The Alamo String Band "Alamo String Band" (Sugar Crik Productions, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by R. J. Wright & Larry Sturm)
This Indiana band forged a potent, pleasant amalgam of styles, mostly honkytonk and western swing, along with quick hints of Southern rock and bluegrass. The band's mandolin player, Tim Cunningham, adds some crispy Appalachian twang, while pedal steel player Nelson Wynn zips out some really sweet, hot licks. Most of the songs are originals, mainly written by singer Steve Farley or bassist R. J. Wright, though Cunningham contributes the jovial "I Don't Want To Walk To Heaven (But I'd Appreciate The Ride)", as well as a couple by guys who apparently weren't in the band. Wright's tunes are the most traditionally country, including excellent novelty numbers such as "I Never Cheated On You Darlin'," "Cryin' Country Song," and "Out Standing In My Field," which is one of those anthemic songs about DIY little-guy country singers who could have tried their luck in Nashville, but chose not to... There are also a few well-chosen cover tunes that outline their wide-ranging influences, from the Marshall Tucker Band's "Can't You See" and Johnny Russell's "Catfish John" to the Hank Snow oldie, "I Don't Hurt Anymore" and the gospel standard, "When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder." Their sound, especially with the mandolin in the mix, reminds me quite a bit of Columbus, Ohio's High Sheriff Ricky Barnes and his neo-trad novelty numbers. I think this band was only together for a few years, though a couple of members later formed The Original Hazzard County Band, along with a guy from the country-rock band Crossfyre.

Mary Alice "Loving You Again" (Marty Bleifeld Productions, 1981-?) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Aschlemann & Marty Bleifeld)
This uber-Midwestern album was recorded in Fort Wayne, Indiana with an all-locals band. The repertoire is all cover songs, except for the title track, "Loving You Again," which was written by John Snyder, apparently a friend of the band. It seems doubtful that singer Mary Alice was even semi-professional, since in the liner notes she thanks Dick and Pat Oberly for letting her sit in with their group, the Country CBers Band, at a gig at the Four Aces club in Tillman, Indiana... My guess is that the musicians backing her here weren't her "regular" band, either, but rather a pickup group put together just for these recording sessions.

Richard Allen "Personal Reasons" (Ben Recording Company, 1985-?) (LP)
A self-released album with Mr. Allen playing all the instruments, presumably with a bit of multi-tracking magic. All the songs are originals, credited to Richard A. Nix, which was probably his full name.. He was born in Tennessee, but grew up in Indiana, and was living in New Haven, Indiana and, according to the liner notes, had picked up some gigs in Florida around when this record was released.

The American Way "America's 1st" (Blue River Records, 1976) (LP)
Euww-Ess-Say!! Euww-Ess-Say!! I dunno anything about these guys, though I think thy may have been from Indiana... maybe. Anyway, this Bicentennial outburst of national pride isn't all patriotism, all the time: there are also covers of country and country-rock standards such as "Before The Next Tear Drop Falls," "Take It To The Limit" and "Squeeze Box." So, yay America!

Bob Anderson & The Country Ramblers "Indiana Hoedown" (GHP Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Gerd F. Hadeler & Maurice Mogridge)
A bluegrass band from West Lafayette, Indiana, featuring fiddler Bob Anderson (1905-1971), Clayton Paul (guitar) Tommy Harper (banjo), Dennis Ricker (banjo), and Norm Carlson (bass), with some square dance calling on a couple of tracks, courtesy of Ray Pattingale. This was recorded in March, 1969 and features all traditional, public domain standards; the session was reissued in 1973 on the Puritan label.

Lumber Jack Jeff Andrews "The Man That Used To Be" (Lumberjack Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Mike Schrimpf & Bernie Vaughn)
A hometown hero from Pleasant Lake, Indiana Jeff Andrews (d. 2007) was an actual lumberjack -- or at least he ran his own lumber company in Steuben County. Andrews started his musical career in a high school rock band called Cupid & The Heartbreakers which was popular around the Fort Wayne area. For his country debut he headed to Tennessee to record at producer/pianist Mike Schrimpf's Hendersonville studio, backed in part by some guys who were in Conway Twitty's band. The studio crew featured a young Steve Wariner playing bass and singing backup, along with Charlie Archer (electric guitar), Jimmy Dumas (bass), Mike Foster (saxophone), Greg Galbraith (guitar), John Hughey (steel guitar), Steve Johnson (percussion), Mike Schrimpf (keyboards), Terry Warniner (drums), Paul Yandell on guitar, and others. Jeff Andrews also sings one of Steve Wariner's own compositions, "No Reason," although most of the songs are published by Shrimp Music, presumably the publishing company of producer/pianist Mike Schrimpf, including several by Andrews and two by Ron Saucier, who was not in the band. In later years, Andrews played gospel music, notably with the Simon Peter Band.

Andy "For A Moment" (BRC/Artist's Recording, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Roger Cadle & Tim Hinds)
Yup, that's "Andy," with just the first name... And yes, it's a mononym, just like Cher. Though actually, he also helpfully provided his full name in the credits, as singer-guitarist Andy Hearld, who was apparently from southeastern Indiana. Not a lot of info about this fella -- I found one show notice of him playing a gig at the VFW post in Rushville, though this album was recorded at Rivercreek Studios, in Madison, Indiana. It's more of a wide-eyed, cosmic, folkie-poetic thing, with Hearld backed by Kenny Bobinger (drums), Vic Clay (lead guitar), Chris Lee (piano), Paul Patterson (banjo, fiddle and mandolin), and Dennis Whittaker on bass, with Mary Hoeflich and Andy's sister, Saundra Townsend on backup vocals. The backing band were Cincinnati-area session players who did a lot of work for both secular and gospel artists affiliated with the QCA label, including an album by Donnie Elkins, also on the "Artist's Records" imprint. Kind of a folkie thing.

George Arthur "In Nashville" (Cla-Lot Records, 19--?) (LP)
I couldn't find much information about this release, though George Arthur seems to have been a well-regarded country music deejay from Indiana whose career in music and on radio dates back to the mid-1940s. In 1944 he joined a band called The Blackhawk Valley Boys, which became part of the WLS National Barn Dance cast a year later in 1945, with a young George Arthur on guitar. He worked at several other stations, but seems to have found his permanent berth at station WBAT, AM-1400 in Marion, Indiana, where he was listed as on-air talent in Billboard and Cash Box radio surveys of the late 1950s, and was still there in the 'Seventies when some younger talent came on board (judging from an obituary of another deejay who was born in the 'Forties...) This appears to have been his only album, with Side One featuring a half-dozen songs, mainly old weepers and ballads like "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain," "Bouquet Of Roses" and George Morgan's "Room Full Of Roses," while Side Two was a truncated version of one of his radio shows. Not sure when this came out, but from the looks of the cover photo, probably sometime in the mid- to late-1970s(?)

Arvel Bird "Draggin' The Bow" (Have Bird Will Fly Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Arvel Bird & Marty Bleifield)
Fiddler Arvel Bird was originally from Utah but lived in the Midwest for several years, and played in bands in and around Fort Wayne, Indiana, including the group DJ & The DJ Band, which recorded an album a few years earlier, featuring Mr. Bird on fiddle and mandolin. According to his own website, Bird won four statewide Indiana fiddling championships and later joined Glen Campbell's tour band, then went on to work with stars such as Tom T. Hall and Loretta Lynn. He eventually moved to Nashville, where he opened an independent recording studio and self-released more albums during the digital era. This solo album is a largely-instrumental showcase with classic fiddle tunes such as "Diggy Liggy Lo," "Listen To The Mockingbird" and "Orange Blossom Special," as well as several originals credited to Arvel Bird: "Breakfast Suite," "Indiana Woman," "Me And Doctor Jack," and "Sold To The Devil."

Arvel Bird "One Nation" (Singing Wolf Records, 2006) (LP)
(Produced by Arvel Bird)
Recorded many years later, this album explores themes relating to Mr. Bird's first nations heritage, with tunes like "Trail Of Tears," "Spirit Lake" and "Celtic Pow Wow."

Jeff Blue "Love Songs And Trail Dust" (CVS Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Don D. Sheets)
The opening notes have a slick sound that promises a synthy, Top Forty wannabee, but things roll along on a slow, even keel, with Jeff Blue revealing himself to be an unabashed sentimental balladeer, earnestly crooning florid renditions of standards such as "After The Lovin'," "My Way" and Kuiokalaini Lee's "I'll Remember You." He's not a particularly compelling or original singer, but his sincerity and conviction are quite charming, and may win you over, if you have a forgiving nature. I suppose Don Williams is a good comparison, although Mr. Blue didn't cover any of Williams's hits, alas. There's no info on the album about where he's from, but he seems to have been in the orbit of the Little Nashville Opry, in Nashville, Indiana -- several of the regulars from that Hoosier hootenanny are involved with this album, including singers Shirley Kreutzjans and Marti Mae, as well as producer Don D. Sheets, who also ran the opry show. A very professional-sounding, but deeply "private label" recording.

Jimmy Bowers, Al Noyd & Del Bailey "Long Time Comin' " (TapeMasters, 1974) (LP)
Country rockin' stuff by three pals from (I think) Indianapolis, Indiana -- Jimmy Bowers (lead guitar), Del Bailey (bass), Al Noyd (drums) and a couple of other guys who weren't able to convince them to come up with a band name: Joe Tippie on steel guitar and Willie Jones plunkin' piano. The trio (or quintet?) seems to have been led by Bowers, and while there's no info on the album about where they were from, I found a few show notices in the Indianapolis papers, circa 1974-76. Their repertoire includes nods to the Dead, Eagles, and some older country artists, with songs including "Jim Dandy," "Midnight Rider," "Honky Tonk Angel," and "Honky Tonk Wine," as well as "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and "Turn On Your Love Light." A few songs may have been originals, though there aren't any song credits...

Bronco "Bronco" (Earthwood Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Chris Kermit)
Not to be confused with the English country-rock band led by Jess Roden, this was a folkie/bluegrassy group from Franklin, Indiana featuring singers Mike Yates and Sally Yates, who play banjo and guitar, respectively, along with drummer Bill Hahn, Harold McKee playing bass, and some pedal steel (by Rex Thomas) thrown in for good measure. The sessions were recorded in Indianapolis, though the label address was in Denver -- the Yateses spent a year or so playing in the Denver area before moving back to Indiana, and released this album through the Colorado-based, cult-fave 700 West studio. There may also be some minor confusion about when this came out: some copies show a 1977 copyright on the inner label and '78 on the back cover, but a contemporary profile piece in the Franklin Daily Journal informs us that the album came out in '77 and had a second pressing the following year. So, mystery solved. Most of the songs were originals written by Mike Yates, along with other by Bill Yates and various friends of the band. It's kind of a sweet little record, more of a folk thing, I suppose, with a John Denver-ish feel on several songs.

The Brown County Band "The Brown County Band" (Programme Audio Gold, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Scott)
A country-rock crew from Nashville... Nashville, Indiana, that is! Almost entirely original material, though several songs were written by friends of the band, along with four that were written by bandmember Rick Wilson. The band seems to have been made up mostly from two families, with brothers Greg Wilson and Rick Wilson (bass and lead vocals, respectively) and Dan and Doug Harden (banjo and mandolin) joined by the man in the middle, dobro player Mark Small.

Marv Brown & The Country Steelers "It All Started With A Song" (QCA Recordings, 1981) (LP)
This band from Columbus, Indiana featured lead singer Marvin Brown and his brother, bass player Roger D. Brown (1955-2011), along with Gary Atchley (steel guitar), Tim Fields (lead guitar) and David Hudson on drums. Though most of the tracks are cover songs, this album kicks off with three originals, "Gary's Ride" by steel player Gary Atchley, "It All Started With A Song" (co-written by Atchley and Brown) and "Mama, Will I Have To Call Him Daddy," penned by Jimmy Hill, a local friend who contributes the liner notes. I'm not sure if these guys played many shows, though Roger Brown, at least, was in several bands over the years, including a gospel group called the Gospel Rhythm Airs, which apparently performed at the Grand Ole Opry.

Ken Caincross "What Are You Doing Alone...?" (Ham Star Records, 19--?) (LP)
Oh, go ahead you would-be hipster taste lemmings, go on and loftily proclaim this some kinda "world's worst album cover ever!" Seriously. Don't you have anything better to do? For my part, I plan to perpetuate the myth that this artwork was the inspiration for Cheers. Because that's how the interwebs works. Anyway, Ken Caincross was an aspiring 'Eighties pop-honkytonker from Bloomington, Indiana, and he really went all-out on this one, singing all original material written by either Ken Caincross or Steve Mullinix, with a couple of additional authors on "Mama's Bible Left A Message" (Mullinix, with Ruth Brown) and "Last Laugh (I Just Wanta Fool Around)" which Caincross co-wrote with Scott Caltran. He only seems to have recorded this one album, though he also landed one track on some local compilation in 1988, and doubtless a single or two is floating around. Okay, I'll throw you cynics a bone: at least on that one compilation track, he called his band "Kenny Caincross And The Fingers," which is, well, heck -- let's just mad-lib the rest. Have fun. You're welcome.

Paul Carie "Town And Country Steel Guitar" (TAC Records, 1977-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bill West)
The title pretty much says it all, a mix of pop and country covers by a young steel player from Vincennes, Indiana. He's backed by a bunch of locals: Bob Berry on rhythm guitar, Jewel Dukes (piano and vibraphone), Jack Little (fiddle), Scott McNight (drums, Larry Schmidt (bass), Dick Shelton (lead guitar), and Spider Rich on guitar, with vocals by Carolyn Wheeler and Geraldine Kowalskey. The more overtly country material includes versions of "Cold, Cold Heart" and "Mister Bojangles." No date on this disc, but it's certainly from the 1970s... dig that denim, baby!

The Carlton-Taylor Band "Indiana Lady" (Pinebrook Recording Studios, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Archer, Mark Aspinall & John Bolt)
An ambitious set of would-be country top forty tunes by a slick, smooth-sounding band out of Indianapolis, Indiana. This album is packed with all-original material most of it composed by lead singer Don Carlton (aka D. C. Ewigleben) who definitely applied himself to the smooth group-vocals style of the time. Stylistic touchstones include chart-toppers like the Bellamy Brothers, Dan Seals, Larry Gatlin, or the Desert Rose Band -- slick stuff performed very ably, though perhaps without the vigor of more robust bands such as The Oak Ridge Boys, et.al. All but one of the songs were written by Mr. Ewigleben, and they tend to be well structured though a little bit airy; the group sounds professional but tentative, never quite willing to let their hair hang down, and thus a little too controlled. Among Carlton/Ewigleben's songs, standouts include "You Don't Greet Me" and the slightly slower ballad "Caught Up In Love," while bass player Dave Coleman contributes what I would consider the album's best tune, "Gimme That Honky Tonk," a slightly earthier drinkin' song with a Moe Bandy-ish vibe. The group included lead singer Don Carlton, Dave "Taylor" Coleman on bass, a gal singer named Starr Reel Jones (who has a couple of solo numbers) Jim Benge (lead guitar), Don Daily (drums) and Joe Stout (keyboards). The band won a national talent contest sponsored by Marlboro cigarette company and did some national touring, though eventually fizzled out; Don Carlton later moved to Denver, Colorado where he started a new band called Renegade, which was playing gigs as recently as 2022. I'm not sure if any of the other folks were in other bands or had musical pursuits after this album, but this was a pretty good memento of their younger days -- even though this ain't quite my cup of tea, I would definitely recommend this album to anyone looking for off-the-radar early 'Eighties country-pop.

Brenda Cheryl "Ten Country Flavors" (Parsec Records, 198-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bill West)
A modern-day country filly from Madison, Indiana with a gal-centric set that includes several of her own originals, as well as a Loretta Lynn medley, along with covers of Emmylou Harris, The Judds, "Satin Sheets," and "Somebody's Knockin'." There's also a guy named Cousin Lew sings a song on Side One, "Sugar Blues," which leads me to believe Ms. Cheryl was connected to one of the local "opry" venues, such as the Little Nashville opry. Alas, I could find few details about her online... any info is welcome!

Trilly Cole "Live In Printers Alley" (LSI Records, 1975-?) (LP)
(Produced by Scotty Turner & Lee Hazen)
"Applause to an entertainer is like warm hands to a cow on a cold morning..." This is a mere snippet of the stage patter on this live album, recorded during Trilly Cole's long-running stint as the headliner at the Captain's Table nightclub in Nashville's Printer's Alley, where she worked for fifteen years. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Cole was a child prodigy from LaPorte, Indiana who learned the banjo when she was just six years old and set off on a professional career as a teen. She's best known for her Captain's Table gig, but she also toured and played Vegas, mixing country covers with flashy instrumental numbers from pop, ragtime and old-timey sources. Cole wasn't strictly a "country" artist, but she definitely played a lot of country stuff... several of her backing musicians also went on to work other professional gigs in Nashville. I'm not sure, but I think this was her first album. The set is fun and far-ranging, though it has to be said Ms. Cole wasn't a terribly commanding vocalist, and she often rushes through songs that should be a little bit slower... She was a skillful crowd-pleaser, though, and this record gives a great picture of how she worked the room. High points include her giving a shout-out to the local policemen's association, her disavowal of "women's liberators," a zippy rendition of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," a terrible (but very 'Seventies!) version of Kiki Dee's "I Got The Music In Me" as well as a super-misguided and completely disjointed medley of Kris Kristofferson's "Lord Help Me Jesus" and George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord." And, of course, the cow joke. More cowbell!!

Trilly Cole "Just Trilly" (LSI-Leson Insternational, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Scotty Turner & Lee Hazen)
This one has a lot of country covers, including hits of the day like "You Can't Be A Beacon," "Country Roads," and "Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song," as well as instrumentals like the theme to "Exodus" and hillbilly oldies like "Old Joe Clark." Plus, omigod, you gotta love those awesome purple crocheted yarn pants... So Seventies!!

Trilly Cole "Doin' The Crawdad" (LSI-Leson Insternational, 1975) (LP)
I guess playing a big goofball was part of her act, as seen on this album art... At least it looks like she was a good egg, and could take a joke. A variety of material here, including a lotta uptempo tunes and a bunch of patriotic stuff rounding off Side Two, including yet another version of the oft-covered "American Trilogy" medley, which I still don't understand how it's considered a Mickey Newberry composition when he just strung three old songs together. But I digress. Again. Anyway, the back cover features a bunch of pics of Trilly working the room at one of her shows, and I guess she had a mildly naughty, flirtatious thing going on with the guys in the crowd. It was a swingin' scene back then, I guess. No info about the backing band, though we do see them onstage in a couple of photos.

Trilly Cole "Trilly Cole" (LSI-Leson Insternational, 1975) (LP)
This one includes several country songs, including "The Auctioneer," "Oh Lonesome Me," "Detour," and more contemporary countrypolitan numbers such as "Funny Face." There are also a lot of old-fashioned pop standards like "The Impossible Dream" and instrumental showcase pieces such as "Tiger Rag" and "The William Tell Overture."

Trilly Cole "Trilly In Nashville" (Waco Records, 1980-?) (LP)

Trilly Cole "Keep On Believing" (Waco Records, 19--?) (LP)

Sam Collins "Alimony Blues" (CVS Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Don D. Sheets & Marti Mae)
I'm not sure if this fella from Bloomington, Indiana was part of the state's Little Nashville Opry, but he did record on one of their labels, working with producers Marti Mae and Don Sheets... Mr. Collins was a local country singer with a SuperBubba look who headed to Nashville for a while to pursue his love of country music. He first went to Tennessee in 1973 to cut a couple of singles, including several songs that are included on this LP -- I'm not sure if these are the same versions or re-recordings, but either way, they sure sound good. I dig his vocals and the band was pretty hot, especially the lead guitar and steel player(s). Doubtless on at least some tracks he was backed by members of the Little Nashville Opry's house band, though unfortunately the liner notes don't identify any of the studio band, outside of the Marti Mae Singers, who provided backing vocals. Great how 'Seventies this sounds, even though it was recorded just as synth-driven country was coming into vogue... Track after track of solid, soulful honkytonk. (Many thanks to picker Jeff Foster, who posted a great webpage detailing Sam Collins' career. Much obliged!)

Country, Inc. "...Plays Country Hits" (Country Incorporated Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by James Spider Rich)
A cover band from Evansville, Indiana running through 'Sixties and 'Seventies hits by Kris Kristofferson, Ray Griff, Merle Haggard, Mel Tillis and others. The group was the house band at a place called the Corral Club and included Buddy Hall (steel guitar), Murel Gregory (lead guitar), Paul Lynch (bass) and Danny Erkmann (drums), with Lynch identified as the group's leader. There's no date on the disc, although the liner notes say the band had formed a year and a half earlier.

Country, Inc. "When Lightning Strikes" (Shadow Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Ben Harris)
The same band, apparently, though with a radically different, much larger lineup... Indeed, it looks like the only person playing on both albums was steel player Bud Hall. They seem to be going in more of a southern rock direction on this one...

The Country Travelers "Especially For You" (Crusade Enterprises, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Ray Harris)
This group from Indianapolis was originally a male vocal quartet called the Mello-Tones, consisting of Don Allison, Leo Fisher, Ben Kemp and Jim Schmedel. They mainly volunteered their time singing in retirement homes and hospital wards; later a couple of their wives -- Phyllis Fisher and June Kemp -- joined the act, and sang either in a mixed group or as a female duo nicknamed the PJs. (Adorable. right?) Also included in the lineup are the Kemp's son, Dave, on drums, pianist Mike Smith was also a relative, as well as Phil Fisher on bass, and guitarist Walter Seale, a transplant from Alabama. Despite a vigorous indie-label scene in Indiana, they traveled to Crusade Studios in Flora, Illinois to cut this disc -- although the material is mostly covers of secular country Top 40 hits, perhaps their volunteer work had them in the orbit of the gospel scene(?) There are a few originals as well, "I Remember It All," "Just Die" and "Everytime You Cross My Mind," all written by Ben and June Kemp. I'm not sure how consistently they performed or for how many years, though the Country Travelers Sing For You album below looks to be of a much later vintage, at least from the early '80s I would think.

The Country Travelers "...Sing For You" (Country Pride Of Indiana, 19--?) (LP)
By now the core of the band had been pared down to the Fishers and Kemps -- Leo and Phyllis Fisher, with Ben and June Kemp -- and they were working at a venue called the Little Nashville Opry, in Brown County, Indiana. They had folded gospel standards into their repertoire, along with country oldies and contemporary hits. Not sure of the year this came out, but I'd guess sometime in the early 1980s.

The Countrymen "Just For You" (Split Rail Productions, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Don D. Sheets, Marti Mae & Judd Kelly)
Not to be confused with the Stockton, California evangelicals of the same name, this Countrymen band was a large, far-flung twangband from southern Indiana, centered around the vocal quartet of Jerry Abram, Natt Abram, Ron Freeman and Steve Hamm... the backing band included Tom Kinser (lead guitar), Dave Jackson (steel), Dan Jackson (drums), Doris Maners (rhythm guitar, vocals), and Chet Maners (bass). Their repertoire spanned from gospel tunes and George Jones oldies such as "She Thinks I Still Care" to more contemporary material drawing on the vocal group style of the Statler Brothers and the Oak Ridge Boys, with covers of tunes such as "Bed Of Roses," "Better Than I Did Then" and "You're The One." Now, to be completely honest, these fellas were not top-flight musicians (although steel player Dave Jackson gets in some nice licks) and the vocals in particular fall flat -- but overall it's a charming performance, at least for those of us drawn to "real people" records. Dunno if the Countrymen played many gigs, but they sure threw themselves fully into making this album.

Cowboy Bob "On Stage With The Burris Family" (Keene Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Robert Glaze & R. Burris; Bill Schuler, engineer)
A set of country covers by Indianapolis TV personality Bob Glaze, who played the character Cowboy Bob (aka"The Ham On The Range") while hosting the Chuckwagon Theater, an after-school cartoon show on station WTTV-4. Glaze started the show in 1970, and kept at it until 1989, along with his canine companion Tumbleweed... He's backed here by the Burris Family Band -- Glaze sings and plays rhythm guitar, along with Bob McNabb on drums, D. D. Sheets (bass), Joey Burris (electric guitar) and Buzz Keene (lead guitar). Most of the songs are covers of standards by Buck Owens, Loretta Lynn, and the like, though they also cover a Linda Hargrove song, "Let It Shine" and one track, "Sing Me A Sad Song," is credited to Kim Burris Sheets, who I think was married to the bassist. Previously, Glaze recorded a 1968 Christmas album along with another WTTV host, Janie Hodge, whose show he worked on before creating his own Cowboy Bob program.

Kenny Dace & The Downstate Ramblers "Blue Grass Remembrance" (Little Nashville Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Stuber, Don D. Sheets & Bill Schuler)
A straight-up truegrass band that was apparently associated with the Little Nashville Opry, near Bloomington, Indiana. However, their manager, Bob Stuber, provided an address in Iuka, Illinois, and it seems this was not actually a hoosier band. The Downstate Ramblers went on to record several other albums under just the band's name (using studios in Illinois), although Dace was still the group's primary guitar picker.

Dealer's Choice "Memories" (DCB Productions, 198-?) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Sturm)
This early 'Eighties southern rock/twangband recorded at a studio in Schaumburg, Illinois, though they apepar to have been from San Pierre, Indiana, in the northern end of the state, near Gary and South Bend. The group included lead guitarist Jim Bell, Butch Bennett (steel guitar), Greg Collins (piano), Ed Martin (bass and lead vocals), and drummer Rod Martin. They had a few interesting covers, including "See You Later, I'm Gone" (which was the flipside to Marshall Tucker Band's 1973 hit, "Can't You See") as well as Elton John's "Ball And Chain," which was a hit in 1982

The DJ Band "The DJ Band" (DJ Records, 1976-?) (LP)
(Produced by Art Hansbach & Jim Cotton)
A country-covers band from Auburn, Indiana, way up in the northeastern corner of the state, due north of Fort Wayne... The group was put together by local nightclub owner Denny Dengler in the early 'Seventies and was originally called DJ & the DJ Band, after the name of his bar, The DJ Night Club. (The liner notes don't explain the band name, but Mr. Dengler was also a radio host on local station WIFF...) This edition of the group included bass player Steve Ade, fiddler/mandolinist Arvel Bird, drummer Cecil Freeburn, and Roger Marshall on lead vocals and guitar, with additional cryptic credits for steel player "Bobby" and "White Willie" on piano. The album is all cover songs, except for the opening track, "Searching For Love," which is credited to "B. Tressler," who was probably Bernie Tressler, a guy from Ohio who recorded a song called "I've Been Looking For Love" on a single in 1976. Other than that, it's all George Jones, Billy Sherrill, Shel Silverstein and whatnot. Probably the most accomplished member of the group was fiddler Arvel Bird, who was originally from Utah and lived in the Midwest for several years, and according to his own website, won four statewide Indiana fiddling championships, and is showcased here on versions of "Diggy-Liggy-Lo" and "Orange Blossom Special." Mr. Bird later joined Glen Campbell's tour band, and also worked with stars such as Tom T. Hall and Loretta Lynn, eventually moving to Nashville, where he opened an independent recording studio. Singer Roger Marshall left the group in 1977, and headed for Nashville to work with producer Harold Shedd, who also helped with this record. Back in Indiana, Marshall started a new group, the Silver Dollar Band, which cut an album a couple of years later.

Easy Street String Band "Money In Both Pockets" (Prairie Schooner Records, 1980) (LP)
Old-timey stringband-retro stuff, recorded in Bloomington Indiana, though released on a label from Saint Louis, Missouri.

Butch Embry "...And The Sundance Band" (CPI Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Butch Embry & Paul Moss)
Bandleader Ronald "Butch" Embry (1943-2013) was a lifelong resident of Evansville, Indiana, leading his own band for over forty years, right up until he passed away. This was recorded in Nashville with backing by his own band, including guitar pickers Merle Gregory and Mike Harrison, Scotty McKnight on drums, and Mike Nantz playing steel guitar and piano. It's a diverse set of country covers ranging from '70s Top Forty to outlaw stuff such as "Redneck Mother," some Bakersfield Sound and even a twangy rendition of "My Way." Embry sings lead on most of the songs, veering between the (somewhat dubious) Elvis-styled opening number -- a cover of Roy Oribson's "Leah" -- and more low-key, discursive numbers with a Kenny Rogers-y feel. Gal singer Julie Harrison is showcased on "Satin Sheets" and "Tiger By The Tail," with Mr. Gregory romping through a nice cover of Merle Haggard's "Stay Here And Drink." Also, some groovy steel playing throughout. As far as I can tell, this was Embry's only record, though he worked steadily through the 2010s, fronting the band he later just called The Butch Embry Band. Not earth-shattering, but worth a spin.

Buddy Emmons - see artist discography

Scott Erickson "Sad Song Sing Along" (Ribbon Rail Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Mark D. Litz)
Not a ton of info about this fella from Bloomington, Indiana... Erickson seems to have written most of his own material, with backing by Jeff Foster on lead guitar, Brian Paulson (synthesizer), Lenny Springer (bass) and Ron Brinson (drums), and Tom Roznowski playing piano. I'm not sure if Erickson performed live or had a regular band -- but I would certainly welcome any info from folks who know more about this record.

The Ewen Brothers "Gettin' It Together" (Oweman Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Manning)
Sort of a folk-rock set by three brothers, Allen, Dennis and Greg Ewen, who were originally from Crown Point, Indiana, recording what seems to have been an early 'Seventies Music City demos set at a studio in Nashville. It's an odd album, kicking off in a distinctly non-country, folkish mode, and may actually have started out as Christian artists -- one track, Allen Ewen's "Life," delivers a bluntly religious message, though they don't really return to that theme later in the album, which is dominated by secular material. The Ewens eventually get shoe-horned into doing more contemporary country arrangements, and do not sound very comfortable in the role. Although they had written some originals, the album is halfway filled with tunes by established Nashvillers, including three songs by Glen Goza, as well as the title track, which was penned by industry insider Buzz Cason. Not a lot of info about these guys, though Greg Ewen seems to have recorded a fair amount of stuff later in life. Not sure when this album came out, but it looks to be of early 'Seventies vintage.

Fall City Ramblers "Early Indiana Days" (Palm Tree Records, 1976) (LP)
This free-flowing, dynamic stringband from Madison, Indiana mixed bluegrass and old-timey with a dash of classic jug-band blues and a hint of old-world European styles and even some hapa haole Hawaiian music, such as the oldie, "The Old Palm Tree." Not sure how long the group was together, but they were pretty darn good!

The Family Tradition "When The Juke Box Was Just A Nickel" (Michigan Nickel Company, 19--?) (LP)
More of a bluegrass thing, methinks, but I'm a sucker for these wooden-plank stock-art album covers... This group included Tom Campbell (guitar and lead vocals), Dan Nelson (banjo), Darvin Scutchfield, Jr. (bass) and Burl Smith (fiddle) who lived in small towns around South Bend, Indiana. The group was together for several years, though this seems to have been their only album.

Stan Farlow "Hot Wheels" (Checker Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Gary S. Paxton)
Singer Stan Farlow (1941-2013) was kind of an odd artist. As you can hear on this album's title track -- first issued as a single -- he was a shameless Johnny Cash imitator; indeed, recording under the name "Johnny Doe," Farlow recorded several albums that were specifically marketed as Cash soundalike sessions. Here, he's still got the whole Delta baritone sound going on, but the music loosens up a bit, and the liner notes pitch him as a Bakersfield Sound artist, with backing from Dennis Payne and Kenny Johnson of the California Poppy Pickers. The music is an odd amalgam of Cash-ian chunka-chunka and gritty, Haggard-style twang. (Farlow knew Haggard from his Bakersfield days, and there's a hefty dose of Hag's sound in him as well...) This album's title track, "Hot Wheels," is a macabre trucker tune that ends with the Devil taking the singer's soul, and there's also a proto-outlaw edge to some of the other tracks, notably on "Big City Hooker," a surprisingly raw song condemning a country girl for turning into a prostitute... I guess things never quite clicked for Farlow as a solo star -- he got religion in the '70s and backed out of the country bar-band scene. In later years he became an amateur bluegrass musician, and pretty much left his country years behind him.

Stan Farlow "He Sounds Like Johnny Cash" (Checker Records, 1970) (LP)

Stan Farlow "Farlow One" (Vintage Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Glenn Clarke & Art Snider)

Cliff Flatford "Time With Cliff Flatford" (Time Records, 1974-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bud Tido & Cliff Flatford)
Singer Cliff G. Flatford (1939-2000) was born in Maynardsville, Tennessee, but living in Indiana when he cut this album with his own band, The Flatlanders [* not to be confused with Butch, Jimmie and Joe, of course...] The repertoire includes several countrypolitan covers, as well as a few originals by Cliff Flatford and by his brother Paul Flatford. Mr. Flatford was a factory worker who quit his day job to pursue a music career sometime around 1974, when he was profiled in a local newspaper article that also mentions him cutting his first record, with a little help from Nashville superstar Conway Twitty. This album is probably the record in question, though he may have cut a single or two as well. Anyone know more about this fella?

Ron Frazier & Bridge "Local Bar Star" (Dor-Belle Records, 19--?) (LP)
These locals from Fort Wayne, Indiana recorded several originals, as well as covers of "Me And Bobby McGee," and "Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good." I'm not sure when this album came out -- looks early-to-mid '80s? -- but I believe this is the same Ron Frazier who went on to become a country-flavored gospel singer, running the religiously-oriented River City Campground with his wife and singing partner, Sharon Frazier.

Harley Gabbard "The Tall Timber Man" (Vetco Records, 1971-?) (LP)
Dobro player Harley Gabbard (1935-2003) was born in West Harrison, Indiana and started out playing guitar in various hillbilly and bluegrass bands, switching to dobro much later in life. Gabbard performed at the Grand Ole Opry and the Wheeling Jamboree; he also toured with the Osborn Brothers, and the Goins Brothers and with Jimmie Skinner, who contributed this album's liner notes. Gabbard was a founding member of the Boys From Indiana bluegrass band, starting that band with Aubrey Holt, a few years after cutting this solo album.

Gateway "Wanted: Good Time String Band" (Whacks Jawburz, 19--?)
(Produced by Tom Reynolds)
Goofy independently produced folk music... Not as twangy as the stuff I'm into, though they do mix in a bit of bluegrass pickin'... They cover stuff like "Rocky Top," Jack Tempchin's "Peaceful Easy Feeling," John Stewart's "Cody," and the lovely "I'm Going Home," which was written by Fred Geis of the Kingston Trio. There's also a bunch of original material, notably the title track, "Good Time String Band," which extols the virtues of joyfully making music and the super-goofball medley of "People Poems" which is pretty much the album's showcase song. This didn't really resonate with me, but as indie-twang from Indianapolis goes, this is probably worth knowing about. (BTW, the album art is really confusing, but the band's name was Gateway - the credits read: "All songs arranged by Gateway..." and then give all their names. There's also a more modern group called the Good Time String Band up in Maine, but they're a different band.)

Tom Grant & The Nashville Sounds "The Nashville Country Club Proudly Presents..." (Nashville Country Club) (LP)
Not to be confused with the smooth jazz pianist, singer Tom Grant was a Wisconsin native who led a house band in Milwaukee at a club called Nick's Nicabob, and later found a slot in an obscure Indiana-based venue called the Nashville Country Club. He eventually made it to Nashville, signing to Republic Records in 1979, where he landed two singles in the Billboard charts, though he may be better known as a member of the band Trinity Lane. Although his solo career didn't really take off, Grant stuck around and worked on several Nashville-based TV shows, including TNN's 'Eighties-era "Nashville Now" and "The Ralph Emery Show," on NBC. This album was recorded during his Indiana days, with a band called Nashville Sounds, which included Darrel Young on bass, Larry Young playing lead guitar, Billy Powell on steel, and Dale Greene thumping the drums. Apparently future star Steve Wariner also apprenticed in the band at some point, though I don't think he plays on this album.

John Gunter "...The Singing Sheriff: Captive Audience" (Captive Audience, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Darrell Powell & Rick Smith)
A veteran paratrooper decorated in the Korean War, John Gunter returned to civilian life and became sheriff of Madison County, Indiana. He also developed a sideline as an entertainer, and recorded at least two albums, working with locals from around his hometown of Anderson, IN. This album features a bunch of original songs written by producers Rick Smith and Darrell Powell, though neither songwriter played in the band.

John Gunter "Old Hymns For A Young Heart" (Captive Audience, 1981) (LP)

John Hiatt - see artist discography

Hickory Wind "Hickory Wind" (Gigantic Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Herbert G. Hatt)
An utterly guileless, semi-legendary folk-rock band from Evansville, Indiana... It's mostly stoned-out cosmic folkie stuff, with some uptempo psych-rock and mild boogie blues, adorned with delightfully plain, somewhat conversational vocals. Very DIY. Notable for twangfans is Chuck Lawrence's song, "Country Boy," though really this has a lot to recommended it, even if it ain't country. Not to be confused with the later, mid-to-late- 'Seventies band, Hickory Wind (from Maryland, who wound up recording for Flying Fish and Adelphi) or the swing-string band of the same name (from New Jersey) this short-lived group included Allen Jones, Michael McGuyer, Sonny Prentice, Carl Rodenberg and Bobby Strehl, a lineup that soon morphed into a three-piece hard-rock band called B. F. Trike, which made at least one equally obscure album. This is flawed, but gloriously so, and generally rather cool.

The Highland Ramblers "...Present Ten Original Blue Grass And Country Songs" (Ben Records) (LP)
This band from New Haven, Indiana had a Jimmy Martin-ish feel, mixing honkytonk and heartsongs into a bluegrass landscape. They were a good regional band -- a little rough around the edges, but lively and committed to the music. The banjo work by Clay Dockery is a highlight, as is the dobro playing, although the rest of the band can fall behind a little bit, here and there. It's also worth noting that the band's stage image (as seen on the album cover) was a real throwback to an earlier era, with bassist/bandleader Jarold McIntosh dressed up in the traditional hillbilly clown outfit -- goofy hat, wildly mismatched clothing -- although the comedy material he doubtless performed live isn't heard on this straight-up, traditional bluegrass set. Anyway, a good, not great record by a solid local band.

Terri Hollowell "Just You And Me" (Con Brio Records, 1979) (LP)

Lee Hyatt "What If We Gave A War?" (Gigantic Record Company, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Herbert G. Hatt)
This one's pretty far afield musically, but it was just so weird-looking -- and so local -- I had to add it, despite the lack of overt country-ness. With its grim, cartoonish cover art showing a huge barbwire fence surrounding the "Occupied Zone, State Of Indiana," this weird, outsider folk-rock outing had at least a partly political slant, with few songs brandishing relatively blunt social commentary -- war and conformity being bad and all -- although other tracks just seem like your normal kinda late-1960's spaced-out poetical introversion. I couldn't find any info about Lee Hyatt, though this was on the same indie label from Evansville, Indiana as the band Hickory Wind (above) and one of the songs here also appeared on their album. No other musicians are listed, though I suppose it's possible some of the same guys who were on the Hickory Wind album -- or one of the Gigantic singles -- might have played on here as well. (By the way, hipster know-it-alls often often tag these private-press records as "tax scam albums," or records that were manufactured for the sole purpose of writing off financial losses... That may literally be the case here, since at the time the Gigantic Recording Company was putting out its odd little discs, producer Herbert G. Hatt (1932-2012) was at the apex of a decade-long battle with the Internal Revenue Service, which had investigated numerous sketchy deductions he claimed in relation to the funeral home service he managed in Evanston. He lost both the case and his appeal, though the government drily noted that "the amount of Hatt's loss from his recording venture was not shown to be erroneous." The Gigantic label was still included in Billboard magazine's 1973 music industry listings, though I don't think it was still an active studio...)

Indiana Grass "(It's Blue)" (Chumley Productions, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Scott & Mo Whitlemoore)
A progressive bluegrass band from Lebanon, Indiana, featuring Tom Clawson (bass), Don Payton (dobro and guitar), Donald R. Payton (banjo), Kim Payton (fiddler) and Bill Wigley (guitar). The repertoire spans oldies by the Delmore Brothers, Flatt & Scruggs and Jimmy Martin to newer tunes by folks like Vern Park, Dean Webb and the band Hot Rize.

Iron Horse "Iron Horse" (Iron Horse Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Dicks, Mike Yates, Ken Scheidler & Steve Lesser)
This rock/country band from Indianapolis, Indiana featured a slew of original material, most of it written by singer-bassist Jim Dicks. Songs include "Cowboy Day" and "North Dakota Reel," "Down In The Canyon," but also less rural-sounding tunes, such as "I Wanna Go To War" and "Morocco." Other bandmembers include Ken Scheidler on banjo and pedal steel, Mike Yates on acoustic guitar, and a slew of family and friends to fill out the sound around the main trio. Anyone know more about these guys?

Ray Dean James "Country Roots" (Comstock Records, 1988-?) (LP)
Born in Statesville, Tennessee, songwriter Ray Dean James (1934-2015) served in the Korean War and later lived in both Indiana and Ohio, and was probably a midwesterner when he recorded this album for the Kansas-based Comstock label. He also released a string of singles on Comstock, from the late 1980s to the early '90s. He also cut a 1992 album called I Love The Music with an Indiana band called Wiley & The Road Runners, which included Ken Burns on guitar, Ralph Cook (bass), Rick DeVito (drums) and Delbert Dickey on pedal steel. This was the same band that backed him on his Comstock singles, going at least as far as 1987, which makes me think this was an Indiana-based release as well. Overall, they sounded kind of sluggish (including Mr. James) but his heart was in the right place...

Steve Jeffris "Trucks 'N' Country Go Together" (Crusade Enterprises, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Ray Harris)
The first album from Indianapolis country auteur Steve Jeffris, who went on to open a small, railroad-and-frontier-themed roadside attraction called Jeffris Junction, where he hosted an annual "Caboose Festival" for over twenty years from 1990-2015... According to his website, he eventually self-released over two dozen albums, including a bunch of CDs, though this first one was a genuine vinyl LP, made at the studios of Crusade Records, which had a custom wing for musicians outside the fold... This is mostly a set of secular country covers (although he did include a version of "Jesus And Me" as one of three Tom T. Hall songs...) with a couple of originals by Mr, Jeffris, "Baby's On My Mind" and "In My Own Special Little Way." Although he booked studio time with Crusade, he used his own band, The Country Entertainers, on the sessions: Art Baker (steel guitar), Dale Robertson (bass), Scott Thompson (drums) and Ron Yagle on banjo and piano, with Crusade label mainstay Bill Casolari filling in on unspecified instruments, and Mr. Jeffris on vocals and guitar.

Wayne Johnson & The Deep River Band "Dreams" (DRB Records, 1970-?) (LP)
(Produced by John Johnston & Bill Casolari)
Hailing from Indiana, singer Wayne Johnson covers some big hits, songs like "Elvira," "He'll Have To Go" and "Smoky Mountain Rain," and also records several originals. There are three songs written by Johnson: "Dreams, "Tamara" and "I'm On The Road Again," as well as "False Hearted You," by bandmember S. Lawman. Not sure when he started out, but Johnson was still playing local and regional gigs well into the late 1980s. As always, any info about this artist is most welcome!

Terry Kimbrell "Distant Dream" (Obie Records, 1975-?) (LP)
(Produced by Mo Whittemore & Rex Thomas)
An Indiana country-rock longhair from 1970s with a raft of original material and backing by an all-local, Indianapolis ensemble, including Terry Kimbrell on vocals, keyboards and guitar, along with Michael Clark playing guitar, Mike Close (keyboards), Jeff Hornbeck (guitar), Pete Schmutte (keyboards), Rex Thomas (bass, dobro and guitar), Steve Walker (drums), and Tim Wright on banjo. Amazingly, this seems to be the same Terry Kimbrell from Noblesville who later moved to Nashville, founded a talent agency called TKO and became the manager of Top Forty superstar < href= "../../countryartists/keith_toby_01.html">Toby Keith. Go figure!

Sneaky Pete Kleinow "Cold Steel" (Ariola Records, 1974) (LP)

Sneaky Pete Kleinow "Sneaky Pete" (Shiloh Records, 1979) (LP)

Shirley Kreutzjans "From Me To You" (CVS Records, 1980) (LP)
Ms. Kreutzjans hailed from Columbus, Indiana and covers hits by Lynn Anderson, Johnny Cash, Jessi Colter, Crystal Gayle, Linda Hargrove... A pretty straight-up '70s country-pop lovefest, and I mean that in a good way. She bcked other Indianans on their records, and was a member of the Little Opry in Columbus, Indiana.

John Kuiper "Me And My Friend" (Pinebrook Recording Studio, 1978-?) (LP)
(Produced by John Darnell & Bob Whyley)
A country gospel singer from Lowell, Indiana, and gosh, does he look wholesome and all-American! This includes steel guitar by Rex Thomas, fiddle from John Darnall, drummer Steve Hanna and Mike Lucas on keyboards, and Steve Dokken on bass!.

Bill Lendrum "Try A Little Kindness" (Crown Records, 1969) (LP)
Assuming it's all the same guy, Bill Lendrum seems to have moved around a lot during his career... Known as "Pineapple Bill" Lendrum, he lived in Hawaii and sang hapa haole-style island-themed novelty songs, as well as country stuff. I'm not sure where he was living when he cut this album, but in the early '70s he was considered a "local legend" in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where he recorded for the Goldust label, and had some of his music recorded by other local artists. In 1975 he recorded a second album for the Oklahoma City-based Homa label and later, in the late 1980s, Lendrum was living in Griffin, Indiana but still playing music, and even won a national talent contest sponsored by the True Value hardware company. This album seems to have been packed with original material.

Bill Lendrum "The Hapahaule Cowboy" (Homa Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Mickey Sherman & David Powell)
I think Mr. Lendrum was living in Griffin, Indiana when he cut this album, although it was released on the Oklahoma City-based Homa label, with fiddler Benny Kubiak chiming in... The hapa haole reference hearkens back to his days on the Islands, as does the mixed country/Hawaiian repertoire... The album includes eight songs by Lendrum, along with covers of "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "Tiny Bubbles."

Betty Lin "Country Violin" (Lincoln Jamboree Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Wayne Sexton & Joel Ray Sprowls)
A square dance and bluegrass fiddler from Kirklin, Indiana, Betty Lin played on radio in her teens, and made infrequent appearances on various regional variety shows and hometown venues. She was probably about fifty when this album was made, and had a gig doing a monthly performance at the Lincoln Jamboree country variety show, based in Hodgenville, Kentucky. Lin recorded this album live onstage, with backing from a Jamboree band that included Ronnie Bennington (piano), Lou Bingham (lead guitar), Charles Durham (drums), Jack Lewis (bass) and Carlton Noel on steel guitar, billed here as "The Fabulous Five." The set list includes barn dance favorites such as "Soldier's Joy," "Orange Blossom Special," "Golden Slippers" and "Bile Them Cabbage Down"; many of the performances are pretty brief, little more than a minute or so, one assumes because of limited time for her set. Mrs. Lin first played the Renfro Valley Barn Dance in 1971, and in 1979 helped anchor Renfro Valley's revived edition of the New Coon Creek Girls, an all-gal band that later launched the career of bluegrass star Dale Ann Bradley. She was still doing local concerts as late as 1988-89, playing with groups such as The Country Sunshine Band... quite a career!

The Little Nashville Express "...Presents Showtime" (Little Nashville Enterprises, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Don D. Sheets, Roger Smith & Kurt Ericson)
Wow... a real Rosetta stone for the Indiana country scene here! This was a souvenir album from the Little Nashville Opry, a venue that hosted local and national talent for about twenty-five years before a fire destroyed the auditorium. This disc showcases the opry's house band, circa 1983, and features several musicians such as electric guitar picker James Allen, steel player Garry Pugh and drummer Karl Lutz, who backed local performers (notably songwriter Larry Rollins) on earlier albums. Perhaps of wider interest are a couple of younger locals pictured on the back who went on to much bigger things: bluegrass fiddler and Nashville session player Glen Duncan (originally from Columbus, Indiana) and "Juli Maners" (aka Lisa Germano, from Mishawaka). Not long after this record was made, Germano went on tour with fellow Hoosier John Mellencamp, then catapulted into international fame as an alt-rock star in the 1990s. The album opens with a bang, on a flamboyant instrumental version of "Down Yonder," demonstrating the real power of this dynamic, highly professional band. Germano takes over on the next tune, singing "Gone At Last," and later belting it out on songs such as "Break It To Me Gently" and "Stand By Your Man." Now, although these guys were clearly very talented, and probably better than most Midwestern "opry" bands, this album does suffer from their apparent boredom with some of the material they covered, particularly the more current pop'n'country hits. The unidentified male vocalist who ironically lounge-lizards his way through Ronnie Milsap's hit "I Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World" sounds smarmy and insincere -- sure he's hitting all the notes, and sure it was a terrible song to begin with, but why sing something you don't like? Ditto on their cover of "Bridge Over Troubled Water," which again sounds like its being played for laughs, and isn't much fun to listen to as a result. Other than the instrumentals, the only real thrill for twang fans here is a tune called "Put It Back Together Again," which has a Jerry Jeff Walker/Lost Gonzo feel that's kinda neat. Lisa Germano was the clear "star" of this show, and not just in hindsight: although she also sounds kind of bored with the gig, she stands out as a powerful performer, straining to break free. And she did!

Logsdon Generation "Closer To Home" (Rite Records, 197--?) (LP)
A gloriously uninhibited, crudely recorded country gospel set recorded by a family band from Salem, Indiana (and surrounding towns). Three brothers -- Fred, George and Sherman Logsdon -- were all in their thirties when they cut this album, while the rest of the band were basically teenagers, some being their kids, and others possibly younger siblings. They really wail away on this one, full of the holy spirit though not worried enough about perfectionism to go for any second takes. I like it. Not sure when this record was released, but Sherman L. Logsdon copyrighted several of these songs late in 1974, so 1975-76 is a pretty good bet. Fred Lovell ("Brother Love") Logsdon (1937-2018) was born in Kentucky, lived in Tennessee for a while, and raised his family in Indiana -- his 17-year old daughter Doris is featured on this album, and wrote the title track, "Closer To Home."

Skip Lotten "Nashville Won't You Be My Home" (NW Enterprises, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Nitzsche)
I couldn't track down the date on this one (anyone out there know?) nor much info about Mr. Lotten, whose full name was Ollin O. Lotten, Jr., a native of Indiana, who looks like he was in his twenties when he cut this album. Like a lot of country folks, he may have wanted to make Nashville his home, but found Music City a tough nut to crack -- eventually he seems to have gravitated towards Branson, Missouri, and released at least one other record, a New Age-y/meditative album for kids... Other than that, the guy's a cipher. This album's title track was one of four originals, but many of the other songs are covers, such as "Friend Of The Devil," "Fox On The Run" and "Hickory Wind." Any other info is, of course, welcome.

Jerry Lowe & The Imperials "Don't Look Like Baby's Comin' Home" (Imperial International, 1974-?) (LP)
(Produced by Chuck Heifner & Jerry Lowe)
Country covers from an uber-indie Indiana band... These guys were all locals, with lead singer Jerry Lowe born and raised in the Hoosier homeland, moving from New Castle to Straughn, Indiana, by the time this album was made. The set is mostly (if not all?) covers -- late-'60s/early '70s stuff like "Me And Bobby McGee," "Kay," "Satin Sheets," "Proud Mary" and "I Washed My Hands In The Muddy Waters." Dunno if any of the guys from the Imperials played with any other bands... For what it's worth, the group included Pat Johnson on pedal steel and Ray Reynolds on bass, with a couple of different guys playing piano. No date on the album, but I'm guessing '74, based on the repertoire.

Liz Madison "Doin' Time: Live!" (Treehouse Records, 1978-?) (LP)
A country gal from Indianapolis going the Johnny Cash route with a prison concert recorded live at the nearby Pendleton Reformatory. The set list was all cover songs, including both country and pop numbers such as Warren Zevon's "Poor Poor Pitiful Me," "You Light Up My Life," "I Got The Music In Me," a couple of Fleetwood Mac songs, Dolly Parton's "Two Doors Down," and "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue." She also covers one by Kenny (Sauron) Rogers, but it was the 'Seventies, so we'll forgive her. We have to. Oh, and there's also a version of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" -- of course!

Joe Montgomery "Second Chance" (FWI Records, 1977) (LP)
A singer from Fort Wayne, Indiana who was friends with an older guy named Ernest P. McCarty who wrote songs, but never made a record himself. Montgomery collaborated with McCarty to create this album of all-original material... It's kinda sweet, really!

Lattie Moore "I Ain't Broke But I'm Badly Bent" (Demon/West Side Records, 2000)
AWE. SOME. Although he's best known to rockabilly collectors, Kentucky-born Lattie Moore was a real-deal, hardcore honkytonker. Although he was born in bluegrass territory, Moore moved to Indianapolis in the early 1940s, and established himself as a Midwestern artist, recording for various labels, but mainly for the King label, in nearby Cincinnati. This disc collects twenty-nine songs recorded by Moore for the King and Starday labels, between 1953-1963, and there isn't a track on here that won't make a real country fan drool with delight. It doesn't include his 1952 proto-rockabilly classic, "Juke Joint Johnny," which was recorded before he was signed to King, but the tunes that are on here are all top-notch. For the most part, Moore bypasses novelty material, or at least novelty delivery: whenever possible, he digs as deep into the pathos and heartbreak as he can, eking out the sheer humanity of pain and sorrow. The music's pretty good, too -- these were the same kind of songs George Jones sang early in his career (probably a lot of the same backing musicians as well...) So if you dig Jones classics like "Cup Of Loneliness" and "Hearts In My Dreams," you're gonna love Lattie Moore. Just take my word for it: do whatever you need to, but track this record down!

Al Morgan "...Sings Jealous Heart" (Gateway Records, 1974) (LP)
Piano player and crooner Al Morgan (1915-1989) made a mint when he recorded Jenny Lou Carson's classic "Jealous Heart" way back in 1949, selling over ten million copies of the country/pop crossover, with a big band version that many fans consider to be definitive. Born in Mount Adams, Kentucky, Morgan started his career playing piano in beer halls in Cincinnati and later in Chicago, where he was working when he recorded "Jealous Heart." He went on to work in radio and TV and later lost his money running his own nightclubs, but steadily kept performing throughout the decades. Indeed, according to his obituary, Morgan had a heart attack in 1989, but went back to playing club dates despite his doctor's orders, and had a relapse that finally did him in. This album was one of over three dozen he recorded over the years, and has a more distinctly country feel, with covers of Hank Williams and Cindy Walker songs, as well as a re-recording of "Jealous Heart" and some well-chosen pop-jazz standards, and even one song written by Morgan ("Walls Around My Heart") that's kinda nice. There is some full-band country accompaniment with pedal steel and whatnot, but Morgan and his piano take center stage. It helps to be a lounge/ballads fan to really get into this one, but it works for twangfans as well.

Jan Morgan "That's Why I Smile" (Gateway Records, 1975) (LP)
A "solo" set by the wife of lounge singer Al Morgan, with him contributing piano and vocals on several songs...

The Morgans "Middle Of The Road" (Morgan Records, 1980-?) (LP)
(Produced by Dick Morgan & Mo Whittenmore)
A mystery disc from Indianapolis, Indiana. The Morgans are parenthetically identified as Dick and Betty Morgan, although the other musicians are presumably family members as well, with Dave Morgan on drums and Phil Morgan playing bass. They sing a lot of medleys of classic country and pop material, including a string of Neil Diamond hits, and a Hank Williams tribute. There are also a couple of originals, Dick Morgan's "Hey Mister Guitar Man" and "Precious Fool," which was co-written with Phil Morgan. I couldn't find a release date for this one, though it has to be some time after 1980, since they also cover Eddie Rabbitt's "Drivin' My Life Away." Other than that, your guess is as good as mine!

The Don Morris Band "Indiana Has Cowboys, Too" (1985) (LP)
Country twang from Terra Haute... Although this got written up in the local newspaper, The Tribune Star, when it came out in 1985, this remains one of the most obscure records I'm come across, with virtually no information about it online. Don? You out there? No? Well, regardless, he seems to have made a couple of albums since then.

Bill Mounts "...And His Midwest Cowboys" (Daven-Oka Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Mounts & Randy Best)
William H. Mounts and his family band, the Midwest Cowboys, were from Huntingburg, Indiana, and seems to have played local and regional gigs for a number of years. The group included Billy Mounts (lead guitar and steel guitar), Bobby Mounts (bass), Brent Mounts (drums), Brian Mounts (fiddle) and Bill Mounts (rhythm guitar and vocals). Alas, I do not know how they were all related, though I suspect most of these guys were his sons. The group went to Nashville to record this album, booking time at Pete Drake's studio, Pete's Place; as far as I can tell, they played everything themselves, and didn't get a studio band to play for them. There are seven originals credited to Mr. Mounts, along with covers of "Detour" and "Waltz Across Texas," as well as "There Won't Be Another Now" penned by Red Lane, and Gene Crysler's "I Didn't Jump The Fence." I actually came to these guys in a reverse-engineered way, first noticing them backing local star Larry Rollins on one of his albums several years earlier.

Leonard Neely "Sings The Sacred Songs Of Hank Williams" (Cardinal Records, 1979) (LP)
Singer-picker Leonard Neely grew up in Spottsville, Kentucky and was working as a pastor in an Indianapolis church when he recorded this album, sometime in the mid-to-late 1970s, from the looks of it. This is a stripped-down acoustic tribute to the religious side of country legend Hank Williams, and as many fans will already know, ol' Hank certainly wrote some great gospel songs.

New Moon Swing Band "Sunny Side Of The Street" (Redbud Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Richard Fish & The New Moon Swing Band)
An acoustic string-swing band with three-part vocal harmonies, violin, bass and guitars... This album -- which I think was their only LP -- was recorded in the bands stomping grounds of Bloomington, Indiana.

Nu-Lite Trio "I Made It Home" (Pine Tree Records, 1976-?)
(Produced by William M. Jones)
Nice, straightforward bluegrass gospel with a strong Stanley Brothers/Ralph Stanley influence... This trio from Brookeville, Indiana consisted of Junior Callihan on mandolin, Evelyn Metcalf playing flat-top guitar, and her husband Robert Metcalf on banjo. All three were transplants from rural southeastern Kentucky, and they all brought their Appalachian roots with them... No muss, no fuss, just straight-up backwoods truegrass twang.

Shad Owens "...And The Hi-Way Rhythm Boys" (Kay-Jay Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Fred Robbins)
Not a ton of info about this one, including when, exactly, the album was recorded... The artwork is super-low budget, in a we-haven't-quite-figured-out-this-whole-custom-label-thing kind of way, and the recording was done in mono, so I'd guess, I dunno, the mid 'Sixties, maybe like 1965-66, especially what with the band covering the Buck Owens hit, "I've Got A Tiger By The Tail." It was a strictly local affair: bandleader Shad Owens lived in the tiny town Otterbein, Indiana, just south of Chicago, and his band members were from nearby towns such as Earl Park, Logansport and Monticello, though the sessions were recorded just across the state line over in Wateska, Illinois, most likely at the studio of radio station WGFA, where the band had made a few on-air appearances. Backing Mr. Owens were Jimmy Douglas (fiddle and guitar), Wayne Light (bass), Larry "Peanuts" Sullivan (steel guitar), a compact little group with local gigs at venues such as the Pinewood Inn, also located in Wateska, as well as a couple of bars in neighboring Lafayette, IN, the Circle Bar and the Wabash Hotel. Although some edition of the band was still doing local shows at least as recently as the late 1990s, the only other record by the Rhythm Boys that I know of is a single cut a few years later... One song, "Send Back The Pieces," credited Shad Owens as composer, though the vocalist was Jimmie D. Powers (possibly Jimmy Douglas? just speculating here...) I'm sure a lot of stuff must have gone on in the intervening thirty years, but Mr. Owens left a surprisingly light footprint online. I'm assuming Larry Sullivan is the same guy who had his own country band in the late 'Seventies, a little further south, down in Vincennes... but you never know.

The Patriots "Till We Ride Again" (Music City Records, 1980-?) (LP)
These semi-shaggy midwesterners from Mitchell, Indiana featured Rex A. Knight (rhythm guitar), Steve Lee (bass), Tim Terry (acoustic guitar), Bill Wigley (lead guitar), and David Winkler on drums... Steve Lee is listed as a contact for the band and may have been its driving force. The title track, "Till We Ride Again," is an original, though all the other songs are covers, including country classics such as "I'm A Lonesome Fugitive" and "Ramblin' Fever" from the Merle Haggard songbook, the Gatlin Brothers' "All The Gold In California," and lighter material such as "Grandma's Feather Bed" and "The Auctioneer," as well as (yet another) version of "Rocky Top." I couldn't find much info about these guys, alas.

Hector Phillips "...And The Patoka Valley Boys" (Hill Records, 1979-?) (LP)
(Produced by Roger Hill)
A real-deal, down-to-earth, locals-only old-timey stringband, from Patoka, Indiana, a tiny rural town situated between Evansville (Indiana) and the bright lights of Terra Haute. The group was led by fiddler Hector Phillips (1901-1994) who was about eighty years old at the time, backed by Randy Bailey on bass, Tony Rothrock (mandolin), Jerrall Sharp (guitar), Red Swain (guitar) and Jim Woolsey, also on guitar. They formed around the Pike County Oldtime Music Association, which was founded by fiddler Ed Riley, who was a mentor for many local musicians. The Boys recorded this album at Hill's Recording Studio, in Kokomo; they were also the subject of a short documentary film made in 1981, Tough, Pretty Or Smart? which explored the connections between the musicians and their local community. The band performed regularly at local hoedowns and regional competitions for several years, particularly around the time this album came out and the movie was made.

Ruthie Quinlan "Here's Ruthie" (Country Green Records, 197-?)
(Produced by Walter Haynes & Ruthie Quinlan)
An independently-released album from country singer Ruthie Quinlan, an Indiana native who headed to LA and Nashville to hit it big, although she eventually returned to the Midwest, reconnected with her religious faith, and devoted herself to gospel music. This secular-themed debut features a lot of original material, as well as four songs written by Lola Jean Dillon and a few obscuros from Sonny Throckmorton and Bobby Braddock. Plus, there's studio backing by Nashville session pros such as Fred Carter, Jr., Jerry Shook and pedal steel player Lloyd Green... quite a production! Anyone have more info about this artist?

Ruth & Bill Quinlan "Jesus Wept" (2000)
I think this is the same artist, years later, recording gospel music with her husband Bill...

The Red Birds "...Sing And Play Your Favorites" (Ben Records, 196-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Nix & John Hacha)
A swell set by a family band from Fort Wayne, Indiana, moving through old-school (1940s-ish) sentimental and novelty country tunes, along with standards such as "Bill Bailey," "Home Sweet Home," and a gospel tune of two. The dad, Joe Taylor, wrote a song called "He's A Cowboy Auctioneer" -- which became a hit for Tex Ritter back in 1950 -- and worked steadily in the Midwest for decades to come. This edition of the band also includes his sister-in-law, Patti Corbett, who was an original founding member of the Indiana Redbirds, back in the late 'Forties, as well as fiddler-guitarist Jay "Pee Wee" Dickerson, who lays down some sweet, jazzy licks. Also notable here is Taylor's eleven-year old daughter, Paula Jo Taylor, who chugs her way through a version of the Bob Morris instrumental, "Buckaroo," -- her performance is impressive for a pre-teen, but only a faint foreshadowing of the days, decades later when Paula Jo would go viral as the "Granny Guitarist," favored by rocker Nikki Sixx and profiled by Guitar World magazine. Parts of this album seem to have been recorded live, though others, such as Patti Corbett's recitation, "Letter To Mom," notably are not. All in all, this is a swell set -- there's no steel guitar on here, but the Merle Travis-y guirar pickin' more than makes up for it! Nice little record.

Revival "After All These Years" (Blue Mountain Records) (LP)
Hang on... this one might get a little dense. This late 1970s(?) album isn't totally a country thing, but I just spent half the evening tracking their story down online, so I figure I might as well write it down. This group from Indianapolis, Indiana had just three guys in the band -- Ed Moore, Pat Brunner and Larry Lewis -- and the band name on this project (Revival) seems to be a playful reference to their long-running stint as midwestern folkies. Brunner and Moore were in a folk group called The Gateway Trio, which is not to be confused with the Gateway singers spinoff of the same name, or the jazz combo with John Abercrombie, et. al. Anyway, these guys played local gigs forever, jammed with John Mellencamp, etc. etc. Here they cover stuff by John Denver, Dan Fogelberg, Billy Joel, and John Prine, along with a couple of songs (originals?) credited to "Austin," "Maine To Texas" and "Mason Dixon." An article about a show they did circa 2008 refers to the Gateway Trio (in various incarnations, no doubt) playing "on the same stage" for forty-five years... unfortunately no mention of exactly where that might have been. Anyway, that's what I've got... so far.

George Riddle "The Sunny Side of George Riddle" (Parthenon Productions, 196--?) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Boles)
Novelty-oriented songwriter George V. Riddle (1935-2014) was an Indiana lad who made it pretty big in Nashville. He landed a spot in George Jones's backing band, The Jones Boys, and penned over a dozen songs recorded by his boss, while also placing tunes with country stars such as Mickey Gilley, Melba Montgomery, Del Reeves and Faron Young. According to an online bio, he recorded seven albums(!) and at least a couple dozen singles, so one would hope that a collector-label compilation would be forthcoming!

George Riddle "Riddle 'N' Rhyme" (Marathon Records, 1974) (LP)

Rockcastle River Company "Pat Horine & The Rockcastle River Company" (Rockcastle Records, 1975) (LP)
John Denver fans might like this one. Independently released, for sure, but not as country as one might hope... This Indianapolis, Indiana trio took their cues from classic '60s folk groups such as the Kingston Trio or the Chad Mitchell Trio, with lots of frightfully earnest songs about drifters and dreamers, and a couple of novelty numbers like "Rubber Car," which closes the album out. From a twangfan's perspective, about the most country tune on here is "I'm Tired Of Being A Cowboy," which still has a pretty folkie feel, slightly tempered by a Michael Martin Murphey-ish vibe. Lead singer Pat Horine seems to have been the guiding force behind this band, although for next album he let go of top billing and they just went by the band name. As far as I can tell, most of the songs on here were originals written by the guys in the band; also worth noting is that guitarist/banjo player Nick Heyl later worked with a re-imagined, early '80s lineup of The Kingston Trio, producing a couple of their records. Not sure what the second Rockcastle River album sounds like...

Rockcastle River Company "From Maine To Texas With..." (Rockcastle Records, 1976) (LP)

Rockcastle County Line "Presenting..." (1981) (LP)
(Produced by Mike Graham)
More country, less folk on this one, though it is the same band as the "Rockcastle River Company" with Pat Horine, et.al. Includes covers of classics like Doug Kershaw's "Louisiana Man," Steve Young's "Seven Bridges Road," and "Sweet City Woman," by the Stampeders. There are also some original tunes, such as their "Coca-Cola, Biscuits And Grits" and one called "Muncie, Indiana." (Which seems to have been their stomping grounds at the time: this album was recorded in Indianapolis...)

Larry Rollins "Suppertime" (Little Nashville Records, 1977-?) (LP)
A regional artist with some echoes on the national scene, Indiana honkytonker Larry Rollins started off his career cutting a teenpop single for the microscopic Radio Ridge label back around 1960, when he fell into the orbit of Salem, Indiana's influential country radio station, WSLM. Somewhere along the way he also hooked up with the Little Nashville Opry, a mom'n'pop country venue in Nashville, Indiana, which put out this gospel album, presumably when he was part of their cast. Rollins continued to record well into the late 1980s and made some waves on the national scene after one of the locals he had backing him -- teenage fiddler Lisa Germano -- landed a longterm gig in John Mellencamp's band. In turn, Mellencamp -- a fellow Hoosier from nearby Seymour, Indiana -- gave Rollins a big spotlight by inviting him to sing the title track of the film, "Falling From Grace," Mellencamp's 1992 directorial debut. Rollins recorded several albums over the years, mostly under the auspices of the Little Nashville label.

Larry Rollins "The Best Of Larry Rollins" (Little Nashville Records, 1982) (LP)
Although several of these songs were also released as singles, these appear to be new recordings with backing by the Bill Mounts Show band, featuring bandleader Bill Mounts and four of his sons. Rollins leans heavily on Hank Williams, recording four Hank classics, though ironically he also includes "Ain't Gonna Play Your Cheatin' Heart Again," one of two songs contributed by David Miller, who shares Rollins' publishing company, Clearspring Music-BMI, as does Bobby Bowling, whose "She Meant The World To Me" rounds this album out. Rollins himself adds three originals, "You're The Only Little Girl," "What Am I Gonna Do," and "Tears In My Eyes," all pure country gems.

Larry Rollins "Traditional Country" (L. R. Records, 1983-?) (LP)
Although he had an impressive track record as a songwriter, Indiana bandleader Larry Rollins devoted most of this record to versions of classic country tunes, real oldies like "Crazy Arms," "Fraulein," and "Mansion On The Hill." A couple of more current numbers help date this release: Rollins covers John Anderson's "Would You Catch A Falling Star" (which charted in '81) as well as "I Found Jerry Reed's Bird," an answer song to a then-current hit. He tries to one-up Reed on his imitations of various Nashville stars, both on that track and one entitled, simply, "Impersonations." Finally amid all the parodies and homages, there's a Rollins original called "Come To Nashville." Rollins also had a knack for tapping local talent... In addition to his core band of lead guitarist James Allen, drummer Karl Lutz, steel player Gary Pugh and pianist Roger Smith, this album also showcases fiddler Glen Duncan, who grew up in Columbus, Indiana and went on to be a nationally-known bluegrass star and in-demand Nashville session player.

Larry Rollins "Smooth Country" (L. R. Records, 1984-?) (LP)

Larry Rollins "That's Country Lovin On A Saturday Night" (L. R. Records, 1985-?) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Rollins, Kurt Ericson & Mike Graham)
This mid-'80s twangband had a honkytonk edge, with commercial sensibilities... Songwriter Larry Rollins led these locals from Indianapolis, Indiana, a group he called The Little Nashville Express Band which most notably included a young fiddler-singer named Lisa Germano, who was a couple of years away from a gig in John Mellencamp's band, and from her own solo career as a 1990s indie auteur. Also in the band was steel player Gary Pugh and lead guitar James Allen and pianist Roger Smith... They played an interesting mix of material, including two originals by Rollins, a cover of the Moe Bandy single, "It Took A Lot Of Drinking (To Get That Woman Over Me)" (a minor for Bandy hit in 1984) and a Hank Williams medley closing the album out, after a tune by David Miller called "Ain't Gonna Play Your Cheatin' Heart Again." Rollins had a long career -- he recorded several singles on various labels, including one for NSD's Soundwaves imprint; years later, Mellencamp would include a song by Larry Rollins on the country-themed soundtrack to his film, Falling From Grace.

Larry Rollins "Highway To Heaven" (L. R. Records, 1986-?) (LP)

Elvin Rooks & The Bluegrass Ramblers "Live At The Commons" (Elgett Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Guy F. Preston & Steve Hood)
Uber-indie bluegrass/twang from Columbus, Indiana... Lead singer Elvin Rooks and his band work through a lively set which includes a cover of John Prine's "Paradise" as well as grassed-up versions of straight country songs by Carl Smith, Buck Owens, Bob Wills, as well as classic bluegrass tunes from Flatt & Scruggs, Reno & Smiley, and one original by Elvin Rooks, "Bum In King's Clothing."

The Royal Serenaders "Songs Country To City" (Anderson Records, 1968-?) (LP)
A real mystery disc here... Based in Anderson, Indiana, the Royal Serenaders were a pretty basic, down-to-earth local dance ensemble, a four-piece band that mixed pop/dance instrumentals with country material, including vocal renditions of standards such as "Born To Lose" and "Don't Touch Me," as well as instrumental versions of "Welcome To My World." On the pop side, they played chestnuts such as "Danny Boy," "Jersey Bounce" ad "September Song," as well as their own "Royal's Theme." The bandmembers are identified only by their first names in the no-frills album art: Leonard (pedal steel), Harry (guitar), Jerry (drums), and Bud on bass. The last guy was Bud Cinder, a local appliance store owner who seems to have been the group's leader and frequently got billing in local show notices published during the summer and fall of 1968 in the Anderson Herald newspaper. (He may have also experimented with calling the group the Rainbow Serenaders on a few occasions, but the "royal" version was what they stuck with on the album...) Very little info about these guys, though -- the album itself had a plain white back cover with a red sticker slapped on that gave the song titles, and that's about it. The Anderson label was a prototypical small-town private label, mostly recording country and gospel singles by amateur local musicians, and was named after the tiny town of Anderson, which sits midway between Muncie and Indianapolis. As far as I can tell this group was only together for a short while though they played at several community events -- Legion post shows, retirement homes and whatnot.

Sequoiah "Sequoiah" (700 West Productions, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Mo Whittemore)
This indie twangband from Indianapolis, Indiana recorded mostly originals with some covers, including Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles," a Gordon Lightfoot tune, and "Jambalaya" from the Hank Williams songbook. The band included Tom Mobley on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Bill Johnson playing pedal steel and lead, and Bob Johnson on drums.

Silver Dollar Band "Silver Dollar Band" (1979) (LP)
Not to be confused with the Oklahoma band of the same name, these twangsters from Indiana were sort of a Southern rock band with plenty of electric guitar, as heard on their version of "Fire On The Mountain" and other tracks. The Silver Dollar Band was started by singer-guitarist Roger Marshall, who was in another group called DJ & The DJ Band from 1972-77, then set out on his own, leading this group for several years before getting sidelined by some major health issues. (Note: There is another, younger group called the Silver Dollar Family Band, from Indianapolis, which started in 2013... Not sure if there's any connection, though Marshall's son Brandon also became a musician, so this could be his group...)

The Singing Rories "With You In Mind" (19--?) (LP)
Country gospel by a family band from Osceloa, Indiana, led by parents Dolton Rorie and his wife Frances Rorie (1937-2011). Their son Steve eventually became the driving force of the band, a multi-instrumentalist he later married songwriter and vocalist Debra Grace Rorie, another anchor of the band. The Rories recorded an undetermined number of albums, with a strong country flavor.

The Singing Rories "We Like It Gospel" (Rite Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Phil Burkhardt, Dan Burton & Wilbur Pennington)
This edition of the Rories included Dolton and Frances, their son Steve and his wife, singer Debra Grace Rorie, who wrote several songs for their albums. On this album they are also joined by steel guitarist Chuck Rich and drummer Tim Short. Their repertoire shows strong country influences, with material from the Hemphills, the Hinsons, Wayne Walters and the Rambos... my kinda gospel!

The Singing Rories "I'll Sing As I'm Carried Away" (Rite Records, 19--?) (LP)
This album also features several songs penned by Debra Grace Rorie, including the title track, "I'll Sing As I'm Carried Away," and several more by Ronnie Hinson.

The Singing Rories "Camp Meeting Days" (Rite Records, 1975-?) (LP)

The Singing Rories "It Just Comes Natural" (Imperial Sacred Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Lewis, Graham McQueen & Steve Rorie)

Paul Schmucker "Rainy Days And Rainbows" (Star Fox Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Troy Shondell & Paul Huliba)
A very-independent album recorded at Star Fox Studios in Fort Wayne, Indiana.. The liner notes inform us that singer Paul Schmucker was raised in a traditional Amish community, without worldly distractions such as radio and TV, so where he got his love of country music is anyone's guess. This seems to have been a songwriter's demo set with all the songs published by producer Troy Shondell, a former teen idol who also took composer credit on over half the songs. The studio musicians, alas, were uncredited, although backup singer Joanie Dolson gets a mention, and Mr. Shondell's songwriting partner George Weber is credited for his "special musical assistance," and presumably played n the sessions. Other than that, this is a real mystery disc. Also: inquiring minds want to know if this album was the product of Mr. Schmucker's rumspringa -- the period when Amish youth get to go out in the secular world and test their religious faith? If so, who did he give copies of the record to, if all the folks back home were still abstaining from electricity? Just asking.

J. D. Smith & Darlene Vance "Just The Two Of Us" (Transworld Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Deaton)
Although this record label was from Bristol, Virginia, I believe J.D. Smith and Darlene Smith Vance (1945-2001) were a brother-sister duo originally from Pike County, Kentucky. By the time Mrs. Vance passed away in 2001, she and the rest of her family, including JD and her other siblings, had moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana. Not sure when this album came out, but it has an early/mid-'80s look. The set list is mostly cover songs, though Smith contributes two originals, "She Took My Heart" and "That's How Love Hurts." Other songs on here include Kris Kristofferson's "One Day At A Time," the "Wild Side Of Life/Honky Tonk Angels" medley popularized by Waylon Jennings and Jesse Colter, as well as Marty Robbin's oft-recorded "You Gave Me A Mountain." And just in case anyone (else) is keeping track (and I am), they also play "Rocky Top."

Hal Southern - see artist discography

Southwind "Southwind" (Cammeron Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Huliba)
Not to be confused with the Southern California country-rock jam band or the bluegrassers from Virginia, this was one of several groups to use this name "Southwind." In this case it was a bluegrass band from Fort Wayne, Indiana featuring Kenny DeMarcus (guitar), Jim Corell (mandolin), Kent McLeroth (banjo), Len Prescott (bass) and Vic Rigsby (fiddle). Rigsby composed an original tune, "Kentucky Fried Fiddle," though mostly this was an album of cover songs, drawing on bluegrass standards and gospel songs, honky-tonk country tunes like "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke" and even a version of the Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider."

Jim Staggs "Tears And Alibis" (GSM Records, 1979-?) (LP)
Originally from Muncie, Indiana, singer Jim Staggs (1937-2006) played in country bands for several decades, including a stint in Vegas during the '70s. He cut a few singles on the Camaro label in the late '60s/early '70s though as far as I know, this was his only LP. This album includes some outlaw-themed stuff, like "Sex Crazed Cowboy," as well as the title track, "Tears And Alibis." And just for the record, he was not the same Jim Stagg who was a Chicago rock deejay famous for having traveled with and interviewed the Beatles during their early American tours.

Shady Stevens "It's Cool And Shady In Nashville" (Tree Top Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by George Lewis & Ray Warren)
At the time this album was recorded, Shady Stevens, "the singing sheriff," was the emcee at Mockingbird Hill Park in Anderson, Indiana, a country music venue owned by entrepreneur Gilbert Moody. The park opened in 1958, and had an up-and-down history, closing for a time in the 'Sixties, reopening in '69 and operating through the 'Seventies. Moody and his wife had both passed away by 1997, and Mockingbird Hill was sold and demolished in 2010. This album features vocals by Mr. Stevens, backed by Ray Wix on lead guitar, Jim Vest on steel, the Harden Trio singing backup, and various members of Dave Dudley's band sitting in on the Nashville sessions. Pictured on the back cover are the Lamberson Sisters, noting that they backed Stevens at all of his shows (though I'm not sure if they actually sing on this album...) Songs include a mix of covers and originals, including "She Never Even Started Loving You," "I Can't Afford The Luxury," and "Mom And Dad's City Home."

Stouder & Kline "Cosmic Croonies" (Croonie Tunes, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by J. W. Kline & Les Stouder)
Oddball indie-folk-twang by Indiana's Les Stouder & J. W. Kline, who made the trek to Nashville to record this at the House Of Cash studios... This is a genuinely nutty, naifish album -- poorly mixed, enthusiastically performed, with oddball, introverted, inscrutable songs galore. There's enough pedal steel to qualify this as "-billy" material, though also some saxophone, for which we'll forgive them, since they misspelled the instrument ( i.e. "saxaphone") and it's not terribly prominent. The key here is the weirdo songwriting -- rambling, self-indulgent, hard to get a read on, a singular, ultra-DIY, ultra-Midwestern kinda thing... Folks who dig the Holy Model Rounders/Clamtones recordings might enjoy this as well. Highlights include "We Don't Need No Honkies," a rambling memoir which has a slightly Harvey Pekar-ish feel to it; the entire album is made up of original material, and if you like obscure outsider art, this one's for you. Not sure what happened to Kline, but Stouder apparently got into real estate and various business enterprises -- and here's his hippie past!!

Sunshine Express "Sunshine Express" (American Entertainment Productions, 1974-?) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Henley & Christopher Banniger)
This perky yet anonymous "Me Generation" group was (I think) from Indiana and apparently intended to be a sort of Hoosier version of the New Christy Minstrels... The album features medleys of current and semi-current pop and country hits, peppered with folk-pop tunes and vocal oldies. The most current covers included "Delta Dawn" and Wayne Newton's "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast," both from 1972, as well as Dottie West's 1973 hit, "Country Sunshine" and some country oldies by Hank Williams, et. al., So I'm guessing '74 or so for this disc, although the band was playing supper clubs and county fairs at least as late as 1977. No info is listed about the bandmembers, other that AEP's head, Gary Henley; the album was recorded at a studio in Alexandria, Indiana.

T. J.'s Review "Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound" (Natural Act Records, 1983-?) (LP)
(Produced by Mike Graham)
A bluegrass/acoustic swing band from Greenfield, Indiana featuring Richard Burkett (mandolin,) David Percifield (banjo), Larry Heck (guitar), Jan Snider (banjo, lead vocals), Lew Snider (bass) and Tim Gibson (guitar).

Mark Tribune & The Alamo Band "Home Sweet Home" (MTA Records, 198-?) (LP)
(Produced by Mark Tribune)
Kokomo, Indiana's Alamo Band was fronted by songwriter Gregory Kim Glassburn (1955-2008) who went by the nom-de-twang "Mark Tribune." Formed around 1976, the band played at local venues such as the Steel Inn and Kings Crown Inn, and also featured Tribune's brother David Glassburn on lead guitar. I couldn't track down a release date on this LP, but I'm guessing early 1980s sometime, since one of the covers is of Johnny Lee's 1980 single, "Annie." Tribune traveled to Nashville a number of times to record, working with producers such as Ray Pennington and Harold Shedd; as far as I know this was his only full album, though he also released a few singles.

The Vanwinkle Family "Sings Country Gospel" (Central Recording Studio, 198-?) (LP)
(Produced by Delbert Barker)
The presence of old-school, 1950s hillbilly twangster Delbert Barker is what caught my eye on this one -- apparently he settled down in Ohio and started his own recording studio at some point. The clients for this project were Mr. Arnold Van Winkle, his wife Rosella Van Winkle (1945-2019) and their brood, a flock of sons including Frank (playing lead guitar), Greg and Vance. They were residents of Greensfork, Indiana and initially only cut a 45 single at Barker's studio back in 1980, but were so pleased with the results they returned and recorded a whole album. About half the songs are originals written by Mrs. Van Winkle, with the lads playing all sorts of stringed instruments, getting a little help from Barker's in-house studio crew, drummer Roy Cook, Steve Lake on bass, and Dave Zornes on pedal steel. The family name is apparently misspelled on the album, and was Van Winkle on their earlier single, as well as in Mrs. Van Winkle's obituary; no mention of music or this album was given, so they probably weren't an active band and just made this record for fun.

Dwain Varnell & The Southern Comforts "Pickin' It Your Way" (Hill Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Roger Hill)
A rough-edged country singer and a real-deal farmer from the heartland, Dwain Varnell grew up in Arkansas and moved to Galveston, Indiana in the 1960s. He started playing in local bands back in the 'Seventies and released at least one single, as well as this album. In 1999 Mr. Varnell formed a new group with his sons Billy and Rod Varnell, called Four On The Floor, which played at the local American Legion's weekly jam sessions, though I don't think they ever made a record.

The Waggoners "The Waggoners" (Lemco Records, 1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by Cecil Jones)
Originally from Bloomington, guitarist Charlie Waggoner started out in country music in 1952, traveling around, playing on radio and backing various stars... By 1969, he'd started his own band along with his wife, singer-guitarist Roxanne Waggoner, working at Holiday Inns and clubs, as well as opening for bigger artists. They were hosting their own TV show out of Knoxville at the time this LP came out; backing them are bassist Tony Wayne and drummer Larry Clifton. The Waggoners moved around a lot -- during the "Urban Cowboy" years they were working a steady gig in Daytona Beach, Florida, though they eventually moved back to Indiana. Years later, in the 1990s, the Waggoners co-founded a sing-out religious service they called the Country-Gospel Music Church, which was held at various venues in Nashville, often with older stars of the Opry dropping in to sing a hymn or two. Towards the decade's end, they relocated the "Church" to a venue near Gnaw Bone, Indiana, where they continued the tradition.

Fred Walker "Rural Route Three" (Superior Sound Studio, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Fred Walker, Wayne Hilton & Fred Shelton)
A gospel album, recorded in Nashville with a studio crew that included Terry McMillan, Tony Brown (piano) Fred Newell (guitar) with plenty of original material... Mr. Walker was apparently from South Bend, Indiana; as far as I know this was his only album.

J. R. Waters "King Of Country Jazz" (Well-Waters Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Andy Waterman)
An intriguing mix of jazz and twang influences, though distinct from the stylistic crossovers of western swing a few decades earlier. An African-American country artist, J. R. Waters recorded this album in Valparaiso, Indiana with "the Country Jazz Trombones," as well as more conventional country pickers. Lots of original material penned by Mr. Waters. He seems to have been a lifetime resident of Valparaiso, working lounge gigs at least as far back as the mid-1960s, and may also have worked as a chef at a place called The Court, where he doubled as the entertainment, playing piano for the dinnertime crowd. Alas, information about this fellow is scarce... I'll keep digging!

Wild Country "Wild Country" (Mico Records, 1978-?) (LP)
(Produced by Vic Ames & J. Centinario)
Brothers Jerry and Larry Sullivan started their own band back in the early 1960s while living in Vincennes, Indiana... Years later, like so many other starry-eyed hopefuls they headed out for Nashville and, while plugging away in Music City, recorded this album. Somewhere along the line they hooked up with fiddler Jack Little, a longtime veteran of the Porter Wagoner show, as well as drummer Vic Thomas, who was also from their hometown, but had made his way to Nashville way back in '61, landing a gig with singer Nat Stuckey. This album features two Larry Sullivan originals, "Little Faces Have Big Ears" and "You're On Your Way Out," along with covers of contemporary tunes by Larry Gatlin ("Sweet Becky Walker"), David Allan Coe ("Just In Time To Watch Love Die") and early '70s staples such as "Proud Mary" and Mickey Newberry's patriotic medley, "American Trilogy." There's no date on this album, but judging from the set list and the way the guys look, I'd guess it came out around 1978-79.

Chuck Willis "...And Friends" (CWA Records, 1974-?) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Elgin)
Not to be confused with the turban-clad 1950s R&B singer/rock pioneer, this Chuck Willis was a Midwestern country bandleader. His bio on the back cover tells us Willis was born in Liberty, Indiana, but went on to radio and TV jobs in Ohio and Kansas, most notably hosting a TV show on KTVH, Wichita, called Chuck Willis And The Country Brothers Jamboree. I'm not sure where this album fits into his career; Willis shares the spotlight with several vocalists, including Jimmie Clark, Elsa Sommers and Sam McGuire, who were part of a road show he toured with in the early 1970s. Outside of this album, the only mention of these folks I've seen was a 1974 show notice for a gig in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where they were billed as "Nashville" artists... Willis and his band played a lot of gigs on military bases and NCO clubs in Leavenworth and elsewhere, and this appears to be a souvenir of that era.

The Wolcott Family "Movin' Up" (Homestead Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Don Sheets & Mark Walcott)
Bluegrass gospel from a family band from Bloomington, Indiana... The group was made up of four siblings -- Debbie Wolcott on bass, Kevin Wolcott (fiddle), Mark Wolcott (banjo), and Mike Wolcott (rhythm guitar) -- along with lead singer Denise Arnett and Joe Edwards on guitar. I'm not sure if they performed at Indiana's "Little Nashville Opry," though they were produced by one of its organizers, Don D. Sheets. Most of the songs are gospel oldies, traditional material and chestnuts such as Alfred E. Brumley's "I'll Fly Away," though the title track, "Movin' Up," is credited to Mark Wolcott.

Dean Wolfe & The Second Chapter "The Best Part Of..." (Sunset Records, 1973-?) (LP)
A local country-rocker from Indianapolis, Indiana who started out way back in the rockabilly era and got more and more country as time went on. Wolfe had kind of a Roy Orbison-ish vibe... and some truly crazy-looking hair (was it a wig...??) He recorded some early rock'n'roll singes, dating back at least to 1961, and throughout the decade led a band called the Redmen that played gigs in Indianapolis throughout the mid- to late-1960s... I suppose name of this "new" group from the early 'Seventies is what the whole "second chapter" thing refers to -- maybe he broke up the band for a while, and this was a reunion or something? Anyway, they covered pop-chart twangtunes such as Ricky Nelson's "Garden Party" and America's "Horse With No Name," which suggest a post-'72 date for this disc; he also released at leased one single on the Nashville-based Nugget label. At the time he recorded these sessions, Wolfe was working exclusively for a couple of Holiday Inn motels on I-70 with a band that included Keith Payne playing organ, drummer Don Jesse, and Harry Neidigh (1935-2014) on bass. There was also some original material, though a lot of it seems like a standard lounge set for the era

Lloyd Wood "Scrapbook" (River Creek Studio, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Schuler)
Indiana-based singer and impressionist Lloyd Wood started playing professionally in 1978 and was one of the cast members of the Little Nashville Opry, in Nashville, IN. He was probably still in the show when this album came out in 1980, but had moved on by the time the house band, Little Nashville Express, cut its own LP in 1983. Wood established himself as a solo act, but also performed in other local revues, such as the Brandywine Music Hall and Brandywine Music Hall, mostly staying close to home in Indiana, with a little interstate touring on the side. He made impressions the cornerstone of his act, doing his turns at folks like Johnny Cash, George Jones, Willie Nelson and Elvis -- later, around 2009, he shifted his focus towards gospel music, though still keeping the comedy and the twang in his act. This album is packed with original material - other than a lone Hank Williams cover and a version of "Mama Don't 'Low," all the songs are credited to Mr. Wood. It's a homegrown backing band as well, with Wood on lead vocals, along with Theresa Ellis (violin), Rick Ferguson (bass), Roger Fish (piano), Jeff Guernsey (guitars and mandolin), Jimmy Meisenheimer (pedal steel) and Dave Rugenstein on drums.

Lloyd Wood "Impressions" (198-?) (cassette only?)
This undated cassette album probably didn't come out too much later than the LP above. It showcases twenty different county music imitations, including a version of John Conlee's "Friday Night Blues," which was a hit around 1980-81. Not a lot of info in the packaging, although Wood gives a home address in Spencer, Indiana, just north of Bloomington.

Don Youngblood "For The Good Times" (Jewel Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Junior Bennett, Clarence Riffe & Rusty York)
Piano plunker Don Youngblood was a hometown hero from Madison, Indiana who cut several singles and over a dozen albums, dating back to the early 1960s, right up through the the early 2000s. A devotee of Jerry Lee Lewis, Youngblood was a piano-thumping rowdy with deep country roots. He cut his first single back in 1964 while still working at a factory in Charlestown, and went on to cut over a dozen albums while touring regionally in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. He's backed here by some of the guys in the house band at the Cincinnati-based Jewel label, including fiddler Junior Bennett, Eddie Drake (lead guitar), Kenny Holycross (pedal steel), Reggie Wallace (rhythm guitar) and -- in a nod to his rock'n'roll roots -- Tim McCord on saxophone.

Various Artists "COUNTRY MUSIC CLUB OF INDIANA: DARN GOOD COUNTRY" (Country Star/Process Record Company)
This one's a real hoot. Clearly a pay-to-play vanity record, this LP includes photos of the various artists on the back cover, along with their names, but no info about who sang which song, or which musicians were backing them. On the disc itself, emcee/producer Ron Speck goes whole-hog into his super-commercial Big Announcer voice, enacting a pretend concert made to sound like a slick, ready-for-radio program, complete with canned applause and spoken intros that overlap the songs. It's possible that many, if not all, of these tracks were previously issued as singles and later stitched together into a "concert" format, or maybe they were just recorded for this album. At any rate, the phoniness of the presentation is quite entertaining, although it also has to be said many of the performers were solid... some more than others. Speck insists that the show is taking place at "the Big Red Entertainment Center," and announces each performer, while also taking great relish in a little good-natured cussing, tagging the program as "damn good country" (even though on the album cover they more demurely use the word "darn...") If you're a hardcore locals-only listener, this is definitely worth tracking down -- not great, but entertaining. And, just because I love you -- and to prove that I listened attentively -- I will also provide a tracklist, for posterity:

SIDE ONE
1. Nadine Schockley "Halfway To Paradise"
2. Harold Land "Misery Loves Company"
2. Bobbie Lee "Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes"
2. Chuck Ellis "Don't Worry About Me"
2. Charles Junior & Donna Ellis "The Bull And The Beaver"
2. Tom Manning "Easy Loving"
2. Sam & Ruthie Williams "Numbers In The Sand"
2. Don Winson "Steel Guitar Rag"

SIDE TWO
1. Arnie Garrett "This Time You Gave Me A Mountain"
2. Bonnie Sader "My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You"
2. Donnie Edwards "Bedroom Ballad"
2. Dwight Cliffs "Coors Beer"
2. Junior Lee "I've Had All The Lonely I Can Stand"
2. Faron Inman "Under Your Spell Again"
2. Phil Manning "Long Haired Country Boy"
2. Chuck Lively "Oklahoma Stomp"

Various Artists "HOLLOW POPLAR -- THE SECOND ANNUAL BATTLE GROUND FIDDLERS' GATHERING: 1974" (Log Cabin Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by William Baugh)
A live concert album recorded in Battle Ground, Indiana. It's not all fiddles, not by a longshot -- there are many other instruments, including nationally-known folkie Jay Round playing hammered dulcimer on "Eighth Of January." Other performers include Artie Crowder, Seamus Cooley, Donald Duff, Chet Hines, John McGreevy, Mary Moore, Gene Moore, Mike Mumbler & The Stink Creek Stump Jumpers, and others...

Various Artists "HOOSIER DADDY: MAR-VEL AND THE BIRTH OF INDIANA ROCKABILLY" (Fantastic Voyage Records, 2014) (CD)
The Mar-Vel Records catalog is a gift that keeps giving, the subject of numerous rockabilly and oldies reissues here and abroad over the years. Headquartered in Hammond, Indiana, Mar-Vel was a Midwestern powerhouse run by Harry Glenn, an early enthusiast of rockabilly and postwar twang who recorded a ton of local and regional artists throughout the 1950s and early '60s. Along with its sister label, Glenn Records, Mar-Vel issued dozens of singles, including some truly wild performances bridging the transition from hard-country honkytonk and hillbilly boogie into the new rockabilly style that swept through the country in the mid- to late-1950s. This fab multi-disc (2-LP/3-CD) set gathers a ton of real goodies, as have earlier releases on Ryko and other collector labels. Although this UK-based collector label leans on the rockabilly label, there's plenty of rural twang in the mix as well. Great stuff!

Various Artists "NASHVILLE COUNTRY CLUB LIVE" (New Records, 196-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Williams & Joe Tippie)
A live compilation of unknown artists from the local Indianapolis country scene, including folks such as Chuck Dean, Jim Davis, steel player Joe Tippie, Lonnie Fish, Jerry Wade, Larry Young and others... WIRE-AM radio deejay Ken Speck kicks off the album with a savagely unfunny, misogynistic monologue leading into a version of Harlan Howard's "Sally Was A Good Old Girl." Most of the other tracks are covers as well, drawing on the hits of Merle Haggard, Mel Tillis, Buck Owens and Johnny Bush. Chuck Dean offers one original tune, his own "Reflections Of Your Mind," which unfortunately was an overwrought, emotive countrypolitan ballad; Dean also closes the album with a version of "Streets Of Bakersfield." The singers are, I think, backed by the same house band, led by steel player Joe Tippie, who has a nice, twangy sound and who gets his own spotlight number on an instrumental called "Green Strings." Cool snapshot of a very honky-tonk oriented local scene!

Various Artists "WABASH VALLEY GOSPEL" (Hickory Hill Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Richard Booe & Paul Zurcher)
The short-lived Hickory Hill label seems to have put out only two albums -- one gospel, one secular -- drawing on amateur local talent from the Indiana side of the Wabash Valley. The label seems to have been spearheaded by two residents of Clay City, local math teacher Richard Booe (who started his own lumber company in 1978) and Paul Zurcher who I believe became a pastor at a local church in nearby Brazil, IN, outside of Terra Haute. The first disc was the religious one, featuring tracks by The Guyer Family band as well as The Gospel Notes, The James Family, a guy named Arthur Johnson and last but not least Center Point Youth Choir. Several of these artists made other records, notably the Guyers (who recorded several albums of their own) and the Gospel Notes who made at least one, self-titled album. Mostly, though, this is a mystery disc, and a mystery label.

Various Artists "WABASH VALLEY COUNTRY" (Hickory Hill Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Richard Booe & Paul Zurcher)
The second Hickory Hill disc was a secular set, and seems to have been sort of a song-poem-ish outing, with several local artists playing a mix of cover songs and originals. The singers include album producer Richard Booe performing "She Won't Be The Other Woman," along with folks such as James Allen, Don Armstrong, Chuck Chilton, Dave Kyle, Robin Michele, Tom Montgomery, Keith Reedy, Paul Sherwood, and Bonnie Sowder. As far as I can tell, these folks were all amateur performers, though a some made a few recordings besides this one. The most notorious of these was gravel-voiced Tom Montgomery, who cut a 1979 single called "Indiana Has A New State Bird" a novelty song penned in honor of basketball legend Larry Bird, who was a star player at Indiana State University from 1975-78 before getting picked by the Boston Celtics for their '79 season. Montgomery and Reedy both cut singles for the Country Gould label, which was an offshoot of J&K Custom Recordings in microscopic Fontanet, Indiana, just north of Terra Haute. The J&K facilities were also used for some of this album, and it's worth noting that Tom Armstrong is identified as a Country Gould recording artist, which helps date this disc as being from at least 1979 or later. Two local bands provide backing on some tracks, Back Door (which included James Allen, Don Armstrong, Frank Francis and Bob White) and Southern Comfort (with Dave Chrisman, John Francis and Tim Kirkman) but as far as I know, neither of these groups recorded on their own.

Hick Music Index