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The Wild Ones
The Wild Ones of Richmond, Virginia put out one 45 in late ’65 featuring two original songs. The A-side is “Listen to the Drums”, an atmospheric chant led by Rennie Renfro’s drumming on the toms and...
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The Earthquakes
Kevin Longendyke found this excellent band photo in Richmond, Virginia and was trying to determine who the band is. Chandler Edmunds wrote in with information about the group: The band’s name is The...
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The Smacks
The Smacks had two primary members, Lloyd Semler from Hagerstown, Maryland, and Bill McCauley from Winchester, Virginia. Both towns are along the I-81 corridor, about 45 minutes drive apart. Other...
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Alear Discography
Below is an incomplete discography of Jean Alford’s Alear Records label from Winchester, Virginia. Most of the disks are country, except the Don Dupree is supposed to be doo wop backed by a girl group....
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Virgil Caine: Roger, Larry, Mike and Eddie
by Jack Garrett The Virgil Caine album was ignored outside Southern Virginia on its initial release in 1971. But the low-tech masterpiece has finally gained an audience through the internet and the LP...
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In Search of the Lost Soul
The Lost Soul, Vox promotional photo at the Hillsville Armory, ca. 1967. (l to r) Randy Conlee, Donny Fields, Steve Cook & Steve Calfee Article by Jack Garrett While the Lost Soul is all but...
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The Fabulous Generals
The Fabulous Generals, 1966, back row: David Daniel, Bobby Henderson, Joe Merriman, Lee Moore; middle row: Mack Davidson, Ronnie Ashworth (holding Bobby’s bass); in front: Fairy Ashworth The economic...
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The Stones Unturned: Institutionalized Delinquency
Jim Ray (on drums) and Pete Hilliard with a pick-up band performing in Danville’s Ballou Park. Performing in the George Washington High School cafeteria after a football game.L-R: Jim Ray, Pete...
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Gene and the Team Beats: Have Soul, Will Travel
1965 flyer, L-R: Charles Hairston, Lonnie Woodall, Gene Rumley, Brian Thomason, Rickie Fox Gene Rumley, 1965 It has been nearly a half-century since five musicians from Martinsville and Danville banded...
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The Mustangs
The Mustangs backstage with the Byrds from left: Mike Clark, Larry Hutcherson (partially hidden), Mike Johnstone, Jim McGuinn, Paris Aiken (with glasses), Norm Lawrence, Brad Tinglehoff, Rick Farrar,...
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The American Band: Beware of Falling Dreams
The Commercial Appeal, Danville news clip photo, 1969, from left: Larry Abbott, Truxton Fulton and Walter Dalton The American Band was an original music group formed in 1968. It had a short and sweet...
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Raven Records, Frank Koger and the House of Sound Studios
By Jack Garrett Frank Koger, 1977, photo taken by Pete Walker In the mid-sixties, Frank Koger started Raven Records, a small, independent label based in Danville, VA, that released a large catalog of...
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Danny and the Del Notes
The Del Notes (photo from the Peninsula Garage group) The Del Notes came from Newport News, Virginia. Danny O’Brien attended Newport News High School and formed the group at school. Early members...
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D’Arcy Sound Studios, Sounds International & Nottingham Disc Co.
D’Arcy Studios was started by Warren Miller, who had cut “Everybody’s Got a Baby But Me” / “Say You’ll Be True” for United Artists in 1958. In 1964 Miller had a label called D’Arcy with two country...
View ArticleAdrian’s Sinsations
James Shott wrote to me about a group he was in during the late ’60s, Adrian’s Sensations, or Sinsations. James wrote: I played in a band called either Adrian’s SInsations, or Adrian and the SINsations...
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Rupe & the Jades
Rupe & the Jades came from Clifton Forge, Virginia, a town in Alleghany County. Rupe was Rupert Howard, who I believe was a number of years older than the teenagers usually making this kind of...
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The Fabulous Generals
The Fabulous Generals, 1966, back row: David Daniel, Bobby Henderson, Joe Merriman, Lee Moore; middle row: Mack Davidson, Ronnie Ashworth (holding Bobby’s bass); in front: Fairy Ashworth The economic...
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The Stones Unturned: Institutionalized Delinquency
Jim Ray (on drums) and Pete Hilliard with a pick-up band performing in Danville’s Ballou Park. Performing in the George Washington High School cafeteria after a football game.L-R: Jim Ray, Pete...
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Gene and the Team Beats: Have Soul, Will Travel
1965 flyer, L-R: Charles Hairston, Lonnie Woodall, Gene Rumley, Brian Thomason, Rickie Fox Gene Rumley, 1965 It has been nearly a half-century since five musicians from Martinsville and Danville banded...
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The Mustangs
The Mustangs backstage with the Byrds from left: Mike Clark, Larry Hutcherson (partially hidden), Mike Johnstone, Jim McGuinn, Paris Aiken (with glasses), Norm Lawrence, Brad Tinglehoff, Rick Farrar,...
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