Okay, I can't resist. Since over the past few days we've been looking back over time, we might as well go on back one more decade. July 1974 is where we're headed - and if you think you felt aged yesterday, just read on....
Les Beasley, Glen Allred, Derrell Stewart, Buddy Liles and Laddie Cain (The Florida Boys) were getting ready to release their new album for Canaan Records. The album title hadn't been decided upon as of the printing of the news release, but the recording would contain "Hallelujah Square," "I Have Found Somebody," "I Believe Jesus" and more. Les, Glen and Derrell are still burning up the highways with the Florida Boys, Buddy has a solo career and Laddie is doing a good job singing back-up in the Nashville recording studios.
The Speers announced that their group had been joined by another third generation of Speers. Brian Speer (Brock Speer's son) joined the group to play rythmn guitar. He's now president of the Avid Music Group in Nashville and is married to Allison Duram Speer. He joined fellow third generation Speers, Susan and Marc (sister and brother) and Steve (cousin). (At least I don't feel as old as Brian does right now!!!)
Gary "Beaver" Dillard was announced as the latest member of the Kingsmen. This multi-talented instrumentalist now resides in central Alabama, working in the medical profession.
Speaking of the Kingsmen, their album "Big & Live" was flying off the stores' shelves and the quartet could not keep enough of them on their bus to meet the demand at concerts. Oh, and just for the record (no pun intended), that album was recorded in Gadsden, AL. Another well-known quartet recorded a live album that night, too. Who was that group?
Guess who had just started playing piano for the Hopper Brothers & Connie? Roger Talley. (Lauren, help your dad find a seat. He might need it.)
Top 5 Songs in July 1974? In order, they were "When I Wake Up To Sleep No More" (Inspirations), "The Last Sunday" (Cathedrals), "He'll Hold My Hand" (LeFevres), "How Much More" (Happy Goodman Family) and "There Is A River" (Jimmy Swaggart).
Singing News was reporting that Howard Goodman had been robbed by three armed men at a motel in Portsmouth, VA. It seems that Howard was on his way back to his room at the motel after eating in the motel's restaurant. The bad guys took his wallet (including credit cards and cash) and his watch.
But apparently, those guys were not the smartest guys in the world. They promptly started using Howard's credit cards in the same restaurant Howard had just left. You can guess the rest of the story on your own.
Well, that's it. We've wandered back over three decades in three days and I'm now more than convinced that time indeed does fly. The only consolation is this: I can't go back four decades. Reason Number One is that Singing News was not around in 1964 (it started in May of 1969) and Reason Number Two is I WASN'T EITHER!
Just in case you're wondering, I came along on May 28, 1966. So, I'll take my 38 years and be happy.
Finally, the answer to the question - the other group that recorded a live album - in the same building on the same night in front of the same audience as did the Kingsmen - was the Dixie Echoes.
