The Bandstand

 

There's just a bit of a car to the right of the image.   It looks like it's from the twenties.  

Straigh Outta Compton

 

Whenever possible I try and do some research on my posts, and I found a lot of interesting stuff about these three photos.  It starts with the top photo on the column. Written on the back, "Johnny Bond, Jay Stewart (Let's Make a Deal), Skeets McDonald."  Those names gave me a starting point, and the first one I looked up was Jay Stewart, who, from 1952 to 1961 worked as the announcer for Town Hall Party, a live country western show, broadcast from Compton California, both on radio and television, so while I can't be 100% sure, I'd say it is highly likely that these three photos are backstage shots from the show.

Johnny Bond was a country singer and guitarist who appeared on Town Hall Party, as did Skeets McDonald, another singer, and guitarist, who was born Enos William McDonald. After all, who would name their kid, Skeets? 

The middle photo is labeled "Jimmy Pruitt, Singer" another Town Hall Party regular.  It also has a printer's mark in the front margin dating it "JUL 55" Again, we can't be sure, but it's at least somewhat likely that all three photos were taken around the same time.

The bottom photo in the column only has one name written on the back, "Eddie Kirk." Kirk was born in Greeley, Colorado and actually grew up on a ranch, and learned a lot of the songs he'd go on to perform from the ranch hands he knew growing up. He was a national yodeling champ. I didn't know such a thing existed.  He was a boxer, served in the navy during World War 2, and was even in one movie, Prairie Raiders, made in 1947, starring B movie star, Charles Starrett, who pretty much did nothing but poverty row westerns.  Kirk was uncredited, though he may have been part of Ozie Waters and his Colorado Rangers. 

The other three people in the photo are not identified, but I think I've figured it out.  Kirk is wearing the cowboy hat. The brunette standing next to him is, at least I think so, lap steel guitarist Beryl Harrell. Harrell was another Town Hall Party regular, but she didn't start out as a country artist. Born in Vancouver, Washington, she started out doing Hawiian music, and she was in a lot of different groups. including Sweethearts of the Air, The Hula Bluettes, Eva Harpster and her Four Coeds, The Saddle Dusters, Coby Jones and her All Girl Western Band, and Carl Cody and His Country Boys.  Besides playing the guitar, she was also a featured vocalist, as well as being a solo artist in her own right. 

It took a bit of digging, but I'm fairly certain that the other man and the blond are Wes and Marilyn Tuttle. Wesley Tuttle had a fairly long and successful career. He lost all but his thumb and one finger on his left hand in an accident and had to relearn to play the guitar and ukulele. If you look closely at Marilyn's left shoulder, you can see just a thumb and single finger.  Anyway, Wes Tuttle acted in a dozen westerns, yodeled for Dopey in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and was the director for the Town Hall Party television broadcasts. He was also elected to The Western Music Hall of Fame. His wife Marilyn, born Marilyn Myers, was in one movie, Down Home Missouri as a member of the Tailor Maid Trio. She was a singer, and while I couldn't find any record of it, I'd say it's fairly logical to assume she sang on the show.

Compton is one of the oldest cities in Los Angeles County, having been incorporated in 1888. In the twenties and thirties, it had a large Japanese American population that were forced from their homes during World War 2. During the war it was home to many of the war workers employed in the south bay aircraft plants. It wasn't until the mid-fifties that black families began moving into the city. Today the population are mostly Hispanic and black, and Compton itself is known as the home of west coast rap scene. Think N.W.A. and Snoop Dogg. 

The Cheap Wedding

 

Ah for the good old days when ordinary people didn't go into massive debt for a wedding.  Great band in the background. Guitar, bass, accordion and marimba. 

The Family Piano

 

Dated "1958."  

Mr. Sensitive

 

 

About six or eight months ago my computer died and with it, my old, yet quite good scanner.  Basically, it wasn't supported anymore so I couldn't download the software off the web, and so it went in the garbage.  Anyway, I got a really good deal on a new one.  In other words, free.  Unfortunately, apart from being free, it also doesn't have a color correction setting, so this is what the print looks like. 

So, Mr. sensitive, the guy with the guitar that all the girls loved, which means that all the other guys hated him.  There's a processing lab stamp on the back, just the standard "KODACOLOR PRINT" logo, plus a date, "MAY 67PA" I don't know what PA stands for.  
 

The Alpine Village Band

 

Take a look at the third image in the column and you'll see a sign for The Alpine Village.  I didn't expect much, but just for laughs I did a search for Alpine Village and found a German market, next to a swap meet, in Torrance, California.  Anyway, the sign I saw in the current photos I found are similar to the one in these old photos.  So much for my theory that these guys are one of the trad jazz bands that claimed to play old time New Orleans style music.  For most of them, not a very accurate claim, but nevertheless.  Perhaps they are  German oompah band without the Tuba.  But a banjo?  

Serenade

 

Notice there's a bar in the background.  Is she trying to sleep it off, and is he keeping her awake? 

Books and Mandolins

 

Stop reading and pay attention to me.  If you don't, I'll play Purple haze on my mandolin. 

Music To My Ears 18

 

Finally, the end.  The last of The Music To My Ears Collection (Click on in labels to see all.) I don't think this one is the oldest, but I wanted to save it for last because, in the background, you can see a head shot seen in an earlier post.  It looks like Ann Parker, or Mary Reagan, or Ruby has had a long show business career.  Not a star, but as a working entertainer.  Something few pwople are able to pull off. 

Music To My Ears 17

I suspect this one is a bit older than the last couple of posts, but these aren't dated so it didn't occur to me to do those two last.  So, for those of you who wonder why color prints fade and, more than often than not, end up either a red or yellow color, color film, slides, and prints are made up of three dye layers.  Yellow, magenta, or red, and cyan, or blue.  They fade at different rates.  To see more, click on Music To My Ears in labels at the bottom of the post.  Only one more to go.

The Service Dance

Written on the back, "How do you like the back of my head.  How about that Crowd?  Nice heh!  All service personel."  Looks like the World War 2 era to me.  Mostly navy with the army thrown in. 

Jam Session

Would these guys even know the term jam session?  The guy with the guitar looks like he's in a uniform, while the mandolin player is clearly a civilian.  The bus in the far background looks 1930's give or take.  A nice outdoor cafe and a couple of drinks so the music sounds better? 

Music To My Ears 13

 Unless I missed one, this is the last of  the black & white images in this collection, so that seems to me to be a good point to take a break.  Written on the back, "Mommy & Daddy Aug-1970-San Luis Bay Club."  I looked it up and there is a San Luis Bay Inn, in San Luis, California, and their website lists entertainment.  Now, is Mommy, Ann Parker, in her underwear, or is that a really ugly swimsuit?   I'm guessing underwear, and I'm guessing that this couple is headed down to the lounge to do a set.  Click on Music To My Ears in labels to see more.  When I return with the color snapshots, I'll finish things up.  Say, in about a month.

Music To My Ears 12

The happy couple.  Ann Parker and her accompanist husband between gigs.  Or perhaps, before the show.  Click on Music to My Ears in labels to see more.

Music To My Ears 11

I guess I should have put this one up before the last one.  Same couple, same domestic scene, but clearly older.  From the fifties I'd guess, but who knows.  I think the quality might be a little off.  I did an update from Windows 10 and the control panel for my Epson scanner disappeared.  Apparently my older, perfectly acceptable scanner is no longer supported.  I'm able to make it work, but it looks like between Windows and Epson I'll have to buy a new one and like most housebound people my income is reduced.  Anyway, enough of my complaints.  Click on Music To My Ears in labels to see more.

Music To My Ears 10

It's time to return to this musical family collection.  Ii still don't know the real name versus the stage name of this lady and her husband and partner.   Anyway, from now to the end, no more stage shots, no more studio portraits no more pictures of our singer belting out a tune.  There is however a daughter.  Written on the back, "Xmas 1964."  And it's a Polaroid.  Click on Music To My Ears in labels at the bottom of the post to see more.

Music To My Ears 9

Dressed up for a night out or for a night on stage?  As a former professional printer I'm insulted that the printer couldn't be bothered to clean the negative.  I'll be taking a break before putting more up from this collection. Click on Music To My Ears in labels to see more. 

Music To My Ears 8

 

This is the only photograph I have of Mary Reagan, or Ann Parker or whatever stage name she was using, while actually performing.  The guys at the bar are drinking beers rather than cocktails.  A low rent dive or do the drinkers just prefer beer? 

As usual, click on Music To My Ears to see more. 

Music To My Ears 7

I had hoped to use the name of the act to hunt down some actual information about this duo but the best I could find was the location of The Hotel Penn Alto.  Philadelphia? Pittsburgh?  Nope, Altoona, home of the horse shoe curve rail tracks.  I've been to Altoona though it's been so long that I don't really have any memories of the place.  I figured that this picture was probably from the 1950's so I did look up some census numbers.  In 1950, 77,177.  In 1960, 69,407.  Basically, Altoona is one of those medium sized American cities that has been in a state of decline for a very long time.  The fact that the act was playing the hotel lounge in a small city hotel helps explain why this duo left almost no record of their careers.  Acts that headline in Altoona don't get a lot of recognition.  Still, it's almost impossible to make it in show business.  For every job, there are hundreds of talented performers capable of getting up on stage and entertaining people.  It's why so many of them quite and get a regular job.  Mary Reagan, or Ann Parker or whatever professional name she was using when this picture was taken actually made a living as a singer.  That's admirable.

Click on Music To My Ears in labels to see more.

Music To My Ears 5

Stamped on the back, "PLEASE CREDIT Kerr 43 west 51st street new york, n. y. eldoarado 5-3178."  And yes, they did use lower case letters as I've typed them.  Well, I did find a bit about The Kerr Studio.  It was opened in 1951 by husband and wife team, Justin and Barbara Kerr.  Originally they specialized in theatrical portraits, but by the late 1950's they began restoring and photographing pre-Colombian artifacts from Mexico and Central America.  I dug up a bit on Barbara, but nothing about Justin.  Barbara went to the Pratt Institute and died in 2014.  As I wrote, a bit.  This collection isn't finished yet, but I'm going to shelve things for awhile and move on to other photos.

Once again click on Music To My Ears to see other posts from this series.