Plank Road Folk Music Society

Autumn - October 2024 www.plankroad.org

In This Issue

Plank Road Annual Meeting

Fox Valley Folk Festival

In memory of John Lebbing

Music Trivia is back!

Remembering . . . Kris Kristofferson, JD Souther, Happy Traum, Kinky Friedman and others.

And lots more articles!

Plank Road Events

Please join us for our in-person get togethers — co-sponsored with Two Way Street Coffee House.

Sing-Around

1st & 3rd Saturday. | 2-4 pm

Vocal instrumental jam and sing-along with songbooks and leader.

Country & Western Sing-Around

4th Saturday. | 2-4 pm

Sing along with your favorite C&W songs. Songbooks provided.

Song Circle -- BYOS!

2nd Tuesday. | 7-9 pm

Bring Your Own Song! A monthly opportunity for folks to perform original or cover songs for each other, within a song circle.

Plank Road String Band Practice

2nd Sat. | 2:00-4:00 pm

First Church of Lombard

630-620-0688

An old-time string band practice for intermediate/advanced players, from September to April.

Next Barn Dance

Saturday, November 2 | 7-9 pm

Enjoy a fun-filled evening of music and dancing for the entire family. Doors open at 6:30.

Be sure to check the Plank Road and Two Way Street websites and Facebook pages for details about each event.

President's Message

Autumn 2024

Plank Road just finished our busiest stretch of the year, and are happy with the results. On the last day of August, we presented a music workshop, in conjunction with the Two Way Street Coffee House, which was very successful and rewarding. The next two days, Sunday and Monday (Labor Day), we attended the fabulous Fox Valley fall music festival in Geneva. Plank Road had a performance group on stage both days and spent the rest of the time at our tent playing music or attending one of the terrific music concerts, which went on all day on several stages.

Then we presented our usual monthly offering of several music events plus a special party at the Log Cabin in Lombard. This event is called our “annual meeting,” where we play music, eat snacks, and hear a brief update on the state of Plank Road, as an organization. It was well attended and enjoyed by all!

Then, to top off the month, we kicked off the barn dance season on Saturday evening, September 28, where the Plank Road string band plays dance music and our caller leads the dancers. It was our first of 5 dances. Check at plankroad.org for more information about this program. It is one of our oldest activities.

Whew, I’m worn out just from writing about all these good times we had!

I hope to see you all soon.

Bob O'Hanlon

President

Welcome New Members!

Tom Brown
Vikas Deo
Maria Hanzlik
Hugh Heinsohn
Tom Henry & Marian Indoranto

(apologies for not mentioning in previous issue)

Alexander C. Jones
Arlene Mesnard
Cindy Moriarity
Bill Morris & Wilma Hunter-Morris
Bob Streepy

Annual Log Cabin Party is back!

Music, snacks, and camaraderie . . . and did we mention music?

Plank Road’s annual get-together at the Lombard Log Cabin was a rousing success, with members old and new joining in. On Sunday, September 22, an estimated 32 people attended, including spouses, friends

. . . and a couple of kids.

It was a chance to socialize and catch up with folks we hadn’t seen for a while. But the main attraction was the music, with George Mattson leading us in song.

Someone commented that the singing seemed to be especially boisterous this year. A special treat was listening to the Plank Road string band performing several old-time tunes.

During a break, president Bob O’Hanlon briefly reviewed the status of our finances, memberships and our schedule of events. Plank Road items were also available for purchase, including new shirts and custom Plank Road guitar picks.

A big thank you to the Plank Road board of directors for organizing the event, setting up chairs, tables and food items before the meeting, and for cleaning up afterwards — plus several other folks who helped fold up and store tables and chairs. And special thanks to Mimi O’Hanlon and Jenneine Gilroy for pitching in.

Good times at the Log Cabin!

Fox Valley Folk Festival

The tradition rolls on at the 48th annual event . . . and a new location!

A last-minute change of venue didn’t stop Cheryl Joyal and her dedicated volunteer staff from staging another successful Fox Valley Festival over Labor Day weekend. Cheryl admitted there were some challenges due to the venue change, but everything came together beautifully.

Due to concerns about possible flooding at Island Park in Geneva, the massive event was moved to Wheeler Park.

As the largest folk music and storytelling event in Illinois, this year’s event lived up to its reputation — and even improved in some ways, such as easier access, more food vendors and wide open space. Not to mention many great performances and beautiful weather both days!

Plank Road was well-represented, both at stage presentations each morning, and later at the Plank Road tent, where many folks stopped by to visit and do some jamming. As always, there were many Plank Road volunteers helping throughout the 2-day event.

Below are photos from the Festival, most provided by official event photographer Jen Shilt.

"My song is over but my melody will live forever."

John Lebbing

John William Lebbing, age 75, of Villa Park and friend of many, passed away on September 17. He was a dedicated and beloved volunteer at Two Way Street Coffee House for many years.

Joel Simpson and Jennifer Ashley remember John as "the man of many hats, contributing to our community in countless ways. Whether selling tickets, managing our book-keeping, serving as a lead volunteer at concerts, or stepping up as emcee, John was always ready to lend a hand with passion and enthusiasm.”

“His love for folk music was evident not only in his support of the folk community but also in his personal artistry as a songwriter, often sharing his talents at our open mics. John’s commitment extended beyond Two Way Street; he actively volunteered at regional folk conferences, always excited to immerse himself in a weekend of remarkable music. His musical journey also included his participation in his church choir, where he found another outlet for his deep connection to music.”

John was born in Evanston, later moving to Roselle. His wife Katy remembers how they met. “One day my brother Joe introduced John to me — a girl who needed a ride to school — and the future was forged.” They were married in 1971.

Here are some excerpts from John’s obituary:

John was a dedicated family man who volunteered for many activities for his wife and four children, and was there for the family no matter what. After he retired, his love of music took more precedence in his life. He started writing his own songs and even built his own guitar! He found the Two Way Street Coffee House and quickly became a dedicated volunteer.

Memorials to Two Way Street Coffee House (twowaystreet.org 1047 Curtiss St. Downers Grove, IL 60515) are appreciated.

“John was a long-time Two Way Street staff member, open mic performer, primary emcee for the last several years, and a good friend. For quite some time he needed to use an oxygen concentrator, but that didn't stop him from working the door, greeting folks and collecting donations, and from emceeing the shows with humor and welcome.”

- Dave Humphreys

“John's presence, warmth, and dedication left an indelible mark on all of us. He was more than a volunteer; he was a friend, a mentor, and a cherished part of our folk community. He will be dearly missed, and his legacy will continue to inspire us.”

- Joel Simpson & Jennifer Ashley

Spencer & Rains

old time music workshop

Spencer and Rains at Two Way Street on August 31, followed by appearances at the Fox Valley Folk Festival the next day.

Husband and wife duo Tricia Spencer and Howard Rains presented the third in a series of 5th Saturday Workshops sponsored by Two Way Street Coffee House, in partnership with Plank Road.

Tricia and Howard are known for their distinct twin fiddling and their dedication to the preservation and sharing of old-time music. Tricia demonstrated her fiddle techniques and stressed the importance of rhythm and timing when playing old-time tunes. Howard joined Tricia on fiddle duets, and reviewed guitar techniques to accompany fiddle.

One more 5th Saturday Workshop remains — see below:

Final 5th Saturday Workshop of the season!

“Little Epiphanies” Songwriting Workshop with Jenny Bienemann

Saturday, November 30

2-4 pm

Two Way Street Coffee House

Workshops are presented in months that have five Saturdays — and so far, we’ve enjoyed three great workshops, thanks to Two Way Street, in partnership with Plank Road. The final workshop for 2024 is November 30, featuring an in-depth songwriting session with Jenny Bienemann.

Jenny is an award-winning poet, singer, songwriter, and visual artist. She has multiple albums, and her music has underscored TV, film and theatre projects. She’s taught numerous classes, including at the Old Town School of Folk Music.

“Her songs are fresh and honest, falling somewhere between winking innocence and worldly detachment.”

Check her out at jennybienemann.com/ and look for additional details and registration information on the Plank Road and Two Way Street websites and Facebook pages. Email updates will also be sent to Plank Road Members.

Remembering . . .

Kris Kristofferson

Country music legend Kris Kristofferson died September 28. He was 88.

His greatest success as a singer-songwriter came in the 1970s with the albums The Silver Tongued Devil and I, Border Lord and Jesus Was a Capricorn — all big country hits that also crossed over to the pop album charts.

But he was first known as a writer of hits for other artists. Roger Miller recorded three of his songs in 1969, including “Me and Bobby McGee,” which became one of Kristofferson’s most covered songs — most notably by Janis Joplin.

Kristofferson was born in Texas, the son of an Air Force pilot. He attended high school and college in California, and was awarded a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford University, where he began performing his own songs. After earning a master’s degree, he returned to the U.S. and became an Army helicopter pilot. He left the Army in 1965 with the rank of captain, and was offered a post at West Point as an English instructor.

However, a trip to Nashville changed that. He worked at various jobs, and happened to be working at Columbia Records when Bob Dylan came to town to record Blonde on Blonde — which is when he met Johnny Cash, who spread the word that Kristofferson was “the best songwriter around.”

His first #1 country hit was “Why Me,” followed by huge hits like “Sunday Morning Comin’ Down,” “For the Good Times,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” "The Silver Tongued Devil and I," and others, making Kristofferson one the hottest songwriting names in Nashville.

By 1973 his attention turned toward acting. He was cast as Billy the Kid in Sam Peckinpah’s Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid — which also featured Bob Dylan. Other films included Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and the blockbuster A Star is Born with Barbra Streisand. He continued to appear in a number of other films.

In 1985, Kristofferson joined Cash, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings to record Highwayman, which quickly became a chart topper. As pioneers of “outlaw country” music, they released two follow-up albums and toured as The Highwaymen.

The popular folk group, The Highwaymen (of “Michael Row the Boat Ashore” fame, which was a #1 hit in 1961) sued the supergroup over the use of the name. However, an “amicable agreement” was reached, with the folk group retaining ownership of the name.

Kristofferson was a four-time Grammy winner, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

He was married three times, including to singer Rita Coolidge in 1973. They scored big pop and country hits with three duet albums, but their marriage ended in1980 with Coolidge commenting, “I can’t say enough about what a great man he was. It’s just that he was a (expletive) husband with all his drinking and womanizing.” He stopped drinking that same year.

He once said he wanted the first three lines of Leonard Cohen’s “Bird On The Wire” on his tombstone:

Like a bird on the wire

Like a drunk in a midnight hour

I have tried in my way to be free

JD Souther

Known for his country rock, JD Souther wrote hit songs recorded by Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles. He died September 17 at age 78.

Souther was born and raised in Amarillo TX. His first recordings were with a local group who recorded at nearby Norman Petty Studios in Clovis NM in 1965 (the same studio that launched Buddy Holly in 1957). After moving to Los Angeles in the late 1960s, Souther met Glenn Frey, becoming close friends and musical collaborators — and briefly performing as a folk duo.

After recording a solo album in 1972, Souther formed the band Souther-Hillman-Furay, releasing two albums. When creative tensions led to the band's demise he released his second solo LP, featuring a duet with Linda Ronstadt. His biggest solo hit was “You’re Only Lonely” in 1979, reaching #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the Adult Contemporary Chart for five consecutive weeks.

In the 1970s Souther wrote or co-wrote many hits for the Eagles, including “Best of My Love,” “New Kid In Town,” and “Heartache Tonight.” He dated Stevie Nicks and Linda Ronstadt, writing songs for several of Ronstadt’s albums — and collaborated with longtime friend James Taylor on “Her Town Too.”

Souther also appeared in a number of films and TV series, and wrote many songs for other artists. He was inducted into the Songwriter Hall of Fame in 2013, and remembered as “a principal architect of the Southern California sound and a major influence on a generation of songwriters.”

Kinky Friedman

Known as a “politically incorrect raconteur,” singer, songwriter, humorist, novelist and politician Richard “Kinky” Friedman died June 27 at age 79.

He was born in Chicago, eventually moving to Texas. After high school he earned a BA in psychology — and the nickname “kinky,” because of his curly hair. He served two years in the Peace Corps, and later founded an animal rescue shelter near Kerrville TX, saving over 1,000 dogs from euthanasia.

His first band, King Arthur & the Carrots, satirized surf music. In 1973 he formed his second band, Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, which many thought was a play on the famous country band, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. Their first “tour bus” was a Cadillac with expired license plates and a propensity to break down.

He initially found fame as a country/western singer, eventually touring with Bob Dylan — his repertoire mixing social commentary and maudlin ballads with raucous humor. His “Ride ‘Em Jewboy” was actually a tribute to victims of the Holocaust. One of his most famous songs is “They Ain’t Makin’ Jews Like Jesus Anymore.” He and the band taped an Austin City Limits show in 1975, but it was considered “too offensive” and never aired.

After his musical career stalled in the 1980s, Friedman began writing detective novels, and wrote a regular column for Texas Monthly magazine.

In 1984 he ran for Justice of the Peace in Kerrville, but lost. In 2004 he began a serious, though colorful, campaign for Governor of Texas — hoping to follow in the footsteps of other entertainers-turned-governors like Reagan, Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura. He was defeated. Originally a Republican, Friedman switched parties in 2013, claiming he was actually “a Democrat all his life.”

Happy Traum

Folk musician and noted guitarist and banjo player, Harry Peter “Happy” Traum, died July 17 at age 86. He was a mainstay of the Greenwich Village folk scene in the early 1960s and a Dylan collaborator.

He was born in New York City, and as a teenager frequented the folk music gatherings in Washington Square and Greenwich Village in the late 1950s and 60s.

While in high school he became friends with Peter Yarrow and Eric Weissberg. He received a bachelor’s degree at New York University, and became part of the Woodstock music community in the 70s and 80s. He and his brother, Artie, performed at the Newport Folk Festival and toured the world. Traum released eight albums and had an influential career as a music instructor.

According to Blues magazine, Traum “is easily one the most significant acoustic-roots musicians and guitar pickers of his generation.”

He first appeared on record at a historic session in 1962, when a group of young folk musicians, including Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger and others, gathered in the studio at Folkways Records. With his group, The New World Singers, Traum cut the first version of “Blowin’ In the Wind,” in early 1963. “We didn’t know how special it was, and that we’d still be talking about it 60 years later.”

They also released the first recorded version of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright,” in 1963 — followed that same year on Dylan’s album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. For several years Traum studied blues guitar with Brownie McGhee, who was a big influence.

He was a sought-after sideman, recording with Dylan, Pete Seeger, Levon Helm, Peter Tosh and others. He also sang a duet with Dylan (who performed under the pseudonym Blind Boy Grunt).

John Mayall

English blues and rock musician, songwriter and producer John Mayall was born in Cheshire, England in 1933. He died July 22 at age 90. In the 1960s he formed John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers — a band that included legendary artists Eric Clapton, and later, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood.

Mayall was a singer, guitarist, harmonica player and keyboardist, with a career spanning nearly seven decades. He remained an active musician until his death, and has been referred to as the “godfather of British blues” — and was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

From an early age he was drawn to the sounds of American blues, teaching himself to play piano, guitar and blues harmonica. Mayall served in the British military in Korea, and while on leave, bought his first electric guitar in Japan. After college he worked as an art designer, while playing in various bands, until 1963, when he opted for a full-time musical career in London.

Mayall received a recording contract with Decca Records in 1964. A year later former Yardbirds guitarist Eric Clapton joined the band — and the Bluesbreakers began attracting considerable attention. In 1966, unknown to Mayall, Clapton had been negotiating with bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker to form their own band, Cream.

After many lineup changes during the 60s, Mayall tried different formats eventually moving to Los Angeles, where he recorded with local musicians for various labels.

Maurice Williams

Born in 1938 in South Carolina, Maurice Williams died August 5 at the age of 86. His first experience with music was in the church where his mother and sister both performed — and by the time he was six he was regularly performing there. With a childhood friend he formed a gospel group, but rock & roll and doo-wop soon became their interest.

In 1956, while still in high school, Williams and his band traveled to Nashville to record — and changed their name to the Gladiolas. A year later they released “Little Darlin,” which was a hit on the R&B Chart, but only reached #41 on Billboard’s Top 100. However, when it was covered by the Canadian group, The Diamonds, it rocketed up to #2.

After high school the band hit the road. Legend has it their station wagon broke down in West Virginia, and they came across a British-built Ford car known as the Zodiac. They immediately changed their name to Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs. And the rest is history.

In 1959 the band recorded several tracks they hoped would include a hit. One of those tracks was “Stay,” a song that Williams wrote back in 1953. In early 1960, “Stay” was released, quickly rising to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. At a mere 1 minute and 36 seconds, “Stay” is the shortest recording ever to reach #1. Since then the song has been covered by the Hollies, the Four Seasons, Jackson Browne and others.

Williams continued to record, tour and release music until his death.

Did you know . . .

The “27 Club”

Since we had an unusually high number of celebrity musician deaths in this issue — and Halloween is just around the corner — it seems only right that we talk about the infamous “27 Club.” As you may be aware, 27 was a not a lucky age for a number of famous artists.

There are currently six in the Club:

Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse.

Each was seemingly on the path to success, but struggled with various issues, such as chronic unhappiness, insecurity, low self-esteem, tumultuous relationships, depression, and addiction — which ultimately became paths to destruction — at the young age of 27.

With a little help from our friends . . .

George Mattson Trio

gmtrio.com

Mark Dvorak

markdvorak.com

Cathy Jones

cathy@jonesfamilymusic.com

WDCB Folk Festival

Tobias Music

www.tobiasmusic.com

Music Trivia

Andy's Music Trivia Quiz

Sorry I missed the last issue of QuarterNotes. I'll try to not let it happen again. Thanks for your responses. Questions 4 and 6 stumped our best trivia experts, otherwise, great answers!

Answers to April Quiz:

Q1. When and where was Elvis' first public appearance?

A1. Oct 3, 1945, at the age of 10 years old, he stood on a chair at the Mississippi/Alabama Dairy show and took 5th place. (I don't know how many contestants there were!)

Q2. NAME THAT TUNE! - What song begins with the words "When the sun beats down, and melts"? Who sang the hit?

A2. The Drifters first sang the 1964 hit (BB100 #4 ), "Under the Boardwalk" written by Kenny Young & Arthur Resnick. Bill Matthews had some additional fun info on the song. The first line uses the title to an earlier hit "Up On the Roof", and the violin lead-in to the chorus plays a riff from "Up On the Roof".

Q3. NAME THAT TUNE! - What song begins with the words " Where the Walker runs down into the Carson"

A3. "Darcy Farrow", written by Steve Gillette and Tom Campbell, is a popular folk tune in our songbook, that has been covered by many artists over the years. Bill M. points out that the Walker does not actually run into the Carson Valley.

Q4. What did John Lomax do with his first collection of cowboy songs, western songs, and other ballads?

A4. When John Lomax enrolled at the University of Texas in 1895, he proudly showed a professor his tightly rolled collection of folk songs, bound by cotton string. But the teacher rebuffed him. These lowbrow Western songs were “tawdry, cheap, and unworthy,” he was told. Stick to the classics. “That night,” Lomax wrote in his 1947 memoir, Adventures of a Ballad Hunter, “I made a small bonfire of every scrap of my cowboy songs.”

Q5. Little Esther Phillips had her first hit for Savoy records in 1950 at the age of 15. After severe drug problems, she recovered, and was rediscovered in the 1960s. Who rediscovered her, and what was her song that went to #1 on the R&B charts?

A5. Her Soul version of the 1946 country song, “Release Me” made the pop top 10, and R&B #1 in late 1962. Kenny Rogers heard her singing in a Houston club, and signed her to his brother's Lenox label.

Q6. What country singer has the best run of Top 3 C&W songs starting in 1963?

A6. Sonny James, starting with "The Minute You're Gone" in 1963 had a run of 25 straight, top 3 country songs. Of those, 21 reached the #1 position. None of his peers have equaled, or topped, this record run.

Q7. Eddie Hodges, was born in 1947 and started his acting career on broadway in Music Man in 1957. He next appeared with Frank Sinatra in Hole in the Head, singing "High Hopes" with him in 1959. In 1961 and 1962, he had a Top 20 Billboard charting song each year. What were they, and who wrote them?

A7. 1961 #12 - "I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door" (A. Schroeder & S. Wayne - 1959). 1962 #14 - "Girls Girls Girls" (Phil Everly - 1959)

Q8. Steve Lawrence was born in 1935, and had his first hit in 1952, but only had one #1 song in his career. What was the song?

A8. “Go Away Little Girl,” a Goffin-King song that made #1 in January 1963, was Steve Lawrence’s only #1 song.

NEW Trivia Quiz:

Q1. NAME THAT TUNE! - What song begins with the words "I bet you wonder how I knew, bout"? Who sang the hit?

Q2. NAME THAT TUNE! - What song begins with the words "My Latest Sun is Sinking?"

Q3. What Lennon/McCartney song did Bobby Rydell take to #2 on the BB CashBox?

Q4. Who played the guitar break in 1958 on Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me"?

Trivia Snipet: Doug Sahm was a child prodigy from San Antonio in country music, appearing at the Louisianna Hayride at age 8 as Little Doug Sahm. In high school he switched to rock & roll fronting several bands. Meanwhile, a producer, Huey Meaux studied the music from the British Invasion, and the Beatles in particular to determine their secret to success. He found the beat similar to a Cajun 2-step where the emphasis fell on the rhythmic beat. Meaux told Sahm to grow his hair, and write a song based on this formula. Doug did just that and also, formed a new band. Meaux named the band "The Sir Douglas Quintet", and the group had a hit with "She's About a Mover" in 1965, peaking at #13 on BB 100.

Q5. The Coasters had a #3 BB 100 hit in 1957 with "Searchin". What TV/Movie characters are mentioned or referenced in the song?

Q6. Name 2 (or more) British groups that scored multiple hits with Lennon/McCartney songs, and the names of the songs.

Q7. Who sang a prophetic hit song about a place where he was later severely injured? What was the song?

Q8. How many times did Pat Boone win the National Amateur Hour? Name one of the songs he won with?

Q9. Paul Revere and the Raiders went to #1 with the song “Indian Reservation.” Who sang it first?

Q10. What Ned Miller song was a flop when originally issued?

Q11. Patsy Cline died in an airplane crash on Mar 5, 1963 with fellow performers Hawkshaw Hawkins, and Cowboy Copas. What was the last song she performed in concert & where?

Nice reponses. Thanks, keep them coming.

pictq@yahoo.com