Browsing Tag: featured

FROM THE 1950’s, 60’s & 70’s

1. Harvey’s Nativity scene at the Parthenon in Centennial Park. The Nativity Scene featured life size figures with lights that faded from white to blue to red and Christmas Carols on the sound system. It was a truly spiritual experience and one that brought families together and reminded them of the meaning of the season.
2. The old Krystal Restaurants on West End and on Gallatin Road with curb service. They served the burgers in a red plastic basket with that wax paper covering them up for a dime each. Thick shakes and chocolate ice box pie for dessert.
3. The Monkey Bar and Carousel (operated by Max Loewenstein a survivor of Buchenwald) at downtown Harvey’s. If business was slow Mr. Harvey would let the monkeys run loose in the store.
4. The old movie theaters downtown: The Tennessee, Crescent, Lowes, Knickerbocker and the Paramount? The “Popeye Club” was at the Paramount Theater….also Bob Luck who played the big organ as it rose from a lower level at the front of the theater. Most of the theatres carried big banners “AIR CONDITIONED” in icy blue letters.
5. The original Green Hills Strip – Chester’s, Three Sisters, Family Booterie, Durys, Woolworths, Walgreens, Cross Keys restaurant & Castner Knotts. The BEST cherry cokes were at Woolworths in Green Hills and you could pop a balloon to get the price of your banana split. Chester’s had a mynah bird on the basement floor which would wolf whistle at the ladies walking by. Talking Mynah birds were a novelty in the late 50’s and downtown Harveys, the Children’s Museum and Jim Reed Chevrolet all had resident birds.
6. Green Hills & Inglewood Theaters – Party Rooms that were soundproofed and could host noisy birthday parties and crying babies. Melrose Theatre and it’s make-out balcony, Martin Theatres at 100 Oaks with the rocking chairs seats and Belle Meade Theatre with double seats for dates to get close and personal. Many theatres had drawings for cash and the prize could grow each week if unclaimed.
7. All the “real” hotels were downtown: Andrew Jackson, Maxwell House, Noel, Hermitage, Sam Davis and ultra cool Hyatt Regency with the revolving Polaris Restaurant on top and the Blue Max Lounge in the basement. As a side note, the wildest and most out of control party in the Nashville 60’s was at the Hermitage in 1968 and was an after- prom breakfast for Hillsboro High School. It made the newspapers and has become an urban legend for it’s gross excess. The Downtown Hermitage Hotel was the year-round home for eight years to pool legend Minnesota Fats. The pool shark, arguably the most famous player to pick up a cue stick, had his own table on the Mezzanine above the lobby.
8. Cascade Plunge Swimming Pool at Fair Park. The pool was massive and almost toxic from the chemicals employed to keep it sanitary. One exited the dressing room to the poolside by walking through a green ankle high pool of chemical to sterilize the feet after which one walked through an adjoining pool of a similar orange solution, then one dived into water so soaked with chlorine pool solution it was bright blue in color, stung the eyes, and had a slight bitter taste. There were several other pools of note including Swim & Sun, Centennial Park Pool, Glendale in Melrose, Sun Valley in Madison, Collins’ Lake off River Road, Pleasant Green in Goodlettsville, Willow Plunge in Franklin, Pine Springs off Couchville Pike, Union Hill Pool next to the drag strip and Rawlings off of Clarksville Highway. Swimming lessons at Shelby Park with Vic Varallo. Remember when the Downtown YMCA pool was sans swimsuits? Boys would start out as minnows and complete the course as whales. The 2nd. biggest urban legend of Nashville (behind the Hookman) concerned razor blades embedded in the water slide at Cascade Plunge. Apparently the 3rd. biggest urban legend that the Downtown YMCA required nude swimming was true.
9. Hippodrome Skating Rink (where the Vanderbilt Holiday Inn is) or the Rollerdrome (where H H Gregg is on Thompson Lane at the railroad tunnel) or Skateland …

Radio in the 50’s and 60’s was king. Nashville had only three TV stations and they went off the air at Midnight. Most kids slept with a transistor radio under their pillow and local DJ’s were part of the family.

The following material was submitted by G.K. (Sunny) Goller. He hopes to add to this information with your help. If you have corrections/additions add them in the Message Board. We are also needing pictures and memorabilia from early Nashville Radio.

In 1969, Johnny Walker did one of the first, if not the first, AOR type programs in Nashville. It seems as though it was late summer 1969, when I heard Walker play Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix. Other artists and tunes Walker played on his AOR program were Crosby, Stills and Nash’s,”Suite Judy Blue Eyes,” old Cream cuts and Rolling Stones songs.

I remember the show had some loyal following such as myself. Since I was 15 at this time, I was wildly enthusiastic. I told other friends about this cool, new radio show that played deeper into rock albums and a harder genre type of rock n roll.

As I remember, the show did not last long, but it was shortly after this when Scott Shannon, who I think is now a DJ up in the DC area, created the power hour, which also was a stab at AOR type programming. Shannon always signed off his program with “Cherish” by the Association (which was not an AOR type song), but it was Shannon’s sign off song.

Then after running a MOR and goldies format, WKDA launched Album Oriented Rock (AOR) in March 1970. BK Saddler and Syd Young both were gracious enough to-mail me some information on early air celebrities of the early WKDA FM. Don Sullivan, Chuck Mccartney, Mac Allan and Bob Cole were already doing the goldies format when the AOR format was brought in. Carl P. Mayfield came in later that same year I think.

Other WKDA FM jocks that came in shortly after this were Dave Walton, Jim Escue and Hunter Harvey. I also remember two midnight jocks in the summer of 1971. One was named Jim Baton. Baton played music that is now called: Heavy Metal.” He played Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, Bloodrock, Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep, Deep Purple and other early heavy rocking bands. My friends and I wore the guy out with requests. He usually played the songs also.

Another jock that I remember, but do not remember the guy’s name was Don Dixons or something such as that. The same deal with Dixon. He usually played some very weird tunes after midnight. That was fine with a bunch of long haired young rocking hippy wannabe types. I also learned that Ron Huntsman might have been one of the early program directors.

It was great radio for certain. AOR was still fairly new in these days. Playlists were much deeper than they are today

In the fall of 1971, WKDA FM 103.3 changed their format from AOR to an AOR hybrid. An AOR hybrid is actually a top 40 station that makes some attempt to reach out to AOL listeners. Make no mistake about, the big and friendly WKDA FM, which had been a bastion to Nashville’s counter culture, had sold out! The new WKDA FM was now playing Helen Ready’s “I am woman.” No true AOR station would have touched that. It was top 40 pop music.

WKDA FM did make some effort to reach out to the AOR crowd late at nights, real late. Too late for people that work to enjoy this genre. But I would listen on the weekends. They would play a hit song by the Rollin’s Stones followed by whatever was on the top 40 playlists at that time. No, it was not very good AOR programming in my opinion.

And for several years, WKDA FM was into this kind of AOR-hybrid radio. Then Clark Rogers came along in 72 or 73 and began programing cool tune again after midnight. No top 40 stuff. Rogers played album cuts again of the Stones, Led Zeppelin, Jefferson Airplane and the great bands.

But WKDA FM prodded in …

By 1970 Combos were replaced by “Bands”and music was to listen to, rather than to dance to.

THE GRADUATES

A variety band that worked the nightclub circuits during the late 60’s and early 70’s including the Voo Doo Room and Captain Table in Nashville’s Printers Alley. They also traveled the Southeastern US working military reservations during the Vietnam War. The Graduates had one record on Monument Records (7th Generation Breakthrough) produced by Jerry Tuttle.

The picture to the left to right:
Randy Allen, Drums
Gene Golden, Hammond B3 and Vocals
Charlie Schrader, Tenor Sax and Vocals
Jimmy Mullins, Guitar and Vocals

The picture is circa 1969

THE TURNING POINT

A R&B Group started in 1972 and worked Nashville Nightclubs until Feb. 1976 when the members began service in a band for Kenny Rogers.
Left to right:
Gene Golden, Hammond B3, Elec. Piano and Vocals
Bobby Daniels, Drums and Vocals
Steve Glassmeyer, Electric Piano and Vocals
The trio grew to seven pieces with Kenny.
The group recorded several hit albums with K.R. over the years. Steve Glassmeyer co-wrote Kenny’s hit “Love or Something Like it ” and is still with Kenny after 27 years. Bobby Daniels co-wrote and produced the “Superbowl Shuffle” for the Chicago Bears and now works for Project Return in Nashville. Gene Golden won an Emmy for a TV Theme, co-wrote a Cleo winning commercial for the Special Olympics, still writes and does independent production.

BAREFOOT JERRY

Formed in 1971, they recorded on the Capitol, Warner Brothers and Monument Labels. Made of members from Area Code 615: The original members were: Charlie McCoy, Wayne Moss, Mac Gayden and Kenneth Buttrey. More than 25 members came and went out of the band during it’s 11 years on the road. They played on the Blonde on the Blonde Album by Bob Dylan.

Pictured above:
Left to right:
Si Edwards, Drummer
Jim Colvard, Guitar Player
Wayne Moss, Guitar and Bass
Terry Dearmore, Bass and Vocals (in the wagon)
Russ Hicks, Steel Guitar Player (seated)
Warren Hartman, Keyboard & Sax (now produces Kenny Rogers)
Barefoot Jerry CDs are available in Nashville at Great Escape or on-line @
Barefoot Jerry Website

GLORY

In 1972 the Band Glory came into the scene at McGavock High. They played at all the local dances and parties, playing Chicago, soul and 70’s top forty. They continued performing while at MTSU and played at many clubs and Frat parties in the south while being managed by Tony Moon Productions. They just played at the 30 year McGavock High Reunion in Nashville.
Band Members:
Tommy Strange – guitar and vocals
Kevin Wright – Lead vocals
Gary Shelton – Bass and Vocals
Rick King – keyboards and vocals (Pack Rat at the 30 yr. reunion)
Ernie Harris – drums (from MTSU)
Chris Brook – drums
Steve Abbott – sax and vocals
Paul Dunlap – sax (MTSU)
Roy Garner – trumpet and vocals
Jay Patterson – trumpet
Danny Crockarell – trumpet
Phil (Fat Bob) Eakes – Trombone
Submitted by Jay Patterson…