galveston, when we aren't having a hurricane, so there isn't any wind? Well, I was sitting in my office, here at Galveston Music Scene, last Thursday, when I heard a strange scrapping noise, and then a thud! I looked out of our 2nd-floor window to find that a tree had fallen on our car!  Was it the 3 mph wind that had blown it over, or was it the melting ice cap at the North Pole? The leaves on our tree must have changed the Sun Spot cycle, and increased the surface temperature on the Sun, which lead to Global Warming! I took a minute to cope with the wave of remorse and guilt that swept over me, because I knew that if I had just installed those $300,000 solar panels on the roof, this never would have happened!! But then my guilt turned to anger as I realized that if that tree-hugger, AlGore, had been hugging my tree, like he was supposed to be doing; it couldn't have fallen on our car!  Where was AlGore when I needed him; flying around in his private jet?  In the 1970's they told me that my carbon footprint was going to cause a new Ice Age! I'm so confused!  If a tree falls in your back yard, and AlGore isn't there to stop it, is a new Ice Age coming?   |
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Thursday
05 July 2007
Galveston Grilling! It is that time of year to fire up the backyard BBQ grills. Some of the folks in Galveston already got their free grills from Walmart! You can also get them at several other stores!!  You can cook your entire meal, at the same time, on this beauty, and the deluxe model even includes an upper warming rack! Just make sure that you get a metal one; the plastic models do not hold up well. They also make the food taste funny. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
And now a word from our sponsor  Join the Galveston Junior League Smooth Tony's 
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Wednesday
20 June 2007
Playa Cofi Jukebox! This is a free jukebox that has play lists that include the top 100 hits for every year from 1955 to 1982! Just select the year, click on the link, and the top 100 will play in random order until you tell it to stop! Click here to go to the jukebox. |
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Thursday 31 May 2007
Galveston: Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll! by Gordon Haire  Roy Brown wrote, arranged, and
performed "Good Rockin' Tonight,"
arguably
the first true Rock 'n' Roll song, on The Island in 1947. "Good Rockin'
Tonight" was the second Elvis Presley song for Sun Records, in 1954,
and
has since been covered by Pat Boone, James Brown, and Kevin DuBrow."Rockin' at Midnight," Brown's sequel to "Good Rockin' Tonight," was a top 30's hit in the 1980's by Robert Plant and the Honeydrippers. In the book, "Island of Color: Where Juneteenth Started" by Izola Ethel Fedford Collins, some old time local jazz musicians claim that Bill Haley stole "Rock Around The Clock" from Brown. "Good Rockin' Tonight" was performed at the KGBC studio in the Commerce Building, 2102 Strand.  In "Unsung Heroes Of Rock 'n'
Roll," Nick Tosches writes: From
Shreveport, he went to Galveston, Texas, where he wrote the song that
made him famous. "I think we had the first black group on radio in that
area," he says... But I wrote a tune called 'Good Rockin' Tonight.' We
added a trumpet player to the group. His name was Wilbert Brown, and
when we did our radio show on KGBC he sang 'Good Rockin' Tonight.' " One fateful day, Wilbert fell sick and Roy sang the song. The audience loved the way Roy sang it, and it became a local hit. While in Galveston, he made his first record, for Gold Star.  Brown fled Galveston after he was
caught having sex with the girlfriend of the club owner he was working
for. In New Orleans he ran into Cecil Gant, a fellow unsung-hero-to-be.
Gant heard Brown's "Good Rockin' Tonight" and brought him to Jules
Braun, who owned DeLuxe Records. Brown's first DeLuxe release, "Good
Rockin' Tonight," was issued in September 1947.According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Brown offered the song to Wynonie Harris, who turned it down, but changed his mind after Brown's record became a local hit in New Orleans. Harris recorded his version of "Good Rockin' Tonight" in December that year, and released it in February 1948. Harris' version was much wilder, and was a #1 R&B hit that remained on the chart for half a year, while Brown's original version charted for just one week in 1948, and only after Harris' recording was a hit. The song's success jump-started Brown's career, which included two #1 R&B hits. In 1949, he released "Rockin' at Midnight", a sequel to "Good Rockin' Tonight", which might be thought of as "Good Rocking Tonight part II", because it included updates on the same characters as the original. It reached #2 on the R&B chart, where it remained for a month. Harris' version started a craze of using gospel style backbeats in blues and rhythm and blues records, and that craze led to rock and roll. There are a few other contenders for the title of the "Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll," but Galveston Island's claim to fame trumps them all. Our strongest competitor for the Title is also the least known; Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The University of Southern Missippi study states that the songs "Barbecue Bust", and "Dangerous Woman", recorded in Hattiesburg, in 1936, by the Mississippi Jook Band, qualify as the first Rock 'n' Roll tunes. Blind Roosevelt Graves did the vocals and played guitar and his brother Uaroy Graves played the tambourine and kazoo. They were joined for the recording session by Cooney Vaughn on piano. USM cites the "Rolling Stone" history, "The Graves brothers of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, who recorded 'rocking and reeling' spirituals for Paramount in 1929, made several blues records as the Mississippi Jook Band in 1936. Their 'Barbecue Bust' and 'Dangerous Woman' featured fully formed rock & roll guitar riffs and a stomping rock & roll beat." Although the tunes contained some Rock 'n' Roll features, they were still Rhythm & Blues songs with no direct historical links to Rock 'n' Roll. The other would-be contenders, compared to Galveston, are Johnny-come-latelys. The Island's claim to the title predates all other competitors. The next least known contender is Wildwood, New Jersey. According to Gary Corsair, a senior writer with the "Daily Sun", "Wildwood city fathers are so certain of their place in rock 'n' roll history that they have erected an historical marker on the site of the HofBrau Hotel, at Oak and Atlantic avenues, where Haley performed each summer from 1950 to 1955, and where he (Bill Haley) and the Comets allegedly first performed 'Rock Around the Clock.' " Of course, Haley was a white guy introducing black sounds to middle class white kids. Besides, "Good Rockin' Tonight" predates "Rock Around the Clock" by several years. The best known contender for the Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll title is the home of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio. It was in that city that local record store owner Leo Mintz recommended that Alan Freed play rhythm and blues tunes at WJW radio in the summer of 1951. Freed, who called himself Moondog, is credited with coining the term "Rock 'n' Roll." Cleveland is undoubtedly the home of the first Rock 'n' Roll concert; the Moondog Coronation Ball at the Cleveland Arena March 21, 1952. Alan Freed, host of the Moondog's Rock 'n' Roll Party on WJW, was the concert's promoter. Now, we get to the most pretentious pretender to the throne, Memphis, Tennessee. I'm not saying that Memphis and Sun Studios weren't the most important places in the history of Rock 'n' Roll. No one in their right mind would do that. There is no doubt that Memphis is the place from which Rock 'n' Roll burst forth onto an unsuspecting world. Elvis, recorded "That's All Right Mama" at Sun Studios on July 5, 1954. Rolling Stone magazine makes the dubious claim that "That's All Right Mama" was the first rock 'n' roll record. We have already pointed out that "Good Rockin' Tonight" deserves that title. As earlier stated, it was Elvis' second Sun release. Elvis probably performed "Good Rockin' Tonight," when he appeared at the Galveston City Coliseum January 19, 1956. Former Galveston cop, Oscar Eklund told me that, prior to his act, Elvis was caught in the back seat of his Cadillac convertible with a 14-year-old girl. Oscar suspected that the police commissioner Walter Johnston got paid off, because Elvis was allowed to perform, then given a police escort over the causeway, and told never to set foot on The Island again. Are there any Roy Brown historical markers or monuments? Do any streets or buildings bear Brown's name? Is anyone beside yours truly proclaiming that The Island is the Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll, and that radio station KGBC was the first white station to air the first Rock 'n' Roll song? Does anybody even know his name? I never heard of him before I accidentally discovered him while researching something else on the Internet. What in hell is wrong with the people who are paid good money to promote The Island? We need to celebrate, promote, encourage and support our local musicians, actors, dancers, artists and writers. Roy Brown and The Island's Rock 'n' Roll legacy has been ignored. Mrs. Collins, in her book, at least preserves some of the history of jazz in Galveston. The Galveston Island Jazz Ambassadors keep that legacy alive, and receive a pittance from the city fathers and mothers to help them do so. Of course, Rock 'n' Roll is alive and well on Galveston Island, with the energetic live music scene at our bars and nightclubs. We need to keep this talent on Galveston Island. Editor's Note: This article, by Gordon Haire, was first published in the The Galveston Wizard. He plans to present this story to the Galveston City Council and The Park Board, in the hopes that they will issue a proclamation declaring that Galveston is The Birthplace of Rock and Roll! You can add your support to this effort, too!  GOOD ROCKIN' TONIGHT by Roy Brown I heard the news, there's good rockin' tonight Gonna hold my baby as tight as I can Tonight she'll know I'm a mighty man I heard the news, there's good rockin' tonight Oh, lead me in the alley behind the barn Don't be afraid, I'll do you no harm Baby, bring my rockin' shoes 'Cause tonight I'm gonna rock away all my blues Have you heard the news, there's good rockin' tonight Well, Elder Brown, Deacon Jones, They've left their happy home They'll be there, just you wait and see A-jumpin' and a-stompin' at the jubilee Hey man, there's good rockin' tonight Sweet Lorraine, Sioux City Sue, Sweet Georgia Brown, Caledonia, too They'll be there jumpin' like mad Hey, sister, ain't you glad We got the news there's good rockin' tonight  Is Your Money Safe? Are Stocks Cheap? Expected Returns Sounds Familiar! Texas Tax-Deed Auctions! Home Builders Median Income Retail Sales Galveston Retail Sales Galveston Total Sales Retail Sales to Tourists The Galveston Real Estate Market Vacation Homes Galveston Employment Is There a "Boom" in Galveston? Ease of Doing Business Galveston Retail Sales Per Capita Led Zeppelin Reunion The Unholy Alliance Downtown Parking Meters: a Solution A Marketing Plan for the City of Galveston Galveston: Recession 2008? The Stock Market: The Beginning, or the End? Downtown Galveston: Under New Management? Do You Want to Know? Four Days in March Galveston Economic Report |
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Site Map Links Acquiring a Sauna The Frame Hardboard Wiring Lamp Guard Filling the Gaps Insulation Change in Plans The Door The Vent Final Touches Epilogue Sauna Sessions Effects and Results |
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