tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12901178.post2849246074749958483..comments2024-01-31T11:37:10.331-06:00Comments on Born-Again Hippies: The Late, Great Johnny AceRandy Haspelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371114789022032381noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12901178.post-85021961143831161242010-05-30T14:56:36.660-05:002010-05-30T14:56:36.660-05:00True story. 1961 and I am the Press Scimitar deliv...True story. 1961 and I am the Press Scimitar delivery boy for Mr. Dewey Phillips at his palatial Frayser estate, corner of Steele and Haywood. I bike by one day at the usual 3:45, prepared for the mighty fling. The Press was skinny and made you look like a good thrower, even if you weren't. But I digress. There against the carport storage room door, in gear, at idle speed, sits a white Impala with a passed out Dewey behind the wheel. I walked up, shook his shoulder, and he became immediately awake. "Hey, how you?" was all he said as he turned off the ignition, exited the vehicle and strolled into the house. That was quite a route. Besides Dewey, I also had Sputnik and Treacherous in the mobile home park on Highway 51 near N. Watkins. Oh, and Ellis was my debate partner at Westside.Drewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12901178.post-5347132870084147792010-05-22T01:48:01.943-05:002010-05-22T01:48:01.943-05:00I, too, have fond memories of listening to our Nat...I, too, have fond memories of listening to our National shortwave/AM radio late at night...I was in Iowa, digging the above-mentioned Dick Biondi on AM and the BBC on shortwave. Another treat was to listen to Little Rock's high-wattage AM station (I don't recall the call letters) and hear weather forecasts prognosticating "a high in the mid-fifties tomorrow", in February when our own weatherman was announcing temps 35 degrees lower! We had good coverage of early rock-a-billy artists in Davenport, since Sun Records were widely distributed there, and we even had a nutty dj (radio name was Mark Stevens)who colored his patter with short, recorded drop-in commentary. I would love to have heard Dewy Phillips, though, as it is obvious that he had a real genius for his work. Today's radio is so different...keep up the great work, my friend.tonytunesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12901178.post-33116424261576431582010-05-20T23:35:38.232-05:002010-05-20T23:35:38.232-05:00Randy! My dear mother would be so proud that you h...Randy! My dear mother would be so proud that you had written such an exquisite editorial on the late great Johnny Ace! But I must reveal to you what she unveiled to me. She said that Ace was not killed by no Russian Roullette & that Ehvis didn't die on no camode<br />in Graceland! She said that the mafia pulled the plug on them both! Just like Sonny Liston & Mario Lanza. Case closed!<br /><br />You see! We live in the most difficult of times! Just look what the Tea Baggers did to Big Mike on American Idol! They took the best black male voice since Luther & dropped kicked his big ass right out of Hollywood! Mark my word! He will emerge! Then he will have nothing to worry about..except that damn Mafia! A call to all for a little closer walk with our merciful Lord through that long & winding gravel road we call Life! There! I said it! Thank you Jesus! SIREENSIREENnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12901178.post-77471936913342880172010-05-20T16:10:56.751-05:002010-05-20T16:10:56.751-05:00Ellis too busy making movies with Peschi & Han...Ellis too busy making movies with Peschi & Hanks to know all that! Memphis is spread all over this world these days! Give the man some slack! We just can't seem to keep our fingers out of the Memphis pie no matter where we are!<br />LOL! XXXs & OOOs SireenSireennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12901178.post-6033935632404100932010-05-20T13:51:09.186-05:002010-05-20T13:51:09.186-05:00Hey Ellis, FYI, Randy was on the radio. Remember, ...Hey Ellis, FYI, Randy was on the radio. Remember, he had two shows on WEVL until they canned him because his views didn't coincide with Geo "W", as well as the Wimps that run WEVL and their right wing Board of Directors who tried to put words in Randy's mouth. Take that not so long ago walk down Memory Lane.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12901178.post-28789031231554712592010-05-20T12:29:41.495-05:002010-05-20T12:29:41.495-05:00Just lovely, Randy.Just lovely, Randy.Cindyhttp://housesthenovel.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12901178.post-85251394446189059612010-05-20T11:53:33.499-05:002010-05-20T11:53:33.499-05:00Randy-That was an outstanding Blog. I have heard ...Randy-That was an outstanding Blog. I have heard recordings Of Dewey Phillips, and learned about him when I was in Junior High or maybe High school. I never heard him wen I first lived in Memphis (1963-1971)cos my famile almost always listened to WMPS,and Im sorry I never got to hear him in his late prime. Same for Johnny Ace. <br /> You really captured a time in our youth of actions we took and how the world was so different then. I can see the bed and your room and all of the mourners in your house and know those mixed feelings.<br /><br /> A wonderful piece of writing Randy-THANK YOU!!Lonniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04070724367404386437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12901178.post-3495023316561666822010-05-20T11:32:02.816-05:002010-05-20T11:32:02.816-05:00Born-Again Hippies has become sacramental to me. I...Born-Again Hippies has become sacramental to me. In it I am reminded of people and things that went before, always with clarity, wit and bon homie. You ought to be on the radio, like Dewey Phillips.Ellisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12901178.post-74934283557803250462010-05-20T10:34:01.673-05:002010-05-20T10:34:01.673-05:00Randy! Thank you for sharing from your memoir a re...Randy! Thank you for sharing from your memoir a real piece of your soul. The mere mention of Dewey Phillips brings a smile on many a Memphian's heart. I too remember that haunting night when Dewey announced the death of Johnny Ace. With a big sister & three older brothers & mother & dad that were lovers of Fats Waller & Louis Jordon & what Poplar Tunes called Race Music... our home in Frayser was so intensely solemn I had no idea that the death of Johnny Ace was ignored by the Memphis press.<br /><br />It brought back memories of when Rufus Thomas announced with so much dignity that Dina Washington took her own life. What is even more haunting is that the great Elvis Presley's last recording was a tribute to the late, great Johnny Ace...PLEDGING MY LOVE! Thank you Randy. I look forward to your upcoming memoir. The Peace of the Lord! FFFFather Farkenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00571295113979156361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12901178.post-64886441236660776652010-05-20T06:58:15.723-05:002010-05-20T06:58:15.723-05:00I WOULD SPEND TIME WITH RON MARONIE AND NICK CHARL...I WOULD SPEND TIME WITH RON MARONIE AND NICK CHARLES AT W.H.B.Q. AT THE CHISCA HOTEL AT NIGHT. YOU BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES,THANKS RANDYUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16030500377845541596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12901178.post-59016088182622039142010-05-20T06:33:30.831-05:002010-05-20T06:33:30.831-05:00THANKS FOR THE UP DATE RANDY, RESPECTFULLY YOURS ...THANKS FOR THE UP DATE RANDY, RESPECTFULLY YOURS BILLY WICKSUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16030500377845541596noreply@blogger.com