HEART
WITHIN A HEART
REDD
VOLKAERT
The love of this man for TELECASTER and talent he has is only exceeded by his generosity and kindness.
It
was my great honor and pleasure to meet him and another great TELECASTER lover
and picker this past week
Bill Kirchen in his own right a very talented and
great person!!..
| Much has been said and written about this man and this page is about the man his own seff as I met him on this day in a life of a TELECASTER lover like I am. Here are a few links where folks haff said it much better than I am able to do. |
| ... Some pixs first before I type.First lemme splain sumthin. I used my digi-cam for these pixs. I usually take my video and 35 MM but this time I did not and here is the only sad part of the day. I had my digi-cam set fer hi-resolution (8 pixs) cause I was usin it on the 52 Esquire fer close-ups. Therefore I missed all the ones with Redd, Bill and I jes a cuttin it up sumthin fearce. All I haff is memories of the other 20 pixs or so. |
Only if yew don't wanna read my story!! HEE! HEE!
| ... Now there are few of yew who don't know me cause few strangers visit
this page or haff been on the SHIP and or TDPRI so I shall type like I dew
on these pages (cause I don't know no better). This story begins with an
email and a phone call from Redd a few weeks ago. He said he waz gonna be
near my home here in N----California. I said yes I'd luv tew but that I
waz in purdy tight circumstances rite now, He said not tew worry. ... Here is watt he typed: "Hi Fuzzy; Redd Volkaert here, I just wanted to say hey and thanks for helping everybody all the time on the tdp, and saving many botched attempts at Tele surgery, etc. as well as spiritual help. You are a blessing! Enough gushing, I was wanting to know what town you live in. I'm leaving Mon. for a tour with Bill Kirchen, and some others, starting in Seattle headin' south thru Ca, to San Fran, Davis, Santa Cruz, and LA, hoping that one of these towns is close enough for you to come and get a day of Tele's. I'd love to meet you in person some time and thought this might be a good time. Thanks for your time Redd" ... As the day drew near Amos, my cyber friend (same as yew all are) called me up at eleben o'clock the nite before and went on and on about Redd and the gang and how he loved the show and that I jes hadda see him not knowin I'd already planned on doin so. Thanx Amos fer the gentle nudge. ... Mamma hadda work on sawin on the dogs all day (dog groomin) and waz very tired yet wanted tew go with me jes ta git outta the house. We leff here from the TELE-Shack at about 4:30 P.M. and jumped in the rice rocket and headed South tew Davis About an hour and a haff away. ... I had the destructions on how ta git tew the Palms Playhouse and found it reeeel easy, I thought!! Man watt a dump!! We pulled into where the sign waz and into the gravel parkin lot. There wass a big white bus there but no playhouse. We pulled out and looked back, still no building and no body. Back in we went and as we did there waz this feller a walkin outta shack that looked jes like our place here (some of yew been here and know). I said mamma thats him!! and it waz . I pulled up and lika run over him I waz sooooo happy tew cee him. I stopped the rice rocket and bailed out. I jumped at him and while he had his hand stuck out my joy over came me and I grabbed him fer a big hug. Now I dunno iffin yew ever tried tew hug one of these GIANT REDWOODS out here er not but boy I'll say one thang, I hope I never haff ta rassle wiff him HEE! HEE! ... We talked and laffed fer a spell and he waz so genuine!! He introducted me tew the gang and then we took pixs fer an hour (dern stoopid me with my digi-cam). The gang wanted tew go over some riffs so watt does Redd dew?? He takes "0le Richard" on stage with him fer the 30 minutes of practice and jes tore the frets offin him. I then had a purdy good idea of watt wassa comin (I thought). I gotta tell yew folks I haff never been treated li kat by anyone that plays music fer a livin. He treated me lika brother and watts more lika equal. All nite (before the show and durin break) this man waz with me and mamma jes talkin and treating us like we waz fambly. ... Showtime!! jes 10 minutes before he went tew git dressed after makin sure mamma and me hadda place and were comfortable. He came back and hadda cigarette wiff me before the time ta git on stage. Now the folks out in front had set up the CD and Tee-shirt sales bench. I pulled out each one and had a peek. Without a word he reached in and grabbed one of each , nodded tew the feller behind the counter and handed me both. I said "mean mamma were gonna buy em fore we leff" he jes pushed the two CDs into my chest and said "I wnt yew tew haff em Fuzz". Liddo thangs mean so much in this life!!! ... The lites were on and the place waz packed, I mean packed, standin room only. First song tore my hat offin my head and then it waz heart-in-my-mouff the rest of the set. The band waz so tite and the music waz so rite. I sat and wished fer the old daze of country tew return and waz in awe of these wonderful musicians. ... Now I am not a music critic nor am I able tew remember each song or who sang it but I kin say the set went so fast and I waz so happy I cannot express it in words. The music, the TELECASTERs, the talent and the nite will be in my heart and in my memories forever. ... REDD, if yew read this, thank you for the HEALING (more than anyone can ever know), thank you for the heart, thank you for the music, thank you for the TELECASTER talk and thank you for the MEMORIES. I owe yew!! |
THE other TWANGBANGERS on this wonderful evening were (I hope I haff this all correct):
DALLAS WAYNE, singin the songs:
| Sing the song Dallas!! This guy kin sing!! As a side note I punched Redd
on the shoulder after the first set and said" Redd I don't mean tew
be mean but that rascal outta haff a TELECASTER like yew and Bill that box
looks funnyl". Redd said "He has one, a 62 Reissue". Well
while Redd wassa signin auto-graffs (he signed a bunch!!) I snuck over and
shook Dallas hand and as we talked he said "I thought three TELECASTERs
would be too much, I luv TELECASTERs and have one." I said "HEE!
HEE! if yew canoe I wassa comin yew coulda baked a cake". He dent haff
his amp neither did Redd fer that matter, Redd plays through a TWIN!!! He
used a Webb this nite. ... Great guy and a great talent this Dallas Wayne!! |
JOHNNY CASTLE on bass and back-up vocal:
... Now this sky even though from S.F.area had the heart of the music. I watched
him all nite and every move reminded me of me. The heart and soul of the music
waz shown on every song. He waz fantastic!!
... This waz sent to me via email about him:
... "Johnny Castle has been playing in the Washington/Baltimore corridor
for years. Originally an Oklahoma boy. His band Crank opened for Hendrix in
Baltimore. He's played with a gajillion people, but I remember him most from
Tex Rubinowitz and the Badboys. When Tex suddenly quit performing they became
Switchblade, and rhythm guitarist Ratso Sloman (I think I got his last name
right, like most people around here I only know him by his nickname) took over
on vocals. Ratso went on to be lead guitarist for Kinky Friedman (and a recurring
character in his detective novels...). The lead guitarist for that group was
Eddie Angel (aka Eddie Herren), now with Los Straightjackets. Johnny replaced
Jeff Sarli (who went on to record on one of the Stones last albums and tour
with Marshall Crenshaw) in Too Much Fun." -------Thanx fer the info Bob!!
JACK O'DELL on drums (and silent vocal):
... He sang almost every song along with the rest of the TWANGBANGERS
and I dent see a mic. He looked like NORTON (Jackie Gleason show) wiff that
crazy hat. GOOD job Jack!! Great show!!
... Email info about him:
... "Jack O'Dell on drums (aka Too Much Fun). I don't know much about Jack
except that he started sitting in w/ Too Much Fun when Dave Elliott was undergoing
hip operations ('cuz he came by his Fatboy sobriquet quite honestly. His condition
was also hastened by several decades of drumming. Dave currently manages a jewelry
store in Falls Church and occasionally plays out under his own name and with
a rockabilly band called Rockin' Bones...). ----Thanx again Bob!!
.. Once again I hope I haff not stepped on no legal toes here and thank yew sooooo much HIGHTONE for the business of the music. I truly hadda wonnerful time thanx tew yer organization.
