Plank Road's
Regular
Events in
conjunction with
Two Way
Street:
Please join us
for our
"virtual" get
togethers
online, via
Zoom --
co-sponsored
by Two Way
Street Coffee
House. Be sure
to check the
Two Way
Street
website,
Plank Road website or
Facebook
page for
details and
links to each
event.
Sing-Around
1st &
3rd Sat. |
2-4
pm
Vocal
instrumental
jam and
sing-along
with
songbooks
and
leader.
Country
and
Western
Sing-Around
4th Sat. |
2-4
pm
Sing along
with your
favorite
C&W
songs.
2nd
Tuesday
Song
Circle
--
BYOS!
2nd Tues. |
7-9 pm
A monthly
opportunity
for
musicians to
perform
songs for
each other,
within a
song circle.
Bring Your Own Song!
|
|
|
Please read
this note from
our friends at
2WS
Help the
Musicians: Keep
the Music,
and Their
Incomes,
Flowing
During these
difficult
times, know
that Two Way
Street Coffee
House has the
interests of
musicians at
heart. We are
committed to
helping the
musicians
whose acts we
have had to
cancel and
hope that you
will continue
to support
them and
others in the
folk music
community
whose income
has
plummeted.
There are
many ways to
help.
Musicians are
hosting online
live
showcases,
reaching out
through
performances
to which the
public can
make
donations, and
selling CDs
online.
Just Google
the names of
your
favorite
musicians to
see if they
are hosting
online
performances
and learn how
you can help
them
financially.
Also,
"Undiscovered
Music" is an
online site
that has a
list of
upcoming live
acoustic
concerts, with
ways to donate
to the
acts: undiscoveredmusic.net/streamed.
Please
consider a
donation to
the American
Federation of
Musicians
Emergency
Relief Fund
(ERF). 100% of all
donations to
the AFM
Local 1000
ERF will go
to working
musicians in
need. To contribute, visit: www.local1000.org/product/emergency-relief-fund.
The folks at
FARM (Folk
Alliance
Region
Midwest)
posted these
resources for
emergency
funding for
artists and
event
producers on
their
websites:
Thank you
for your
continuing
support,
Two Way
Street
Coffee
House
|
|
|
Connie
Lawlor
joins
Plank
Road's
board
of
directors.
We're
delighted to
announce
that Connie
Lawlor has
joined our
board of
directors.
President
Bob O'Hanlon
was looking
for a new
board member
and says,
"Connie was
the first
person I
thought
of."
Shortly
after Connie
joined, our
treasurer
Stephen
Davis
announced he
would be
retiring
from the
board at the
end of the
year. As
luck would
have it,
Connie has
agreed to
take over
the
treasurer's
responsibilities.
Connie
lives in
Westmont and
has two
grown sons.
She's spent
her career
in banking
in various
Controller
roles.
"Music has
always been
a part of my
life," says
Connie. "I
was trained
in classical
piano as a
child, and
took up the
mandolin
seven years
ago."
Since she
joined Plank
Road, we've
enjoyed her
enthusiasm
-- and her
mandolin
playing at
our
sing-arounds.
And since
our sessions
have gone
virtual,
Connie has
been
contributing
vocals as
well. She
adds, "I'm
very excited
to be part
of
PRFMS!"
In
addition
to Connie,
the
8-member
Plank Road
board
consists
of: Bob
O'Hanlon
(president),
Bill
Lemos,
Jennifer
Shilt,
Kristen
Fuller,
Jim
Gilroy,
Dottie
Lee, and
Dave
Humphreys.
|
The
Man
In
Back
By
Fred
Spanuello
No,
this
is not
a
misprint
nor is
it a
story
about
Johnny
Cash. It
is
about
an
individual
who
many
may
not
know.
His
name
is
Jimmy
Capps,
a
session
musician
who
spent
60-plus
years
with
the
Grand
Ole
Opry.
I
first
saw
him on
YouTube
presentations
of Larry's
Country
Diner and Country
Family
Reunion shows.
He was
playing
a
beautiful
red
guitar
and
was
always
mentioned
by the
artist
who
was
performing.
I did
a
little
research
and
found
his
name.
I was
intrigued
and
when I
learned
that
he had
written
his
biography,
I
bought
the
book. I
read
it in
one
night
as it
was
captivating.
I
learned
about
his
love
of
music
and
how he
played
with
Charlie
and
Ira,
the
Louvin
Brothers,
as
well
as
others.
On Larry's
Country
Diner shows,
he was
the
sheriff
dressed
appropriately
complete
with
badge. He
was in
great
demand
as he
had a
very
smooth
playing
style
and
never
missed
a
beat.
In
December,
my
wife
Carol,
who
had
been
on
several
cruises
to
Europe,
mentioned
that
there
would
be a
country
and
bluegrass
cruise
coming
up in
January
2020
and
would
I be
interested. I
have
never
been
on a
cruise
but I
did,
much
to her
surprise,
agree
to go.
Our
itinerary
listed
the
lineup
of
stars
who
would
be on
the
ship.
Bill
Anderson,
Jeannie
Sealy,
Gene
Watson,
Rhonda
Vincent
as
well
as
many
others.
Also
included
was
Jimmy
Capps.
I had
to go,
and
with
any
amount
of
luck,
meet
Jimmy.
|
|
|
Jimmy
Capps
and
Fred
Spanuello
|
The
time
came
for
the
meet
and
greet
where
we all
passed
our
autograph
books
to the
stars
to
sign.
I saw
Jimmy
and
was
lucky
to get
my
picture
taken
with
him.
Later
during
the
cruise,
as we
were
heading
to
lunch,
we
rounded
the
corner
and
ran
right
into
Jimmy
as he
was
leaving.
He was
nice
enough
to
stop
as we
exchanged
pleasantries
and I
told
him
how I
loved
his
music.
He was
a
perfect
southern
gentleman
and
very
humble.
A few
minutes
passed
and he
was on
his
way. I
was on
cloud
nine
and
Carol
knew
what
that
meeting
meant
to
me.
Fast
forward
to
June
2, the
day
that I
learned
Jimmy
had
died. I
was
devastated
and I
still
get
tearful
when I
think
about
him.
 What
was
just a
moment
in
time
for
him
left
me
with a
lifetime
of
memories.
When I
play
my new
red
Taylor,
I try
to
emulate
him
but
always
fall
short,
but I
try.
If
you
want
to
learn
about
a
great
musician
and a
great
man,
his
book, The
Man in
Back is
available.
I
strongly
suggest
it as
it is
a good
read.
|
We get letters . .
.
We get
letters . .
.
sometimes.
We don't
often get
letters, but
when we do, we
print
'em! Thanks
to our readers
for your
comments about
the previous
issue.
Lookin'
great as
usual!!!
Lots of
interesting
articles for
our
members.
-
Jen Shilt
Wow!
Another
smashing
issue!
I loved
reading
about the
Spanuello's
outreach
program, all
of our
upcoming
special
events/music
release, and
particularly
enjoyed
having the
marvelous
collection
of songs
about mining
for an
immersive
musical
experience.
Will set
aside some
time for
reflection
and
listening to
the whole
collection
along with
viewing the
video of the
mining town.
What history
is woven
into the
music!
-
Dottie
Lee
Loved the
article
about Fred
and
Carol.
-
Kristen
Fuller
And
regarding
that list of
songs about
coal miners
by Stephen
Davis, here
are three
more:
Hey! Ya
forgot
Tennessee
Ernie Ford's
"Sixteen
Tons"!
-
George
Mattson
Also "The
Ballad of
Springhill."
(Sometimes
called the
"Springhill
Mining
Disaster.")
Written and
performed by
Peggy Seeger
& Ewan
MacCall.
Peter Paul
& Mary
did a nice
cover.
-
Bill
Lemos
Reminds me
of the Bee
Gees "New
York Mining
Disaster"
-
George
Mattson
|
|
|
|
|
A
Plank
Road
Afternoon
with
Mark
Dvorak.
Pandemic
or
not,
Plank
Road's
streaming
presentation
of
Mark
Dvorak's
combination
workshop
and
mini-concert
was
a
big
success.
On
November
14,
an
impressive
42
people
linked
up
on
Zoom
for
an
informative
and
entertaining
afternoon.
In
addition
to
some
great
music
and
fascinating
stories
about
the
early
days
of
Plank
Road,
Mark
answered
questions
that
viewers
submitted
earlier,
providing
some
great
tips
and
techniques.
For
example:
-
He
stressed
the
importance
of
using
a
metronome
to
help
play
evenly
and
improve
timing.
-
Incorporate
bass
runs
up
and
down,
to
fill
in
the
"holes."
-
Use
diminished
chords
to
add
some
"interest."
(More
about
that
in
the
next
issue.)
-
Trying
to
learn
new
songs?
Instead
of
"practicing"
them
over
and
over,
try
"rehearsing"
them.
In
other
words,
pretend
you're
on
stage
--
it's
more
fun,
and
makes
songs
easier
to
memorize.
|
|
|
The
final
months
of
2020 were
not
good
for
the
country
music
world.
We
lost
three
big
names
.
.
.
Mac
Davis
Singer,
songwriter
and
actor
Mac
Davis
died
September
29
following
heart
surgery at
age
78.
He
enjoyed
success
as a crossover artist,
and
during
his
early
career
wrote
hit
songs
for
a
number
of
artists.
Davis
claimed
that
his
songwriting
secret
was:
"I
try
to
tell
the
truth
and
hope
it
rhymes."
Davis
was
born
in
Lubbock,
Texas
in
1942. Upon
graduating
from
high
school,
Davis
left
Lubbock
to
join
his
mother
in
Atlanta. Inspired
by
the
example
of
Lubbock's
most
famous
son, Buddy
Holly,
whom
he
recalled
seeing
driving
through
Lubbock
in
a
brand
new
black
and
pink
Pontiac
convertible,
Davis
decided
to
give
the
music
business
a
shot. It
was
in
Atlanta,
around
the
age
of
20,
that
he
began
performing
in
bands
and
writing
songs
while
working
as
a
"promotions
man"
for
record
labels.
Working
for
Liberty
Records,
he
eventually
landed
in
Los
Angeles
where
Nancy
Sinatra
hired
him
to
write
songs
for
her
and
her
company. In
the
late
Sixties,
Elvis
Presley
cut
a
string
of
Davis
compositions,
including
"Memories",
"In
the
Ghetto",
"Don't
Cry
Daddy",
and
"A
Little
Less
Conversation".
A
subsequent
solo
career
in
the
1970s
produced
hits
such
as
"Baby,
Don't
Get
Hooked
on
Me".
Davis
experienced
modest
success
as
an
actor
and
TV
personality
as
well,
even
hosting
his
own
variety
series, The
Mac
Davis
Show,
from
1974
to
1976.
Charlie
Pride
Country
music's
first
black
super
star,
whose
rich
baritone
on
such
hits
as
"Kiss
an
Angel
Good
Mornin'"
and
"Is
Anybody
Goin'
to
San
Antone,"
died
December
12
of
complications
from
COVID-19. He
was
86.
Born
in
1934
in
Sledge,
Mississippi,
Pride
picked
cotton,
played
baseball
in
the
Negro
leagues,
served
in
the
U.S.
Army,
and
worked
in
a
smelting
plant
in
Montana,
where
he
began
singing
in
public.
A
local
DJ
arranged
for
Pride
to
sing
for
country
stars
Red
Sovine
and
Red
Foley
--
and
they
convinced
him
to
move
to
Nashville
In
Nashville,
Chet
Atkins,
head
of
RCA
Records,
heard
two
of
his
demo
tapes
and
signed
him.
Interestingly,
to
ensure
that
Pride
was
judged
on
his
music
and
not
his
race,
his
first
few
singles
were
sent
to
radio
stations
without
the
usual
artist
publicity
photo.
That
changed
quickly
when
his
debut
album
reached
country
music's
Top
20.
He
went
on
to
release
dozens
of
albums
and
sold
more
than
25
million
records
during
his
career.
He
won
three
Grammy
Awards,
and
had
more
than
30
No.
1
hits.
In
1993,
he
joined
the
Grand
Ole
Opry
cast
and
was
inducted
into
the
Country
Music
Hall
of
Fame
in
2000.
Billy
Joe
Shaver
A
pioneer
of
outlaw-country
who
wrote
some
of
the
genre's
greatest
songs,
Billy
Joe
Shaver
died
October
28
after
suffering
a
stroke.
He
was
81.
Shaver's
hard-lived
career
classics
included
"Honky
Tonk
Heroes,"
"Georgia
on
a
Fast
Train,"
"Old
Five
and
Dimers
Like
Me,"
and
"Live
Forever."
He
wrote
nine
out
of
the
10
songs
on
Waylon
Jennings'
1973
breakthrough
album Honky
Tonk
Heroes.
Kris
Kristofferson,
Johnny
Cash,
and
Elvis
Presley
all
recorded
his
songs;
and
in
2010,
Willie
Nelson
called
him
"the
greatest
living
songwriter."
Shaver
lived
the
outlaw
lifestyle
that
others
only
sang
about.
In
2007,
he
was
charged
with
shooting
a
man
in
the
face
at
a
bar
near
his
home
in
Waco.
He
was
ultimately
found
not
guilty
--
and
went
on
to
turn
the
ordeal
into
a
song, "Wacko
From
Waco."
Born
in
Coriscana,
Texas,
in
1939,
Shaver
was
raised
by
his
mother
and
would
often
accompany
her
to
her
job
at
the
local
nightclub.
He
later
worked
at
a
honkytonk
in
Waco,
and
in
the
early
Sixties,
moved
to
Houston
where
he
met
Townes
Van
Zandt.
They
became
drinking
buddies,
and
their
friendship
led
Shaver
to
Nashville.
Shaver
had
a
hard
time
breaking
through
in
Nashville.
He
found
a
fan
in
Kris
Kristofferson,
who
recorded
one
of
Shaver's
tunes
for
his
debut
album.
Shaver
persuaded
Waylon
Jennings
to
listen
to
his
songs,
including
"Honky
Tonk
Heroes," which
became
the
title
track
of
Jennings
next
album
--
and
is
one
of
the
defining
albums
of
outlaw
country.
But
Shaver
was
unable
to
make
it
as
a
mainstream
artist
on
his
own
--
and
his
drug
use
escalated.
He
married
one
of
his
wives
three
separate
times
and
lost
her
to
cancer.
And
in
2000,
his
son
and
creative
partner
Eddy
Shaver
died
of
a
heroin
overdose.
|
|
Joel Simpson
sent us this
great photo.
Hey, you guys
haven't changed
a bit!
"Here is a
gem for
you. That
is me and Jill
Lagerstrom,
June 1984,
performing at
some kind of
Plank Road
Folk Music
Society Event.
12 years
old."
- Joel
|
Let's
hope we
can hear
some
live
music
soon!
|
Soon the sun shall
rise again
(hopefully in the
east). Let us not
forget our friends
and favorite venues
when once again we
can safely enjoy
live music.
In the meantime,
some of these venues
offer virtual
concerts. Check 'em
out . .
.
|
 Two Way Street
Coffee House
|
Maple Street
Chapel Folk
Concerts
If you are near
Lombard, please
visit
the Maple Street
Chapel Folk
Concerts
website
to see a current
listing of
upcoming
performers.
|
If you are near
Hinsdale, please
visit the Acoustic
Renaissance website
for a list of upcoming
performers.
|
For those of you
closer to the
Wheaton area,
please visit the
Acorn
Coffeehouse
located in the
Burning Bush Art
Gallery at:
216 N. Main
St
Wheaton
|
 Tobias Music
concerts
Every once in
awhile, our
friends at Tobias
host music in
their new(ish)
music room
|
Did you
know
that many of
our local
libraries also
host occasional
music events
throughout the
year? Harpeth
Rising, Mark
Dvorak, Chris
Vallilo, and
Lonesome Eagle
all have been
featured at
several of our
libraries in the
past years.
Lisle Library's
Friends of Lisle
Library
Concerts
are offered
on a regular
basis. You can
check their
calendar at:
|
|
The Brashler
Barn
Located at
17560 S. Gougar
Road, Lockport,
IL 60441
Friends
and Family Venue
- Not a Public
Business
No
smoking, no
alcohol, no
pets, no
children under
14
|
|
A Special Thanks
to our Membership
Contributors!!
|
|
Sustaining
Member
Supporting
Members ($50
- $199)
-
Dan and Mary
Anderson
-
Bill and Mary
Boylan
-
Tony Janacek
-
Paul Klonowski
-
Dottie and
Gerry Lee
-
Bill and
Sandhya
Matthews
-
George Mattson
-
Gregg and
Elizabeth
Morton
-
Bud O'Connor
-
Joe and Pam
Schumacher
-
Jen &
James Shilt
-
Carol and Fred
Spanuello
-
Gary
Steffenson
-
John Wolaver
If you would
like to
become a
member or
just need to
renew, here
is a link to
the
renewal
form
that you can
print and
mail.
|
|
|
Bob O'Hanlon -
President
(630) 702-0150
Bill Lemos -
VP,
Secretary
Connie Lawlor -
Treasurer
2021 Board
Members
-
Dave
Humphreys
-
Kristen
Fuller
-
Jennifer
Shilt
-
Jim
Gilroy
-
Dottie
Lee
|
|
QuarterNotes
Contributors
|
Bill Lemos -
Editor
Bob
O'Hanlon
Andy
Malkewicz
Jen
Shilt
Fred
Spanuello
|
|
|
Do you have ideas for
future articles?
Things you'd like to
see in the newsletter?
Ways we can make it
more enjoyable and
relevant to Plank Road
members? Here's your
chance to be "note-worthy." Just send
us an email with your
comments about
QuarterNotes. We
welcome your
input!
We may publish some
of your comments and
always appreciate
ideas. (Think of it
as sort of a
"letters to the
editor.")
|
|
.gif)
|
|
President's
Message
January
2021
Greetings
and
Happy
New
Year
to
all
Plank
Road
members.
That
phrase
takes
on
a
special
meaning
in
these
days
of
the
pandemic,
which
will
probably
have
an
influence
on
how
happy
we
all
are
during
this
new
year.
Plank
Road
has
carefully
followed
all
recommended
health
initiatives
and
will
continue
to
do
so.
But,
dare
I
say,
there
is
a
light
at
the
end
of
the
tunnel?
Let's
hope
2021
is
a
year
when
things
will
return
to
normal.
I
would
love
to
see
all
of
you
in
person
again.
I
do
want
to
mention
one
event,
which
was
the
highlight
of
2020,
the
Mark
Dvorak
virtual
concert/workshop
in
November,
which
was
well
attended
and
brought
many
"old
time"
Plank
Roaders
together.
It
was
a
joyous
occasion.
Of
course,
the
first
quarter
schedule
of
Plank
Road
events
will
continue
to
look
like
2020
for
a
while,
with
Zoom
music
sessions,
and
no
log
cabin
annual
meeting
or
barn
dances.
One
more
topic,
the
Plank
Road
board
of
directors
for
2021
will
remain
the
same,
except
that
Stephen
Davis
is
leaving
and
Connie
Lawlor
is
joining
the
board.
Thanks
to
Stephen
for
several
years
of
contributions,
and
welcome
Connie.
The
board
works
behind
the
scenes
to
keep
the
organization
functioning,
managing
the
finances,
planning
events,
publishing
QuarterNotes
and
doing
all
the
things
that
are
necessary.
Also,
thanks
to
our
main
music
man,
George
Mattson,
for
all
he
does
for
us
and
to
Ron
Leaneagh,
for
his
help
in
managing
our
Zoom
sessions
and
sound
for
all
string
band
activities.
And,
of
course,
we
can't
forget
to
thank
our
friends
at
Two
Way
Street
Coffee
House,
for
their
constant
support;
thanks
Joel,
Jen
and
Tim.
Stay
healthy
and
I
hope
to
see
you
in
2021.
Bob
O'Hanlon
President
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"Vintage" Plank
Road Tapes Are Now
Digital
|
Check
out
some
great
music
. .
.
Down
the Old
Plank
Road is
now
available!
Good news! Volumes 1
and 2 of the
reissued folk
music albums
from 1995 are
now available in
digital
format. Down the Old
Plank Road features
a group of Plank
Road performers
singing and
playing some
great old songs.
You'll recognize
many of these
musicians --
George Mattson,
Mark Dvorak,
Cathy Jones,
Dave Humphreys
and more.
Professionally
recorded,
these albums
were
originally
released on
cassette tape,
and have now
been digitally
remastered for
pristine sound
-- and are
easily
accessible on
many popular
streaming
services.
Here are
some
links:
Just click on
any of these
links - they
should take
you directly
to the Plank
Road albums.
For other
streaming
music sites
(which may
require
subscriptions),
simply search
for "Down the
Old Plank
Road" or "Down
the Old Plank
Road Volume
1."
Thanks
to all
who
helped
launch
the
project
Joel
Simpson spearheaded
the
project
and Plank
Road
agreed to
cover the
expenses. Maurice
Smeets, the
recording
engineer
who did
the
original
cassette
recordings,
produced
the
digital
versions. Jen
Shilt created
new album
cover art,
and Dottie
Lee got
the word
out
through
our
website
and
Facebook
page,
while Joel
coordinated
distribution
to the
streaming
sites.
Dottie
was
pleased
with the
results. "I
am so very
happy that
we decided
to back
this
project.
The music
sounds so
good and
the
artwork is
beautiful."
"The
response
has been
great,"
adds Joel.
"We're
glad to
offer our
members
these
exciting
projects."
Here
are just
a few of
the
great
old
songs
you can
enjoy:
* Shady
Grove * I
Am A
Pilgrim *
Lily Of
The Valley
* The Fox
*
Wayfaring
Stranger *
Lonesome
Road Blues
* PLUS lots
more
blues,
traditional
and old
time
string
band
tunes!
Click a
link and
enjoy!
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Stephen Davis
|
Moving
on . .
.
Stephen
says
goodbye
to the
Plank
Road
board
of
directors
. . .
but
not to
Plank
Road.
"Thanks
everyone. I
have enjoyed
my time on
the board
and have no
intention of
leaving
PRFMS. I
look forward
to the time
when we can
all rejoin
in song."
Stephen
Davis is
known for
his affable
demeanor,
generosity
and virtuoso
skills on
the guitar.
He's also
been Plank
Road's
treasurer
and board
member for a
number of
years. This
past Fall he
decided it
was time to
move on and
devote more
time to
other
pursuits.
While
leaving the
board of
directors,
Stephen
still plans
to remain an
active
member of
Plank
Road.
We
asked
Stephen
to tell
us a
little
about
himself
and his
interest
in music
. . .
"My family
was fairly
musical,"
says
Stephen. "My
mother went
to Wesleyan
in
Bloomington
on a music
scholarship,
and my
father
played bass
in dance
bands." His
father's
mother
played piano
and,
together
with an
uncle, was
instrumental
in starting
the Elmhurst
Symphony.
"My mother
tried to
teach us
piano when
we were 6,
but failed,"
he recalls.
Stephen then
tried
guitar, "but
the strings
hurt my
fingers."
Eventually
he began
taking drum
lessons with
an
aunt. "She
and my
aforementioned
uncle had a
music shop
in Elmhurst,
which lasted
until we
moved to
Pennsylvania. "Then
I somehow
ended up
with an
acoustic
guitar and
took some
lessons,"
That
continued
for the next
18 years,
during which
he moved
back to
Illinois --
and Stephen
says he is
thankful for
what he
learned from
a number of
guitar
teachers
over those
years.
Rock 'n
roll
came
next, of
course!
"I started
jamming in
bands when I
was in 8th
grade," says
Stephen. In
high school,
his rock band
gradually
began
working
weekends,
playing all
over Central
Illinois and
beyond. "But
then I quit,
and focused
on school
where I
studied
electronics
and music,
played in a
wedding band
and taught
guitar."
After
graduating
from high
school,
Stephen
says, "I hit
the road,
playing in
hotel
lounges and
restaurants
from
Mississippi
to Minnesota
and from
Nebraska to
Maryland. My
goal had
been to
support
myself
playing
music -- and
I did do
that for the
most part,
but I felt
like I hit
the ceiling
and quit
music. After
I quit
playing, I
raced small
boats on
Lake
Michigan,
including a
couple of
races down
on Lake
Pontchartrain."
Musical
influences
through
the
years .
. .
Stephen
says his
early
influences
were the
Beatles and
other
British
Invasion
bands. "In
PA, I
listened to
the
"underground"
radio
station
which was
playing
Dylan, Ochs,
Jefferson
Airplane,
Cream, etc.
My father
enjoyed Stan
Kenton and
both of my
parents
enjoyed
Dixieland
jazz."
"Moving to
Peoria from
the east
coast was
like
stepping
into a time
warp," says
Stephen. "By
that time I
was
listening to
the Allman
Brothers and
Pink
Floyd. By
the time
high school
was done, we
were into
Progressive
Rock (Yes,
Moody Blues
are still
some of my
favorites)
and Jazz
Fusion."
Tell us
about
your
first
guitar.
"My first
electric was
a Sears
guitar given
to me by my
uncle, who
played
trumpet in
an R&B
band near
Charleston. I
don't play
my electrics
much anymore
except in
church."
How did
you
gravitate
to folk
music?
"I grew up
listening to
Tom Paxton,
Bob Dylan,
Phil Ochs.
My mother
had some
albums by
Peter Paul
and Mary,
the Chad
Mitchell
Trio and
Flatt &
Scruggs."
What
genres
do you
like
today?
"Today,
although I
like a
little bit
of
everything,
I mostly
enjoy bands
with great
harmony
vocals like
the
Cowsills,
Darlingside, Crosby,
Stills &
Nash, or
Bluegrass
Gospel like
the Cox
Family. Also
progressive
rock such as
Yes and the
Neal Morse
Band."
How did
you
become
such a
good
guitar
player?
"Good
teachers,
lots of
practice and
lack of
fear."
Stephen's
thoughts
on Plank
Road . .
.
"I think
Kristen
Fuller told
me about
PRFMS, when
I picked up
guitar again
after a 20
year
layoff." He
says the
best things
about Plank
Road have
been the
learning
experiences
and the
people. "All
the folks
are great
people --
the
sing-arounds,
the barn
dances, the
parties are
great
because of
the
people."
He also
credits the
string band.
"Old time
music was
something I
knew nothing
about. It
was a great
learning
experience
for me, not
to mention
the great
folks in the
string band
-- Ron,
George,
John, Barb,
Jen,
Kristen,
Cathy,
Chuck, Jim
and
Carol."
"I am also
very
fortunate to
be able to
play for the
First
Congregational
Church,
mostly
monthly for
the
Wednesday
evening
Grounds of
Hope. I also
enjoyed
helping out
in Two Way
Street for
many
years."
|
"We
are
sorry
to
see
you
leave
the
board,
but
understand
completely.
Your
contributions
have
been
invaluable
over
your
years
on
the
board.
Thanks for
everything.
Good
luck
to
you
and
your
family.
We
hope
to
see
you
soon,
in
the
"post
-Covid"
world."
-
Bob
O'Hanlon
|
|
|
Christmas
Party
|
Plank
Road
celebrates the
holidays
-- online.
It
was
virtually
a
great
time!
Well,
it
wasn't
like
our
usual
Christmas
Party.
But
really,
what
has
been
"usual"
in the
past
year?
As
with
all
our
current
events,
the
2020
party
on
December
19 was
conducted
virtually,
via
Zoom.
We
missed
the
caroling
in
downtown
Downers
Grove,
and
the
delicious
holiday
treats.
But
here's
what
we did have:
-
George
Mattson
in
his
usual
role,
passing
the
baton
to
all
who
wanted
to
lead
songs
--
and
taking
the
lead
when
requested.
-
The
joy
of
singing
all
those
great
once-a-year
Christmas
classics.
And
perhaps
most
important,
the
camaraderie
of
hanging
out
--
virtually
--
with
fellow
Plank
Road
members
while
enjoying
the
music
of
the
season.
Special
thanks
to
George
for
making
digital
Christmas
songbooks
available
and
making
sure
everyone
got to
participate;
and to
Ron
Leaneagh
for
hosting
the Zoom
session.
|
|
With a Little
Help From our
Friends!
|
|
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Andy's
Music
Trivia
Quiz
Answers
to
previous
Quiz:
A1. Where
and
how
was
the
group
Crosby
Stills
and
Nash
conceived?
At
a
party
in
Laurel
Canyon
at
the
house
of
Joni
Mitchell
(or
Cass
Elliot,
or
John
Sebastion...). Crosby
and
Stills
sang
a
new
Stills
song
at
the party.
Nash
asked
them
to
sing
it
again,
and
then
again.
On
the
third
time
through,
Nash
joined
in,
giving
birth
to
the
CSN
harmony.
Nash
left
the
Hollies,
David
Geffen
took
care
of
contract
problems,
and
CSN
was
born.
A2. To
whom
is
Bob
Dylan
directing
his
comment
and
song,
"It
Ain't
Me
Babe"?
It
is
probable
that
he
is
singing
to
Suze
Rotolo,
his
girlfriend,
who
appears
on
the
cover
of
the Freewheelin'
Bob
Dylan album.
Another
interesting
song
fact
(probably)
is
the
parody
phrase
of "no,
no,
no,
it
ain't
me
babe"
to
the
Beatles
"she
loves
you,
yeah,
yeah,
yeah." Fun
stuff
A3. When
and
why
did
the
Beatles
sing
and
write
"Hey
Jude"?
McCartney
originally
wrote
a
rough
version
of
the
song,
called
"Hey
Jules,"
to
cheer
up
Lennon's
son
Julian,
during
his
5th
birthday,
after
his
parents'
divorce,
later
naming
it
"Hey
Jude."
A4. Besides
for
the
wrecking
crew,
what
is
Glen
Campbell's
connection
to
the
Beach
Boys?
Born
in
Arkansas
in
1936,
Campbell
moved
to
Los
Angeles
in
1960
to
become
a
session
guitarist
(the
Wrecking
Crew):
played
guitar
on
the
Beach
Boys' Pet
Sounds album,
and
following
Brian
Wilson's
breakdown
and
inability
to
tour,
he
joined
the
band
on
the
road
from
December
of
1964
until
March
of
1965.
A5. What
made
Mark
Lindsey's
(vocalist
of
Paul
Revere
and
the
Raiders)
voice
increase
by
half
an
octave
or
more?
Per
Clark
Weber,
while
on
tour
in
Chicago,
at
a
high
school
dance,
a
female
admirer
broke
through
the
stage
barricade,
and
grabbed
onto
any
part
of
him
that
she
could
for
dear
life.
He
screamed
in
agony
of
what
she
got
hold
of.
In
the
meantime,
the
band
began
to
play
"Hold
that
Tiger."
A6. Who
wrote
the
Chicago
Bulls
intro
song,
and
why?
The
Allan
Parsons
Project
wrote
the
instrumental
"Sirius"
as
an
intro
to
their Eye
In
the
Sky album.
It
ran
for
1:48,
but
runs
longer
for
the
intros.
Also
of
note,
Allan
Parsons
was
the
studio
engineer
for
Pink
Floyd's Dark
Side
of
the
Moon album,
of
note
since
the
Bulls
use
the
"on
the
Run"
track
to
introduce
the
opposing
team.
NEW
Trivia
Quiz:
Q1. What
top
10
Gerry
&
the
Pacemakers
song
was
released
in
1946
and
by
whom?
Q2. Why
did
Al
Dexter
write
Pistol
Packin'
Mama?
Q3. What
famous
TV
personality
hosted
on
Dick
Biondi's
WLS
Guest
Teen
DJ?
Q4. What
song
did
Burl
Ives
sing
that
got
him
thrown
in
jail,
and
where?
Keep
those
responses
coming
in
to
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It's all about
Plank Road
pride!
You say you
already have a
Plank Road
t-shirt? Not
to mention a
tote bag or
sport bottle?
But
you know your
collection
isn't
complete
until you
have at least
one of
everything with a
Plank Road
logo!
So here's the
list. Start
checking 'em
off! ✔
☐ Hats
$15
☐ T-Shirts
$15
☐ Tote Bags
$3
☐ Sport Bottles
$5
☐ Guitar Case
Stickers $1
Items will be
available at many
Plank Road events
-- once the
pandemic is over
-- or you can
contact Bill Lemos
directly
at lemos.bill@comcast.net.
|
Promote
yourself!
New lower
advertising
rates for
members
If you're a
current
advertiser in
this newsletter,
or think you
might want to
advertise, we
have good
news! Our new ad
policy makes
it easier
(and more
economical) to
promote your
gigs or other
music-related
endeavors.
Paid members of
Plank Road can
submit an ad
that will run
for the full
year (4
quarterly
issues) for only
$50. Your ad can
be a basic line
listing which
can be
hyper-linked to
your external
website, or a
complete ad with
graphics. (For
these ads,
you'll need to
submit an image
file. See ads
above for
reference.)
Artwork
must be
submitted 3
weeks prior
to
our "publish"
date. For
the Spring
2021 issue,
the deadline
is March
10,
2021
-
Plank Road
members
only.
-
$50
annually (4
newsletters). Previously
$200 - save
$150!
-
Ads must be
related to
folk or
acoustic
music.
For complete
details,
including specs
for image files,
please
contact us at:
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