Run Willie Run

 

 Romeo Sullivan

 
Run Willie Run

 JB Records 1188 (1972)
Mobile, Alabama

The other side, "Don't play the slow songs", of lesser interest, is available on Youtube here

 

Romeo Sullivan [1936-2013] was a musician and music radio announcer for 42 years. He was inducted into the Country Radio DJ Hall of Fame in 2000 and of the Church of God faith.

Born in Wagarville, Alabama, Romeo Sullivan was a key figure in Country radio in the South Mississippi/Alabama area. His first stage appearance was at the ripe age of 5, when he sang Mule Skinner Blues and won five dollars and a cake. He laughingly says "bet that George Jones never won five dollars AND a cake." He had his own band at the age of 15, playing in places that he admits were really scary. Sullivan's first radio job was at WPBB, Jackson, AL where he begged the station manager to let him work week-ends for free. His first full time job was at WTUF in Mobile, Alabama, where he worked with Jack Cardwell, Boots Barnes, Luke McDaniels and Gene Leachman. In 1967 he landed the job as program director at WVMI in Biloxi, Ms. When Hurricane Camille hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast he kept the station on the air, providing information and entertainment to the victims of the sorm.1970 found him in Hattiesburg, Ms. at WBKH, where he later became manager, and WKNZ Collins, MS. Sullivan retired in 1997, after almost 45 years as a country disc jockey. Romeo was inducted into the Country Music D J Hall of Fame in 2000.

John Blackburn, owner of JB Records, formed offices in Nashville. That was announced by a&r director Pee Wee Maddux in May 1972. 

 

Do You Wanna Jump

The Creels

Do You Wanta Jump

Carole McCord, Singing River Pub. Co.

Judd 1005
1958

The Creels, from Alabama,  previously recorded for Abbott Records, a West Coast label. 

Writer of the song, Carole McCord, was probably born Creel and married Pete McCord, a session bass player and songwriter.  Also member of The Creels was Helen Bozeman, wife of Johnny Bozeman, owner of Sandy Records, a Mobile label.

Mama Loochie

Tommy Cherry And His Niteriders

Featuring Denny Smith on the vocals

Mama Loochie

Lee Diamond, Tollie Pub. BMI

Smokey Records

1960

A cover of the Lee Diamond song (Vee Jay Records,  1958)

(Dan Phillips has a much detailed Lee Diamond story HERE)

Smokey Records (and not Smoke, as the label is frequently listed and misspelled) was NOT  a subsidiary of Sandy Records, despite the inclusion of Kenny Spivey, Smokey recording artist, in Gulf Coast Grease: The Sandy Story, Vol. 1 (Ace UK, 1996).  

The label was almost certainly owned by Pete McCord, a session bass player and songwriter  (he played bass on the revered The Phantom rockabilly classic "Love Me" -  Dot Records, 1958).    Pete McCord married one of the Creel Sisters (who recorded for Abbott Records in 1955).

Tommy Cherry

 (who was NOT Tommy Stiglets, as assumed by Ray Topping in the Gulf Coast Grease booklet)

Tommy :  “I’m basically an uneducated musician, but I studied and learned a lot about muic. I’d write the musical arrangement for every instrument in a band or orchestra. I got started doing this in Korea (serving in the Army from 1955-1958, mainly in Special Services). I also compose music.”

Following his discharge from the military,Tom and brother Joe, a bass player, joined a touring group, the Nite Riders.

“Johnny Faircloth was the lead guitarist and his father bought the band a big bus. We looked good. We played at colleges and clubs.”,  throughout the Gulf Coast, and then in Las Vegas. Tommy Cherry later spent 26 years hitting the highway with Boots Randolph’s band,   

He died in 2008, aged 72.

The Nite Riders 

Band line-Up in 1964 was:  

Tommy Cherry, head saxophone, Julian Graddick, vocalist, Denny Smith, bass; Joe Cherry, guitar; Johnny Elmer, drums; Joe Dunlap, sax, and Leon Miller, piano. 

Bob Moffitt was also noted as one of the band vocalist at an earlier stage.

Various members of the band have made recordings, especially to be noted is Julian Graddick who recorded on Smash Records. 

 

Everybody's Twist 'n'

Big John Watson

Everybody's Twist 'n'

Mobile, Alabama, Capa Records was headed by Dr James Whiting, who also practiced medicine.

Billboard, June 23, 1962

From the Big John Watson obituary published in the Press-Register on October 1, 2010 :

Johnny Watson, a widely known Nashville recording artist and entertainer also known as "Big John Watson" has departed this world to play music and entertain on the grandest of all Grand Stages. Johnny played music and entertained audiences throughout the Southeast panhandle for several decades. Johnny was also known over the years as proprietor of many known popular night spots here on the Gulf Coast. In the 1960's, Johnny was approached by a well known recording label "Capa Records" and was signed on to a contract deal which produced several popular recordings known widely in Europe. A couple of these recordings had more recently made it into North America on different variety albums. Johnny went on to serve his country in the Korean War and received honorable decorations. He also served his community by working at both the city and county police departments. [...]

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Handy Andy

Patti Mack

Handy Andy

1961?

Out of Mobile, Alabama, this Cinema label had only a few releases. Label owner was probably Jimmie Rogers who wrote the song and also owned the slightly bigger Astro label.

The late Jimmie Otto Rogers was the son of Jesse Rodgers an artist on the RCA Victor Bluebird label in the early forties,know also as "Ranger Joe" a #1 TV show produced out of Philadelphia in the early 50's and 60's. Jimmie's dad Jesse was also the cousin of the Famous Blue Yodeller the late Jimmie Rodgers.

He wrote many songs, some under the Jimmie Rogers Ainsworth alias, some in collaboration with Earl Lee (also known as Luke McDaniel), notably "Midnight Shift" (recorded by Buddy Holly), "Rock and Roll Angel" (recorded by Ray Smith on Sun) and "Foxy Dan" (Luke McDaniel).

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