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Through the years I have been asked many times: “Have you ever tried Nashville?
You don’t try Nashville.
Nashville tries you. Nonetheless, every street corner in Nashville finds some guy or gal with western get-up and a guitar on their backs. 99.9 percent of them will never make it. The country music I wrote about was in its hay days from 1943 to 1968 and revival in the 1970s. I haven’t listened to much “country music” for over 20 years, so I’m glad my column is about its history as I lived it. I recently watched pretty girls in scan clothes all in glitter and a few guys with long beards and ten-gallon hats and it was announced as country music. The songs were non comprehending with forgettable melodies. I went back to the past pretty quickly when I saw what was in our present.
Yes, I did get a shot, without walking the streets of Nashville. Been there, done that and here’s the story.
It was February 0, 1952. Mardi Gras week, and Harry Simoneaux, Sr. and I were walking on Bourbon Street at 5 a.m. waiting to meet a certain man. He was the man who. with Don Law, had signed Vin Bruce to a Columbia recording contract in 1961 and having heard that Decca was looking for another Capon singer to compete. Harry had arranged for him to come audition me to be that artist To our surprise he agreed. That s how things happened then.
The “man” was Troy Martin who was coming by train to meet us and had requested we book him a first-class hotel room which we had been able to do.
But flint, a little about Harry Simoneanx, Sr.:
Harry WAS my manager and Postmaster in Golden Meadow. His son Harry. Jr.. was a saxophone protege. I had successfully helped them build a Glen Miller style teenage orchestra of 10 member named “The Bayou Blue Boys” who played for weddings and social functions.
His son Harry Jr. grew up to become a legend when he played sax on what is arguable the first Swamp Pop hit record, Bobby Charles’s “Later Alligator”. He played sax on my first record. “Keen Teen Baby.”
A little about Troy Martin
Troy was an executive with Peer Music Publishing Company, Nashville’s biggest publishing company and with Don Law. head of the country music division of Columbia records, they had actually come to Cut Off to audition and sign Vin Bruce who became a Lafourche Parish legend. They were wined and dined the Cajun way. which didn’t hurt Vin’s chances, but that another column.
After hearing a demo of me that Harry sent him, Troy Martin was coming to audition me. Imagine! Remember, this was a longtime ago. Nothing like that happens today.
A Miracle in the Big Easy
It was 5 in the morning, and Harry and I were exhausted and unsuccessful in booking him a room because of Mardi Gras week. We had been told over and over from desk clerks, bellhops and managers that only a miracle (remember that word) would enable room this week.
The train would arrive at 7 am„ so we went to the WWL radio station and watched the live “Dawn Busters” show with Henry Dupre. a 12-pdece orchestra, singers and comedians, and network affiliated. It had started in 1937 and would last until 1959. Radio was that powerful in those pre-TV days and WWL was number one.
At 6:30. we met Troy and told him the had news. He smiled and called a cab. He shook the driver’s hand and suddenly there was a vacancy at the Roosevelt Hotel.
Harry and I had never seen a miracle before and I looked to see if a star appeared, but I only saw the light on top of the Hibernia Bank building.
The next few days, we showed Mr. Martin our Cajun life and Cajun food which he enjoyed. He listened to me and told Harry, “there’s enough possibilities to bring him to Nashville. You’ll have to spend about a week. Your transportation and lodging will be covered.”
The trip was planned as all good plans are … in a saloon, the Belvue Hall.
And there I was … off to Nashville. More about that some other time.
BYE now! *
