Duane Allman "An Anthology" (Capricorn Records, 1972)
A fine retrospective that spotlights the late Duane Allman's session work outside of the raucous confines of the well-known Allman Brothers Band. Besides the Southern rock and blues workouts, there are some sweet, acoustic-based gems such as "Please Be With Me," by the band Cowboy, and the Allman Bros instrumental, "Little Martha," which is an eternally soothing, mellow melody. Some of the funky roots riffs and slide routines have grown stale through overexposure and imitation (if I never, ever, ever, ever hear "Layla" again, it'll be too soon...) though it's still cool hearing Allman backing up the likes of Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin and Clarence Carter... And as a historical testament to one of the finest whiteboy blues players ever, this is a pretty swell 2-CD set. If you're unfamiliar with his legacy, this collection is the place to start.

Gregg Allman "Low Country Blues" (Rounder Records, 2011)
(Produced by T Bone Burnett)
A rock-solid, pleasantly mellow roots-blues set from Southern Rock granddaddy Gregg Allman, who has seen his fair share of funky jam sessions in his time, often with a solid wall of rock-god guitars around him. This time, he's in a stripped-down, mostly acoustic mode, playing classic blues from the likes of B.B. King, Amos Milburn, Otis Rush and Muddy Waters, with a few more obscure songs in the mix and some original tunes for good measure. Underpinning Allman's B3 organ are the funky piano trills of Dr. John, and a host of tasteful pickers, including producer T Bone Burnett strumming on a tune or two. A very tasteful, tasty album, Allman's first solo set in thirteen years(!) and sure to satisfy his fans and old-school blues lovers everywhere. Definitely recommended.

American Bluegrass Express "Bluegrass Express" (Eagle Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Leonard Walls)
Years before he joined the Top Forty country band and still in his teens, Shenandoah, Florida-born singer Marty Raybon led this bluegrass band, with three of his brothers -- Ken, Rick and Tim -- playing a mix of secular and religious material. Decades later, as an ex-chart artist gone indie, Raybon returned to bluegrass and gospel... Nice to hear that he had real roots in the style!

American Bluegrass Express "Bluegrass On My Mind" (Eagle Record Productions, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Leonard B. Needham)

American Bluegrass Express "Live!" (Redwing Records, 19--?) (LP)

John Anderson - see artist discography

Billy Apollo "Coast Guard Blues" (Nashville American Records, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by Charlie Bragg & Hank Strzelecki)
Although he didn't have a rock-solid voice, Florida's Billy Apollo had a great sense of humor and knew how to how to do honkytonk novelty songs right. The title track is an amiable pot-smuggling song, a worthy companion to Peter Rowan's "Free Mexican Air Force," while the rest of the record sports some other swell songs. Apollo went up to Nashville to cut this album, and got backing from a bunch of old pros, including Buddy Emmons and Lloyd Green on steel guitar, Hargus Robbins on keyboards, et. al. Fun stuff!

The Bellamy Brothers -- see artist profile

Ronnie Blake "Country Class" (G.I.F.T. Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Kimble & Jerry Masters)
An enjoyable album from a Florida country-pop hopeful who sang a few cover tunes but also recorded several fine originals. Side One of the album opens with "Don't Marry For Money, Honey," an empty-pockets love ballad, and closes with Bob Adkinson's "Lure Of The Road," an cheerful novelty number about a guy who becomes a trucker instead of going to college (and dreads what happens when his dad finds out...) Side Two has some new tunes as well... Unfortunately, the liner notes don't include composer credits, so though I assume Blake wrote at least some of these songs, I can't say for sure. The cover songs are a mixed bag -- Blake wobbles a little bit on uptempo numbers like "Proud Mary" and "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," but sounds swell on ballads such as "Help Me Make It Through The Night." All in all, this is a nice one, a strong effort by a regular fella with an okay voice and some big, big dreams. Definitely worth a spin!

Ronnie Blake "Key Largo Blues" (RB Enterprises, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Wilma Tackett & Lola Wager)

Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan "Birds Of A Feather" (Wayside Records, 1970) (LP)

Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan "Two Sides Of Jack And Misty" (Mega Records, 1972) (LP)

Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan "Life and Death (And Almost Everything Else)" (Omni Records, 2006) (CD)

Betty Bond "Sings Country" (Tropical Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Quimby & Rick Balley)
This would appear to be a song-poem album, where aspiring composers send in their lyrics and a willing studio concocts arrangements, books a band and creates a souvenir album. The vocal talent was Ms. Betty Bond, a housewife from Daytona Beach, Florida who apparently had a background as a nightclub singer. The marks -- I mean, songwriters -- included Helen Chaney, Gladys Claus, Melba Flint, Sammy Gillican, John Hanson, Yvonne Hilton, Florence McAlister, Elwood Preston, Leona and Marilee Smith, Al Dee Solinger, Leni Taylor, Gordon Toyzan, and Phil & Mary Ann Lombardi, whose "You're My Sunshine" certainly seems to recycle an old theme... Alas, no info on the musicians, though producers Rick Balley and Bob Quimby seem to have recorded quite a few song-poem sets, dating back to the early 1960s up through at least the early '80s, including a second Betty Bond LP, Betty Bond Sings Pop, which came out around the same time as this one, and numerous earlier discs that feature her vocals. It's possible she may also have been the singer Betty Jayne, of the Betty Jayne & The Teenettes, who recorded numerous singles for Quimby back in the early '60s, though that's just random speculation on my part...

Jonny & Sue Bondz "...Sing Original Country" (Bondz Records, 19--?) (LP)
Not to be confused with Texas honkytonker Johnny Bond, New York state native John Bondzinski was a multi-instrumentalist perhaps best known for his work as a steel guitar player, and for his song, "I've Played Second Fiddle (For The Last Time)," which he first recorded for Starday back in the mid-'60s. Bondzinski played gigs in and around his hometown of Glens Falls, NY as well as across the border in Vermont, and opened a music store called Bondz Music, which he ran for several years before moving down to Wildwood, Florida with his wife Susan. They were living in the Sunshine State when they recorded this album, which is filled with all-original material, including songs like "Second Fiddle," "Happy State Of Mind" and "In A Redneck Bar." I think they're the only two musicians on here -- they both sing and he played a variety of instruments, through the magic of multi-tracking, and they are "backed" by their pet drum machine, who they nicknamed "Winchester."

Bonnie & Clyde "The Other Side Of Bonnie & Clyde" (Hillside Country Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Williams Earl & Jack Linneman)
I'm not much one on the judge-a-book approach to album art pop-mockery, though I gotta say, this is one scary looking record cover! In this case, Bonnie and Clyde were Bonnie and William Earl, a husband-wife duo from Deland, Florida who worked the Southern coastal resort circuit as well as a lot of gigs in Las Vegas and Reno. Side One of this album features all original material by Billy Earl, while Side Two is cover songs, ranging from "Wabash Cannonball" and "They Call The Wind Maria" to contemporary hits such as "Take Me Home Country Roads" and "Let Me Be There."

Larry Boone "Larry Boone" (Eeee Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Sacco)
In 1988, Florida-born singer Larry Boone cracked his way into the Nashville scene and became a successful chart artist, recording first for Mercury, and then for Columbia. But several years earlier, he cut this album of all-original material with producer Paul Sacco playing about half the instruments. There's no fiddle or pedal steel or mandolin or banjo on here, but there's still some twang, and that's all that counts, really, isn't it? His brother, Tony Booth, was a successful chart artist and songwriter during the 1970s.

Boot Hill Express Band "Let's Go For It!" (Boot Hill Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Tim Pick, Roy Shockley & Porter Wagoner)
This Florida-based outlaw band was led by brothers Robert Dale Clark and Roger Lee Clark, who was the group's lead singer and only songwriter, penning two tunes, "Lay Down Beside Me Tonight" and "When Ever," which were included on Side Two, amid various classic country and outlaw cover songs. The rest of the band included drummer Jay Combs, Danny Deibler (guitar), Jerry Dixon (banjo and dobro), Billy Easton (bass), and multi-instrumentalist Leticia Travis who sang, played piano and a slew of other parts. I'm not 100% sure where the band was from, though their contact address was in Palmetto, FL

Tony Booth - see artist profile

Braswell Brothers "Mile One" (19--) (LP)
An amiable family band, featuring Dave, Mike and Ronnie Braswell, brothers who started playing together as kids. They racked up a lot of experience traveling far and wide with their dad, an air traffic controller whose work took him to several states as well as to the Panama Canal Zone, where they entertained American troops who were stationed there. Apparently the Braswells were from Florida, and recorded this album in Tampa, with their band rounded out by steel player Tommy Crawford, Barry Jeffrey on keyboards, and Leroy Mercer on harmonica. Marvin ("Mike") Braswell (1947-2007) was the lead singer and one of the band's songwriters, along with brother Ronnie. Though most of the set is cover material -- including Neil Young's "Are You Ready For The Country" and classics like "Ghost Riders In The Sky," "Jambalaya" and "Will The Circle Be Unbroken," -- there are also several originals by the Braswells, "Kathy's Song," "Lady At The Window, "Mile One," and "Bluest Guitar In Town," which may also have been released as a single. This record is a nice set of straight-up country crooning with a smooth finish but a honkytonk core -- George Jones, Vern Gosdin and Jim Ed Brown come to mind. Good stuff. Some swell pedal steel, as well. Recommended!

Con Brewer "The Country Sound Of Con Brewer" (Blake Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by John Cook)
An extremely likeable, unpretentious album from a guy with modest vocal talents but deep country roots... Brewer plays some great, bouncy bordello-style piano riffs, strums the guitar and kinda croaks his way through a nice set of all-original material, with several excellent tunes. There are also a few instrumental tracks on Side Two where he jams with the band, with the piano and pedal steel being standouts. I'm not sure where he was from -- this album was recorded in Memphis, though in the liner notes he thanks some friends in Leesburg, Florida who helped him out. I like this record a lot: Mr. Brewer might not have had the greatest voice, but he sure knew about true-country twang.

Briley & Branch "Briley & Branch" (Prodigy Records, 1978) (LP)
The lounge duo of composer Pat Briley and vocalist Judy Branch worked in Florida in the mid-1970s, playing largely in a pop-jazz standards mode, though with some country in the mix as well. Branch worked as a singer in the Harry James band for a while, and brought a scat-singing background to the duo's work. As far as I know, this was their only album.

Alfred Brown & Willard Brown "Roots Of My Raising" (19--?) (LP)
These brothers were from Pensacola, Florida where inventor/entrepreneur Willard Brown (1935-2008) founded several successful companies, including one called Instrument Control Service (ICS), where the brothers would play classic honky-tonk style country for the employees and their families at company dinners. I believe Willard Brown also played the dobro, while Alfred was the lead singer, and perhaps the driving force behind their music. Alfred continued to perform well into the 2000s, posting videos after his brother had passed away, including this great gospel number which was recorded with vocal backing by a harmony-rich chorus of gals from the Brown family. If you're a fan of old-school, sentimental country twang, this disc might be a real find.

Terry Brown "...And A Whole Lotta Country" (Travis Records, 198--?) (LP)
(Produced by Terry Brown & Ken Veenstra)
Hard country honkytonk from Tampa, Florida, recorded live at a place called The Country Junction... This includes covers of Jerry Reed's "East Bound And Down" and John Anderson's "1959," which places the show sometime in the early 'Eighties. It looks like Brown also released a few CDs, several years later.

Wilma Burgess - see artist discography

Billy Luke Burton "The Search Is Over" (Outlaw Records, 1981)
(Produced by Gary Vandy)
This record has an odd, and probably apocryphal, back story: singer Billy Luke Burton was originally from Miami, Florida, but seems to have been living in Nashville when this album was made... He landed in the orbit of Chance Martin, a Nashville/outlaw scene insider who worked as Johnny Cash's roadie and as a professional cue-card holder to the stars. Trying his hand at management, Martin took Burton on as a client and got a deal to make an album. Supposedly, though, the record was bankrolled by gangsters and Martin tells the tale about how they sent a mob enforcer to pressure him into finishing the project (which probably was being used as a tax dodge or to launder some money...) I dunno if any of that is true or not, but that's the legend. Regardless, it's worth noting that the Chance Martin tracks are versions of songs that also appeared on his now-infamous avant-country album, In Search, which is alluded to in the title of this disc. The studio crew included Andy Eder on pedal steel and the Rhodes-Chalmers-Rhodes vocal trio singing backup -- of course, Burton never cracked into the bigtime, but like many others he sojourned to Music City to make his grab for the big brass ring.

Brenda Byers - see artist discography

The Calhoun Twins "Country Jet Set" (Stop Records, 1967) (LP)
In addition to making perky, upbeat country music, twin brothers Jack and Jerry Calhoun were also avid pilots, running an independent commercial air service that catered to showbiz clientele. (Hence the album title and the airplane pictured on the cover...) Their Florida airfield was the site of the 1982 plane crash that killed Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist, Randy Rhoads, but they stayed in business well into the 21st Century, and also kept making music, releasing several CDs in addition to the LPs listed here. This was their first album, and it's pretty lively stuff, a mix of Buck Owens-y bounce and old-school hillbilly romp. They didn't get far in the national charts. but they sure made some fun music!

The Calhoun Twins "Country Jet Set, v.2" (Stop, 1970) (LP)

The Calhoun Twins "The Calhoun Twins" (Prize Records, 1971) (LP)

The Calhoun Twins "Goin' To The Dogs" (Marathon Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Doug Taylor & Shot Jackson)

Jack Cannon "Jack Cannon Country" (TIM Records/Tops In Music, 1975) (LP)
This guy lived in Milton, Florida, and was an amateur singer who went to Pensacola to record this album with a band that was at least partly session players. The repertoire's mostly cover tunes, including versions of classics such as "I Love You So Much It Hurts," "Night Train To Memphis," "The Wild Side Of Life" "I Thought I Heard You Calling My Name" -- real old-school stuff. The backing band was called the Stranders and appears to have been all locals, with steel guitar by Curtis Hall, Junior Colley on lead and piano by Vaughn Thacker. The album also includes a couple of original songs written by a guy named Wally Willette: "Come On In, Mr. Blues" and "I'm Over Here, My Heart's Over There." Willette wasn't in Cannon's band, but he seems to have been pals with Papa Ray Sims, who appears to have been the financial backer of this album, and contributed the liner notes.

Jack Cannon "The Same Old Boy With Old Southern Memories" (Redwing Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Doug Jernigan & Bruce Watkins)

The Casuals "You Belong To My Heart" (SRS International/Sensational Records, 1976-?) (LP)
A covers band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, doing rock, blues and country oldies with more of a country tilt than anything else -- they cover "Ghost Riders In The Sky" and "Top Of The World" as well as "Johnny B. Goode," "You're Sixteen" and "Big Boss Man." There are also a couple of originals, "Truck Stop, USA" and "Again Tonight," which were both cowritten by guitarist Butch Watts and lead singer Mike LaHair and credited to Audio Architects Publishing, with copyright claimed in 1976... The band was still together at least as late as 1978, playing a gig in Palm Beach at a place called the Town Tavern, with the addition of a gal singer named Diane Fowle. Other than that? Total mystery.

The Cheyenne Stampede "Church Street Station Presents The Best Of The Cheyenne Stampede" (Church Street Station Records, 198-?) (LP)
Yeesh. A truly dismal live album that was a souvenir of a faux/retro "saloon" called the Cheyenne Saloon & Opera House, a western-themed steakhouse/music hall tourist trap that was part of Orlando, Florida's Church Street Station development. I mean, I guess on paper this band of hired hands could have been cool, but they really go out of their way to make things cheesy. The album opens with several Willie & Waylon covers -- "Good Hearted Woman," "Georgia On My Mind" -- where the dude lead singers slavishly imitate the then-godlike outlaw legends, but add an extra couple of layers of schmaltz and insincerity that are a real turnoff. A gal singer named Patty Stone chimes in with a cover of the Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris classic, "Ooh, Las Vegas," and you get the sense that she may have had more devotion to the music, and more willingness to play it straight, but for some strange reason her vocals don't seem to have been as well recorded (or mixed) as the two cheeseball dudes. What's really weird, though, is the presence of twangtune oddball Zeke Sheppard, who takes charge on most of Side Two -- turns out that Sheppard recorded most of his own 1980 solo album at Church Street as well, though apparently the faux saloon hadn't been thought up yet. There's some overlap in the musicians as well: piano player Robert Allison, bassist Sam Allison and guitar picker Forrest Rodgers were all originally in Sheppard's band. For some reason the cornball singer Kenny James was brought in to be the star of the show, though when Sheppard takes the mic, things rapidly improve, even though his attempt at generating a country-pop novelty hit ("The Hat Song") doesn't quite pan out. Wonder whatever happened to him...?

Anne Christine "Gold Coast Country" (CME Records, 1972-?) (LP)
(Produced by George Daye Jr. & Charlie Tallent)
A pretty strong singer making her way in the countrypolitan era, Anne Christine Poux was born in Meadville, Pennsylvania, but had migrated to Miami to form her own band, claiming the Florida "gold coast" as her base of operations. This album opens with her original song, "Summer Man," an ornately arranged countrypolitan number which hit the middle rungs of the Back Forty in the summer of '71. This album sought to build on that momentum, showcasing Christine on several other original tunes (all published on Tail Feathers Music) as well as cover tunes such as "Silver Threads And Golden Needles" and Ben Peters' "It's Gonna Take A Little Bit Longer." As I said, she had a really good voice -- maybe a little too imitative of Joan Baez, but still able to get out of folkie mode enough to tap into a legit country vibe. The weird thing about this disc is that all the songs are interrupted by banal interviews with the CME label's amiable owner George Daye, Jr., who was Anne Christine's husband as well as the band's manager. Still, as odd and intrusive as these spoken segments are, they are also pretty revealing, giving us both the sound of Mr. Daye's slightly desperate hustle and Christine's calm forbearance as a "chick" working in a man's world. Also interviewed is the band's bassist/fiddler, Bobby Buttonwood, who sings lead on a couple of tunes, and was a rock-solid performer. (Although several of her songs were previously released as singles, as far as I can tell, Buttonwood's were not.) Overall, the music is pretty good and one wonders how things might have panned out had they'd packaged her more conventionally, without all the "radio interview" hype. If you dig early 'Seventies countrypolitan gals, you might want to track this disc down.

Darrell Clanton "Alive" (Audiograph Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Demmans)
For a few brief years, the Audiograph label served as both a haven for faded Nashville stars as well as hopeful unknowns such as Mr. Clanton. Born Darrell Puckett, the Florida singer made his way to Nashville and had a promising career in the early '80s which was cut short when the advocacy group Mothers Against Drunk Driving launched a boycott against one of his songs that they felt made light of alcohol abuse. (How's that story for an idea for a country novelty song...? Oh, the ironies.) Anyway, this album has a bright, almost aggressively commercial production sound, with seven out of the ten songs being Clanton originals. It was one of the cover songs that was his biggest -- and really, only -- hit, an understated, straightforward rendition of Justin Tubb's "Lonesome 7-7203" that made it into the Top 30, though his later efforts on Warner Brothers pretty much tanked. There's some applause mixed in on a few tracks, but I'm pretty sure this was a studio-produced album.

Vassar Clements -- see artist discography

T. C. Condra "Live... At The Hilton Inn Central Nashville" (19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Willie Carroll Reinen & T. C. Condra)
An outlaw album with a lot of cover tunes, including "Are You Sure Hank Done It This A Way," "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain," "Take This Job And Shove It" and of course, one more version of "Up Against The Wall, Redneck Mother..." In the mid-1960s, singer Tom Condra was in a Beatles tribute/ripoff band called the American Beetles which toured widely throughout the US before changing its name (and artistic direction), becoming the Razor's Edge in 1966. I guess later on he got twang fever and went a little Waylon-y with this record, a session that I'd guess is from around 1978. He also recorded a single on the Mariner label in 1981, though I dunno if he's done more than that, or what became of him since then.

Tommy Lee Cook "Tommy Lee Cook" (JBC Records, 1985) (LP)
Dunno much about this guy... He was from Fort Myers, Florida and has one of those "getting busted" album covers, where a cop is pictured hassling the band... but other than that, he's kind of a mystery to me. Anyone out there know more about him?

Jon Corneal "...And The Orange Blossom Special" (Auburn-Orange, 1974) (LP)
In his high school years, way back in 1962, Florida-born drummer Jon Corneal formed a frat rock band with future '70s country-pop star Jim Stafford and the later-legendary Gram Parsons, the self-annointed demigod of hippiebilly country-rock. That first band broke up, of course, but they all kept in touch and in 1967, Parsons tapped Corneal to play in his International Submarine Band, a short-lived project that fell apart when Parsons jumped ship to (briefly) join the Byrds. For a while, Corneal ping-ponged between Nashville and LA -- he did session work for country stars and hippie bands, everyone from Loretta Lynn to the Dillards, and in went on the road with the Glaser Brothers for a couple of years before finally moving back to Florida and setting up shop as a regional musician. This was his first solo album, recorded in Florida and featuring original music by Corneal.

The Country Cavaleers "Presenting The Country Cavaleers" (JBJ Records, 1974-?) (LP)
These longhaired Jesus-freak country-rockers hailed from Tampa Florida, though they went to Music City to make it big around 1971, and didn't quite click with the conservative vibe of a pre-outlaw Nashville. The Cavaleers (sic) were ex-rockers Buddy Good and James Marvell, who started out as Nuggets-style mid-'60s garage rockers playing in a variety of little-known bands, including a psych-pop group called Mercy that had a short-lived major-label contract in 1969. But being Southern boys, they also moonlighted in a country band and when the rock gig fell through, they decided to make a go of it as twangsters, combining a shaggy, hippie-esque look with a down-home, moralistic Christian philosophy, spiced up with some pop-rock hooks. They were square pegs in a world of round holes, but a case can be made they were groundbreakers as well, at least as far as their image went... For a couple of years they were in the orbit of the Wilburn Brothers, touring with the old-timers and appearing frequently on their TV show. The Cavaleers made a few waves and got a couple of nibbles from MGM and other labels, but by the time they made this LP, they were deep into the indie/custom label vortex. The duo worked together up until around 1977, with a posthumous live album coming out sometime around 1980. James Marvell, whose real name was Carlos Zaya, went solo for a few years and even recorded some Freddy Fender-esque bilingual twang, but he met with limited success, and later worked as a Christian country artist. (Many thanks to Edd Hurt for his informative article and interview on Perfect Sound Forever, which also includes a discography that includes the Cavaleers numerous singles...)

The (Country) Cavaleers "Live On Stage: A Special Tribute To Elvis Presley" (Versha Records, 1980-?) (LP)
Though billed as an homage to Elvis Presley, this album is a 'Fifties-era nostalgiafest that includes oldies by Chuck Berry and Hank Williams, as well as several Elvis tunes. Most of the tracks are live, recorded at a gig in Morganton, North Carolina, though the record seems to have been padded out with some studio recordings as well. The Elvis angle implies that this came out around 1977-78, though Edd Hurt's discography places it around 1980. Who knows?

Country Cookin' "Front Burner" (Country Cookin' Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Country Cookin' & Charlie Strickland)
Not to be confused with the Tony Trischka/Kenny Kosek bluegrass band of the early '70s, these dudes from Florida look like some real good old boys... The group was led by singer Leonard Blackwelder, who had previously recorded a single around 1974-75, with his old band, the Break Timers. On this album, he was joined by Harold Floyd on rhythm guitar (and lead vocals on three songs, including his own "This Time She's Gone"), Skip Ellis on steel guitar, Ron Moody playing bass, Bob (any relation to Lyle?) Lovett on drums, and Tom Murphy playing piano. The album includes several original songs; Blackwelder wrote "I Need Someone To Talk To Tonight" and "Why Did I Have To Be The One" as well as one by Tom Murphy, "Time Is My Best Friend." They also play a bunch of cover songs, including David Allan Coe's "Jack Daniels If You Please," "Tulsa Time," "Rockin' My Life Away," as well as some tunes by Merle Haggard and Larry Gatlin... Blackwelder, who was born in Florida, apparently moved to Athen, Tennessee later in life, but I don't think he pursued much musically after this.

Cowboy "A Different Time: The Best Of Cowboy" (Polygram Records, 1993)
The group known as Cowboy was a showcase for session pickers Scott Boyer and Tommy Talton, who worked extensively with the Allman Brothers crew and other folks in the early Southern Rock scene... They're perhaps best known through Eric Clapton's cover of their sweet, yearning ballad, "Please Be With Me," although roots-rock connoisseurs might prefer the original version -- included here -- featuring sweet, lazy slide guitar from Duane Allman... As talented as the band was, though, fame remained elusive and their albums sold poorly and remain perennially out of print. This is partly due to the square-peg, round-hole quality of their work: the spacy whiteboy cosmic soul songs often had a sarcastic, dissolute edge, which along with Talton's airy Florida accent and choppsy superpicker vibe made them come off like an odd blend of Todd Rundgren and Tom Petty, and sometimes a little like a mean Jackson Browne after a four-day bender. I always found them hard to get into -- their albums seemed uneven and self-referential, but this excellent best-of retrospective cuts out a lot of the iffy stuff and paints a convincing picture of them as a country-rock band decades ahead of their time, particularly how their eclectic, uncommercial rock vibe anticipated genre-bending '90s twangbands such as Son Volt, Chuck Prophet or Wilco. Lots of cool, laid-back picking and unusual songwriting that may take more than a few listens to really be appreciated... A strong collection, well worth checking out.

Cowboy "Reach For The Sky" (Capricorn Records, 1970)
(Produced by Tommy Sandlin)

Cowboy "Five'll Getcha Ten" (Capricorn Records, 1971) (LP)

Cowboy "Why Quit When You're Losing?" (Capricorn Records, 1973) (LP)

Cowboy "Cowboy" (Capricorn Records, 1977) (LP)

Cowboy "Boyer & Talton: Reunion 2010" (Kid Glove Records, 2011)

Dale Crider "Pioneer Ethics: A 200 Year Review" (Anhinga Music, 1975) (LP)
On the opening track, Florida environmentalist Dale Crider takes up the mantle of earnest patriotism to lament the how the forces of expedience and greed had degraded America's natural landscape... Backed by members of the bluegrassy combo Red And Murphy & Co., Crider growls his lyrics out in an untamed yowlp worthy of old-timey icons such as Grandpa Jones, Charley Patton and Alfred G. Karnes, an antiquated, anachronistic style that certainly sets him apart from his country (and folk) contemporaries. An idiosyncratic album with some truly oddball lyrics.

Dale Crider & Linda Bittner "Natural Cycles" (Anhinga Music, 1978) (LP)
This might not be very country, but it sure is "Seventies"! A set of environmental folk songs about the Florida Everglades, with titles like "Stainless Steel Palm Trees," "A Swamp Is A Natural Systems Machine" and "Sea Oats" -- there's some dobro and fiddle in the mix, but this is more of a political folkie album, one of several that Crider recorded...

Frank Cain Czaki "Frank Cain Czaki" (C & G Productions, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Kearney & Frank A. Czaki)
Not sure how country this is, overall... There are some country covers, such as Hank Williams' "Jambalaya," but also pop covers like "Under The Boardwalk," as well as several Czaki originals. This album was recorded in New Orleans, though Czaki seems to have been from St. Petersburg Beach, Florida... Unfortunately none of the musicians are listed on the album art, so I don't know who was backing him.

Julie Dawn "What About That" (JD Music Records, 198--?) (LP)
(Produced by David Johnson & Travis Wammack)
Dunno much about this Florida gal, though my curiosity was piqued by seeing twangbar whiz Travis Wammack on board as her producer... Also among the studio crew were Muscle Shoals regulars Ava Aldridge and Sue Richards singing backup, rootsy vocalists who both had modest solo careers themselves. Gotta admit, though, this one wasn't as twangy (or as satisfying) as I had hoped... Ms. Dawn seems to have been aiming for more of a rock/roots pop sound, and while a country vibe flutters through a few tunes, this is more of a rock kinda thing, with an occasionally muddled feel. Maybe of more interest to fans of the Southern roots/pop/R&B scene?

Billy Dean - see artist profile

Bill Dillon "Jamming At FXL" (1984) (LP)
(Produced by Frank X. Locanto)
An old-timer who played bluegrass and hillbilly music in 1950s bands with the likes of Tex Logan, Joe Val, and the Lilly Brothers, Bill Dillon was originally from Boston, but like many musicians from that era, he moved around a lot, taking work wherever he could find it. After several years working in Huntsville, Alabama, he quit show business and moved to Florida, where he worked as an engineer for IBM and other companies. He recorded this album in Sunrise, Florida, playing mandolin, autoharp and guitar, with accompaniment by the Lane Brothers, a bluegrass duo who he had worked with back in the early '50s.

Jerry Dycke "Memphis Country" (Aries Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Knox Phillips)
Singer Gerald Dyche (aka Jerry Dyke, or Jerry Dycke) was a kid from Auburn, Kansas -- near Topeka. As a teen he appeared on the Brush Creek Follies hillbilly variety show in Kansas City, and tried his hand at both country and pop material at the start of his career. He cut his first single in 1958 while still in college, recording a couple of songs written by local deejay Bob Bobo and went on to record sporadically over the years. In the late '60s he recorded at Sun Records, and during the '70s and early '80s cut several records for the Nashville indie, Churchill Records, grazing the back end of the Top 100 a couple of times in 1980-81. Although he was born in the Midwest, Dycke moved to Fort Myers and became known as a Florida-based artist. This disc was recorded in Memphis, with a very interesting studio crew: songwriter Paul Craft plays guitar, as does Sandra Rhodes, who is better known as a backing vocalist. Dycke also sings one of Craft's songs, a novelty number called "You Went Out Of Your Way (To Walk On Me)," as well as one of his own originals, "A Little More, A Little Less," along with a slew of groovy tunes by the likes of Glen Campbell, Dallas Frazier and Charlie Rich, and even one by future Nashville mogul, Allen Reynolds, and a sitar-ish groover called "Billy Lee's Country Band," written by John Phillips of the Mamas & Papas. Apparently Dyche recorded with Sun Records from roughly 1968-73, with this disc as the capstone of that era.

Jerry Dycke "I Never Said Good-Bye" (Aries Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Ed Penny, Charlie Bragg & Jim Williamson)
This album was recorded in Nashville, with studio pros such as Hargus 'Pig' Robbins and Charlie McCoy in the band. The album features four songs written by producer Ed Penny, while Jerry Dycke contributes one original song of his own, "Daddy Played Harmonica," which turned out to be one of his two entries into the Billboard charts. (The other song, "Beethoven Was Before My Time," is not included on this album, and may have come out only as a single...)

Doyle Dykes "Doyle" (Doyle Productions, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Gene Lawson, Donnie Sumner & Doyle Dykes)
Christian country, with most of the songs on here originals written by Doyle Dykes, a hotshot guitar picker from Jacksonville, Florida with a background in the Southern Gospel scene, notably having toured with the Stamps Quartet back in the day. Interesting cast of characters here, with Mr. Dykes playing guitar and banjo, Beegie Adair on piano, Mike Davis (harmonica), Paul G. Franklin (dobro and steel guitar), Buster Phillips (drums), Billy Reynolds (drums), Mike Severs (guitar) and Steve Wariner on bass. Of course, Wariner became a big top forty star, but he did a lot of session playing in the late 'Seventies, before he made it big, usually along with Mike Schrimpf, who also plays on this album. Pianist Bobbe Gorin ("Beegie") Adair was married to another Nashville session player, jazz guitarist William Adair; also on this album is Brent Rowan of the Rowan Brothers, among other additional side players.

Doyle Dykes "I'm Gonna Play My Gold Guitar In Heaven" (Doyle Productions, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Gene Lawson, Donnie Sumner & Doyle Dykes)
I'm actually not sure which of these albums came out first, though it's possible they were recorded at roughly the same time, as they feature pretty much the same core group of musicians. The band includes Doyle Dykes on guitar and banjo, Beegie Adair (piano), Mike Davis (harmonica), Paul Franklin (dobro and steel guitar), Billy Reynolds (drums), and Steve Wariner on bass. More Christian country, with most songs originals penned by Doyle Dykes... He continues to record as a solo artist for years to come, well into the CD era, including both secular and religiously themed guitar albums, and of course he did a lot of session work as well...

Billy Earl "The World Of Billy Earl" (Shade Tree Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Markham & Ray Lynn)
A novelty-oriented songwriter from South Florida, Billy Earl Chapman penned all the material on this album, including tunes like "Florida, You've Been A Friend To Me," "Son Of A South Georgia Farmer," "Divorce Court" and "My First Ex-Wife." Autobiographical? Could be. He recorded this session in Jacksonville, with a studio crew that looks like it was all locals... Fans of Bobby Bare might like this one.

Jack Elliott "Outlaw Jack Elliot" (Six Gun Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Doyle Grisham & Jack Lowell Elliot)
Not to be confused with folk legend and Guthrie compatriot Ramblin' Jack Elliott, this fella from Key Largo, Florida -- Jack Lowell Elliot (1929-1999), claims to have been a rodeo rider, cowboy, moonshiner and ex-con, "the original country music outlaw," as fellow musician Vern Pratt claims in his brief liner notes. All the songs are credited to Mr. Elliott, although many have folk-traditional themes, with titles such as "Sundance Kid," "Badman Old Sam Brown," "Special Prison Train," and "Cherokee Jack." There's hardly any info about Mr. Elliott online, and I suspect he didn't have a band or play live with any regularity... As far as I can tell, this custom album was his only recording.

Jack Elliott "The Hooker" (Annpeg Records, 1976-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Elliot)
I'm not sure where this indie album fits in with Elliott's other records -- before or after -- but it's another album packed with original material, including the title track, which was also released as a single. The inner label gives an address in Fort Lauderdale; the musicians aren't listed, so I'm not sure if they were local Floridians or if he booked a session Nashville.

Erich (Fallisch) "My Kind Of Music" (Erich Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Badude)
Lounge performer Erich Fallisch may have originally been from Florida, but gives an address in Lincoln Park, Michigan for this early 'Seventies outing, in which he is backed by Glen Cairns on flute and saxophone, Darrell Gore (guitar, piano and bass), Gary Gore (drums), and flautist Richard Hubbard. No fiddle or pedal steel, alas, but amid the showtunes and pop covers there was definitely some country stuff -- covers of "Cotton Fields," "Help Me Make It Through The Night," "Jambalaya" and "Six Days On The Road," as well as an Elvis Presley medley to round things out. There are also three originals credited to "Please, Please Forgive Me," "Marianne" and "Ten Miles From Texas," though again: where's that steel guitar?? Dunno much about Mr. Fallisch's career, though at some point he moved (back?) to Fort Myers, Florida, where his mom lived, and was active in community events as well as local lounge/cabaret events. As far as I know this was his only album...

Florida Bill "I Wanna Love You All The Time" (Sunbonnet Records, 1987) (LP)
(Produced by Gene Gordon & Earl Lett)
Pensacola, Florida singer-saxophonist Earl Lett went by the stage name Florida Bill, although he grew up in Alabama and was an R&B player before he took up his country career. He even had a gig playing sax for the Ike and Tina Turner Revue from 1970-71. From there, he enrolled at the Berklee School of Music and studied arranging and music theory, then started his own band, which by the early '80s had evolved into an all-country act. Lett penned all ten songs on this uber-indie album, all solidly crafted in the mainstream, Top Forty Nashville style, with pretty standard-issue, glossy, pop-country arrangements, sometimes complimented by Lett's own saxophone licks, but mostly it's all about fairly generic electric guitar and keyboard backing, with some tasty though perfunctory pedal steel playing by Doug Jernigan. It's not really my cup of tea, but it's a well-produced, solid set from such an off-the-radar local artist.

Bill Floyd "This Is Bill Floyd" (Topic Records, 1968-?) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Wright)
Robust, twangy country from one of Tampa, Florida's most popular radio deejays... Born in Willacoochee, Georgia, Floyd moved to the Tampa area as a kid and became a well-known radio personality as well as a popular local performer, cutting a few hillbilly bop/rockabilly singles in the late '50s and this doozy of a disc in the 'Sixties. Around the time this came out, Floyd was headlining at Doc Castellana's Imperial Ballroom, a country music outpost that also often booked nationally-known Nashville stars, as well as local acts. In addition to a bunch of hard country songs like "Now It's All Over," "Uptown City Slicker" and "Somebody Else's Husband," this includes the strident pro-military Vietnam War song, "Freedom's Cause." Often working with his brother, electric guitarist Harold Floyd, Bill Floyd kept his band together through the early 1980s. He released numerous singles, several LPs and CDs, though this seems to have been his first album. Floyd was a featured performer on Jim Foster's Tampa-based "Nite Hawks" TV show sometime around 1971, and later briefly hosted a syndicated TV show of his own in the early 'Seventies. After disbanding his group, Floyd took a job at a local newspaper, though he continued doing private solo gigs on the side. This was his first album... and it's mighty tasty!

Bill Floyd & The Countrymen "Sunshine Country" (Sunshine Country Records, 19--?) (LP)

Bill Floyd "...Sings Country" (Hillside Country Records, 1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by Alan Smith & Betty Whidby)
A mix of Bakersfield twang and outlaw poetics, with songs by Kris Kristofferson ("Lovin' Her Was Easier"), Billy Joe Shaver ("Black Rose"), Bob McDill, Dallas Frazier and Harland Howard, along with four originals by Bill Floyd, and even a version of Jim Croce's "You Don't Mess Around With Jim," to top things off. Floyd is backed by a small studio crew, with some Nashville A-listers such as Willie Rainsford and Leon Rhodes, along with Gene O'Neal on steel guitar and Horace Whidby on lead. (The Whidbys had recorded at least once before this, a 7" cut for the Rich-R-Tone label sometime around 1970, featuring a pair of original honkytonk weepers, "We Both Were Wrong" and "I'm Tired Of Being Hurt.") Dunno exactly what year this album came out, but '73 seems about right, given the choice of cover songs.

Bob Folsom "This Is Bob Folsom" (World Records, 1974-?) (LP)
The provenance of this album is a little unclear, with no liner notes to speak of, and little info on Mr. Folsom to be found online. The disc was recorded by "Joe Banana Productions," in Brandon, Florida, Mr. Folsom's hometown. I'm guessing at the release date based on the inclusion of a cover of Cal Smith's chart-topping hit, "Country Bumpkin," which came out at the start of 1974, though the record itself is undated. Folsom also covers eclectic numbers such as "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues," "Everyone's Gone To The Moon" and "Behind Closed Doors," a huge hit for Charlie Rich.

Jim Foster "The Living Legend: Trooper Jim" (Country Artists International, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Finley Duncan)

Jim Foster "This Is Trooper Jim" (Country Artists International, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Finley Duncan)
Man! Talk about wearing a lot of different hats! In addition to being one of those "singing cop" country artists, Florida state trooper Jim Foster also worked as a radio announcer and a TV personality (broadcasting weekly public service announcements for the Florida Highway Patrol...) In 1972, Foster leveraged his celebrity into a political career, getting elected to the Florida House of Representatives, where he remained for ten years before returning to the civil service. He recorded this album, as well as a bunch of singles on various labels -- his best-known song was one of his earliest, a drunken-driving novelty number called "Four On The Floor (And A Fifth Beneath The Seat)" which he recorded for United Artists back in 1965. This disc is exclusively packed with original songs written or co-written by Foster, including a re-recording of "Four On The Floor," and a fine recitation tune, "Trooper's Prayer" -- there are even some of the political ad spots used in his campaign for the state House seat! The studio crew were Nashville pros -- guys like DJ Fontana, Johnny Gimble, Weldon Myrick and Buddy Spicher -- and a few of the songs were co-written with songwriting partners Sharon Carroll and Gayle Sheppard, who were presumably Florida locals. Foster had kind of an old-fashion, slightly cornball style, sort of midway between Jim Reeves and Red Sovine, with a dash of Andy Griffith, aw-shucks rural cop humor thrown in for good measure.

The Jim Foster IV "Wanted: The Jim Foster IV Show" (J. F. Records & Tapes, 1973-?) (LP)
This was a really cheapo dealie -- a plain white cover with xeroxed artwork pasted on the back and front... Apparently it was a souvenir of a lounge gig at the ill-fated Shamrock Hilton Hotel in Houston, Texas, and though there's no date on the disc, it looks like it came out around 1973, with covers of popular hits such as "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," "For The Good Times," "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues," and "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree." Although there's definitely country material on here, the instruments used by the IV were pretty heavy on big band sounds -- clarinet, fluglehorn, saxophone, trumpet and trombone, with nary a fiddle or pedal steel to be seen. The group included Jim Foster playing banjo, guitar and drums as well as several brass instruments, with Barry Burke and Brad Hughes also in a variety of roles, but particularly brass, and Ray Sporrer on piano, organ and accordion. The Shamrock was a massive, 1100-room behemoth which struggled financially and was demolished in the 1980s, though Foster and his crew seem to have enjoyed a long stint as one of the house bands.

John Henry Gates "...And The Church Street Station TV Staff Band" (1984-?) (LP)
(Produced by Pat Holt & Glenn Longacre)
Florida fiddler John Henry Gates did some session work in the Orlando area, and appears to have been employed in the house band for Church Street Station, a long-running country television program that generally showcased famous Top Forty artists from Nashville. This souvenir album was recorded mostly in Nashville, with backing by studio pros such as Phil Baugh, Buddy Emmons and Dave Kirby, although Canadian-born pianist Glenn Longacre was also part of the Orlando contingent, having moved to Florida in 1981, where he later set up his own recording studio and did a lot of advertising work in addition to recording local artists. The repertoire on this album includes jazz standards as well as country tunes; several cajun-flavored tracks like Link Davis's "Big Mamou" and "Diggy Liggy Lo," and of course a version of "Orange Blossom Special."

Gordon Gentry "Life's Railway To Heaven" (19--?) (LP)
Not a lot of info about this one. Gordon G. Gentry (1927-2002) was an old-school county gospel singer from Loxahatchee, Florida, near Palm Beach, who recorded several albums and performed locally with a group called the Gospel Strangers, which also included mandolin player Fran Gentry, who I think was his daughter. I'm not sure when any of these albums were made, though the Gospel Strangers performed regularly at the Florida Folk Festival during the early 1990s. Mr. Gentry also appears to have been the host of an evangelical lecture program, God's Miracle Hour, which he broadcast on shortwave radio.

Tom Gribbin "Saltwater Gypsy" (Mariner Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by David Williamson, Harry Dailey & Tom Gribbin)
Hailing from St. Petersburg, Florida, corporate lawyer-turned-honkytonk-outlaw Tom Gribbin may have paid allegiance to Jimmy Buffett, but he sounds most like Waylon Jennings, growling in a Waylonesque brogue and covering "Waymore's Blues" along with a strong set of mostly-original material in the same mode. Gribbin seems to have been tight with songwriter Danny Flowers, who plays guitar on this album and co-wrote one of the tracks with Gribbin. Also in studio was keyboardist Biff Watson and some other Nashville session players, although this album album wasn't just packed with Music City hired guns. Gribbin wrote or co-wrote five of the songs, and his harmonica player wrote a sixth... Perhaps the biggest surprise is an original reggae song, "Johnny Deepwater," and a cover of the punk anthem "Guns Of Brixton," by the Clash (Gribbin went to England and played some clubs during the early punk era, and came back impressed by the DIY ethos. This album's kind of slick and commercially oriented, but definitely as indie as they come. (Note: this was reissued in the UK as Son Of Lightning with a different track sequence, though the songs are all the same.)

Tom Gribbin & The Saltwater Cowboys "Useppa Island Rendezvous" (Mariner Records, 1984) (LP)

Linda Hargrove - see artist discography

Ogden Harless "Volume One: It Ain't Country" (Cypress Records, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Plummer & Dru Lombar)
The debut album by self-proclaimed drifter, William Hardy ("Ogden") Harless (1949-2015) a honkytonk crooner who grazed the back end of the Top 100 several times in the late 1980s. Ogden Harless started out in music as a teen, leading a country band called the Honky Tonk Heroes in his hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, before joining the Army and serving two tours of duty in Vietnam. After he got out, he moved to Florida and plugged away for years until he was finally signed in the mid-1980s, releasing a string of singles and several LPs, with his biggest single pegging out at #64 in the charts. Here, he's backed by a local Jacksonville band, including keyboardist Eugene Baker, Bill Crist (guitar), Doyle Dykes (banjo and guitar), Joe English (steel guitar), Chet Gibson (steel guitar), James Holmes (fiddle and mandolin), Dru Lombar (bass, guitar and keyboards), Larry Nader (bass), and Steve Ness on keyboards. The overlapping musician credits suggest this album was a long time coming, with sessions that spread out over a long period of time... but the results are kinda nice. Though he's definitely a lanky, weatherbeaten old-timer with a hard country core, Harless stuck to a pretty mellow, low-key mode -- fans of Don Williams should dig his discs.

Ogden Harless "Deal Me In" (Doorknob Records, 1987) (LP)
Following his success on the Florida-based Cypress label, Mr. Harless signed with Doorknob Records, one of the last notable Nashville indies, and they were able to push him into the national charts, with the single "I Wish We Were Strangers" topping out at #64 in Billboard -- the highest chart entry of his career. This album yielded three other charting singles, "Down On The Bayou," "Somebody Ought To Tell Him That She's Gone" and "Walk On Boy," though these were all strictly Back Forty tracks. Harless also got to work with some tp Nashville talent, including bandleader Charlie McCoy and some of his crew.

Ogden Harless "No Last Refrain" (Mountain Stream Country, 1989) (LP)
Following his stint in Nashville, Ogden Harless started his own studio back in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, producing his own albums as well as opening the studio up to other regional artists... He wasn't able to build up the same mojo that got him onto the charts, but at least he owned the means of production. One track off this album, "Together Alone," squeaked into the charts, peaking at #92 in late 1988, leading to this album, though not to bigger successes on the Mountain Stream label. Harless kept plugging away, though, and opened his studio up for private press artists in the area. Although he set up shop in his native state of Mississippi, he also kept roots in Florida, passing away in Woodville, FL at age 65.

Ogden Harless "Now I Know" (Mountain Stream Country, 1989) (LP)
(Produced by Ernie Winfrey)
This album was apparently never officially released, though promo copies seem to exist in the wild. I confess I am eager to hear it, especially with covers of classics such as "Swingin' Doors," "Lovin' Her Was Easier Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again" and "Amanda" (a nod to Don Williams, perhaps?). There are also a few gospel tunes on here, notably "Amazing Grace" and Kris Kristofferson's "Why Me Lord," pointing perhaps to a new path in his career. Anyone with a copy to spare, feel free to swing it my way!

The J. Hawkins Band "One Eye Open" (Partying Fools Productions, 1980) (LP)

Rick Holt "Rick Holt" (Rainbow Records, 1987-?) (LP)
(Produced by Rick Holt & Rusty Jones)
Songwriter-guitarist Rick Holt (1952-2017) was from Taneyville, Missouri -- near Branson -- but he apparently traveled to Florida to record this album with some local Pensacola musicians, possibly folks who might have been his fishing buddies as well. According to his obituary, after retiring from his construction work, Holt was a professional fisherman (which sounds like nice work if you can get it) and doubtless he traveled down to the Florida panhandle for a fishing trip or two. This record features all-original material by Mr. Holt, and while it doesn't have an address or a date, it looks like maybe late '80s and does list all the musicians, including Rick Holt on electric and acoustic guitar, Gene Burleson (drums), Steve Gunter (lead and slide guitar), Jerry Holmes (fiddle), Rusty Jones (bass), Rick Redmon (piano), steel player Sandy Wyatt. I couldn't track down much info on guitarist Rick Holt, though he may have been more of a rock and roll guy than a country player... The backing band, though, definitely had some country pickers on board, notably steel player Sandy Wyatt, co founded a local mini-opry called the Farmer's Opry House in Chumuckla, Florida, and played at other regional venues as well, while bassist Rusty Jones (1952-2009) was in a group called the Blackwater Band, which doesn't seem to have made any records. Rick Holt definitely loved Florida: though he maintained his home in Taneyville, he passed away in the Sunshine State, hopefully while on one last fishing trip.

Don Hughes "Simply For You" (CC & Company, 1979) (LP)
A singer from Pompano Beach, Florida with covers of hits by Waylon Jennings, Eddie Rabbitt, Johnny Rodriquez, Mel Tillis and even Kenny "Sauron" Rogers...

The Troy Irving Trio "To Get To You" (Moon Records, 19--?) (LP)
Born and raised in Chariton, Iowa, Troy Irving (1940-2019) worked all kinds of jobs -- feed store manager, insurance salesman, used car lot owner, and musician. He and his wife Carolyn formed a band in the mid-1970s and recorded this album with Mr. Irving on lead vocals, her on drums and a guy identified simply as "Jean" playing lead guitar and steel. An uber-indie DIY release, this disc sadly includes no information about where or when it was made, who produced it, or if any other musicians played on it. The Irvings moved to Kissimmee, Florida in 1976 and may have recorded this album there, or while still living in Iowa. The repertoire is mostly country standards, stuff like "Drinkin' Champagne," "Good Times," "Help Me Make It Through The Night" and "Last Date," and "Steel Guitar Rag." A few tracks may have been originals; the instrumental showcase, "Jean's Boogie," almost certainly was. The Irvings also released at least one single, "Cryin's Not The Answer"/"Tommy In Ted," which features two apparently original songs which were not included on this LP. Other than that, this group remains a real mystery.

The James Brothers Band "Wanted" (JABRO Records, 1978) (LP)
An absolutely dreadful, horrible album and one that made me think -- man, maybe I've really bottomed out on this whole obscuro country thing. Perhaps it's time to stop? Anyway, the first thing to know about this record is that there's no one named James in the band, although all the songs were written by a J. B. Kimberel, who presumably was related to the band's singer-keyboardist Burt Kimberel and may have been named James(?) so maybe it was some kind of in-joke based on that. The second thing to know is that Burt's keyboard playing is really irritating -- terrible tones, cheesy riffs, consistently overpowering in the mix -- and it's the dominant factor throughout the entire album. Third thing: can't judge a disc by looking at its cover. I was sure that with its wood planks-and-crossed-pistols artwork that this was a hippie-era, country-indie relic, but there are only a couple of tracks that really make the grade, while the rest of it's some kind of watered-down, amateurish, self-indulgent, rock-pop, I'm-not-quite-sure-what-to-call-it mish-mosh. Now, many of you out there will know that I'm not all that big on the hipster habit of mocking "bad" records of the past and making sport of the well-meaning people who made them. But occasionally even I will have to admit defeat and chime in. This is a very bad record. And people who like to make fun of very bad records will love this album and delight in its existence. Have at it. In fact, anyone wanna buy my copy? Okay, there are a couple of songs to keep track of, twangwise -- "I've Been Around" has a galloping trucker music feel, while the album's closer, "My Love's Getting Hard" features some not-too-subtle sexual double entendres and both tracks showcase steel guitar from Randy Shellnut, who also produced the album at his studio in Pensacola, Florida. (Alas, despite its promising title, the song "Funky Country Music," misses on all three counts...) Oh, well. Ya win some, ya lose some.

Doug Jernigan -- see artist profile

Johnny Johnson "On The Road" (Art Records, 1970-?) (LP)
(Produced by Terry Marsh & Jim Johnson)
This looks like more of a pop vocals/easy listening country-folk set, ala Glen Campbell or Mac Davis, with covers of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," "My Elusive Dreams," "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" and even "Tennessee Bird Walk." The Art label was from Miami, Florida... other than that, this one's a blank.

Windy Johnson & The Messengers "Country Boys... Bound For That City" (Score Three Productions, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Windy Johnson & Donnie Register)
Darn it! I got all excited because of the overt reference to "country" in the title, but while the album does indeed open with a few promising notes of steel guitar and subdued twang, it quickly settles into a standard-issue Southern Gospel, of the classic Blackwood Brothers/Stamps family style. This group from Jacksonville, Florida recorded numerous albums with various lineups over the years... This edition included Windy Johnson and his wife Mary Ellen, along with three vocalists to provide the quartet sound, as well as lead guitar and producer Donnie Register, drummer Tommy Holloway and bass player Jim Johnson, Jr. There's a distinct lack of restraint as the album goes on: Mr. Johnson and lead vocalist Ronnie Combs try to outdo one another in showboating solos, and while it's swell to hear they both a good set of pipes, it does tend to distract a bit. I picked this one out of a pile of several Windy Johnson albums; it was enough to satisfy my curiosity.

The Lonnie Jolson Band "Swamp" (Gator Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by John A. Kreager, Lonnie Jolson & Waddy Thompson)
An eclectic, laid-back set from a Florida band that sometimes gets tagged as "southern rock," but seems closer to Austin outlaw to me... Songwriter Lonnie Jolson recorded a few singles in the late 'Seventies, with a band then called Moonshine, but by the time this came out, he was the marquee artist, backed by singer Donna Hodges, who sings lead on a version of "House Of The Rising Sun," and harmony on several other tracks, along with Dale Holmes (bass), Waddy Thompson (drums), and David Watkins on lead guitar and slide. Though Jolson was living in Immokalee, Florida when this album came out, he previously lived in Mississippi, and seems to have worked in both Tampa and West Palm Beach, recording singles for labels in both towns. Anyway, I dig this one. The sound production ain't fancy, and it's a good match for Jolson's decidedly un-Nashville singing style, which evokes various other folks -- on the opening track, River City Queen," he's got this hesitant little catch in his voice that reminds me of Townes Van Zandt; on much of the record he sounds a lot like Jimmie Dale Gilmore, or maybe a little like John Prine, or even a little like Charlie Daniels, particularly on his cover of Tony Joe White's "They Caught The Devil And Put Him In Jail In Eudora, Arkansas." It's worth noting that about half the songs are his own originals, and across the board these are far more engaging that the cover songs, which include a low-wattage version of the Rolling Stones' "Dead Flowers." Personally, I like it that he was more into the originals -- highlights include Jolson's "Let's Reason Together" and a tune called "Some Ol' Sad Song," which seems to have been written by drummer Waddy Thompson.

Kim Jones "Leave Him Alone" (Bowen-Arrow Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Jimmy Bowen)
Pretty funky stuff from this Floridian vocalist... She doesn't seem to have composed any of the material on this album, but the song selection is pretty interesting, with a mix of pop and Muscle Shoals-style soul, as well as a hefty dose of modern-day, 'Seventies country-pop. There are songs by Bobby Braddock, Alex Harvey, Dianne Davidson and Jackson Browne, alongside a Holland-Dozier-Holland oldie and some pretty soul-drenched, Memphis-y material.

Judy "Introducing..." (JBP/John Beard Productions, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Beard & Bill Green)
A country covers set from a gal whose full name was Judy McCravy (but what's a little mononym among friends?) Recorded at a studio in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this set includes a couple of Hank Williams tunes, some Kristofferson, a couple of country "girl" classics ("I Fall To Pieces," "Silver Threads And Golden Needles"), a fair number of gospel tunes, and yet another version of "Rocky Top" (in case anyone's keeping track...) The band included producer Joe Beard on piano and synthesizer, Jon Carlton (banjo, dobro and steel guitar), Billy McCravy (bass and guitar), Dave Stype (banjo), Ben Venuti (harmonica) and a bunch of folks providing a horn section... Not sure where Ms. McCravy was from, though I'm assuming somewhere in Florida.

Just Us Brothers Band "J. U. B. And Me!" (TCC Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Robert Keyth Dickerson)

Freddie King "A Girl Like You" (197--?) (LP)
Not to be confused with the sizzling 'Sixties Texas bluesman, this Freddie King was a studly-lookin' fella who was originally from around Cincinnati, but made his career working small clubs in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He previously worked on the Cincinnati-based TV show, Midwestern Hayride with Kenny Price, though at some point he peeled off and headed down South. Backing King on this album are Don Coggins (guitar), Gerry Dee (bass), Mickey Fortune (steel guitar), Ronnie Inscoe (drums), and Jay Stacy on lead guitar... The liner notes tell us this was King's first album, and though there's no date given, it was definitely a 'Seventies affair since the liners also reference All In The Family, which debuted in '71. Most fo the tracks are cover songs, primarily 'Sixties hits and chestnuts such as "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," "Cold, Cold Heart," "Together Again" and "Undo The Right."

Freddie King "Something Special Just For You" (CMC Records, 197--?) (LP)
This album is packed with cover tunes, stuff by Kris Kristofferson, Marty Robbins, Roy Orbison and other crooners. Tommy Overstreet contributes liner notes, though I don't think they had any formal professional relationship. Not sure when this came out -- I'd guess mid-1970s, but it could have been later. Once again, he covers a pretty standard set of country hits, including "Drinking Champagne," "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife" and oldies such as "Running Bear," "White Lightning" and "A White Sport Coat" -- not super-up-to-date, but up-to-date enough.

H. J. Kuntry "They Call Me H. J. Kuntry" (Nashville Record Productions, 1975) (LP)
Hailing from the North Florida/South Georgia border, songwriter H. J. Carter wrote all the material on this album... Locals-only, Southern style!

Dixie Lane "This Is Dixie" (Country Artists International, 1969-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Foster)
Born and raised in Sanford, Florida, Lorraine M. Gillyard (aka Dixie Lane, 1928-2016) was married to steel guitar player Smokey Gillyard, a local musician who co-founded their band, the Kountry Kut-Ups, which Dixie Lane headlined until Smokey passed away in 1989. They released several singles and at least one LP, which came out around 1969 on the Country Artists International label, in collaboration with "Trooper" Jim Foster, who seems to have been the label's owner. The Gillyards traveled widely, performing in most of the continental United States, as well as several foreign countries; following Mr. Gillyard's passing, Dixie Lane devoted herself to performing gospel music, with a new group dubbed Country Gospel 4U. As far as I know, this was her only full album.

Jody Leavins "Alligator Man" (Ho-Daddy Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Julian Tharpe & Roland Thompson)
Maybe more of a swamp-pop thing, this was an LP recorded by Alex "Jody" Leavins (1927-2000) a nightclub owner from Panama City, Florida with connections to the regional rock and soul scene. The title track, "Alligator Man," is a callback to a single Leavins recorded in 1967 that included a version of the song (originally written by country star Jimmy C. Newman) with a B-side, "Why Have I No Daddy," that is also reprised on this album. Apparently Julian Tharpe's pedal steel work on this album is phenomenal; also backing Mr. Leavins is guitarist John Rainey Atkins, who worked with Roy Orbison, and played the hook line on his hit, "Pretty Woman." In the early 1970s, Mr. Leavins owned a Panama City nightclub called the Playhouse, though he seems to have had ongoing legal troubles throughout the decade, including a tax evasion case that earned him a prison sentence in '72. His son, Jimmy Leavins (1946-2016) was a successful professional musician who played drums for Aretha Franklin, Ricky Nelson, Johnny Paycheck, Hank Williams, Jr., and others, before starting his own group, the Lower Alabama Band, retiring after a heart attack at a show where they opened for Willie Nelson.

Bobbie Lee & Nashville South "Live At Country Music, USA" (LaMancha Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Norm Titcomb)
Gosh, I didn't know Fort Lauderdale was considered "Nashville South..." And... isn't Nashville in the South to begin with? I'm confused here. Anyway, lovable locals from Florida... and another mystery band for us to track down info on!

Ernie Lee "Ernie Lee's Big Thirteen" (Century Custom Recording Service, 1965-?) (LP)
(Produced by Charles Fuller)
A veteran of the 1940s and post-war 1950's hillbilly scene, Kentucky-born Ernie Lee (1916-1991) recorded prolifically for major labels such as Mercury, RCA Victor and MGM singing jaunty, uptempo country tunes in the style of early Red Foley. He performed on or hosted a variety of live venues and radio shows, and at the time of this album was star of The Good Day Show on Tampa, Florida TV station WTVT, a program he started in 1958. Although he cut a bunch of singles over the years, this was apparently his only full LP. Lee is joined by Good Day cast members Herb and Kay Adams and guitar pickers J.D. Renney and Dewey Tew. (The Adamses were a country duo from Ohio who worked with Ernie Lee in several different gigs, and Mrs. Adams was a different gal from the Bakersfield honkytonk gal/ of the same name.) Lee had moved to Tampa for the climate, and stayed there for nearly four decades, hosting the The Good Day Show right up until he passed away in 1991. (Thanks to www.big13.com for providing a wealth of biographical info on Lee and his career.)

Ernie Lee "The Kentucky Balladeer" (Binge Disc/Bronco Buster, 2000)
Classic uptempo postwar twang, solidly in the Tennessee Ernie Ford/Red Foley tradition of bouncy, jovial bullfrog vocals. These archival recording capture Ernie Lee at his peak, fun stuff skimmed from the Mercury and MGM catalogs -- well worth checking out!

The Limited Edition "...Presents The Limited Edition" (1975) (LP)
This progressive bluegrass trio from Florida split things down the middle, with a bunch of bluegrass oldies and traditional tunes on Side One of this album, and more country, more hippie-flavored material on Side Two. They covered songs like "Midnight Flyer" by the Eagles, "Glendale Train" and "Aime," by the Pure Prairie League. The trio consisted of Bill Middleton, Bob Shuler and Dave Stype: the group was influential on the Florida bluegrass scene and members went on (as all good bluegrassers do) to be in a variety of other groups. Love this first band name, though!

Gary Link "Classic Country" (Great Southern Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Walls)
Yeesh. This is definitely one of the cheesier records you might ever encounter. I mean, admittedly it's a fairly straightforward set, with Mr. Link is relatively fine voice, but the ballad material is still super-schmaltzy, and not really the kind of country I dig, replete with the most overplayed hits from Eddy Arnold, 'Seventies-era Ray Price, Kris Kristofferson and the like... Mostly pretty anodyne and bland, but things really veer sideways on his version of Glen Campbell's "Turn Around, Look At Me," which is one of the most on-the-nose, genuinely scary stalker songs ever made, particularly Link's rendition, where he finally cuts loose and gets way, way more emotive than he should. It's a creepy classic, kind of. Anyway, I can't say I'd really recommend this disc, though it is one of Link's better albums. He sings and plays keyboards, with backing by studio pro John Rich on steel guitar and bass, lead guitarist Dave Haslip, Carl Chambers playing rhythm guitar, and Rodney Price on drums. No date, but definitely a 'Seventies set.

Gary Link "Shell Factory Billboard Blues" (Great Southern Records, 1981) (LP)
Originally from Indiana, singer Gary Link moved to Southwest Florida in the '70s and had a minor regional hit with the song, "Shell Factory Billboard Blues," a twangy novelty number that namedrops a bunch of local references... There are other fun country-oriented tunes on here, some with a slight Jimmy Buffett vibe about them, although others remind me quite a bit of songwriter Dick Feller... The production values aren't great, but the songs are fun... Definitely worth a spin!

Gary Link "Live At The Hut" (Hut Records, 1981) (LP)

Gary Link "Easy Lovin' " (Great Southern Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Link & Len Walls)
A pretty straight set of country crooning, with Gary Link covering classics such as Freddy Hart's "Easy Lovin'," "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain" and "Georgia On My Mind," as well as favorite hits with more robust numbers such as "Elvira," Jim Croce's "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and Willie Nelson's "On The Road Again." The Florida-based backing band was quite competent and professional, while Link holds it together better than on some of his other albums, while still cheerfully lapsing into some pretty cheesy emoting. Gary Link plays keyboards, album with Jimmy Byrd on guitars and bass, drummer Jon Corneal, and string arrangements by Donnie Sumner -- there's also a good steel player in the mix, but they aren't identified on the album. All is all, this is a credible, if uncompelling, effort by a guy who made some other records that were kinda sketchy. Also a little odd is the cover photo, which features a cameo portrait of Mr. Link along with an unidentified gal who I had assumed was his duet partner, though it turns out this is not a duets album.

Gary Link "Nashville City Limit" (Great Southern Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Burgess)

Gary Link "As Requested" (Mariner Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Bryce Roberson)
Wow. Just... wow. I mean, look, I'm not one of those irony-addicted would-be hipsters who gets my ya-yas by making fun of old records I think are "bad," but sometimes you just gotta be honest about it. There's not a lot of wiggle room here: it's hard to imagine anyone appreciating this album as anything else but a so-bad-it's-good trainwreck of an album, one of those self-delusional artistic oddities that are the kind of thing you imagine most custom pressings would sound like. Link's vocal style brings Dick Feller to mind, while his oddball lyrics have a Jack Blanchard/Misty Morgan feel, just without the cohesion or discipline of either of those examples. The songs are weird, the lyrics can be vaguely disturbing, the arrangements are precarious and the performances are just plain nutty. All the songs are originals, most of them written by Gary Link, with a few by G. Bowers and one co-written with someone named G. Lesh. That track, "Chasm Of Time," is a real standout amid a battalion of justifiably mockable songs -- for one thing, it's drum-machine, disco-synth arrangement sounds different from the country-ish tunes that surround it, but also, omigod it's just an amazingly bad song, one of several soul-searching philosophical meanderings that populate this disc. Indeed, this album is backed with jaw-droppers, tunes that malevolent, puerile college radio deejays could cackle about for decades to come. Again, I'm not trying to be mean, but I do feel some obligation to let you all know that this record is... special. Apparently, Gary Link died in a 1986 auto accident, so this may have been his last album... I'm not proud of myself for mocking him here, but it really couldn't be helped. You were warned.

Ken Lowery & Country Fever Band "Seagram's Double 7 Winner" (Plantation Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Cal Scott)
In 1982, this band from Lakeview, Florida was the winner of a talent contest sponsored by the Seagram's 7 booze company, looking for the best "young country" band in the US... They won $5000.00 and a recording contract with the Plantation label, the fruits of which are seen here. Looks like this album includes a bunch of original material as well...FYI, second place went to a band called Baked Apple, from Groton, CT.

Toni Lynn "Toni Lynn" (Tanglewood Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Woolman)
Omigosh! She was so darned adorable! Like, early-'Seventies Kristy McNicols-level adorable! Ms. Lynn (later Toni Lynn Starr) was the daughter of Buddy Craft, a local cop and race track owner in Hopkinsville, Florida who also opened a nightclub and let his daughter sing there and make her professional debut at age nine. This custom-pressing album was recorded in Nashville, backed by a studio crew with Bruce Watkins playing piano and guitar, Bill Johnson on steel, Noel Walters on bass, rhythm guitar by Wayne Walters -- also, backup vocals by Rita Figlio and others. The songs are about half originals, with Toni Lynn penning "All That's Left Is Saying Goodbye," "Has Anybody Seen My Cowboy," "How Could I Lose Something I Never Had" and "I Must Be Out Of My Mind," which was co-written with her dad; Mr. Craft also contributes a couple of songs as sole composer, "How Do You Measure A Friend" and "In Many Ways," using the same publishing companies (Lufaye and Golden Spool) that Lynn uses on her songs. Straight out of high school, Ms. Lynn moved to Nashville to work as a secretary at Acuff-Rose, and she kept performing onstage throughout her adult life, later shifting her focus from country music towards NASCAR fandom. Thanks to Ms. Starr for her lively website, which fills in a lot of information about her early career, and her dad's equally colorful stories.

Buddy Max "Many Styles And Sounds Of..." (Cowboy Junction Records, 1980) (LP)
An outsider-art harmonica player from Florida who called himself "the singing, roller skating cowboy..." Though from what I understand, it's pretty hard to rope a calf when you're on rollerskates. Maybe it's a Florida thing. Anyway, Mr. Max and his wife Freda owned a parcel of land near Leconto, Florida that they named the Little B Ranch, and over the years they built a flea market, a skating rink and a modest opry-style music venue on the property, three strands that he spun together in his music. God bless America, right?

Buddy Max "Cowboy Junction Opry" (Cowboy Junction Records, 1980)
Here he bills himself as "America's singing, fleamarket cowboy" and includes several songs about Lecanto, Florida, where I gather he was quite the local oddball.

Buddy Max/Various Artists "Cowboy Junction Stars" (Cowboy Junction Records, 1985)
Listed as his fourth album, this disc shows Mr. Max sharing the spotlight with several locals who made up the loosely-formed Cowboy Junction Opry. Buddy Max is the featured performer on Side One, while various musicians populate Side Two, including singers Charlie Floyd, Ruth Hanson, Wally Jones, Wayne Lairson, fiddler Lloyd Stevens and numerous others. Apparently Wally Jones also a tax accountant, and provides his business number on the back cover, giving a sense of just how down-home and funky this operation really was.

Buddy Max "Little Circle B" (Cowboy Junction Records, 1990) (LP)
This was, according to the liner notes, Max's seventh album, with him still banging out twang tunes at the flea market, memorializing it in songs such as "Flea Market Trail" and even helpfully adding the market hours on the cover of this record. Max went into some interesting places in search of new material, penning tunes such as "Don't Walk In The Garden," "Pinky The Rabbit" and "With A Golden Screw And A Silver Top Nail." He also tackles topical material, presumably with a basis in his own life. Framed by the fall of the Soviet Union and the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square, Max goes all libertarian on "The Berlin Wall Must Be Torn Down In America." In the liner notes he helpfully expounds, "This used to be a free country, today it's not... You can't do anything on your own property unless you're rich. If you do anything without a permit you get jail terms, fines and confiscation of your property... President Bush told the Chinese we have democracy and freedom - where are they? He have government mafia and dictatorship... You know it's true." So, I guess finally some county commissioner (or whoever) finally asked what was going on with that whole family-owned flea market/skating rink/mini-opry out on Highway 44, and told Mr. Max he'd need to pay some back taxes? Oh, the bitter taste of bureaucracy! The madness must stop: if they make one of us get a building permit, someday they'll make ALL of us get a building permit!

Floyd McClellan "I'm An Ex-Convict From A Florida Chain Gang" (Sagitario/S&P Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Floyd McClellan)
Well, the title really says it all. Mr. McClellan was sentenced to a seven-year sentence for armed robbery back in the late 1940s, serving his time in the Florida State Penitentiary. Many years later some friends got him to record this album, which is filled with rueful, country-flavored numbers meant to expose the cruelty of the prison system... On Side Two, McClellan slips into an alternate persona, "Rebel Superstar," which I guess was kind of a hillbilly Ziggy Stardust thing... I'm not sure, but McClellan may have been living in Southern California when this one was made...

Horrell McGann "April Fool" (TK Productions/Cloud Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Alaimo & Michael Hurley)
Weirdo, oddball '70s outsider rock. Although this album is packed with lush, overly-orchestrated cosmic pop and grinding blues-rock, there's also a significant "country" undertone, particularly with the participation of erstwhile Holy Modal oddball Michael Hurley, and some sweet pedal steel and dobro picking by Joe Hart. The songs are idiosyncratic, kooky and (though slickly produced) decidedly non-commercial... The themes go from low to high and back again: on Side Two, "Gambler's Lament" tells the tale of two dudes betting it all on the Packers, while "Honey In The Negev" is an ode to refugees from the Holocaust, followed by the allusive, poetic "Growin' Your Own," which I assume is a druggie reference, it being the '70s and all. This is a weird, only-in-the-Seventies album, possibly worth veneration if you're already in the orbit of Mssr. Hurley and his crowd... Not enough twang for me, but I do appreciate the high level of eccentricity, combined with state-of-the-art pop production. An odd one. Apparently McGann was a pseudonym for Dr. Benji Brumberg, a Florida optometrist with a flair for musical expression...

Meisburg & Walters "See The Morning Breaking" (Parchment Records, 1975) (LP)
The acoustic duo of Steve Meisburg and John Paul Walters met at an open mic night in Florida, where Meisburg was an ordained minister in search of a new path, and Walters was a music major at Florida State... Becoming pop stars, even minor pop stars, would have seemed like an unlikely path -- for Meisburg in particular -- but somehow they fell into the orbit of the cocaine-and-disco-fueled Casablanca label at the height of its cash-burning glory years, and someone at the label threw a bunch of money their way, backing them to tour college campuses and stadium shows, as well as an album that was as unlike typical Casablanca fare as you could possibly imagine. The duo gained some small notoriety for the single, "Graduation Day," an anti-feminist novelty number with just enough mild profanity (the phrase "son of a bitch") to get it mildly censored (a bleep on the LP version)... In the era of songs like "Junk Food Junkie" or "Werewolves Of London," it was plausible that these guys could have connected with a national audience, but somehow it never happened. After the Casablanca gig ended, they eventually called it quits, though Walters tried to launch a solo career in 1981. Meanwhile, Meisburg reentered civilian life, going into politics rather than back to the ministry, and at one point in the '80s was even the mayor of Tallahassee. after several years on the city council. So, how's that for a day job??

Meisburg & Walters "Just Like A Recurring Dream" (Casablanca Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Thomas Williams)
This is the album that includes "Graduation Day," with much of the rest of the album a collection of super-gentle folk-pop tunes, like a Simon & Garfunkel duo, but made up of John Denver and John Denver. Good for the style!

Meisburg & Walters "Love's An Easy Song" (Casablanca Records, 1977) (LP)

Willie Morrell "Lead Me Not Into Temptation" (Country Artists Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Finley Duncan)
Latter-day honkytonk by a guy from Milton, Florida... Morrell seems to have been the "talent" for a local publishing company -- variously identified as Friendly Finley Music, or Chu-Fin Music -- that was run by producer Finley Duncan, possibly as a kind of "song poem" enterprise. The songs are all by composers signed to that company: Bert Colwell, Jim Foster, Bill Floyd, Bonnie Parker, Gail Sheppard, and three songs by Becki Bluefield, who also sings a duet with Morrell, on her "Lovin' In The Same Old Way."

Jim Morrison "Songs For And About You" (Curley Q Records, 19--?) (LP)
A former rockabilly rebel from Miami, Florida, singer Jim "Curley" Morrison began recording back in the late 1950s, when he was in the Air Force, stationed at Homestead AFB, and started his own label, Curley Q Records, sometime in the early 'Sixties. He produced a steady stream of singles, material that seems to form the core of this LP, which was released while he was living in Fort Worth, Texas. Included is a version of his early hit, "Air Force Blues," as well as other originals such as "Ace In The Hole," and a version of the old folk standard, "Bill Bailey." Almost all the music is credited to Morrison, with one song by Jack Rhodes and another co-written with Eddie Manney. There are no musician credits, alas, though there is a shout-out to drummer Fred C. Albee. Assuming that many of these tracks are re-releases of Morrison's old singles, some blanks may be filled in by a long post on the Hillbilly Country blog which documents much of Morrison's career and mentions some of the musicians he may have played with.

The Mustangs "Country Music Our Way" (Tropical Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Quimby & Rick Balley)
Although this album came out on Bob Quimby's song-poem label in DeLand, Florida, the Mustangs seems to have been an actual working band, doing local gigs around Daytona Beach in the late 'Sixties and early 'Seventies. The repertoire is mainly country cover songs, titling towards contemporary hits such as "Lodi," "Love Of The Common People" and "Okie From Muskogee," as well as oldies like "Danny Boy," "I Fall To Pieces" and "Mule Skinner Blues." The group included drummer and lead singer Rob Braswell, Johnny Rich (lead and steel guitar), Glenn Ritchey (bass) and Johnny Sutton on rhythm guitar, and was split between guys from Georgia and Florida. There's one original song on here, "Afraid To Take A Chance," penned by John Rich, Sr., though I'm not sure if that was the same as Johnny Rich, or perhaps his dad. It's possible that Bob Braswell (who was from Augusta, Georgia) was related to the Florida-based Braswell Brothers band, though probably not.

The New Country Store "Lonestar Fever" (Hilltop Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by New Country Store, Kevin McManus & Tom Harasmisz)
A pretty strong set from a young band out of Orlando, Florida... Eight of the ten songs were written by singer Eddy West, with two more credited to a "B. Nelson," who wasn't in the band. It's all good stuff, ranging from a number of mellow-tempoed, John Denver-esque ballads to the jovial stoner song, "Stems And Seeds," which has a Buck Owens-meets-the-Statler Brothers feel (and namechecks Jerry Jeff Walker, John Prine and David Allan Coe!) Throughout are several solid country numbers, neither stomping honkytonk or wimpy countrypolitan, but a strong mix of styles. What's most evident about this album was they were serious about the music, and fine craftsmen -- maybe they didn't stand a chance commercially, but they made a damn fine album. The album was partly recorded in Nashville, partly in Orlando, with Johnny Gimble, Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan pitching in on the Nashville sessions. Not sure when this came out - late '70s or early '80s, I'm guessing.

Johnny Noles & The Pretenders "Front Row Seat" (Hillside Records, 1971-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Linneman & Gene Lawson)
A covers band from Fort Myers, Florida... Not sure of the date, but it definitely looks 1970s... anywhere from 1973-76, I'd guess. Johnny Noles (1937-2014) was a popular local performer for much of the '60s and '70s, keeping his band going for years and years, with a revolving cast of sidemen. This edition of the group was called the Pretenders, in honor of his song, "I'll Pretend," which was a regional hit in the early part of the decade.

Johnny Noles "Original Songs" (Hillside Country Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Linneman & Johnny Noles )
Lively, uptempo novelty-oriented country with plenty of originals by Dave Anderson, Lonnie C. C. Mills and Johnny Noles. This album was a souvenir of the Noles band's long tenure as house band for a club called The Big Still, located in Fort Myers, Florida. The Big Still was originally known as The Checker Club in the 'Forties and 'Fifties, but changed its name in the '60s, and keeping it until the bar closed in 2005. Noles played there for years, starting in the 'Sixties, with a parade of local pickers moving through his band; this edition of his group included bassist Tommy Floyd, Gene Lawson on drums, an outstanding steel payer named Gene O'Neal and Horace Whidby on lead guitar. Noles had a fairly plain, homespun vocal style, reminiscent of Roger Miller or Don Bowman -- he knew he wasn't a Caruso, and kept things simple rather than try and get all fancy. The songs are all pretty good, though you might want to take the claims of authorship with a grain of salt: one tune that lists Noles as the composer was "Oh, Ain't It A Beauty" (aka "The Garden Hose Song") a dopey sexual entendre song that's been recorded by numerous artists and seems to have been an old English music hall song, with numerous people claiming "authorship" over the years. Anyway, this is a fun disc, packed with good originals and stronger musically than many off-the-radar country discs. Definitely worth a spin.

James Oglesby "Love Is Just A Legend" (United Steel Records, 1978)
(Produced by Doug Jernigan & James Oglesby)
A great set of twangy, boozy, sincere, real-deal country from Pensacola, Florida... All the songs are written by James Oglesby, a strictly-local musician who was in the background of the Florida country scene, and was a longtime friend of picker Doug Jernigan, who became one of the preeminent steel players of the '70s. Jernigan produced this album and adds lots of sweet licks and twang, perfect accompaniment for this jovial set of irony-laced honkytonk tunes. There are some great weepers, novelty numbers and cheating songs, including "My First Shot At Nashville" and "Full Time Lover, Part Time Wife" and "Country Picker's Life." The only real sour note comes with "The City Life," which is kind of a redneck-twang equivalent of Grandmaster Flash's "The Message," which a farm boy confronting life in the dirty, noisome big city. It unfortunately includes traces of homophobia, anti-Semitism and sexism that are not present in the rest of the record -- not sure if Oglesby was just assuming the role of a character for this song, but it does prove a bit jarring. Otherwise, a pretty cool record -- Oglesby wasn't a super-disciplined craftsman of song, but he had some good songs in him, and a distinctive voice... Kind of reminds me of Dick Feller.

The Outlaws "Hurry Sundown" (Arista Records, 1977)

Billy Owen & The All-American Band "Sounds Of Lakeland's Brand New Opry" (Lakeland Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Phillips)
The name "Brand New Opry" was a spoof of the fabled Grand Ole Opry, although instead of being rooted in a specific place, the BNO was actually a touring bluegrass band out of Lakeland, Florida. This early edition of the band featured Billy Owen on vocals, along with Sandi Braden, Willie Burroughs, Teresa Chadwick, and Cindy Poole... The group as an institution has survived intact well into the 2010s (so far!) although the membership has completely changed over the years. Not completely sure when this album came out... From the country-pop hits they cover -- "You Can't Be A Beacon," "There Goes My Everything" and "Let Me Be There" -- I'd guess this was from around 1974-75.

Don Page "The Sheriff Of Sumter County, Florida" (Lawman Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Harry Urschel & Rusty York)

Gram Parsons -- see artist profile

Bob Patterson "Friends Of Mine" (Bake Sound Recording Studio, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Norman Baker & Bob Patterson)
A twelve-string strummer and hummer, Philadelphian Bob Patterson definitely started out as a groovy, starry-eyed folkie, spinning out meandering, hippiedelic lyrics in line with spaced-out tunes by Dino Valenti or late-edition Tom Paxton. It's groovy, man, but the explicitly country(ish) stuff was yet to come.

Bob Patterson "Land Of The 12-String Songman" (Conch Island Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Ray Lynn, Tom Marcum & Bob Patterson)
Groovy, man. Well, actually, this is way too loosey-goosey and gooey-folkie for me, but there are some country threads with noting, particularly on tunes like "Country Pickin'," and "Brokedown Country Singer." Also he's got some banjo and pedal steel in the mix, though it may be outshined by the flute and clarinet... Also, by Patterson's remarkably artless, spacey songwriting. Dino Valenti keeps coming to mind, but Valenti's career is funnier and more significant because he once wrote a huge hit, while Patterson is clearly a "regular people" oddball, noodling away in his own little corner of the world. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Looks like he'd moved to Florida by the time he cut this disc. By the way, I was mostly drawn to this because the album art is one of the "beach cover" stock photos, which continue to fascinate me.

Bob Patterson "Short Stories" (Conch Island Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Markham, Skip Osmundsen & Bob Patterson)
Same deal, really, and some of the same musicians, including steel player Jim Nee, who were on his previous album. Also, Florida fiddler John Henry Gates who made an album of his own around the same time, and some breezy harmonica riffs from Jim Essery, an alumnus of the Allman Brothers Band. But, honestly? I can't handle this goopy, noodly folkie stuff. It's not my cup of tea.

The Poindexter Band "The Poindexter Band" (RPW Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Craig Renton, Bud Snyder & Leon Poindexters)
That would be guitar picker Leon Poindexter and his bluegrass-ish/jug band-y acoustic group from Florida, who held their own onstage at Radio City Hall opening for southern rocker Dickey Betts, at least according to the liner notes. (and even a quote from The New York Times!) The group also included Ben Anders on fiddle, the Duncan Family (backing vocals), Don Earl (dobro), Dave Henderson (bass), Don Paul Kilgore (lead and steel guitar), Larry Klopfenstein (drums), and Randy Smith on banjo. I believe their stomping grounds covered the Tampa/St. Petersburg area... As far as I know, this was their only album.

Rick Powell "Switched On Country" (RCA Camden, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Les Ladd, Danny Davis & Ethel Gabriel)
Countrypolitan hits... played on the synthesizer! A Moog, to be precise. Born in Seffner, Florida, Richard Dean Powell (1935-2006) was an electronics engineer by training, taking, then teaching engineering courses while in the US Army. He became interested in electronic music and synthesizers and moved into music, he recorded a number of Moog albums under his own name. Perhaps more significantly, he became a go-to keyboard player for several elite Southern Gospel groups, including The Speer Family, The Imperials, Oak Ridge Boys and worked on several crusades and music tours for folks such as Pat Boone and Bill Gaither. This was one of his earliest records, though he worked on hundreds of albums, including several of his own.

Fifi Queen "Coming Home" (Sonoma Records, 1979) (LP)
Man, what a great name. North Carolina native Fifi Queen set up shop -- literally -- in Florida, singing and playing keyboards as part of a '70s lounge act with her partner Linda Powers, while also modeling and playing semi-pro golf. She eventually moved into retail business, opening a used clothing store that later became a chain of related businesses in the Florida area. Ms. Queen seems to have been working in Jacksonville when she cut this album, with a band that included her on keyboards, along with Bud Conrad (guitar), Kevin Justice (bass), Linda Powers (drums) and perhaps most improbably, hillbilly old-timer Smiley Burnette on banjo. The songs are all originals, credited either to Fifi Queen or to her mother, gospel songwriter Hilda Ruth Hill, who is also credited on the back cover as a backup singer. Not sure of the exact year this came out, but it was either 1979 or '80, since it's mentioned in a 1980 profile in a local Ocala newspaper, an article which also notes that Queen and Powers quit working together in 1980. She recorded a second album in 1984, though I'm not sure if it was ever released.

The Rader Family "Fresh Country" (Ocean Opry Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Dennis Rader)
The Rader Family was a gospel-and-oldies band led by patriarch Wayne Rader (1936-2015) a Missouri native who owned an appliance store in Wichita, Kansas, but found himself drawn to show business after managing a gospel quartet called the Riverside Boys, which featured his sons, Billy and Dennis. The Raders also recorded as an ensemble for a small gospel label in Cincinnati, and having dipped their toes in the entertainment world, they jumped into it whole hog in 1978 when they moved to Panama City, Florida and created their own, family-run country music venue. The first Ocean Opry show debuted in August, 1978, kicking off a multi-decade, multi-generational enterprise, with the venue finally closing in 2005 when Wayne Rader and his wife Patsy retired. Ocean Opry was mostly a family affair, though like many mom'n'pop oprys they hired outside performers such as singer Ric Mason, who recorded an entire album while part of their 1982 season cast. Other featured performers included multi-instrumentalist Dennis Rader, who doubled as the troupe's cornpone comedian, Moonshine, doing parody songs, skits and recitations, and later became an ordained minister before moving to Nashville. His brother Billy sang and wrote original material, helped operate the Ocean Opry until it closed, and soon after went into local politics, although he continued to perform for local charities and community events. This album is mostly cover songs -- oldies such "Pass Me By," "Silver Threads And Golden Needles," "Tennessee Waltz" and various novelty numbers, though an original penned by Billy Rader, "Don't Say Goodbye," kicks off the album. This is one of several Ocean Opry souvenir albums; numerous cassettes and CDs were also issued, many perhaps lost to the tides of time.

The Rader Family "Some Sweet Day" (Ocean Opry Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Billy Rader & Dennis Rader)
An all-gospel album featuring the Rader brothers backed by Mark Dene on harmonica, Calvin Gann (piano), Charlie Gilley (steel guitar), and Mike Latourette on drums, with the brothers each playing multiple instruments.

The Rader Family "Ocean Opry's Most Requested Show Songs" (Ocean Opry Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Billy Rader & Dennis Rader)
More cover songs, mostly, in a variety of styles. Things kick off with Billy Rader doing a medley of country music impersonations; other highlights include a couple of original songs, "Sea-Going Cowboy" (co-written by Billy Rader and Mike LaTourette) and LaTourette's own "You've Got Me Worried."

The Rader Family "Food On The Table" (Ocean Opry Records, 19--?) (LP)

The Rader Family/Various Artists "Ocean Opry Live On Stage" (Ocean Opry Records, 19--?) (LP)

Ralph Raulerson & The Countrymen "Sing Your Favorites" (Auburn Orange Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Jon Corneal & Leonard Walls)
Bandleader Ralph Raulerson hailed from Fort Myers, Florida and was active for several decades, first as a honkytonker and later as a bluegrass artist... On this 1970s album he's singing pure hard country, and sounds a lot like Merle Haggard on several tunes, with backing from David Brooks (bass), Roger LeBlanc (lead guitar), George Smith (fiddle), and Wes Hollingsworth on drums. In the 1980s, Raulerson could be heard singing at bluegrass festivals, but the stuff he was playing was more more of an old-school hillbilly boogie style, ala Wayne Raney. At any rate, he was a presence in Florida's traditional country scene for many, many years. Most of the songs on here are covers, though there's one tune written by Mr. Raulerson, "It Breaks My Heart (To Let You Go)" and one by lead guitar picker Roger LeBlanc, "This Is The Place." Raulerson sings on three tracks, generously sharing the spotlight with the boys in the band, who handle the rest of the record. Highlights include Raulerson's original, as well as a semi-kooky, slightly wild, amped-up and completely countrified rendition of CCR's "Proud Mary." Good stuff, with plenty of twang.

Ralph Raulerson & The Countrymen "Country Gold: Ralph Raulerson Sings With The Countrymen" (Music City Records) (LP)
(Produced by Len Walls)
A sizzling set of rambunctious country covers, with a little bit of rockabilly retro in the mix as well. The album opens with a cover of "The Race Is On," done Buck Owens style, with hefty doses of Merle Haggard, Harlan Howard and Hank Williams to follow... The vibe is a mix of West Coast/Bakersfield Sound and Southern-fried rockabilly bop, with a simplicity and primitive, no-frills approach that sounds really damn good. In technical terms, this album is not well produced, and I'm willing to bet that Raulerson and his band could summon a much bigger, more electrifying sound when they played live, but even with the modest production values, this record oozes authenticity and vigor. It's fun. I'm a fan.

Gary Revel "Revel" (Star City Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Pick & Ray Shockley)
A collection of older singles and albums tracks by Florida native Gary Revel, who played in a couple of high school garage bands before joining the Navy and serving during the Vietnam War. After his discharge he moved to Los Angeles and tried breaking into show business, working in both music and film, notably providing the music for an independent film directed by Titus Moede, called The Last American Hobo. Mr. Revel later moved to Nashville, where he signed up as a staff writer for the Acuff-Rose publishing company. While living in Tennessee, he worked on a book about the murder of Hee Haw star, David "Stringbean" Akeman, a project that seems to have been the catalyst for decades of "investigative work" leading to several books and documentary films on topics such as the assassinations of JFK and Martin Luther King, Jr. Mr. Revel became what was once quaintly known as a conspiracy theorist, back when that was just a harmless pastime. He maintains a robust online presence (circa 2022) and according to his website he still writes and lectures about his various theories. This album gathers various singles, including ones written about Stringbean and MLK, as well as the environmentally-themed "Mother Nature," and a number of songs co-written with Mary Noel and Revel's cousin, Ray Fillingame.

Riley "Grandma's Roadhouse" (Mo-Fok Records, 1970) (LP)
Honkytonker Gary Stewart was a sideman for this obscuro hippie-soul/country-rock outing, playing in a small band led by singer Riley Watkins. It's fun stuff, with a rough-and-ready proto-Southern rock feel that Stewart's fans will recognize from his later records. Watkins is kind of iffy singer, but the music is still fun. Originally released as a vanity pressing in Florida, this has seen the light of day during the reissue renaissance of the post-millennial digital era. Worth checking out, particularly if you're a Gary Stewart fan.

Jerry Riopelle "Take A Chance" (ABC Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Riopelle, David Plenn & Keith Olson)
Originally from Tampa, rock producer Jerry Riopelle broke into the early 1960s pop scene and established himself as part of the Los Angeles/West Coast musical elite... Although this mid-'70s album is mostly an overblown, self-indulgent rock-pop muddle, there is one track on here, Riopelle's own "Red Ball Texas Flyer," that is a genuine 'Seventies alt-country classic, a chugging, uptempo, irresistible country parody that was played constantly on KFAT, and it still brings a little smile to old coots like me from time to time. The studio musicians on this album are mostly groovy, slick, too-smooth LA regulars, but for the twangy stuff, Riopelle recruited bluegrassers such Sam Bush, Alan Munde and Byron Berline, along with flatpicker Tony Recupido, and he gave studio pro Waddy Wachtel a chance to stretch out on steel guitar. Mostly, though, this is a skippable record, at least from a twangfan's perspective.

John Lutz Ritter "Welcome To Lutz" (Cat Tail Records, 1981-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Aerts & John Lutz Ritter)
Tampa, Florida deejay John "Lutz" Ritter got his nickname from a regional hit that he penned, "In Beautiful Downtown Lutz," which is a pretty damn funny song, poking fun at the smalltown Tampa suburb of Lutz, and the stereotype the town apparently had as kind of a lost-in-time, redneck paradise... Ritter just piles it on, joke after joke, and they add up to one fine novelty song. The song was in heavy rotation at the country station where he DJ-ed, but it stands up on its own merits and is still a pretty great novelty song. Think, "Luckenbach, Texas" or "London Homesick Blues," as written by Jeff Foxworthy, and you'll be in kind of the right neighborhood... Side One of this album is all originals, including "Beautiful Downtown Lutz," while Side Two includes cover songs such as "Rocky Top" and "Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms."

River Saint "River Saint" (Van Dyke Records, 1977) (LP)
A Miami-based band, produced by (and featuring?) Gary Vandy...

The Robert Coady Band "Nowhere Special" (Zobro Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Peter Maletta)
Country-tinged southern rock from Orlando, Florida. Oddly enough, there wasn't anyone in the band actually named Robert Coady: the group was named after Captain Robert Coady, an MIA Vietnam War-era Air Force pilot from Florida who was shot down over Laos in 1969 and was said to have been seen alive in POW photos much later in the war. Anyway, back to the music: this is decent stuff, give or take an excessive drum solo or two. All the songs are by lead singer Lonnie Getson Brown (the "bro" in Zobro) who is backed by his pals, Andy Maksimowich (bass), Rob Echelman (drums), and Mike Lewenthal on keyboards. It's all very much in the Allman/Skynyrd/Dickey Betts style of '70s redneck twang, with desperate-sounding guitar leads and a distinctly rural vibe. Lonnie Brown kept the band together (with major changes in lineup) at least through the mid-1980s, later recording a song called "Flyin' Again," which was an explicit homage to Capt. Coady.

Kayton Roberts "Steelin' " (Stoneway Records, 1968) (LP)
Florida-born steel guitarist Kayton A. Roberts (1933-2017) is best known for backing country star Hank Snow for several decades, from 1968 until Snow's passing in 1999. In his teens, Roberts played in his father's local country band before setting out on his own in the early 1950s, taking local gigs on radio and TV, mostly working around Gainsville and Jacksonville before getting introduced into the Nashville scene, and easily fit in with Hank Snow's band since he was a devotee of one of Snow's previous steel players, Joe Talbot.

Kayton Roberts & Little Roy Wiggins "Twin Steel Guitars" (Stoneway Records, 1973) (LP)

Kayton Roberts & Iva Lee Roberts "Kayton And Iva Lee Roberts" (Stoneway Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by R. M. Stone)
Duet material from steel player Kayton Roberts and his wife, pianist Iva Lee Roberts (1936-2009) who worked and recorded together for many years. Their son, Louie Roberts, was also a musician, though I'm not sure if he's the same Louie Roberts, who was a child performer and signed to Decca in the early 1970s... It seems likely, though, since their son was said to have regularly appeared on the Grand Ole Opry. Mrs. Roberts was also a Florida native, born in Monticello, FL.

Rick Roberts "Windmills/She Is A Song" (Beat Goes On, 2009)
In between his stint with the Flying Burrito Brothers and the founding of the Top 40 country-rock band Firefall, Florida-born singer-songwriter Rick Roberts recorded two solo albums, which have been reissued together on a single CD... Another reissue coup for the estimable BGO label!

Rick Roberts "Windmills" (A&M Records, 1972)
(Produced by David Anderle)
On his solo debut, Roberts showcases his reedy voice in a grittier context than his later work with the lighter-toned Firefall, working in a variety of styles that generally hover around an artsy, folk-ish twang but also branch into roots grooves ala Little Feat ("Drunk And Dirty") and even more briefly into retro-twang, as on his cover of Charlie Walker's "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down." There are wisps of all kinds of contemporary country-rock, with a couple of CSNY dudes (David Crosby and Dallas Taylor), some of the guys in the Eagles orbit (Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner and Jackson Browne) as well as a few Burrito bros, like Al Perkins and Chris Hillman... So maybe it's not so surprising that there are familiar early '70s riffs and rhythms floating around in here, although Roberts sticks to an idiosyncratic songwriting style with few pop-oriented tunes. Even though there's lots of groovy twang in the mix, there aren't many songs you'd really hum along to or sing in the shower. Still, there's a lot of country-rock royalty on here, and it's a well-produced album. Not totally my cup of tea, but worth checking out.

Rick Roberts "She Is A Song" (A&M Records, 1973)
(Produced by Chris Hillman)
Roberts took a more overtly "rock" approach on this album -- there's still plenty of twang-talent in the mix, but it's all cosmic and ornate, kinda like a late-edition Byrds album, perhaps. Oddly enough, the songs are still pretty idiosyncratic and less pop-oriented than you might imagine from a guy who led such as facile, successful AOR band as Firefall, and that's probably to his credit. The guy was versatile. Of note among the usual suspect crew in the band backing him is Texas folk-country pioneer Steven Fromholz, singing harmony on a tune or two... And this time around they got Joe Walsh to bang out some guitar riffs as well... Includes a version of Paul Siebel's "She Made Me Lose My Blues," as well as Roberts' Christian rock anthem, "The Captain." Give her a spin, if you're up for it.

James Rogers "Picking For My Friends" (Eagle Record Productions, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Tuttle, Steve Rogers & Len Walls)
Banjo pickin' by a guy from Lacoochee, Florida. Mr. Rogers is backed by bass, fiddle and guitar, with a pretty straightforward repertoire of bluegrass and old-timey instrumentals.

Jody Rogers "Rainbows And Rodeos" (Southern Pride Records, 19--?) (LP)
Rogers was a deejay on Fort Myers, Florida radio station WHEW-102-FM (aka "The Country Giant")

George Sanders "Country Mornin' " (George Sanders, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by George Sanders & Gary Holmes)
With a local band behind him this fella from Jacksonville, Florida, plays a mix of straight-up bluegrass (tunes like "Blackberry Blossom") and more folkie/country material, including a handful of his own original songs. He also covers John Hartford's "Skippin' On The Mississippi Dew," (and that alone has got me interested...!) as well as Austinite Mike Williams' "Blue Skies And Teardrops," along with various other songwriters.

Junior Sasnett & The Tennessee Ramblers "Saviors Hand Holding Mine #2" (Junior Sasnett Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Junior Sasnett)
According to the liner notes, Junior Sasnett was born and raised in Brent, Florida and was living in Las Vegas when he cut this disc. As a teenager he played guitar in a traveling tent revival show, though later when he formed a band with his siblings, he played and wrote secular honky-tonk music. Sasnett made his way out west to LA, where he worked odd jobs and finally moved to Las Vegas where he played a few country bars and self-released at least three albums of very twangy gospel material. (This appears to have been his first record, although the title is confusing: the "number two" is part of one song's name, while a small note in the corner says this is "volume one" of a series. Backing Sasnett is a group including Drake Day on drums, Dusty Henson (bass), Emmett Jones (mandolin), Ned Ketchum (accordion), Ray Kiper (guitar), Loyd Lass (steel guitar) and Buddy Streight on fiddle. These guys were a mix of young'uns and old-timers from all over the country... Several of guys were from California, including the son of fabled Bakersfield TV host Cousin Herb Henson, bassist Keith "Dusty" Henson (1953-2017), who tragically was paralyzed in an accidental shooting in 1982 but previously led a Vegas-based group called the Back Porch County Band.

Junior Sasnett & The Tennessee Ramblers "Volume Two: The Bus Drivin' Blues" (Junior Sasnett Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Junior Sasnett)
Including the title track, about half the songs on here are Sasnett originals, paired up with a bunch more Hank Williams covers and a version of Jimmie Davis's "You Are My Sunshine." Unfortunately the musicians backing him aren't identified, although the liner notes do give us some more biographical detail about Mr. Sasnett's younger days and the two years he spent as part of Rev. Billy McGee's tent revival show, and also informs us that one of the three albums he put out in the late 'Seventies was actually a reissue of earlier material.

Junior Sasnett & The Tennessee Ramblers "Good Old Gospel Time, Volume III" (Junior Sasnett Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Junior Sasnett)
All but four of the songs on here are Hank Williams covers while the others are gospel and country gospel standards such as "Where Could I Go But To The Lord" and "Life's Railway To Heaven." Sasnett apparently released a few hard-country singles in his youth, though I don't know if they've been gathered or reissued anywhere.

The Senn Family Singers "He Found Me" (Homecoming Records, 197-?) (LP)

The Senn Family Singers "Singing For Our Lord" (Homecoming Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Leonard Walls)

The Senn Family Trio "...Sing Songs Of Inspiration" (Senrow Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ernie Garrison)
It's hard to imagine what early '70s audiences would have made of this family band from Lakeland, Florida, with their wild, crude, electrified hillbilly-gospel style and unusual approaches to harmony. The group's core vocals were handled by Beverly Senn and Carol Senn (who also played rhythm guitar) aided on various tracks by Ronnie Rowan, bassist Wade Bidiford, drummer Dave Schumate, and lead guitar Lauvghn Brown on lead guitar. I found a couple of newspaper plugs for performances they made at some churches in the Fort Myers area, one in 1969, the other in 1973. I imagine there were many more, unpublicized, shows as well, but again, I wonder what folks thought about their odd, avant-archaic sound? It has pure, backwoods, real-hick roots with traces of Depression-era styles, but also their own unique approach to music, with an almost Zappa-esque feel at times. I dunno, but it sure would be cool to see this one get reissued.

The Senn Family Singers "Come Go With Me" (Homecoming Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Leonard Walls)

The Senn Family Trio "Our Best To You" (Senrow Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Leonard Walls)

Zeke Sheppard "Plugged In Muzekely" (1980) (LP)
(Produced by Zeke Sheppard, Sam Allison & Peter Cardinali)
Some pretty good indiebilly from Orlando, Florida... Despite one of the most unflattering album covers of all time and a really poor sound mix, this is a nice, twangy set, mostly cover songs but with two originals -- "Fallin' In Love" and "United" -- which were written by Sheppard and recorded in a studio, while the other tracks were apparently taped at a live performance in an Orlando, Florida venue called Church Street Station. Originally from Canada, lanky, wild-eyed Frank Sheppard (1941-1997) was formerly in the Toronto rock bands McKenna Mendelson Mainline (1971) and Blackstone (1973) but seems to have moved to Florida sometime in the 'Seventies. Mr. Sheppard was still working the crowd at Church Street when they upped the ante and installed a cheesy new country-themed music-hall called The Cheyenne Saloon, and he sang lead on several tracks on an otherwise-dismal live album by the house band, The Cheyenne Stampede. He also performed in Church Street's trad-jazz band, which made an album in 1982. At any rate, this low-budget album definitely has its charms, and fans of uptempo twang by scruffy, little-known locals might get a kick out of it. A nice document of an aspiring bar band, with covers of songs by The Band, John Denver, Waylon & Willie and Jimmy Buffett's "Coast Of Marseilles." Worth a spin!

Sherry "Because I Am A Woman" (SAC Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Richard Huff)
Dunno the full name of this gal from Jacksonville, Florida (though I'd guess that "SAC" is her monogram...) This album is credited to "a division of Sherry Productions, Inc.," and appears to be all original material... I was unable to track any information about her down online, though, or about producer Richard Huff... Anybody out there have any info they could share?

Sleepless Nites "Live At The Garden" (Sleepless Nites, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Morris)
A Floridian bluegrass/twang band with a diverse repertoire covering material by Gram Parsons and the Burrito Brothers, jazzman Chick Corea, along with songs such as Bill Kirchen's "Too Much Fun" and rock oldies like the Everly Brothers' "Bye Bye Love." This album was recorded live at the Detroit Hotel's Garden Restaurant in Saint Petersburg, Florida on August 28, 1982, by a quartet that included Chris Fanfil on mandolin, Lance Lubin playing bass, Stephen Stadler plunking banjo and Dennis Wallace on guitar.

Bob Starling "...Sings In Nashville" (Big Still Records, 1974-?) (LP)
(Produced by Frank Myers)
Mostly cover tunes from this Florida artist... The liner notes by Ray Pillow mention his meeting Mr. Starling at the Big Still Lounge, a fabled but now defunct honky-tonk roadhouse down in Fort Myers, paid homage to in a blog post by Florida scribe Gary Carico. Starling's bio is pretty elusive, though he led the house band at the Big Still for a while during the early 'Seventies, and apparently the bar footed the bill for this album, It's not clear when this came out -- although the bright, well-arranged musical backing sounds late '70s or early '80s, many of the cover tunes are of distinctly early 'Seventies vintage, hits like "Me And Bobby McGee," "Polk Salad Annie," "My Hang Up Is You," etc. (Also, the only reference I found to Starling's gig at the Big Still was a newspaper listing in August, 1974; a couple of years later he was at the nearby Empire Lounge.) No info about the backing band, alas, though clearly they were pretty top-flight pickers; Starling's own hometown band was called The Hi-Lites. The liner notes mention some original songs, there are no composer credits, so we have to guess which ones are his. Possible originals include the Vietnam War-related "A Dream Of Coming Home" and "Ode To The Small-Time Pickers," a country music tall-tale about some kid who got to open for the great Hank Williams one night on the Opry -- there was also a contemporary Fort Myers band called the Small-Time Pickers, though I don't know if Mr. Starling was directly involved in that group.

Buck Starr & The Country Outlaws "On Tour" (Starr Records - date unknown) (LP)
(Produced by the Malerba Brothers)
From the album art -- with the giant lapels and even larger muttonchop sideburns -- these guys look like your stereotypical, semi-longhair '70s lounge band, which I suppose they were, although this album gets into deepier, twangier country than I'd imagined. The funniest detail is the "Buck Starr" pseudonym, which has a couple of extra layers... As near as I can figure, Buck might have been the guy's name, but I think he was actually Mike Malerba, who plays bass in the band, along with his brother Tony, who plays drums. In the credits, they're Mike and Tony "Starr," while on the song credits, he lists himself as Malerba, and apparently at the last moment he decided "Buck" sounded even cooler, but forgot to update the credits... Or something like that. Anyway, this is pretty good indie material, with an even mix of cover tunes (George Jones, Johnny Paycheck, Charlie Rich, Jerry Chesntnut and a version the Allman Brothers' "Ramblin' Man") and strong original material by Mike Malerba, including forlorn weepers like "If You Need Me" and "I Hope I Did The Right Thing." Hailing from Pinellas Park, Florida, Starr has a vocal similarity to Hank Locklin -- and a stylistic one as well, although the music has a more perky, early '70s Nashville feel than the gooey stuff Locklin had devoted himself to... Unfortunately, there's no info about when this came out, and it's hard to tell from the fashion -- it has a 1976-ish feel to it, but it could have been recorded as late as '81 or '82, allowing for fashion disasters. Anyone have more info on these guys?

Big Dan Starr "...Introduces The Hometowners U.S.A." (Loyd Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Royce G. Clark)
Lead singer "Big Dan" Starr certainly had a colorful relationship with his own identity... The Dan Starr persona was one of many he used during his lifetime, including several variations of his birth name, Estle Don Linebarger (1937-2004). Mr. Linebarger was born in Missouri and as a teen he performed on local radio and played around in a hillbilly band called the Ozark String Dusters. Linebarger joined the Army in the late 'Fifties and played European gigs in a serviceman's band that included Tommy Cash, Johnny Cash's brother. (Or at least that's what he told the Orlando Sentinel when they profiled him in 1973, just before this album was recorded...) He started writing music as a teen, copyrighting at least one song in mid-'Fifties, and released a few singles between 1968-73, including a UFO conspiracy anthem ("Captain Tom Martell") and a patriotic song, "Bugle Boy," which he dedicated to Vietnam War-era POWs. At some point, he may have lived in Nashville, and in the late '60s was playing clubs around Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware. Around 1968, he led a group called the Rustlers, which he later changed to the Hometowners. Going by the name Starr, Mr. Linebarger eventually moved to Florida, establishing himself as a bandleader and television host, fronting a group known as the Hometowners USA. Circa 1973, when this album came out, the group included Chip Williams (bass), Bill Nolte (drums) and Timmy Smith (lead guitar), who each took turns singing lead, along with Starr. The disc is packed with original material: all but one of the songs were written by Chip Williams. Two tracks were released as a single,"No Meat, No Potatoes" and "Hatchet Annie," co-composed by Sonny Ledet and Murry Kellum (author of the infamous country classic, "Long Tall Texan.") An earlier single on Loyd Records included two tracks, "Bugle Boy" and "Kiss Your Teddy Bear," that were not reprised here.

Sundown "Rocky Bayou Lullaby" (Vector Records, 1979) (LP)
Well, yeah, I guess technically there's some country-rock twang on here, though this is really more of an emotive soft-pop/pop-folk record, roughly in a John Denver kinda mode. Hailing from Shalimar, Florida, Sundown was the duo of Rob Harrell and Doug Smith, with Smith doing a lot of the heavy lifting, playing bass, banjo and synthesizers, while Harrell was primarily a songwriter and lead singer. They also had some pedal steel in the mix, courtesy of fellow local David Raper, as well as some (eek) saxophone by a guy named Al Nudo. If you're looking for honkytonk'n'twang, this probably ain't your record, but they still earned a nod in the whole wide constellation of 'Seventies indiebilly DIY.

Tommy Talton, Bill Stewart, Johnny Sandlin "Happy To Be Alive" (Capricorn Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Sandlin)
A footnote to the band Cowboy, this features frontman Tommy Talton and some of his buds, playing bluesy virtuoso rock, some of it with a twangy spin. Originally from Orlando, Florida, as a teen garage rocker, Talton played in the rock band We The People and formed Cowboy in the late 'Sixties, and also was in the orbit of the Allman Brothers Band. This album starts out with a mellow, country-ish vibe, but gets more electric and streetwise, ending up in a kind of Stones-y jam-session. Some songs, like "Baby Could We Be Alone?" and "Help Me Get It Out" have a raunchy tone that brings Todd Rundgren and Steely Dan to mind, maybe Tom Petty as well, though he was still a few years down the pike at this point. Kind of a stretch to call this a "hippiebilly" record, though.

Frank Thomas "Frank Thomas's Florida Stories" (1980) (CD)
A native Floridian, songwriter Frank Thomas concentrated pretty exclusively on tales of local and regional pride, penning odes to his homes ("Memories Of Clay County" and "My Polk County Home") military history ("The Battle Of Natural Bridge," "The Battle Of Olustee" and "The Second Seminole War") and some oddball regional humor ("Alligator Milk" and "I'm A Cracker"). Apparently this is only one of nine(!) albums he wrote with similar material and themes...

Mel Tillis - see artist discography

The Town Talkers "What Do You Think?" (Infinity Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Andy Deganahl)
A Florida-based twangtune band, featuring Rick Arlen on lead guitar, Ray Byrd (pedal steel), Pete Crosby (drums), Fred Schneiter (banjo), Greg Sulzer (bass), and Robert Wesley English on rhythm guitar. The album sports the same "beach cover" stock-art cover graphics as LPs by Roy Clayborne, The Korean Grand Ole Opry, and countless others, though this picture seems pretty widespread, and I haven't yet been able to pin down which manufacturer provided the photo, or the record pressings that came with it...

Trashy White Band "All Nite" (Sherry B Productions, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Sherry Broadhead & Bert Cowell)
Following in the footsteps of David Allan Coe, this Florida band indulged in a bit of racist "humor" with the lead track, "She Ran Off With A N-----," which semi-tastefully only reveals its full title on the inner label. (On the single, however, it's plain as day...) Despite that rather offensive beginning, most of the rest of this album is just straight-up country covers, drawn from a variety of sources, with the next-most overtly risque songs being Milton Brown's western swing oldie, "Fat Gut Phoebe." There's also a cover of Steve Goodman's "She Never Even Called Me By My Name" and a couple of originals by singer Bert Cowell, "Eatin' My Heart Out" and "Tin Roof," as well as a version of Randy Howard's "All American Redneck." Of course. Oh, Florida... don't ever change.

Barbara Trucks "Barbara's Country Feeling" (Stop Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Tommy Hill & Scotty Moore)
An elusive figure on the peripheries of Nashville, Barbara Trucks was one of several artists recorded in the waning days of the independent Stop label, which started out as a second-tier indie with a few chart hits and then seems to have become a sort of pay-to-play vanity label for hopeful unknowns. This was one of the last albums recorded by Stop in the early '70s, and is notable for the five original compositions provided by Trucks. The album also includes its fair share of cover songs, including two Kris Kristofferson songs, two by Mickey Newberry, and a version of "Behind Closed Doors," as well as a version of "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain" that was also released as a single, although none of her songs charted... Generally speaking, the cover songs are nothing to write home about, largely due to her uneven vocals -- one suspects she could have done better, but the producers let too many flubs slide during her sessions. On balance this is an okay album, it just never quite catches fire. The original material is better, particularly songs like "The Ways Of A Man," a fairly searing divorce ballad, and "In This Barroom," a slightly salacious, utterly judgmental song about a fallen lady who spends her nights boozing it up and trying to hook up at bars, or "walking the streets" all night long. Like her vocals, the songs are a bit rough-edged but hold up both as novelty items and honky-tonk nuggets. I think Barbara Trucks was from around Jacksonville, Florida, though as far as I know there's no relation to blues/rockers Butch Trucks and Derek Trucks, although it does seem possible... Anyone know for sure?

Ron Trudeau "An Evening At The Inn Between" (Rite Records, 1974-?) (LP)
A straight-up early 'Seventies lounge act, recorded in Largo, Florida, though I think the Inn Between was a tiki bar located further inland in the town of Inwood... There are some legit countrypolitan hits in the mix -- "Delta Dawn," "I Believe In Music" and "Most Beautiful Girl" -- along with pop tunes like "Tie A Yellow Ribbon," "Piano Man," "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" and some cheesier stuff as well. A few years earlier Trudeau had been in a Fort Lauderdale duo with John Salerno called "The Society Of Two," even recording an album in 1968, although there was no country in his act back then. A couple of years later in 1977 there's mention of him doing lounge gigs around Sarasota, so he was at this music thing for a while...

Faye Tucker "Country And Western Soul" (Time Records, 1963) (LP)

Faye Tucker/Dolly Parton "Hits Made Famous By Country Queens" (Somerset Records, 1963) (LP)
I suppose there's a case to be made that the ever-anonymous Faye Tucker was sort of country music's Pete Best... Witness, if you will, this split LP with Tucker on one side, and a sassy little teenager named Dolly Parton on the other... Tucker does her best singing covers of Patsy Cline hits and oldies like "Bill Bailey Won't You Come Home," and even though several of these tracks were gathered on Tucker's subsequent "solo" album, we all know where this story's headed. Despite her youthful, Brenda Lee-ish vocals and solid delivery, Tucker never made it out of budget-label purgatory, consigned forever to the dollar bins of our hearts. But, really, this album ain't bad! Dolly, who was still in high school at the time, sang some stuff Kitty Wells, as well as one tune that was not a cover, but rather a Dolly Parton original, "Letter To Heaven." A couple of years later she got her big publishing deal, and was hired by Porter Wagoner to join his road show. The rest, as they say, is history.

Faye Tucker "Blues From A Broken Hearted Country Gal" (Somerset Records, 19--?) (LP)

The Upstage Duo "Pickin' Time With The Upstage Duo" (Pretoria Records, 19--?) (LP)
This folkie duo -- Ron Hatfield on banjo and Bryan Murphy on guitar -- had a lounge act that mixed country material with folk, pop and flamenco guitar, and worked the lounge circuit in Florida, though they were both from other parts of the country. The only mention of them I've found outside this album is an article about their act during a 1969 residency at the Quality Courts motel on Okaloosa Island, Florida. At that point they'd been together about half a year, and had plans to add Murphy's newlywed wife to the act. This album was recorded in Nashville, and includes versions of "Gentle On My Mind," "Jole Blon," "Don't Think Twice," "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" -- as far as I know, it was their lone album.

Sandy Warren "...Sings Dawn Marie" (Squan Records, 1982-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Andrews & Harry Evans)
Country bandleader Lyken "Sandy" Warren Jr. (1924-2008) was born in Watertown, Florida and lived most of his life in Daytona, where he worked as a housing contractor. He and lead guitarist Bobby Hopkins started their band the Chaparrals back in 1965 and performed as an amateur musician for several decades. As far as I know, this was Warren's only album, although he also released several singles around the same time, including a few with topical themes, such as 1983's "Reaganomics" and "Debilitatin' Aggravatin' Unemployment Blues," from 1992. The title track of this album, "Dawn Marie," is a song written for his granddaughter.

The Wattfour "With Country Feelings" (Gimp Records, 197--?) (LP)
Zero info about this band, alas. The ill-named Wattfour were a Vegas-y looking lounge band from Tampa, Florida, made up of Ray Riggs, Al Vandenberg, Dale Wilson and apparently led by singer Tommy Wilson. Steel guitar whiz and trumpet player Ray Riggs (d. 2018) played with various country stars and used to be in the "Bakersfield Brass" ensemble, which was featured on the Buck Owens TV show. I guess the Wattfour was some kind of side gig he had after retiring to Florida. No date on this disc, but it looks late '70s.

Kent Westberry "Kent Westberry" (Crackerbox Records, 1977-?) (LP)
Originally from Miami, songwriter Kent Westberry was a rock-solid Nashviller when he recorded this album on his own independent Crackerbox label... Best known as the composer of Gene Watson's 1975 hit, "Love In The Hot Afternoon" (along with about five hundred other songs), Westberry was a former rockabilly teen who found his niche in Nashville, working with his pal Charlie McCoy in the early '60s, before McCoy had cracked into the Music City elite. Admittedly, Westberry wasn't the world's greatest singer, but he sounded okay -- kind of a cross between Bill Anderson and George Jones, if you can imagine that -- and he carries these songs well. Westberry wrote or co-wrote all the tunes on here, with some interesting songwriting partners, including Mel Tillis, ex-con Harlan Sanders, Hal Harbour on a couple of tunes, and some other guys as well. The backing is pretty good -- presumably by his band, The Memory Makers, playing in a solidly uptempo, mid-1970s Top Forty-ish style. One of the highlights is a topical song, sort of an anti-Austin anthem called "Don't Come To Texas," where he warns all the would-be outlaws of the era that they gotta have a fiddle in their band if they want to sound like Bob Wills, and generally gives the longhair crowd a good-natured ribbing. All in all, this is a strong set for an off-the-radar vanity pressing, and it's possible the cheerful-sounding Westberry just missed the wave for his brand of country by a year or two, like so many folks back then. A few years later he released a couple of singles on the Doorknob label, though nothing charted, and a couple of other albums are out there, though I haven't heard them. Anyway, this disc is definitely worth checking out, despite the goofy-looking, swingerdelic cover art.

Kent Westberry "Songwriter" (West Harbour Records, 19--?) (LP)

Kent Westberry "...And The Memory Makers" (Crackerbox Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by John Denny & Clarke Schleicher)
A set of all-original Kent Westberry compositions, including collaborations with Stonewall Jackson, Benny Joy, Charlie McCoy, Mel Tillis, and Marijohn Wilkin... This appears to be a souvenir album of Westberry's touring band, or at least the musicians backing him were the actual Memory Makers, rather than a gaggle of usual-suspect Nashville pros. The band included Barbara Allen on piano, Donna Atkinson (guitar), Charlie Jenkins (drums), Ronnie Lutrick (bass), Larry Nutter (guitar), and quadruple-threat Susan Thomsen on bass, guitar, organ and vocals.

Herold White "I Remember Love" (Music City Records, 1974-?) (LP)
Though he was born in Kentucky, singer Herold White grew up in Florida and moved back there after a couple of decades spent performing in the Midwest, as well as a stint in Vegas. He released numerous singles on independent micro-labels, dating back to 1964, and recorded this album while living in the Midwest. White owned or operated a few nightclubs, first one in East Moline, Illinois (circa 1972), then one in Bettendorf, Iowa a few years later. He also started his own label, Maverick Productions, which released at least one album by another artist, a guy named Sonny Settles who seems to have been from Illinois. White moved back to Florida in the early '80s, first to work in Tampa and then back home to Live Oak, FL, where he was raised. This album was recorded in Nashville, with different musicians than he used at his own studio in Illinois: the group included Chuck Butler on bass, Jim Clark (piano), Jerry Guy (pedal steel) and John White on drums. It's not clear whether these were guys from Nashville, or his own band from the Midwest. White had a local band with an Facebook page that was active at least up through 2015. (Thanks to the Florida-based Radio Years website for their fine biography...)

Tommy Williams "Forever Fiddlin' " (Murray Records, 198-?) (LP)
(Produced by Tommy Williams, Gene Breeden & Terry Crisp)
A solo set by Tommy Williams, a Floridian fiddler who did a lot of Nashville session work, but is best known as a cast member on the Hee Haw TV show... Williams is backed by an a-ist studio crew, including pianist Hargus Robbins, Bobby Thompson on banjo and guitar, drummer Buddy Harmon, and Bud Ham on bass. The set list is all old-school, public domain fiddling standards, stuff like "Cotton Eyed Joe," "Bile Them Cabbage Down," although some of the tunes are relatively obscure, such as "Snow Flake Reel" and "Bitter Creek." No date on this one, but it looks early '80s, possibly late '70s.

Bobby Yates "S.O.C.M. (Save Our Country Music)" (Rave Records, 1986-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ray Edenton)
Florida-born neotrad honkytonker Bobby Yates alternates his own robust originals with a handful of Hank Williams classics... He's backed by members of Hank's old band, the Drifting Cowboys -- Don Helms and Jerry Rivers -- along with Ray Edenton, a couple of Edenton's family members, and several Nashville A-Teamers, such as Hargus Robbins, Kenny Malone and Charlie McCoy.

Bobby Yates "Have You Ever Really Listened (To A Hank Williams Song)?" (Lucky Lady Records, 1989) (LP)
(Produced by Ray Edenton)
More Hank-alicious hard country from this Punta Gorda, Florida honkytonker. Yates, whose day job was as a land surveyor in the Florida Everglades, is backed by the same crew of Drifting Cowboys alums: Don Helms, and Jerry Rivers, as well as old-timer Bob McNett and several A-list Nashville studio cats. This album is a collection of singles recorded at Young'Uns Studio in Nashville and previously released between 1985-87 on various NSD labels. Lucky Lady seems to have been an offshoot of the German collector label, Binge Discs, which specializes in classic hard-country, both vintage and new.

Various Artists "THE BEST IN FLORIDA COUNTRY" (Janlynn Productions, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Lin Haley)
A pay-to-play album featuring singers such as Laurie Harvey, Pete Howell, Boogie Mann Lee Pollard and Ike Walker, well-meaning locals singing alongside a studio band called "The Starbackers." The songs are almost all covers of standards, with one track written by producer Lin Haley, "Of Course I Do."

Various Artists "COUNTRY ARTISTS RECORDS INTERNATIONAL PRESENTS TOWN 'N' COUNTRY NITE HAWKS" (Country Artists Records International, 1971-?) (LP)
(Produced by Finley Duncan & Jim Foster)
In the early '70s, Florida state trooper Jim Foster hosted a country music TV show called "Nite Hawks," which aired on Tampa's WLCY-TV-10 in the early 1970s. He also released a slew of singles and LPs featuring artists who performed on the show at various times. This disc is a companion to an earlier album JIM FOSTER'S TOWN 'N' COUNTRY NITE HAWKS (reviewed below) and featured Foster with a smaller, revamped lineup that featured gal singer Lorita Barlow, local deejay Bill Floyd, and cornpone humor from comedian Cuz'n Jim Johnson. The previous LP had featured a track by Chesley Carroll, who went on to record a couple of major-label solo albums; he doesn't perform on here, although he and his partner Shelley Carroll contribute three songs to this set. There's no date on the album but I'd guess it came out around 1971: Barlow and Floyd each recorded albums of their own in the 'Sixties, but cut singles for this label in '71, including Floyd's version of "Kelly's Bar Again," which is one of the songs written by the Carrolls for this album. Lorita Barlow graduated high school in 1968 and hit the road looking for fame and fortune: a 1972 newspaper profile mentions her working in Florida before landing a gig in Detroit. She also cut a duet with Jim Foster called "Kiss Him Twice," which is also included here, and later collaborated with producer Finley Duncan.

Various Artists "JIM FOSTER'S TOWN 'N' COUNTRY NITE HAWKS" (Country Artists Records International, 1970-?) (LP)
(Produced by Finley Duncan & Jim Foster)
Florida state trooper Jim Foster had a very diverse career, with his "singing cop" persona at the heart of it all. Foster is probably best known for his 1965 single, "Four On The Floor (And A Fifth Beneath The Seat)," a drunken-driving novelty number that he re-recorded several times over the years. He also worked as a radio announcer and TV personality, as well as a politician. In 1972, Foster leveraged his celebrity into a political career, getting elected to the Florida House of Representatives, where he remained for ten years before returning to the civil service. I'm not sure when this album came out, but it was connected to Foster's Tampa area "Nite Hawks" television show, which he hosted on WLCY-TV-10. It's not clear whether the musicians also performed live shows as an "opry" revue, though they definitely were on the local airwaves. Of immediate interest is a track credited to Chesley Carroll, who I assume is the same as Milton Chesley Carroll, a fairly funky roots-twang artist who recorded a couple of excellent solo albums in the early 'Seventies. Jim Foster sings on two tracks, along with Bonnie Isbrecht (aka Miss Bonnie), Cuz'n Jim Johnson, The Musick Brothers (Eddie and George), Chuck Russell, Kay Stephens, and the Nite Hawks house band, which included steel player Glenn Ray. A subsequent album, COUNTRY ARTISTS RECORDS INTERNATIONAL PRESENTS TOWN 'N' COUNTRY NITE HAWKS came out a little while later, with a mostly different cast. Dunno if there was a high turnover in the show's cast, or if they just had a lot of people coming through the doors.

Various Artists "THE OCEAN OPRY: PANAMA CITY FLORIDA" (Ocean Opry Records, 1977-?) (LP)
(Produced by Wayne Rader)
Producer and family patriarch Wayne Rader (1936-2015) was born in Marshall, Missouri and met his wife Patsy in Wichita, Kansas, where they raised their three kids. While in Kansas, Mr. Rader was an appliance store owner who dabbled in music promotion, managing a gospel quartet called the Riverside Boys, which included his sons Bill and Dennis. In January, 1978 the family moved down to Panama City, Florida, and later that year they opened their own mom'n'pop country music "opry," out on Highway 98, right on the shoreline. The Raders ran their alcohol-free venue for almost thirty years, selling the theater and doing their last show in August, 2005. On this souvenir album the Rader Family is credited as Bill Rader (a multi-instrumentalist, on banjo, fiddle, piano and guitar), along with Dennis Rader (drums), Carla and Becky Rader, joined by Don Baker (bass) and Gary Salkill, a featured vocalist who doesn't seem to have played an instrument. There was also a revamped version of the Riverside Boys, though it's not clear who sang in this configuration, presumably the Rader boys along with Baker and Saskill. It's also not clear if Wayne Rader also performed on this album; he's not listed on any of the songs. The material is pretty standard stuff: "Daddy Sang Bass," " This Ole House," Rocky Top," some gospel material, and a couple of instrumental showcases. The only really contemporary material is a cover of the Kendalls hit, "Heaven's Just A Sin Away," which charted in late 1977. That might help us figure out the date on this one... I'm guessing 1978-ish, though it may have been a bit later, but some time near the opening of the opry. As time went on, Dennis Rader took on the hick comedy persona on Moonshine, doing stage patter and jokes in addition to playing bass. The family act expanded over the years, and by the time of their last Ocean Opry show, there were eighteen family members on stage. Two of them were Dennis Rader's sons -- Brent, who became a member of Joe Nichols' band, and Danny, a multi-instrumentalist who toured with numerous Top Forty stars, most notably backing Keith Urban for nearly a decade. Bill Rader stuck around Panama City and ultimately went into local politics, joining the city council in 2007.

Various Artists "SALEM COUNTRY GOLD '82: BEST OF JACKSONVILLE' " (WQIK Records, 1983) (LP)
A souvenir set from radio station WQIK, in Jacksonville, Florida, featuring several bands the station apparently sponsored for a national talent contest sponsored by Salem (cigarettes, I assume). Details are sketchy, with little information online about the contest, and no real liner notes on the disc, other than the band names and song titles. For the most part the bands are pretty obscure, although there are three tracks by the Wilkinson Brothers, who were an established act with a long history playing gigs in the Branson area, in their home state of Missouri. I'm not sure if the other groups -- Cherokee Country, Cripple Creek, Egan's Creek, The Rebel Rouser Band, and J. Calli Thomas -- were more local than this. Egan's Creek was named after a spot at a coastal park up in northern Florida, right by the Georgia border, and J. Calli Thomas may have been a Georgian, but generally speaking for most of these artists, this disc seems to represent the sum total of their vinyl output. Any addition information is welcome, of course!

Various Artists "SUITE TWELVE" (Bee Jay Records, 197-?) (LP)
This mid-1970s compilation was basically a rock-pop set, with various dorky longhaired Florida rock bands doing carbon-copy covers of ZZ Top, Wings, The Doobie Brothers, et. al. However, there is one bluegrass-y band called the Sandy Valley Boys who titled their one track "Instrumental", so there is a little trace of twang to be heard here. All these groups were represented by the same management company, the Bee Jay Booking Agency, from Winter Park, Florida, near Orlando. Named after founder Bob Johnson, the agency started out in the mid-1960s and was a conduit for a lot of local talent, although as this LP demonstrates, many nondescript bands passed through their doors as well. This is one of several showcase albums produced by Bee Jay, and its successor, J. Bird, over the years.

Various Artists "WHITE SPRINGS BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL" (Kaloosa Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Ben Brown & Peter Leonardi)
A set of live recordings from May 1972, featuring several Florida bluegrass acts, including fiddler Chubby Anthony, Grady And The Good Guys, Orange Blossom Bluegrass, the Rose City Boys and Sunny Bluegrass, many of whom recorded full albums of their own Of note to country fans are folkie Dale Crider, who later made several odd albums, including some with unusual conceptual themes, the longhaired band Country Grass, which cut an album in 1978 that mixed, well, country and bluegrass, and perhaps most surprisingly, singer David Bellamy, later of the Bellamy Brothers top forty group. (Who knew?!)

Hick Music Index