Zoneboy
01-09-2011, 11:30 PM
Link (http://www.examiner.com/pop-culture-in-national/remembering-rick-nelson-an-interview-with-his-friend-guitarist-james-burton)
January 1st, 2010 -- While the New Year is officially here, another important milestone occurred exactly 25 years ago. Singer Rick Nelson perished on December 31st, 1985, in a terrible plane crash in DeKalb, Texas, on the way to a New Year's Eve gig in Dallas. Rick’s band-members also lost their lives, and Rick was only 45, yet he left behind a legacy that continues to impress and influence to this day.
Rick first broke onto the national scene as one of the stars of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, a sitcom based on his actual family, including his older brother, David, his mother, Harriet, and his father, the brilliant genius behind it all, Ozzie. By the time he was seventeen, Rick's musical idol, Elvis Presley, was taking the nation by storm, so Rick decided that he also wanted to be a rock and roll star.
Immediately, his first single, a cover of Fats Domino's I'm Walkin', reached #4 on Billboard's Pop Chart, no doubt helped immensely by a performance on an episode of Adventures. Rick quickly realized he needed a talented band to convey his musical vision, and within a few months, James Burton of Shreveport, Louisiana, became Rick’s lead guitar player.
Only seventeen years old, the same age as Rick, James had already contributed one of the greatest solos on record to Dale Hawkins’ “Suzie Q,” backed up scores of artists on the Louisiana Hayride, and subsequently joined country/rockabilly star Bob Luman.
James remained with Rick for a decade, and their music includes such classic singles as “Believe What You Say,” “Poor Little Fool,” “I Got A Feeling,” “It’s Late,” “You Are The Only One,” “Travelin’ Man,” “Hello Mary Lou,” “Teenage Idol,” “Fools Rush In,” “There’s Nothing I Can Say,” “Your Kind of Lovin,” and “You Just Can’t Quit.”
Fifty-three Rick Nelson singles reached the Billboard Pop 100 chart, with five more doing well on the Country and Adult Contemporary charts, respectively. Rick had his greatest success between 1957 and 1963, and during those years he was second only to Elvis Presley, an amazing achievement.
As the 1960s progressed, Rick’s commercial fortunes dwindled, yet he refused to quit, instead forging a blazing path that led to the formation of country rock, with albums such as Bright Lights and Country Music, Rick Nelson In Concert, Rick Sings Nelson, and Windfall illuminating his songwriting and musical prowess.
Rick Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band ultimately became Rick’s creative outlet throughout the 1970s, influencing scores of later, successful artists including The Eagles, Poco, and Linda Ronstadt.
After years of constant, grueling touring, and running away from his early success, Rick returned to his rockabilly roots by the dawn of the early 1980s, forming a new band led by guitarist Bobby Neal, drummer Ricky Intveld, pianist Andy Chapin, and bassist Patrick Woodward.
A new record contract with Curb Records was being finalized on the day Rick and his band passed away, and we’ll never know what might have been. Hopefully Rick’s final, unreleased album, a return to his rockabilly/ballad years, will see the light of day soon. Two years later, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Rick as part of its second class, with John Fogerty handling the proud induction honor.
After leaving Rick, James became a huge fixture on the L.A. music session scene, playing on thousands of recordings and eventually joining Elvis’ band in 1969, staying with The King of Rock and Roll until his death in 1977. Later, the guitarist had long tenures with John Denver and Jerry Lee Lewis, eventually becoming a member of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Sidemen Category.
While the majority of fans only recall his work with Elvis, it is appropriate that the 25th anniversary of Rick Nelson’s death turn the spotlight back to James’ early collaboration with one of his best friends. In fact, the two musicians lived in Rick’s parents’ home for two years.
Their music together, whether classic rockabilly, country, pop, standards, ballads, or rock and roll, has stood the test of time for more than fifty years. James kindly agreed to an extensive conversation recalling his time with the legendary Rick Nelson, and you will not be disappointed if you hang around for the rest of the story below.
The James Burton Interview Part 1.
Before we dive in, should it be “Ricky” or “Rick?”
Oh, tricky Ricky, he always went by Rick, although during the early run of The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, he was “Ricky” [Author’s Note: Imperial Records created much publicity with the Rick is 21 LP, timed to arrive on store shelves during Rick’s 21st birthday on May 8th, 1961]. Regardless, being called “Rick” was his choice.
How did Rick Nelson enter your life in summer 1957?
I was working with a guy named Bob Luman, who was on Imperial Records, the same record label as Rick. Bob’s group was called The Shadows, with James Kirkland on bass. We were in Hollywood, Calif., rehearsing a song called “Red Hot,” a Billy Lee Riley song.
Lew Chudd, the owner of Imperial Records, let us use his office, and Jimmie Haskell was also present. Haskell was a musical arranger who also worked for Imperial Records and Ozzie on the television show doing recordings and such.
Anyway, Rick came in on business and said, “I hear music in the next room. Who is that?” Chudd and Haskell replied, “That’s Bob Luman & The Shadows from Louisiana,” so Rick then inquired, “Would you mind if I go in and say hello and listen to ‘em a little bit?” They said, “Nah, go on in.” So Rick came in and listened to us play for about three hours, and we just had a great time.
We had a home out in the valley in Tarzana, out in Canoga Park, so the next day James Kirkland jumped up and ran outside to get the newspaper. When he came back inside, he noticed a telegram hanging on the door, so he grabbed it and brought it in.
It was from Rick Nelson, who had invited me over to the General Service Studios. Rick recommended we bring our instruments, so James and I immediately went over and met his mother and dad, along with everybody involved with the show.
Later, we were in one of those little bungalows, setting up and playing, when Ozzie, Harriet, David, Wally (portrayed by actor Skip Young), and all the gang came over. We met them and we played a little bit for them, and Ozzie loved it.
He said, “Do you boys wanna do something on the TV show, maybe do a couple of songs?” Everybody said, “Yeah, sure, why not?” This was actually before I joined Rick as his lead guitar player. We did a few shows and had a great time. Rick turned out to be a great guy to be around and play music with.
Ozzie wanted to film a lot more songs and show-related stuff, but we got homesick and wanted to return to Louisiana and be home for the Christmas holidays. Ozzie offered us a lot more money to stay over and do the shows, but we said, “No, we wanna go home.” So that’s what we did.
I was home maybe two weeks, and I got a phone call from Ozzie. He invited me to come back and be Rick’s lead guitar player, which I thought was pretty cool. Ozzie said, “If you accept it, I’ll send you a telegram, just sign the telegram and send it back to me.”
Rick got on the phone and we talked for an hour or two. He wanted me to come out the next day (laughing), I said, “Wait a minute! I’ve gotta make arrangements and get all my stuff together here.” I was only eighteen years old and I’m leaving home, you know.
I lived with Rick for the first year or two we worked together, and the Nelson family invited me into their home up in Camino Palmero in Hollywood.
Did Bob Luman take the news of your impending exit very well?
Bob was happy for us, he was happy for me, that Rick was interested in hiring me to be his guitar player. He wasn’t really thrilled about it, but Bob was happy for us. He said, “Boys, that’s a great thing, I wish I could offer you more.”
But Bob was a great guy to work with and a great talent. We were young and things were going fast, with a lot of things happening. Bob gave us his blessing and said, “Boys, I’m gonna miss you.”
New Year's Eve commemorated the 25th anniversary of singer Rick Nelson's passing, and his original lead guitarist, James Burton, spoke earlier this week about his association and ultimate friendship with Rick. If you missed Part One of the James Burton interview, go here to catch up.
Otherwise, the conversation continues below, as James describes Rick's quiet side, the recording "Fools Rush In," the secret audition that happened when Elvis' original bandmates, Scotty Moore and Bill Black, came to town, playing to 300,000 folks, and the insane tour stop that almost cost James his life when fans mistook him for Rick.
The James Burton Interview Part 2.
Tell us a little about Rick’s personality.
Rick was a wonderful, great guy, quiet, and sorta on the shy side. But he was the type of guy that once you got to know him, you understood more about his personality. If you met him for the first time, your impression would be, ‘Boy, this guy is really quiet and shy’.
There were just certain things you couldn’t talk about, he was easy to blush, a lot of times when I’ve done interviews, people would ask, “How come Rick closes his eyes when he sings?”
Well, I think a lot of it is in feeling, because he had a great feel for the type of songs he sang and what he enjoyed singing, as well as a soft, smooth voice. Rick could sing a lot of different styles of music.
We did a lot of old ballad stuff, like “Fools Rush In,” which we hopped up a little bit, instead of one carburetor, we had three carburetors on it [Author’s Note: Burton later suggested Elvis record it in May 1971 in Nashville, which he promptly did after running through 25 takes of it].
It just seems like our music really went together well and I think we were a good team. We worked closely, and we made some really nice music in our time span. I think Rick’s music is still very popular, and it’s just as good today as the day we recorded it.
What was your first official session with Rick?
Before I joined Rick, Howard Roberts, Joe Maphis, and Barney Kessel were the lead guitarists. The first session I did with Rick was for the “Stood Up” / “Waitin’ in School” single. The drummer was Earl Palmer, a big guy who passed away in September 2008. [Author’s Note: This iconic drummer was later inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame].
Is it true Elvis’ original band, namely guitarist Scotty Moore, bassist Bill Black, and drummer D.J. Fontana auditioned for Rick just before he met you?
Rick told me that story after I went to work with him. [Author’s Note: During the first week of September 1957, Scotty and Bill resigned from Elvis over Colonel Parker’s interference in financial matters].
When Rick was looking to put a band together, Scotty and Bill were looking for a job, and they had contacted Rick and Ozzie. So they met and went in the studio for a short time. Drummer D.J. Fontana (Elvis hired him after Scotty & Bill) also accompanied them.
Evidently, it wasn’t what Rick was looking for, or Rick didn’t want to upset Elvis by hiring them. They’re all excellent musicians, but Rick must have wanted something a bit different, it’s difficult to know for sure. It all worked out in the end.
[Author’s Note: Scotty and Bill were hired once more by Elvis in mid-October 1957 after a homecoming performance at the Mississippi-Alabama Dairy Show in Tupelo didn’t go that well for Elvis with newly hired musicians.
Bill left for good after Elvis’ induction into the army, forming the popular instrumental group The Bill Black Combo, while Scotty returned as Elvis’ lead guitarist upon Elvis’ army discharge, staying through the celebrated ’68 Comeback Special.
Later, The Jordanaires started doing backup vocals on the majority of Rick’s hit singles, beginning with “Poor Little Fool” in April 1958. Their name never appeared on Rick’s records at that time, but any listener could easily detect their classic sound].
Were Rick and Elvis similar in any aspects?
Well, they were different; at one time Elvis was always number one, and Rick got up to number two. I think that’s pretty damn good. Anytime somebody can run neck and neck with Elvis, that’s pretty damn close. They were also good friends; they played football, baseball, and softball together. I didn’t actually meet Elvis until 1969, when I put the TCB Band together for him.
Rick and I went out and played shows, sold out 30,000 and 40,000-seaters. We played Steel Pier at Atlantic City five years in a row to incredible audiences, we would play six or seven shows a day, we would come on and do twenty minutes, then Les Brown’s orchestra would play twenty minutes, Bobby Rydell, Jimmy Clanton, Dion & The Belmonts, groups like that coming in every twenty minutes.
We went through 300,000 people a day doing shows, it was just incredible. We were traveling doing sold-out tours just like Elvis, and the screaming kids would yell, “Run over me, Ricky! Please, please, I love you, I love you!” You know how some of the die-hard fans can be, they’d just as soon have Rick or Elvis run over ‘em in a car, they don’t care.
Did any of those die-hard fans think you were Rick?
I remember one time in San Diego we went up and played this ballpark and these fans were crazy, man. We had this truck bed at the pitcher’s base where the stage was set up, and the fans were a little-ways away. I guess they stood about everything they could, they were dying to get over that fence and come and attack us.
Going back a bit, we had these little trailers at the back of the stage where we could hang out, get dressed, and keep our instrument cases. We were onstage, and boy, here they come. Our management hollered, “Get off the stage, get off the stage, go get in the limousine!”
I unplugged my guitar, and I had to run to my trailer and throw my guitar in its case. I came out of my dressing room, and I got caught in the middle of those screaming fans. They were tearing my jacket off, my shirt, they just wanted to rip my head off, they didn’t know what they were doing, and it was downright scary.
I was trying to make it to the limousine; well, the security guys came back to get me, they grabbed me and my guitar and threw me in the car to get away from the fans. They were trying to tear the car up, turn it over, but we managed to get out alive.
If you think about being in a position like that, not realizing how dangerous and scary it is, you hear stories where people go to these shows with 60,000-seaters, and people out there go nuts. They have riots, folks are stomped, trampled, or even killed. We went through all that with Rick, and a little more of it with Elvis.
Rick also toured internationally, something Elvis never accomplished other than a few dates in Canada…
We played in Australia in 1959; we were also present in Hawaii that year during the ceremony establishing Hawaii as the 50th state. Rick and I stayed at the Royal Hawaiian Village Hotel, the famous hotel there, and Ozzie and Harriet and everybody came over to join us. We also played London, and the crowds were just as wild over there. They loved Rick, and it was great.
We did a full-on show, normally about an hour; sometimes if there was more than one artist on the show, it would be split up a bit.
January 1st, 2010 -- While the New Year is officially here, another important milestone occurred exactly 25 years ago. Singer Rick Nelson perished on December 31st, 1985, in a terrible plane crash in DeKalb, Texas, on the way to a New Year's Eve gig in Dallas. Rick’s band-members also lost their lives, and Rick was only 45, yet he left behind a legacy that continues to impress and influence to this day.
Rick first broke onto the national scene as one of the stars of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, a sitcom based on his actual family, including his older brother, David, his mother, Harriet, and his father, the brilliant genius behind it all, Ozzie. By the time he was seventeen, Rick's musical idol, Elvis Presley, was taking the nation by storm, so Rick decided that he also wanted to be a rock and roll star.
Immediately, his first single, a cover of Fats Domino's I'm Walkin', reached #4 on Billboard's Pop Chart, no doubt helped immensely by a performance on an episode of Adventures. Rick quickly realized he needed a talented band to convey his musical vision, and within a few months, James Burton of Shreveport, Louisiana, became Rick’s lead guitar player.
Only seventeen years old, the same age as Rick, James had already contributed one of the greatest solos on record to Dale Hawkins’ “Suzie Q,” backed up scores of artists on the Louisiana Hayride, and subsequently joined country/rockabilly star Bob Luman.
James remained with Rick for a decade, and their music includes such classic singles as “Believe What You Say,” “Poor Little Fool,” “I Got A Feeling,” “It’s Late,” “You Are The Only One,” “Travelin’ Man,” “Hello Mary Lou,” “Teenage Idol,” “Fools Rush In,” “There’s Nothing I Can Say,” “Your Kind of Lovin,” and “You Just Can’t Quit.”
Fifty-three Rick Nelson singles reached the Billboard Pop 100 chart, with five more doing well on the Country and Adult Contemporary charts, respectively. Rick had his greatest success between 1957 and 1963, and during those years he was second only to Elvis Presley, an amazing achievement.
As the 1960s progressed, Rick’s commercial fortunes dwindled, yet he refused to quit, instead forging a blazing path that led to the formation of country rock, with albums such as Bright Lights and Country Music, Rick Nelson In Concert, Rick Sings Nelson, and Windfall illuminating his songwriting and musical prowess.
Rick Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band ultimately became Rick’s creative outlet throughout the 1970s, influencing scores of later, successful artists including The Eagles, Poco, and Linda Ronstadt.
After years of constant, grueling touring, and running away from his early success, Rick returned to his rockabilly roots by the dawn of the early 1980s, forming a new band led by guitarist Bobby Neal, drummer Ricky Intveld, pianist Andy Chapin, and bassist Patrick Woodward.
A new record contract with Curb Records was being finalized on the day Rick and his band passed away, and we’ll never know what might have been. Hopefully Rick’s final, unreleased album, a return to his rockabilly/ballad years, will see the light of day soon. Two years later, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Rick as part of its second class, with John Fogerty handling the proud induction honor.
After leaving Rick, James became a huge fixture on the L.A. music session scene, playing on thousands of recordings and eventually joining Elvis’ band in 1969, staying with The King of Rock and Roll until his death in 1977. Later, the guitarist had long tenures with John Denver and Jerry Lee Lewis, eventually becoming a member of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Sidemen Category.
While the majority of fans only recall his work with Elvis, it is appropriate that the 25th anniversary of Rick Nelson’s death turn the spotlight back to James’ early collaboration with one of his best friends. In fact, the two musicians lived in Rick’s parents’ home for two years.
Their music together, whether classic rockabilly, country, pop, standards, ballads, or rock and roll, has stood the test of time for more than fifty years. James kindly agreed to an extensive conversation recalling his time with the legendary Rick Nelson, and you will not be disappointed if you hang around for the rest of the story below.
The James Burton Interview Part 1.
Before we dive in, should it be “Ricky” or “Rick?”
Oh, tricky Ricky, he always went by Rick, although during the early run of The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, he was “Ricky” [Author’s Note: Imperial Records created much publicity with the Rick is 21 LP, timed to arrive on store shelves during Rick’s 21st birthday on May 8th, 1961]. Regardless, being called “Rick” was his choice.
How did Rick Nelson enter your life in summer 1957?
I was working with a guy named Bob Luman, who was on Imperial Records, the same record label as Rick. Bob’s group was called The Shadows, with James Kirkland on bass. We were in Hollywood, Calif., rehearsing a song called “Red Hot,” a Billy Lee Riley song.
Lew Chudd, the owner of Imperial Records, let us use his office, and Jimmie Haskell was also present. Haskell was a musical arranger who also worked for Imperial Records and Ozzie on the television show doing recordings and such.
Anyway, Rick came in on business and said, “I hear music in the next room. Who is that?” Chudd and Haskell replied, “That’s Bob Luman & The Shadows from Louisiana,” so Rick then inquired, “Would you mind if I go in and say hello and listen to ‘em a little bit?” They said, “Nah, go on in.” So Rick came in and listened to us play for about three hours, and we just had a great time.
We had a home out in the valley in Tarzana, out in Canoga Park, so the next day James Kirkland jumped up and ran outside to get the newspaper. When he came back inside, he noticed a telegram hanging on the door, so he grabbed it and brought it in.
It was from Rick Nelson, who had invited me over to the General Service Studios. Rick recommended we bring our instruments, so James and I immediately went over and met his mother and dad, along with everybody involved with the show.
Later, we were in one of those little bungalows, setting up and playing, when Ozzie, Harriet, David, Wally (portrayed by actor Skip Young), and all the gang came over. We met them and we played a little bit for them, and Ozzie loved it.
He said, “Do you boys wanna do something on the TV show, maybe do a couple of songs?” Everybody said, “Yeah, sure, why not?” This was actually before I joined Rick as his lead guitar player. We did a few shows and had a great time. Rick turned out to be a great guy to be around and play music with.
Ozzie wanted to film a lot more songs and show-related stuff, but we got homesick and wanted to return to Louisiana and be home for the Christmas holidays. Ozzie offered us a lot more money to stay over and do the shows, but we said, “No, we wanna go home.” So that’s what we did.
I was home maybe two weeks, and I got a phone call from Ozzie. He invited me to come back and be Rick’s lead guitar player, which I thought was pretty cool. Ozzie said, “If you accept it, I’ll send you a telegram, just sign the telegram and send it back to me.”
Rick got on the phone and we talked for an hour or two. He wanted me to come out the next day (laughing), I said, “Wait a minute! I’ve gotta make arrangements and get all my stuff together here.” I was only eighteen years old and I’m leaving home, you know.
I lived with Rick for the first year or two we worked together, and the Nelson family invited me into their home up in Camino Palmero in Hollywood.
Did Bob Luman take the news of your impending exit very well?
Bob was happy for us, he was happy for me, that Rick was interested in hiring me to be his guitar player. He wasn’t really thrilled about it, but Bob was happy for us. He said, “Boys, that’s a great thing, I wish I could offer you more.”
But Bob was a great guy to work with and a great talent. We were young and things were going fast, with a lot of things happening. Bob gave us his blessing and said, “Boys, I’m gonna miss you.”
New Year's Eve commemorated the 25th anniversary of singer Rick Nelson's passing, and his original lead guitarist, James Burton, spoke earlier this week about his association and ultimate friendship with Rick. If you missed Part One of the James Burton interview, go here to catch up.
Otherwise, the conversation continues below, as James describes Rick's quiet side, the recording "Fools Rush In," the secret audition that happened when Elvis' original bandmates, Scotty Moore and Bill Black, came to town, playing to 300,000 folks, and the insane tour stop that almost cost James his life when fans mistook him for Rick.
The James Burton Interview Part 2.
Tell us a little about Rick’s personality.
Rick was a wonderful, great guy, quiet, and sorta on the shy side. But he was the type of guy that once you got to know him, you understood more about his personality. If you met him for the first time, your impression would be, ‘Boy, this guy is really quiet and shy’.
There were just certain things you couldn’t talk about, he was easy to blush, a lot of times when I’ve done interviews, people would ask, “How come Rick closes his eyes when he sings?”
Well, I think a lot of it is in feeling, because he had a great feel for the type of songs he sang and what he enjoyed singing, as well as a soft, smooth voice. Rick could sing a lot of different styles of music.
We did a lot of old ballad stuff, like “Fools Rush In,” which we hopped up a little bit, instead of one carburetor, we had three carburetors on it [Author’s Note: Burton later suggested Elvis record it in May 1971 in Nashville, which he promptly did after running through 25 takes of it].
It just seems like our music really went together well and I think we were a good team. We worked closely, and we made some really nice music in our time span. I think Rick’s music is still very popular, and it’s just as good today as the day we recorded it.
What was your first official session with Rick?
Before I joined Rick, Howard Roberts, Joe Maphis, and Barney Kessel were the lead guitarists. The first session I did with Rick was for the “Stood Up” / “Waitin’ in School” single. The drummer was Earl Palmer, a big guy who passed away in September 2008. [Author’s Note: This iconic drummer was later inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame].
Is it true Elvis’ original band, namely guitarist Scotty Moore, bassist Bill Black, and drummer D.J. Fontana auditioned for Rick just before he met you?
Rick told me that story after I went to work with him. [Author’s Note: During the first week of September 1957, Scotty and Bill resigned from Elvis over Colonel Parker’s interference in financial matters].
When Rick was looking to put a band together, Scotty and Bill were looking for a job, and they had contacted Rick and Ozzie. So they met and went in the studio for a short time. Drummer D.J. Fontana (Elvis hired him after Scotty & Bill) also accompanied them.
Evidently, it wasn’t what Rick was looking for, or Rick didn’t want to upset Elvis by hiring them. They’re all excellent musicians, but Rick must have wanted something a bit different, it’s difficult to know for sure. It all worked out in the end.
[Author’s Note: Scotty and Bill were hired once more by Elvis in mid-October 1957 after a homecoming performance at the Mississippi-Alabama Dairy Show in Tupelo didn’t go that well for Elvis with newly hired musicians.
Bill left for good after Elvis’ induction into the army, forming the popular instrumental group The Bill Black Combo, while Scotty returned as Elvis’ lead guitarist upon Elvis’ army discharge, staying through the celebrated ’68 Comeback Special.
Later, The Jordanaires started doing backup vocals on the majority of Rick’s hit singles, beginning with “Poor Little Fool” in April 1958. Their name never appeared on Rick’s records at that time, but any listener could easily detect their classic sound].
Were Rick and Elvis similar in any aspects?
Well, they were different; at one time Elvis was always number one, and Rick got up to number two. I think that’s pretty damn good. Anytime somebody can run neck and neck with Elvis, that’s pretty damn close. They were also good friends; they played football, baseball, and softball together. I didn’t actually meet Elvis until 1969, when I put the TCB Band together for him.
Rick and I went out and played shows, sold out 30,000 and 40,000-seaters. We played Steel Pier at Atlantic City five years in a row to incredible audiences, we would play six or seven shows a day, we would come on and do twenty minutes, then Les Brown’s orchestra would play twenty minutes, Bobby Rydell, Jimmy Clanton, Dion & The Belmonts, groups like that coming in every twenty minutes.
We went through 300,000 people a day doing shows, it was just incredible. We were traveling doing sold-out tours just like Elvis, and the screaming kids would yell, “Run over me, Ricky! Please, please, I love you, I love you!” You know how some of the die-hard fans can be, they’d just as soon have Rick or Elvis run over ‘em in a car, they don’t care.
Did any of those die-hard fans think you were Rick?
I remember one time in San Diego we went up and played this ballpark and these fans were crazy, man. We had this truck bed at the pitcher’s base where the stage was set up, and the fans were a little-ways away. I guess they stood about everything they could, they were dying to get over that fence and come and attack us.
Going back a bit, we had these little trailers at the back of the stage where we could hang out, get dressed, and keep our instrument cases. We were onstage, and boy, here they come. Our management hollered, “Get off the stage, get off the stage, go get in the limousine!”
I unplugged my guitar, and I had to run to my trailer and throw my guitar in its case. I came out of my dressing room, and I got caught in the middle of those screaming fans. They were tearing my jacket off, my shirt, they just wanted to rip my head off, they didn’t know what they were doing, and it was downright scary.
I was trying to make it to the limousine; well, the security guys came back to get me, they grabbed me and my guitar and threw me in the car to get away from the fans. They were trying to tear the car up, turn it over, but we managed to get out alive.
If you think about being in a position like that, not realizing how dangerous and scary it is, you hear stories where people go to these shows with 60,000-seaters, and people out there go nuts. They have riots, folks are stomped, trampled, or even killed. We went through all that with Rick, and a little more of it with Elvis.
Rick also toured internationally, something Elvis never accomplished other than a few dates in Canada…
We played in Australia in 1959; we were also present in Hawaii that year during the ceremony establishing Hawaii as the 50th state. Rick and I stayed at the Royal Hawaiian Village Hotel, the famous hotel there, and Ozzie and Harriet and everybody came over to join us. We also played London, and the crowds were just as wild over there. They loved Rick, and it was great.
We did a full-on show, normally about an hour; sometimes if there was more than one artist on the show, it would be split up a bit.