E-MAIL MEMORIES, PAGE 18
JUDY HARTGROVE:
Bob, I just found your website while looking for links to NO news to get
the latest Isidore news. I'm in Dallas now, but I sure can picture myself
as a 6th grader at McDonogh 39, huddling with my classmates around the radio!
In the winter of '64 we had lots of days that were too cold for outside,
so we would get to listen to WTIX during recess! We waited anxiously for
the latest news from Louise Harrison Caldwell, and hoped we would hear a
Beatles song too!! Also remember wishing I could go to the concert..of course
my parents wouldn't let me go near that mob scene...They did drive me by
the Congress Inn so I could swoon. My dear Dad also indulged my Beatle mania
by hunting for the WTIX station (on Paris avenue in Chalmette if I remember
right?) so he could pick up the 2-album "Beatles story" record
set I won!! Still have that, wonder if it is a valuable rare item now??
Love the chance to visit my NO past!
BOB:
I think we all listened to George Harrison's sister, Louise Harrison Caldwell,
as she updated us on weekly Beatles news on the nightly Ted Greene show
on WTIX. It was also exciting listening to the daily reports on WTIX from
Jack Powers, who was on the Beatles' '64 tour and reported each day's news
on each concert stop as the Beatles tour got closer to New Orleans. Well,
you didn't get to see the Beatles but you DID get to visit the luxurious
WTIX studios in the swamp on Paris Road, where DJ's used to bring shotguns
to shoot nutria as their records played!
SUSIE CAMBRE:
Hi Bob ... Just a few more ... You've taken me back to some wonderful moments
and places .
Rhonda Shear- a character .
Television Personalities ..... Captain Sam and Bayou Bill (a short
term kid tv show on WDSU), Wayne Mack (the Great MacNutt), Terry Fletchrich,
Ron Hunter and Alex Gifford ...still around , of course .
Radio ..... Ugly Jerry Lousteau ( a real sweet character ) B-97 and
Scoot , Captain Humble and John Larroquette with 'Mother Radio' in the early
underground FM period .
I still cry out in the middle of the night for McKenzies, Frost Top
and my K & B Fountain treats, those wonderful chocolate covered graham
crackers from Maison Blanche's candy counter and the grilled cheese sandwiches
from Kreeger's Dept. Store on Canal Street (nickle and dime store) with
a canned peach on the side . Thanks for the trip back . I gotta return to
reality and go explain to my kids ... I REALLY did sit in City Park Stadium
and yell for hours until the Beatles came out and then , I yelled for several
more hours ! Smile .... thank you.
BOB:
I wonder if 50'ish Rhonda Shear is still "Up All Night" or if
she gets sleepy when the sun goes down these days like the rest of us old-timers!
DREW STRAHAN, SUFFOLK, VA:
Bob, I was reading the article about Jayne
Mansfield. I hope I have reached the right person that wrote it. I can
say for 100 per cent sure Jayne Mansfield did stop at the White Kitchen.
My mother and I were in there eating fried chicken ... back then it
was all you can eat for $1.99 cents ... and in came Jayne Mansfield. My
mother had blonde hair and it was of course dyed back then in the 60's,
and I said "Here come's a lady with blonde hair just like yours."
Then the word out of my mothers mouth ... "OH my GOD, its Jayne Mansfield!
She went to the ladies' restroom, then she came out and believe me I was
watching. She got 3 small bottles of Coca cola and some candy ... the candy
was the small GOLD BRICK about the size of a person's small finger. She
walked over to my mother and said "Lady, that is one hell of a 'do
you have on you head," and it was. My mother had a wing on one side
the size of the state capital and had on more war paint and makeup than
8 women could wear.
I went to the door and watched Jayne get into the car. As well as
I remember is was a BUICK ELECTRA 225, about a 1965 or 1966. My mother was
driving a 1967 OLDS 98. My mother told me on the way home that Jayne Mansfield
was supposed to be on the Midday show with Terry Fletchrich. The next morning
I got up about 7:30 to cut the grass and my mother came out and told me
Jayne Mansfield had died in a car crash. It really upset my mother. We got
in the car and went to what has always been "Dead Man's Curve,"
and my mother had me cut some roses from her rose trellis in the yard and
we laid them on the right side of the road.
I too will never forget that day. I can remember like it was yesterday.
We almost did not go to the White Kitchen that night. At the last minute
we changed our minds and went to that one instead of going to Bosco's on
Highway 11, the reason being Bosco's was too crowded and I made the suggestion
for us to go and eat some Chicken at the White Kitchen.
You know I have not been back home to Slidell since my mother died
in 1980 but you can believe one thing. I am planning a trip to Louisiana
around the holidays. I will make it a point to stop by and lay some flowers
on the side of the road where her life ended. Thanks for letting me share
this story with you.
BOB:
Wow, Drew, that's a great story. Thank you for sharing. Let me know when
you come in and we'll put some flowers there together in her memory, along
with the memories of Sam and Ronnie.
TONY RUNFALO, LAFAYETTE, LA
Bob, the pizza place next to the Tiger Theatre was Artista's....best pizza
ever and the one against which I judge all modern pizza (none of which can
match it).
BOB:
That seems to be the pizza place most writers remember fondly. And today's
kids think Domino's and Papa John's are the best. Harrummmpfff !!
DIANNA REED:
I LOVED MC KENZIE'S BLACKOUT CAKES. I WOULD LOVE TO FIND OUT IF ANYONE HAS
THEM ANY MORE OR IF ANYONE HAS THE RECIPE FOR THE BLACKOUT CAKE LIKE MC
KENZIE USED TO MAKE. IF ANYONE HAS THIS INFORMATION YOU CAN E-MAIL THIS
TO ME AT: Moedee_70072@yahoo.com
I WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT. THANKS.
BOB:
Good luck, Dianna. Maybe the recipes for McKenzie's delicious King Cakes
and Turtles won't be far behind.
JOHN J. HEWITT, CHARLOTTE, NC:
I just found your great N.O. music site. What a great job!! I want to get
the Joker's CD. Can you help me?
I came from Warren Easton High School, Class of '62 and I came up with the
bands in that era ... the Jokers, Nobles, Rhythm Kings, Counts, Contours,
etc. Back during that era (1961-65), I played keyboards with a couple of
"run of the mill" bands, but I also played with the Rhythm Kings.
Joe Jopes, Wibby Tank, Guy Trippi and his brudda Ant'ny, Allen Vial, Anthony
Anderson, Wade Wright. Played @ Sacred Heart and St. Anthony. Also sat in
numerous times with the Nobles They really didn't need a keyboard, but they
accommodated me because I was good friends with the leader, Don Courtade.
The other members were Tony Manalla, Don Sixkiller, Billy Hayden, Billy
Murray, Eddie Powers, and Joe Liuzza. I'm surprised I can remember all those
names. Played @ Metairie Lodge, and Germania, but mostly SBARD.
Went to Southeastern with Frank Sanders and was in the same "Suite"
in our dormitory. What's Frank doing now? Final question....how did Roland
(LeBlanc) Stone die?
You have done such a great job with your website and, of course promoting
the legends of our day.
BOB:
According to what Mike Ancona told me a couple of weeks ago they are remastering
the original CD "Why N.O. Can't Forget Them" for re-release shortly.
Email Eddie Roth from my JOKERS
page for more info.
The story with Roland was pretty bizarre and shocking, as we were
robbed forever of his talents and friendship.
Roland was a picture of health at that stage of his life, and he was
a devoted husband and father. He was enjoying the resurgance of his popularity
and the now-frequent gigs he loved so much. He was "in his glory"
on stage, communicating with loving audiences and entertaining them as only
Roland could. He was born to be on stage. What a tradedy that it was all
cut short.
He had a hernia operation in December 1999, a same-day and routine
procedure. Complications arose and Roland passed away so quickly that it
was hard to believe he was gone. It is still hard to believe.
Did you hear the end of my internet show "Rare Ones"? The
end is my tribute to Roland, then we go to the track from the Jokers Live
CD, on which I introduce Roland on stage in May 1999. We carry on a bit
back and forth, then he sings "Go On Fool." Listening to that
still fills me up today.
I'm not sure of what Frank's doing but I know he's still around and
making music now and then!
BILL IN FLORIDA:
Hi Bob, just happened to be surfing and thought I would look up WTIX. I
used to listen to it at night from here in Alachua, FL, back in the late
50s and early 60s. If the ether was good, it had a clear sound and I loved
it. I distinctly remember a rogue of a DJ by the name of Danny Dark who
was always doing something weird and getting in trouble of some sort. Boy,
was he good, though. I also recall once when he got on top of the station
and threw money off, the story goes. I believe he got fired, and called
his show "Dark after dark" or some such. After these intervening
years, memory plays tricks on us, but I think I am correct in a lot of this.
What say you?
BOB:
I know all about those memory tricks these days. That's why I'm writing
them down here before we all go to the old folks' home!
If I recall correctly, it was Danny Dark who threw the money off the
roof of the Central Savings & Loan Association building at 624 Canal
St. It was a four story building and the TIX studios were on the third floor,
back in the days when stations could get away with outrageous publicity
stunts. Danny threw the money off the roof in about '58 (?) and, of course,
WTIX followed the event very closely on the air. VERY closely. They ended
up with a mob scene in front of the building and police intervention was
necessary as he did indeed throw money down. Afterwards it was announced
on WTIX that Danny Dark had been fired. They followed that up a couple of
days later by broadcasting that Danny Dark was missing and hadn't been seen
since he got fired, and the station asked for help in finding him. His loyal
fans undertook a citywide manhunt, and he was "found" shortly
afterwards wandering along Airline Highway (or was it Chef?).
These days a station would be heavily fined for putting on such publicity
stunts. But they sure were fun back in the days when radio itself was fun...a
FAR cry from today.
Which reminds me of the stunt a northern station pulled in the 60's.
They threw live turkeys from a helicopter down to an eager and huge crowd
at a shopping center. They just forgot that...turkeys can't fly!
ROBBY B. FROM JEFFERSON:
Great memories! I remember watching Morgus and listening to TIX by my cousin's
house in Chalmette. Staying up late calling Buzz Bennett and getting on
the "spookline." I still got my "Tix Tenna Toppa." I
keep it with my elephant key from da zoo!
BOB:
You too huh? I met my date for the Senior Prom on the Spookline. Blind date...I
lucked out though. WHEW! That elephant key and TIX Tenna Topper are indeed
rare collector's items. People keep ax'ing me about Tenna Toppers but you're
the only person I know who still has one. Email to me closeup pics of the
key and da Topper and I'll post them here from you.