-----2004-06
NEWS ARCHIVE-----
November 2005
Local Legend picker, Joe
Spann, is featured in an article that ran in the
Lakeland Ledger on November 14, 2005. Read
it here. |
June 2005
James Durand "Randy" Boyte
II
Fellow 'We The People' alumnus, Skip Skinner reports that -
James "Randy" Boyte passed away on Thursday,
June 9, 2005, in the Leesburg Regional Medical Center Intensive
Card
unit. Randy
was the organist for We
The People during the 1960's and later for Raintree
County in the '70's. He was a great musician and will be missed. [CLICK HERE for obituary] |
 JULY
2004
Auburndale
High School
"Class of 1969" Presents
RON & THE FABULOUS
STARFIRES
(The original band, circa 1963:
Charlie, Carl, Ron, Allen, Gerald)
at the Auburndale Civic Center
(downtown on the park)
SATURDAY EVENING - JULY 24, 2004
Open to the public, 9-Midnight
Admission: $10 at the door
Limited Capacity - First Come, First Serve
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April
2004
 Dannie
Joe Jones - an old friend and comrade passed away
of natural causes on Monday, March 29th, in Barefoot Bay,
Florida. Dannie was the steel guitarist both in the studio
and on the road with the Bellamy Brothers for many years.
He was 51 years old.
[photo dedication courtesy of John DeRussy]
See Dannie's
story here.
Ervin
Eubanks, the last surviving member of the old-time
country band, The Dizzy Ramblers, passed away on Wednesday,
April 7th, in Auburndale, FL after an extended illness. Uncle
Ervin joined the Dizzy Ramblers in 1939, singing and playing
guitar and mandolin. Ervin was 91 years old.
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March 2004
Carl Chambers, your host and webmaster, is currently
at home recovering from triple by-pass surgery. We thank everyone
for the calls, cards, prayers and visits. Things will still get
done - it's just gonna take a little longer.
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February
2004
Old Friends
Reunite....
(L->R:
Eric Schabacker, Ron Whitney, Carl Chambers)
On January 24, 2004, Ron Whitney and I represented "Ron & The
Starfires" at an interview with producer, Eric Schabacker, at
the broadcast studios of the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
Eric is putting together a DVD project that will feature vintage videos
and interviews with members of the Garage Bands of the Central Florida
area during the 1960's and early 70's. Schabacker was the founder,
owner and operator of Bee Jay Studios and Booking Agency during that
time period. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of
the year. It ought'ta be first rate.
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January
2004
 .COM 
We recently had the opportunity to provide some photos and background
information to www.conelrad.com, a site that takes an eerie,
if not creepy look at America's late 50's and early 60's, coldwar culture.
We contributed materials pertaining to an early Bobby Braddock composition
entitled "Fallout Shelter", the "B" side of "I
Stopped Living" by Billy Chambers, and only the second commercial
recording penned by the would-be Hall of Famer. See that story HERE.
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January
2004
We recently received an e-mail update from
an old friend and PolKat, Jim Carlton. Here
are some excerpts:
Wanted to touch base and send an update
on this old Polkat. Saw your January birthday listings
and thought...."Woah, I've gotta renew my licence
tag."
Just completed a series of interviews
with 21 of the world's great jazz guitarists: Johnny Smith,
Duke Robillard, Jimmy Wyble, Al Caiola, Bucky Pizzarelli
and many more. They'll be available in book form in the
summer of 2004.
Have also written liner notes for 15 albums:
8 Howard Roberts reissues, the Byrds Sanctuary IV,
Gram Parsons' Another Side of This Life (which
I co-produced with Bob Irwin of Sundazed Music, a couple
of guitarist Joe Pass reissues and a few others.
And since I've seen you, Rhino records
sent me to South By Southwest in Austin to sit on a Gram
Parsons panel. We, on the panel, basically answered questions,
offered observations and talked about G.P. for 90 minutes
or so.
Also producing a album of myself in concert.
It's a live performance from 2003 when I was opening for
Roger McGuinn. It'll be called "An Evening To
Kill With Jim Carlton". Soon to be available
on my website: jimcarlton.com.
Will send word when it's ready.
Jim Carlton
Someday we may have
enough biographical and background information to do
a PolKat page on this extremely talented and successful
writer/entertainer. Hint, hint, hint!
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