WELCOME TO JIM ROSE REMEMBERS RADIO
March 25, 2009 [Wednesday]
Issue #638

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GARY ALLYN (San Diego-Fallbrook, CA) Subject: The Last Song. Jim, a possible answer to Rob Richie's question about who might have done the song: "The Last Song". It may have been by Edward Bear. I know I played it a lot when I was on KONO in San Antonio during the time period mentioned. Not sure about it being a South Texas song though. I remember seeing Doug Sahm and the boys at The Blue Note in S.A. Dougie was a real pal of mine, and a true eccentric performer. I also used to have Michael Nesmith (The Monkees) play and sing intermissions at my record hops. Mike a fine songwriter too. Anybody remember Denny Ezba and The Fabulous Goldens? Gary Allyn -The World's Tallest Midget (www.garyallyn.com) (http://garyallynsradiopinion.blogspot.com/)

WHERE DO YOU READ JRRR? Tell us how far away from Houston, TX that you read JRRR. Send your full name, city, state and country of residence to rosekkkj@earthlink.net.

BUD BUSCHARDT (Dallas, TX) Subject: Orbison: The Last Song. I offer this information in response to Rob Richie's note about Roy Orbison's "The Last Song." Roy wrote the song with B. Dees. If Bruce Hathaway played it by "The Big O" in 1962, it must have been a demo, test pressing or album cut. I checked several Orbison discographies and there are no listings for the song being released on a commercial 45 by Roy who at that time was on Monument Records. However, in 1964 Houstonian Gene Thomas released the song on United Artists # UA 725. The label credits Roy Orbison as the producer. Gene recorded several other Orbison compositions and even wrote one of his releases with Roy. Orbison produced most of Gene's United Artists sessions including a Billboard Hot 100 low charter "Baby's Gone" that Roy wrote with Bobby Goldsboro. Bud (the ole Musicologist) Buschardt

JOE FORD (Houston-Spring, TX) Hey Jim, I saw the post from Rob Richie about the Last Song by Roy Orbison. I don't remember that one from the Big "O" but I do remember The Last Song by Gene Thomas. Rob makes reference to a Texas hit and this was one of those unique South Texas wonders, During the 60's, Gene was a bit of a wonder himself. Always on the cusp of greatness but never quite arriving. He had local area hits with "Sometimes" and "The Last Song". I recall speaking to Roy Orbison about Gene because he was interested in his material and even a production deal. I don't recall what happened but he called him "one of the best writers I've ever heard." I can testify to that! Gene Thomas was a bit of an enigma. He would come by the station with demos of his music (we got to pick our own records in those days). All the jocks looked forward to hearing his new stuff fully produced but Gene never seemed to pursue the greatness that could have been his, preferring to remain in the shadows as a writer. For all I know, he may own a major label now! I sure hope so. Keep the good vibes alive, Jim. Joey

ANDY WALDROP (Houston, TX) Subject: Last Song. Jim, Please tell Bob Richie that the song he is asking about is the very song I sign-off my weekly radio program with each Sunday night. The song is entitled "Last Song," and the artist is a fella that was from Palestine, Texas. That gentleman's name is Gene Thomas. While "Last Song" was not a hit, it was played an awful lot in these parts (primarily on jukeboxes). It was one of those classic "beer joint" jukebox songs. Gene did have two songs that charted nationally, "Sometime," in 1961, and "Baby's Gone," in 1964 (released in late '63, but peaked in early '64). His songs, of course, charted higher locally, and to an extent...higher regionally. Gene also happened to be the Gene of "Gene & Debbe" fame. Their biggest hit with a song called "Playboy" in 1968. I'd be happy to provide him with all the above-mentioned songs! Please feel free to send along my E-mail address to him. Thanks, Andy

GEORGE LESTER (Palestine-Elkhart, TX) I was really surprised to see the name ROB RICHIE... I had a young student from San Antonio College as an intern who did traffic reports when I worked at KBAT just across the street from the college. His name was Bob Richie and we had to give him a different first name because we already had another Bob on the air. I suggested Rob and the name stuck. He used it for the rest of his radio career. I was really saddened when a mutual friend told me had died a few years ago. Now, out of the blue the name appears again. Did the original Rob Richie have a son or is this just a coincidence?

TRIVIA ANSWER: After high school graduation in Wink, TX Roy Orbison's 1950s teen band The Wink Westerners breaks up because he sees no future in music. Roy attends North Texas State college just north of Dallas in Denton with a major in Geology. In 1955, Orbison leaves college, forms a new band The Teen Kings and heads for Memphis, TN. Sam Phillips signs him to Sun Records and the rest is history. The Big O becomes a Rock'n'Roll legend.

RICK TILLERY (Houston-Pasadena, TX) Subject: Kain Kane...Pasadena. (http://techbytetalk.com/) This Link will explain Kain...that's my talk radio show on the internet. I tell my Listeners I'm From Cut'n'shoot...for color. Have not done a show in awhile. Just too tired. May do one tonite love to talk old radio. Arch, Jan andI worked at Bell Hotshot together, and then he and Jan moved to another company. Ran into Jan 'bout a year ago when she and I were picking up at the same place. Tell her and Arch hi from #8, Richard at Bell H/S. I'm still there. back in the '60's/70's I followed old arch from KIKK to KNUZ and some place that I don't remember...even made him a CD from an air check he made way, way back. He did not remember making it. When KIKK went all CDs I got my hands on about 100 LPs from their library...still got em...love to hear the scratches on old Ernest Tubb and all the others. I have a very large library of all kinds of music. I have to be careful when I play something on the net...(ascap, bmi) got to interview C.W. McCall a couple of years ago. As far as where I found jrrr I don't remember...been a subscriber a long time. Just don't email much. darn!!! got to typing and could not stop...lol...Kain aka Rick Tillery

RALPH WALDO EMERSON (1803-1882) Beware when God lets loose a thinker on this planet.

Jim Rose and Tejas
Houston, Texas - En Dieu nous croyons

JRRR ISSUES #1-#40 of the original first website that begin on May 24, 2004 are at: http://web.archive.org/web/20050320103555/home.earthlink.net/~rosekkkj/jimroseremembers/id5.html For column links, look to the far left side bar.

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