WEST COAST HEADQUARTERS OF THE ROCKABILLY LEGENDS PRESS ROOM
Following are articles regarding exciting and fun Rockabilly
Events in Gold Beach and at Happy Days Malt shop.
May 4, 2011
Curry County Reporter (www.CurryCountyReporter.com)
Scoop From The Chamber [Excerpt]...By Sandy
Vieira
Jerry Naylor and Rockabilly
A star was here in GB. Jerry
Naylor of The Crickets really showed us his star quality. What a
great man – sincere, humble and spectacular. I followed Jerry
around this last weekend as he started his Saturday with photo
ops; first at Jerry's Rogue Jets & Mailboats and then to the GB
Visitor Center where Mr. Naylor was presented with a key to the
city by our Mayor Jim Wernicke and over to Gold Beach Books to
start his story telling and concert series.
I sat and listened to Jerry share his firsthand accounts with
all the pioneers of Rock ‘n Roll. They called it Rockabilly
before it was Rock ‘n Roll. I was mesmerized by the way Jerry
recounted his experiences, interactions and friendships with
these Rockabilly Legends; it made me feel like these folks were
right there in the room with us. It was amazing. Steve Halliday,
co-author of The Rockabilly Legends was there to bring out some
of the stories about Jerry since Jerry is too modest to share
about his starship.
Then off to Sheriff John's Classic Cars & Happy Days Malt Shop
for more stories and a jamming concert. I could see how the fans
from the Rockabilly era would scream for their stars, and the
energy this music has when sung by passionate singers like Jerry
really gets you shaking. Thank you Jerry. We can't wait for your
next visit to Gold Beach, the official west coast headquarters
of The Rockabilly Legends.
May 4, 2011
Curry County Reporter (www.CurryCountyReporter.com)
Gold Beach Promotions & Visitors' Center update
[Excerpt]...By Jeff Ferguson
Rockabilly Legends
This event was a huge success
last Saturday! Both venues (Gold Beach Books and Happy Days Malt
Shop & Sheriff John's Classic Cars) were packed with fans and
‘fun-seekers'. Thanks to Bob Minshew, John Gillespie and Ted
Watkins for putting this all together.
April 27, 2011
Curry Coastal Pilot (www.CurryPilot.com)
A legend comes to Gold Beach...By Bill
Schlichting
GOLD BEACH –
Rockabilly music will come alive when music legend Jerry Naylor
visits Gold Beach Books and Sheriff John’s Classic Cars and
Happy Days Malt Shop Saturday and Sunday, April 30 and May 1.
For those old enough to remember, rock ’n’ roll was originally
called rockabilly, a genre made famous by Buddy Holly, Elvis
Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and other popular musicians of the
1950s.
When Holly died in a plane crash in February 1959, Texas singer
and local radio disc jockey Naylor, barely out of his teens, did
the unthinkable: He stepped up to the mic and into Holly’s shoes
as the new lead singer of The Crickets.
Fast forward a half century to witness another achievement by
Naylor – “The Rockabilly Legends: They Called It Rockabilly Long
Before They Called It Rock and Roll,” a full-color, coffee-table
book that includes a one-hour DVD celebrating the original
rockabilly royalty he knew first-hand. Naylor, who has a
wealth of firsthand knowledge of the “cradle days” of rock ’n’
roll, was helped by Kris Kristofferson, Charlie Daniels and
others in putting the book together.
The author has woven his personal recollections of the mythic
beginnings and sometimes tragic endings of the epic men of
rockabilly history: Presley, Carl Perkins, Lewis, Johnny Cash,
Roy Orbison, Holly, Johnny Horton, Gene Vincent, Buddy Knox, Bob
Luman, Charlie Rich, and Johnny and Dorsey Burnette
The book is interspersed with hundreds of photographs (some
never before seen), and is designed with 1950s typography, cover
art and posters from the era.
In addition to the book, Naylor has founded an organization
called “Rockabilly Legends,” which celebrates the legacy of past
stars, including Holly, Presley and Lewis. Naylor’s company
produces books, CDs and DVDs chronicling the early years of rock
and roll, including a lengthy video documentary which aired
nationally on PBS.
Naylor will be joined in Gold Beach by Steve Halliday, who has
authored dozens of books, including inspirational Christian
titles including “How Great Thou Art” and “Forgive to Live.”
The weekend will begin when Naylor and Halliday will present a
mini-concert with rockabilly standards, followed by the men
signing copies of their books. This event will be from 3 to 5
p.m. Saturday at Gold Beach Books, 29707 Ellensburg Ave., Gold
Beach.
“We’ll have a limited number of glossy color photographs, which
Jerry will sign for lucky fans; he’s one of the few living
legends of early rock and roll, and we’re honored he’s appearing
at our bookstore,” said bookstore owner Ted Watkins. “Patrons
should arrive early, because it’s sure to be standing room
only.”
The musicians will then move to Sheriff John’s Classic Cars and
Happy Days Malt Shop, 29935 Harbor Way, at the Port of Gold
Beach for an informal discussion, followed by a concert
featuring not only Naylor but also several local performers
including Paul King, Tony and Stephanie LaTorre, and Don and
Shay Hayes.
“The two hour concert will begin at 7 p.m., but you should get
here early as we’re expecting a standing-room-only crowd.” said
Bob Minshew, owner of Happy Days Malt Shop. “And be sure to come
hungry and enjoy a great burger and shake.”
On Sunday, the public will have one final opportunity to
experience rockabilly as Naylor and friends host a gospel
sing-along from 1 to 3 p.m. at Sheriff John’s Classic Cars and
Happy Days Malt Shop.
During a visit to Gold Beach last year, Naylor was so impressed
with the authentic period décor and 1950s atmosphere of Sheriff
John’s and Happy Days, that he has since made that locale the
official “West Coast Headquarters of the Rockabilly Legends,”
Watkins said.
Naylor has helped produce a music video celebrating Gold Beach
and its new status as a rockabilly venue. The video can be
viewed for free at
www.sheriffjohnsclassiccars.com/video.htm.
Admission to all events is without charge and open to all ages.
Those unable to attend the events may pre-order signed copies of
the authors’ materials by telephoning the bookstore at
541-247-2495.
April 20, 2011
Curry County Reporter (www.CurryCountyReporter.com)
The Crickets Jerry Naylor comes to Gold Beach...By Joel Summer
 Out
of the American South in the early 1950s came an exciting new
kind of music that would shape the history of music forever. It
was called ‘Rockabilly' and it was raw, steeped in religion,
racially ambiguous, fearlessly expressive and very exciting.
They called it ‘Rockabilly' long before they called it Rock and
Roll. And on Saturday, April 30, one of the legends of
Rockabilly will be in Gold Beach to celebrate his new book and
the opening of Sheriff John's and Happy Day Malt Shop for the
upcoming summer months. Ted Watkins will be hosting co-authors
Jerry Naylor and Steve Halliday at Gold Beach Books for a book
signing and mini-concert.
Naylor and Halliday have published ‘The
Rockabilly Legends – They Called it Rockabilly Long Before They
Called It Rock and Roll'. The two authors write about the
Rockabilly explosion between 1954 and 1959 including Elvis
Presley, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins,
and Johnny Burnett. The ‘coffee-table'-style book has
interviews, personal reflections and one-hour DVD sampler of
Rockabilly music based on a much larger documentary produced by
Naylor.
And who is Jerry Naylor? Naylor, now of
McMinnville, became the lead singer of The Crickets after Buddy
Holly perished in a plane crash along with Richie Valens and the
‘Big Bopper'. Jerry grew up in San Angelo, TX and started
singing Rockabilly in 1954, at age 15. He became the lead singer
of The Cavaliers. Naylor also began work during that time as a
teenage radio disc jockey. His radio station promoted country
music from the Grand Old Opry and the Louisiana Hayride such as
Johnny Horton, Sonny James, Hank Snow, Hank Thompson, Ray Price,
Ernest Tubb, Billy Walker, George Jones, Bill Monroe, Kitty
Wells, Elvis Presley, Bob Luman, Gene Vincent, and Roy Orbison.
Naylor managed Joe Treadway and performed on many of the shows.
Naylor said his entertainment career was truly
launched on a Wednesday night, January 5, 1955, when Elvis
Presley, Scotty Moore and Bill Black booked on the bottom of the
bill for a Louisiana Hayride Show at the San Angelo, Texas
Municipal Auditorium. Naylor, the disc jockey, promoted the
show. He penned and recorded ‘Hillbilly Bop' with the old
standard ‘Money Honey' and soon became a high school hero. After
Holly's death, Naylor joined Cricket co-founder Jerry Allison,
guitarist Sonny Curtis, and keyboardist Glen Hardin to re-form
the Crickets.
The Crickets had a number of No. 1 songs in
Great Britain and the U.S. including Carole King's ‘Please Don't
Ever Change' and ‘Teardrops Fall Like Rain'. The Crickets also
had a No. 1 album with Bobby Vee on Liberty Records. After the
Crickets broke up Naylor appeared on the ABC show ‘Shindig' and
KRLA's ‘Dick Biondi Road Show'. Rockabilly, always popular, fell
somewhat out of vogue when the Crickets were ‘replaced' by
another group – which, in honor of the Crickets took on another
insect name changing from the Quarrymen to the Beatles. Along
came the British Invasion and Acid Rock.
Naylor, meanwhile, moved to country music and then playing in
Las Vegas. Following the shindig at Gold Beach Books the party
will move to the Happy Days Malt Shop hosted by Bob Minshew.
Naylor and Halliday (on guitar) will perform as well as Elvis
impersonator Tony La Torre and his equally talented wife,
Stephanie La Torre as well as Don and Shay Hayes.
The longer version of Naylor's Rockabilly
documentary will also be shown. The performers will also do
impersonations of Jerry Lee Lewis, June Carter Cash and Roy
Orbison. Minshew said his relationship with Naylor began when he
tried to buy Naylor's '55 blue Cadillac for Sheriff John's
showroom. Now Minshew is hoping that Naylor can help launch
Minshew's dream to make Gold Beach a destination resort for live
Rockabilly concerts throughout the tourist season.
Minshew said Happy Days will have weekly
concerts and be on the circuit for this genre of ‘50s rock. He
is hoping that Happy Days will become a destination for the tour
buses. There will be more things to do in town than fish and
ride the Jet Boats. In addition to Rockabilly music, Minshew
plans to have Christian Gospel shows once a month. "If we can
get one (tour) bus a week, I'll be happy," said Minshew.
Minshew said his Saturday Rockabilly shows will
be from 7-9 p.m. on Saturdays and the Gospel shows will be from
1-3 p.m. on Sunday. Normally there is a $10 cover charge for
concerts at Happy Days, but the upcoming concert on April 30
will be for free. Minshew expects a standing room only crowd. |
