Myths and Near Myths
Beach music will be 60 years old in 2005
by John Hook,
www.beachshag.com
Submitted by Cal Shaw, Tampa Bay Beach Boppers
with permission by John Hook
Chapter 1 — Introduction
In 1945 Billboard magazine announced that “Swing is dead; bands are out and vocalists are in.” The same year ‘Beach’ music emerged on one juke box at the beach; spreading rapidly to ‘jump joints’ along the boardwalk, then to other saloons and restaurants along the East Coast.
In the late 40s WLAC in Nashville featured rhythm 'n blues late-at-night with Gene Nobles, John R (ichbourg) and Hoss Allen. Gene started work there in ’43, John in ’47 and Hoss two years later.
By 1949, a few small, Carolina stations featured one and two-hour Rhythm ’n Blues shows such as Mac’s “A-Train Show” on WADE in Wadesboro and Genial Gene in Charlotte on WGIV. WLAC may have been the inspiration for many of those shows but they were probably also triggered by the radio wars with ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Arrangers and Producers) and the resultant formation of BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated). To avoid playing ASCAP songs, BMI licensed a good deal of the country and rhythm’n blues which had been ignored by ASCAP up to that point.
By the mid-50s, other local shows popped up: Buttercup in Lexington, NC (a female R&B jock!), the former president of the S.C. Association of Broadcasters had an R&B show in Spartanburg, Andy Herring started out in Kinston as Nervous Andy which evolved into his “Hot Foot Club” on WELS in November 1960 (in 1995, at 83, he still played the Hot Foot Club every afternoon, Monday through Friday), ‘Daddy-O on The Patio’ at WAAA in Winston Salem, Rusty Page and Hot Scott Hubbs at WGIV in Charlotte.
WLAC was a mega-powerful R&B outlet well into the 1970s. And over the years there have been many other venues for R&B and Shag music, yet the myths persist that Beach music is a phenomenon exclusive to the Beach. This demonstrates how little of Beach music history is really known.
Millions of Southeasterners have been exposed to it in many places, had a good time with it, then went back to their hometown and heard little or none of it unless they were lucky enough to know about a nearby Beach club or radio show (many in the 40s and 50s did not know about WLAC).
...BUT THE UNIVERSE ALWAYS FILLS VACUUMS
Local bands, often termed ‘Beach’ bands, got out of their hometowns and onto the Beach (and frat) circuit in the late 50s. Harry Deal and the Galaxies first played the Myrtle Beach Pavilion in 1960. The Pavilion at Atlantic Beach, Morehead City didn't have live acts until circa 1960. The 60s were explosive for the growth and popularity of Beach bands. In the 70s many disappeared; while others shouldered the ‘Rock’ mantle for a few years.
The change in drinking laws in 1986 had a profound effect on the bands, and Beach music in general; almost no one under 21 gets exposure to the Beach bands at frat parties or nightclubs any more. Many of the summer Beach festivals dried up for lack of this important 18 – 21 year old audience.
As exposure in clubs, festivals and frat parties declined, the vacuum was filled through radio by the spontaneous appearance of new Beach shows and Beach syndication including: the late Larry Crockett of Raleigh, Dale Van Horne, Charlie Byrd, Mack Jones, Leighton Grantham and Ken Rogers, Bill Kopald, the Beach Boogie and Blues Network and the Rhythm ’n Beach Network.
Clearly there has always been commitment on the part of ‘some’ broadcasters to provide unique, quality programming and entertainment for the Beachdiggers and Boppers of the Southeast.
For the sake of historical comparison, we offer the history of Beach and Shag in ‘waves.’
Editor’s note: This is a very long, but worthwhile, article and will be printed as space permits coming in subsequent issues of the“ABA news”.
Reprinted through the kind permission of the Author John Hook, www.beachshag.com where you can also listen to the Best in Beach Music on the Endless Summer Network, 24/7 free of charge.
© 1995 John Hook. All rights reserved. This is an unpublished work of authorship protected by the copyright laws of the USA. It may not be reproduced, copied, published, or loaned to other parties without the express written consent of the author.