How many played the Caravans?

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 11 Jan 2006 8:06 pm

Just thinking about some old days and wondered how many of you I might've crossed paths with playing the Caravan Club circuit of Amarillo, Albuquerque, Clovis, and Colorado Springs?

I played them from late '77 to '79.[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 11 January 2006 at 08:10 PM.]

Richard Bass · Post by **Richard Bass** » 11 Jan 2006 8:34 pm

Jim, I played the Caravan clubs with Faron many times, from 1972 until he quit touring in the mid 90's.
Richard

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 11 Jan 2006 11:21 pm

I played the "Caravan East" w/ Jim Ed Brown in '68. The Sneed Family was the house band. Damn near blew us off the stage.

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Ben Lawson · Post by **Ben Lawson** » 12 Jan 2006 5:40 pm

I played the Caravan East in '76-'77. We switched afternoons and evenings with the Nestor Eaton band. Wayne Gaily was on steel.Wayne was great, its too bad he's gone.
I was working with Chuck Dean out of Indianapolis. There was another steel player named Gary but I don't remember his last name. He was good on steel and singing.

George Duncan Sypert · Post by **George Duncan Sypert** » 12 Jan 2006 7:29 pm

Gary Nall now living somewhere in Vegas. Wayne Gailey was the very best. I miss him.
George

Fred Jack · Post by **Fred Jack** » 12 Jan 2006 8:22 pm

Jim, I turned 21 at the Caravan in 1958.A very exciting night.Some fun and some not so fun.Regards,

Scott Henderson · Post by **Scott Henderson** » 13 Jan 2006 5:59 am

JUKEBOX!!!!!!!!!!!

(just reliving an old memory hehehehe)

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Steelin' away in the ozarks and life,
Scott
www.scottyhenderson.com

Chuck Cusimano · Post by **Chuck Cusimano** » 13 Jan 2006 2:22 pm

Holly - - -(You know)! Remember "Swamp Root? they scared a lot of road bands! Keep those memories commin'!

Chris Brooks · Post by **Chris Brooks** » 16 Jan 2006 7:46 am

I played a couple of weeks with Nestor Eaton and Swamp Root . . . one week at the Caravan East, about early 1984.

Chris

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 17 Jan 2006 7:03 pm

I played the Caravan East ( on Bass ) with the Danny Michaels band from Long Beach, CA in 1971. It was the first time I met Herby Wallace. He was playing with Nat Stuckey on Saturday night. Herby had DARK hair then. Hee Hee . Herby's playing blew us all away. DANG, was it really 35 years ago?

Larry Hamilton · Post by **Larry Hamilton** » 17 Jan 2006 7:58 pm

Played the Caravan in amarillo right after it opened in 1976. But the longest regular stretch was the winter of 78-79 with Tom Meyers aand Donnie Burns. I used to go set in with the Whisinhunt Bros. once in a while. I remember you coming out and playing and blowing my shorts off. the Caravan is Rock and Roll now after 30 years. Sad, sad, sad. It's called "Yorks"

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Keep pickin', Larry

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 17 Jan 2006 9:24 pm

Thanks everyone for posting and bringing back some memories, some good and some not that good, but the years have made even the bad times seem not so bad as I thought they were at the time... funny how time can do that.

I didn't know the Caravan in Amarillo opened in '76. I first played there in '77 in the Happy Hour band, doubling between guitar and PSG with a crazy honkytonker named Jerry Galloway. It wasn't too good of a band but I liked the club. The band fell apart and then I joined Stillwater, with Donny Burns and the Wizenhunt bros., they had a girl singer too who I can only remember her first name, Diana, later replaced by Lisa Kay Cummings. I came and went several times with about 4 different bands from 77-79 so it's hard to keep it all straight. I played Happy Hour with them for some time but later left with a couple of the "night bands" that came on after the Happy Hour bands and played the circuit with them. Maybe that's when you played with Donny Burns and the Wizenhunts, Larry? I didn't know you took my place but it sounds like you did, cool. That last "circuit" band left the Caravan circuit and did package shows and other bookings until I left them in July '79.

Larry, whatever happened to Donny Burns and the Wizenhunts? Did you know the girl singers Diana and/or Lisa Kay?

[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 17 January 2006 at 09:25 PM.]

Ron Sodos · Post by **Ron Sodos** » 18 Jan 2006 2:47 pm

I went around the Caravan Circuit for about 10 years from 1980 to 1990 with a band called the "Whiskey River Band" I sure loved going to Amarillo. The women were out of hand....

[This message was edited by Ron Sodos on 18 January 2006 at 02:49 PM.]

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 18 Jan 2006 4:14 pm

I missed you by less than a year, Ron, but I remember well the women in Amarillo... married now so will only say they were, uh... memorable!

Beautiful and very sweet. There, that shouldn't get me into too much trouble... not that my wife ever reads the forum.... why do I feel as if she knows what I'm typing...

Larry Hamilton · Post by **Larry Hamilton** » 19 Jan 2006 8:13 pm

Jim, Donny burns basically quit playing. Saw him a couple years ago and said he was just burnt out. Haven't heard anything about him since. Jim Whisenhunt was with Cooder Graw until about a year ago or so. He quit or got fired, different rumors. (One of them sounds more right than the others) Sold his equipment. He goes into Randy's Music once in while but no one really seems to anything. His brother Mike plays in church and has for many years. not sure what his "day job" is. I don't know about Lisa or Diana, sorry.
I have been on the railroad for 29 years now. I still play but not regular, I can't due to my job. Country music is almost dried up in this town. Lot's of rock, oldies rock, R&B ans stuff they try ot pass as country. Hope this catches you up a little.

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Keep pickin', Larry