Sunday, May 26, 2002 10:22:35 PM
Rock 'n' Roll Artists A-Z...Re: Eddie Cochran
http://www.eddiecochran.net/
http://www.oliveweb.clara.net/r-cochran-eddie.htm
http://home.wanadoo.nl/rockpage/
Eddie age 8 Ray Edward Cochran was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota on October 3rd 1938 from Frank and Alice, both originary from Oklahoma City that Eddie always regarded as his home town though he was not born there. He had 4 older brothers and sisters: Gloria, Bill, Bob and Patty. The Great depression forced the Cochrans to move up north. Eddie was the only one in the family really interested in music. At the age of 12 he wanted to join the school orchestra as a drummer but then he opted for the trombone when he discovered that he would have to take piano lessons in order to play drums there.
Then his musical career had another twist when the director of the school orchestra informed the family that Eddie didn't have the "lip" for that particular instrument and he suggested clarinet instead. When Eddie saw what a clarinet looked like he totally refused to even consider it and stated that he would quit the orchestra if he could not play what he wanted. So, as his mother recalls, he asked his brother Bob to show him some chords on Bill's old Kay guitar, that was not played very often at the time. "Then he got a chord book and he seemed to just naturally take it from there".
In 1951 the Cochrans decided to follow the golden trail to California, to join Bill that already moved there when he got married after leaving the Military Service. Two cars totally packed up, and Eddie would not want to part from his guitar. "For pity's sake, Eddie, with all the other odds and ends we have to carry! That guitar isn't the prize possession in this hosehould, you know!" - "Possession, Mom? This guitar's my friend. It's my best friend."
Bell Gardens (LA). New kid on the block, Eddie focused totally on his guitar also to compensate lack of companionship. In September 1951 he met Conrad Smith, colloquially known as Connie Smith, in junior high. Connie shared the same interest in music as Eddie, he played upright bass in the school orchestra and was also competent on steel guitar and mandolin. In late 1953 they formed a trio together with another student on lead guitar, Connie on steel guitar and Eddie playing rythm.
Connie "Guybo" Smith. They often practised in a reharsal room in the back of the local music store (The Bell Garden Music Center) which owner, Bert Keither, was very interested in Eddie's music and later will sell him the legendary sunburst Gretsch seen in almost every photo of the musician. The trio started playing at parties, amateur gigs, supermaket openings and other local affairs that would help them gaining experience and some little spare bucks.
After graduating in june 1954 Eddie actually enrolled in High school but he spent all his spare time hanging out with local musicians and jammin' wherever he could, trying to realize his dream to quit school and make a living as a musician. The closeby Southgate and Downey were bastions of R&B and country, and Bell Gardens itself offered Eddie a broad cross-cultural environment where he could benefit of a wide range of musical influences.
The great country picker Chet Atkins was one of his favorite guitarists, and mastering his complex bass-melody harmony picking style with lightning speed helped build his incredible dexterity and versatility. Mike Deasy of the Kelly Four, that will be his road and recording group later, recalls: "Most guys will play Honky Tonk in E, but Eddie would play it in F, the tougher way - only it wasn't though for him." And Dave Shrieber, The Kelly Fours'bassman: "That's true, he was one of the few guys I've ever seen who actually played the guitar with all his fingers. Instead of playing an open chord, he'd play the same notes up the neck, giving you the same chord sound, and not a barre chord either. A lot of those licks on things like "Eddie's Blues" or "Milk Cow Blues" he did with a flat pick and two fingers, with that kind of rolling Atkins left-hand style, you know, with everything working. He could play anything - jazz, country, blues, rock and roll. Slow, fast, anything you want. I've seen him playing fast licks with a thumbpick, and right in the middle he'd put the thumbpick in his mouth and switch to a flatpick without missing a note. I was just completely amazed. I used to watch his hands; they were very delicate-looking and flexible, as if they didn't have any bones. He could stretch his finger all over that fingerboard."
Eddie Cochran was also very bright and his natural curiousity drove him to research and experiment new sounds and new techniques. Eddie age 14 Alice claims that everything came easily to him, that he was a honor student and that there was nothing he could not play with his guitar after listening to it once or twice. All his associates confirm this last point; Chuck Foreman jammed with him in the early days: "When I met Eddie he couldn't be more that 15-16 y.o. and we were listening to a lot of jazz in those days. I remeber we had those old Johnny Smith Royal Roost 78 records; Smith was playing a lot of triads and this really fascinated Eddie. He'd say 'I wonder how the hell he's doing that' and in no time at all he was playing it. Ed was very aware, very astute, he retained things. He was playing a lot of Chet Atkins, Joe Maphis - he could duplicate all those Maphis high-speed licks note-for-note very easily."
In October 1954, Cochran walked into the American Legion Club, a social hall in Bell Gardens, to watch a semi-pro band called Richard Kay and the Shamrock Valley Boys run through their stock repertoire of hillbilly standards. He coyly approached the members of the band between sets and asked to join them on stage for a few numbers. In such informal surroundings this was easily arranged and Eddie struck up a lasting friendship with the bands rhythm guitarist, Bob Bull.
Bull asked Eddie if he was related to a local singer named Hank Cochran who had recently gigged with the band. Eddie had never heard of the other Cochran and Bull suggested that the two should meet as Hank was trying to form a group.
Hank Cochran had come up the hard way which could explain why he had chosen to live his life out of the limelight. By the time he and Eddie met, he had turned professional and was working in clubs. Hank offered Eddie a job as his accompanying guitarist, and in January 1955, Eddie left school for good. He was only four months past his 16th birthday.
Fraternal duos were very popular in the country music field at this time and as they shared the same surname and vaguely looked alike, the two Cochrans decided to pool their talents and go on the road as the Cochran Brothers, with Hank singing and playing rhythm guitar and Eddie on lead guitar and vocal harmony. The group was augmented by an unknown bass player and Billy Watson on guitar and vocals.
In the initial stages, the Cochrans lacked stagecraft. Eddie had not previously given much thought to singing and their harmonies were ragged while the difference in height between the two detracted from the visual appeal. Nevertheless, with practice their act came together and they began to make their presence felt on the West Coast country music circuit, which was much more receptive to newcomers that its’ cliquey Nashville counterpart. In practice, this meant making the rounds of country music dance halls and Western Jamborees which provided regular entertainment for the local blue collar workers.
The most prestigious event on the coast was Cliffe Stone’s “Hometown Jamboree” which was televised on KLAC every Sunday from the Legion Stadium in El Monte followed closely by “Town Hall Party” in Compton, 25 miles south of Los Angeles. Both shows featured visiting headliners supported by local acts and promising newcomers.
Cliffe Stone was a shareholder in the Americana Music Corporation, a booking agency run by Steve Stebbins, the leading country promoter on the West Coast and a powerhouse on the local scene. Other well-known country singers such as Eddie Kirk, Tennessee Ernie Ford and Merle Travis also held shares in the agency which monopolized California’s country music circuit and snapped any promising newcomers. The Cochran Brothers were added to its’ books in April 1955 at which point there was a dramatic improvement in their fortunes. They put in appearances in both “Town Hall Party” and “Hometown Jamboree” and also appeared on “Country Barn Dance” a more down market affair held in the 1000 capacity Jubilee Ballroom, just west of El Monte.
Steve Stebbins arranged an immediate audition with EKKO Records, one of the dozens of tiny independents scattered across Los Angeles. It was owned by Ed Bloodworth and two partners, and its’ ambitions outweighed its’ budget. Unable to sign up big names, it settled for small-time local acts such as the Cochrans, Jess Willard, and Western Swing veterans from the previous decade. EKKO’s A7R man, Charles “Red” Mathews was based in Memphis where the company had its main office, and would make periodic recording trips to California. Assuming a managerial role as best he could, given that he was not locally based, Mathews based his faith in the Cochrans and rehearsed them thoroughly prior to recording.
In May 1955, at Sunset Records in Hollywood, he produced 4 tracks by the duo in the plaintive hillbilly style popularized by Hank Williams and issued two of the titles, “Mr. Fiddle” and “Two Blue Singing Stars” as their debut single. Vocally, Hank is stronger on these recordings and is ably supported by Eddie who also plays some nice country-style guitar.
In the Autumn, Hank and Eddie were booked to appear on the “Big D Jamboree” in Dallas. Broadcast locally on KRLD, the “Big D” ranked alongside Nashville’s “Opry” as a prestigious country music showcase and was held every weekend in the Dallas Sportatorium, a huge corrugated iron building that played host to wrestling contests on weekdays.
Elvis Presley had stormed out of Memphis with an astounding fusion of country, R&B and pop and cut a swathe across the south with a stage act that had a galvanizing effect on audiences. Hank and Eddie arrived in Dallas only days after Elvis had appeared on the “Big D”.
The pandemonium which accompanied Elvis’ personal appearances was a phenomenon in country music and the Cochrans listened in awe as a security told them that he had nearly been torn apart by fans as he attempted to protect Elvis. Hank, who had heard some of Elvis’ sun records on the radio says that “He and Eddie knew right then that this new stuff was about to happen!”
The Cochrans traveled East through Texarkana and on to Memphis where EKKO had a small office on Union Avenue, not far from Sun. The unscheduled trip left the Cochrans virtually penniless forcing Eddie to hock his amplifier to boost their finances; in fact, they were only able to make it back to LA by hitch hiking!
Whenever he came home to Bell Gardens, Eddie would drop int the music center which was only a few blocks away. It was a popular hangout for local musicians and owner Ben Keither often brought customers together. Eddie was buying guitar strings there on a Saturday afternoon in October 1955 when Keither introduced him to the man who would become his mentor, manager and co-writer; Jerry Capehart.
Capehart, who had no singing voice, mentioned that he was looking for somebody to demo his songs. Eddie replied that he and Hank would be happy to oblige for a small fee. He introduced Capehart to Hank and a few days later they laid down some songs in a small recording booth equipped with a disk cutting lathe. Although nothing became of these dubs, Capehart adopted the Cochrans as his occasional backing band and offered to promote their career. Capehart knew he’d never make it as a singer and worked toward establishing a relationship with the Cochrans as a means to an end.
In October, EKKO had issued a second single “Guilty Conscience” which had not fared any better that the first, and with Red Mathews spending most of his time in Memphis, Capehart’s burgeoning entrepreneurial instincts began to come into play. Capehart had an infectious enthusiasm which made for convincing salesmanship.
Compromised by his own limitations as a singer and the fact that the Cochrans were already under contract to EKKO, Capehart concluded that any deal was better than no deal and began casting his net. In November 1955 he drove to the Watts district to confer with a black entrepreneur name John Dolphin who ran a thriving record shop in the heart of the black community. Dolphin was notable for having a DJ named “Huggy Boy” broadcasting from a booth in the record shop window. Dolphin operated two R&B labels from his shop and made his own masters in a small studio housed in the rear of the premises; he could cut a record in the morning, give Huggy Boy an acetate in the evening and having customers asking for pressings the following day.
Capehart pitched Dolphin the idea of cutting some “Hillbilly” sounds and came away with the promise of a one record deal although he had to give away his sons to get it – Dolphins name routinely appeared as the writer of any songs released on his labels. Backed by four black musicians with Hank and Eddie on guitars, Capehart recorded “Rollin and Walkin Stick Boogie” just before Christmas 1955.
The hits in the Billboard Hot 100 :
Sittin' in the balcony.......18...13-weeks...1957
Drive in show................82....6-weeks...1957
Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie......94....1-week....1958
Summertime Blues..............8...16-weeks...1958
C'mon Everybody..............35...12-weeks...1958
Teenage heaven...............99....1-week....1959
Somethin' Else...............58....9-weeks...1959
]
Breaking Clay Makes My Day!
http://www.eddiecochran.net/
http://www.oliveweb.clara.net/r-cochran-eddie.htm
http://home.wanadoo.nl/rockpage/
Eddie age 8 Ray Edward Cochran was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota on October 3rd 1938 from Frank and Alice, both originary from Oklahoma City that Eddie always regarded as his home town though he was not born there. He had 4 older brothers and sisters: Gloria, Bill, Bob and Patty. The Great depression forced the Cochrans to move up north. Eddie was the only one in the family really interested in music. At the age of 12 he wanted to join the school orchestra as a drummer but then he opted for the trombone when he discovered that he would have to take piano lessons in order to play drums there.
Then his musical career had another twist when the director of the school orchestra informed the family that Eddie didn't have the "lip" for that particular instrument and he suggested clarinet instead. When Eddie saw what a clarinet looked like he totally refused to even consider it and stated that he would quit the orchestra if he could not play what he wanted. So, as his mother recalls, he asked his brother Bob to show him some chords on Bill's old Kay guitar, that was not played very often at the time. "Then he got a chord book and he seemed to just naturally take it from there".
In 1951 the Cochrans decided to follow the golden trail to California, to join Bill that already moved there when he got married after leaving the Military Service. Two cars totally packed up, and Eddie would not want to part from his guitar. "For pity's sake, Eddie, with all the other odds and ends we have to carry! That guitar isn't the prize possession in this hosehould, you know!" - "Possession, Mom? This guitar's my friend. It's my best friend."
Bell Gardens (LA). New kid on the block, Eddie focused totally on his guitar also to compensate lack of companionship. In September 1951 he met Conrad Smith, colloquially known as Connie Smith, in junior high. Connie shared the same interest in music as Eddie, he played upright bass in the school orchestra and was also competent on steel guitar and mandolin. In late 1953 they formed a trio together with another student on lead guitar, Connie on steel guitar and Eddie playing rythm.
Connie "Guybo" Smith. They often practised in a reharsal room in the back of the local music store (The Bell Garden Music Center) which owner, Bert Keither, was very interested in Eddie's music and later will sell him the legendary sunburst Gretsch seen in almost every photo of the musician. The trio started playing at parties, amateur gigs, supermaket openings and other local affairs that would help them gaining experience and some little spare bucks.
After graduating in june 1954 Eddie actually enrolled in High school but he spent all his spare time hanging out with local musicians and jammin' wherever he could, trying to realize his dream to quit school and make a living as a musician. The closeby Southgate and Downey were bastions of R&B and country, and Bell Gardens itself offered Eddie a broad cross-cultural environment where he could benefit of a wide range of musical influences.
The great country picker Chet Atkins was one of his favorite guitarists, and mastering his complex bass-melody harmony picking style with lightning speed helped build his incredible dexterity and versatility. Mike Deasy of the Kelly Four, that will be his road and recording group later, recalls: "Most guys will play Honky Tonk in E, but Eddie would play it in F, the tougher way - only it wasn't though for him." And Dave Shrieber, The Kelly Fours'bassman: "That's true, he was one of the few guys I've ever seen who actually played the guitar with all his fingers. Instead of playing an open chord, he'd play the same notes up the neck, giving you the same chord sound, and not a barre chord either. A lot of those licks on things like "Eddie's Blues" or "Milk Cow Blues" he did with a flat pick and two fingers, with that kind of rolling Atkins left-hand style, you know, with everything working. He could play anything - jazz, country, blues, rock and roll. Slow, fast, anything you want. I've seen him playing fast licks with a thumbpick, and right in the middle he'd put the thumbpick in his mouth and switch to a flatpick without missing a note. I was just completely amazed. I used to watch his hands; they were very delicate-looking and flexible, as if they didn't have any bones. He could stretch his finger all over that fingerboard."
Eddie Cochran was also very bright and his natural curiousity drove him to research and experiment new sounds and new techniques. Eddie age 14 Alice claims that everything came easily to him, that he was a honor student and that there was nothing he could not play with his guitar after listening to it once or twice. All his associates confirm this last point; Chuck Foreman jammed with him in the early days: "When I met Eddie he couldn't be more that 15-16 y.o. and we were listening to a lot of jazz in those days. I remeber we had those old Johnny Smith Royal Roost 78 records; Smith was playing a lot of triads and this really fascinated Eddie. He'd say 'I wonder how the hell he's doing that' and in no time at all he was playing it. Ed was very aware, very astute, he retained things. He was playing a lot of Chet Atkins, Joe Maphis - he could duplicate all those Maphis high-speed licks note-for-note very easily."
In October 1954, Cochran walked into the American Legion Club, a social hall in Bell Gardens, to watch a semi-pro band called Richard Kay and the Shamrock Valley Boys run through their stock repertoire of hillbilly standards. He coyly approached the members of the band between sets and asked to join them on stage for a few numbers. In such informal surroundings this was easily arranged and Eddie struck up a lasting friendship with the bands rhythm guitarist, Bob Bull.
Bull asked Eddie if he was related to a local singer named Hank Cochran who had recently gigged with the band. Eddie had never heard of the other Cochran and Bull suggested that the two should meet as Hank was trying to form a group.
Hank Cochran had come up the hard way which could explain why he had chosen to live his life out of the limelight. By the time he and Eddie met, he had turned professional and was working in clubs. Hank offered Eddie a job as his accompanying guitarist, and in January 1955, Eddie left school for good. He was only four months past his 16th birthday.
Fraternal duos were very popular in the country music field at this time and as they shared the same surname and vaguely looked alike, the two Cochrans decided to pool their talents and go on the road as the Cochran Brothers, with Hank singing and playing rhythm guitar and Eddie on lead guitar and vocal harmony. The group was augmented by an unknown bass player and Billy Watson on guitar and vocals.
In the initial stages, the Cochrans lacked stagecraft. Eddie had not previously given much thought to singing and their harmonies were ragged while the difference in height between the two detracted from the visual appeal. Nevertheless, with practice their act came together and they began to make their presence felt on the West Coast country music circuit, which was much more receptive to newcomers that its’ cliquey Nashville counterpart. In practice, this meant making the rounds of country music dance halls and Western Jamborees which provided regular entertainment for the local blue collar workers.
The most prestigious event on the coast was Cliffe Stone’s “Hometown Jamboree” which was televised on KLAC every Sunday from the Legion Stadium in El Monte followed closely by “Town Hall Party” in Compton, 25 miles south of Los Angeles. Both shows featured visiting headliners supported by local acts and promising newcomers.
Cliffe Stone was a shareholder in the Americana Music Corporation, a booking agency run by Steve Stebbins, the leading country promoter on the West Coast and a powerhouse on the local scene. Other well-known country singers such as Eddie Kirk, Tennessee Ernie Ford and Merle Travis also held shares in the agency which monopolized California’s country music circuit and snapped any promising newcomers. The Cochran Brothers were added to its’ books in April 1955 at which point there was a dramatic improvement in their fortunes. They put in appearances in both “Town Hall Party” and “Hometown Jamboree” and also appeared on “Country Barn Dance” a more down market affair held in the 1000 capacity Jubilee Ballroom, just west of El Monte.
Steve Stebbins arranged an immediate audition with EKKO Records, one of the dozens of tiny independents scattered across Los Angeles. It was owned by Ed Bloodworth and two partners, and its’ ambitions outweighed its’ budget. Unable to sign up big names, it settled for small-time local acts such as the Cochrans, Jess Willard, and Western Swing veterans from the previous decade. EKKO’s A7R man, Charles “Red” Mathews was based in Memphis where the company had its main office, and would make periodic recording trips to California. Assuming a managerial role as best he could, given that he was not locally based, Mathews based his faith in the Cochrans and rehearsed them thoroughly prior to recording.
In May 1955, at Sunset Records in Hollywood, he produced 4 tracks by the duo in the plaintive hillbilly style popularized by Hank Williams and issued two of the titles, “Mr. Fiddle” and “Two Blue Singing Stars” as their debut single. Vocally, Hank is stronger on these recordings and is ably supported by Eddie who also plays some nice country-style guitar.
In the Autumn, Hank and Eddie were booked to appear on the “Big D Jamboree” in Dallas. Broadcast locally on KRLD, the “Big D” ranked alongside Nashville’s “Opry” as a prestigious country music showcase and was held every weekend in the Dallas Sportatorium, a huge corrugated iron building that played host to wrestling contests on weekdays.
Elvis Presley had stormed out of Memphis with an astounding fusion of country, R&B and pop and cut a swathe across the south with a stage act that had a galvanizing effect on audiences. Hank and Eddie arrived in Dallas only days after Elvis had appeared on the “Big D”.
The pandemonium which accompanied Elvis’ personal appearances was a phenomenon in country music and the Cochrans listened in awe as a security told them that he had nearly been torn apart by fans as he attempted to protect Elvis. Hank, who had heard some of Elvis’ sun records on the radio says that “He and Eddie knew right then that this new stuff was about to happen!”
The Cochrans traveled East through Texarkana and on to Memphis where EKKO had a small office on Union Avenue, not far from Sun. The unscheduled trip left the Cochrans virtually penniless forcing Eddie to hock his amplifier to boost their finances; in fact, they were only able to make it back to LA by hitch hiking!
Whenever he came home to Bell Gardens, Eddie would drop int the music center which was only a few blocks away. It was a popular hangout for local musicians and owner Ben Keither often brought customers together. Eddie was buying guitar strings there on a Saturday afternoon in October 1955 when Keither introduced him to the man who would become his mentor, manager and co-writer; Jerry Capehart.
Capehart, who had no singing voice, mentioned that he was looking for somebody to demo his songs. Eddie replied that he and Hank would be happy to oblige for a small fee. He introduced Capehart to Hank and a few days later they laid down some songs in a small recording booth equipped with a disk cutting lathe. Although nothing became of these dubs, Capehart adopted the Cochrans as his occasional backing band and offered to promote their career. Capehart knew he’d never make it as a singer and worked toward establishing a relationship with the Cochrans as a means to an end.
In October, EKKO had issued a second single “Guilty Conscience” which had not fared any better that the first, and with Red Mathews spending most of his time in Memphis, Capehart’s burgeoning entrepreneurial instincts began to come into play. Capehart had an infectious enthusiasm which made for convincing salesmanship.
Compromised by his own limitations as a singer and the fact that the Cochrans were already under contract to EKKO, Capehart concluded that any deal was better than no deal and began casting his net. In November 1955 he drove to the Watts district to confer with a black entrepreneur name John Dolphin who ran a thriving record shop in the heart of the black community. Dolphin was notable for having a DJ named “Huggy Boy” broadcasting from a booth in the record shop window. Dolphin operated two R&B labels from his shop and made his own masters in a small studio housed in the rear of the premises; he could cut a record in the morning, give Huggy Boy an acetate in the evening and having customers asking for pressings the following day.
Capehart pitched Dolphin the idea of cutting some “Hillbilly” sounds and came away with the promise of a one record deal although he had to give away his sons to get it – Dolphins name routinely appeared as the writer of any songs released on his labels. Backed by four black musicians with Hank and Eddie on guitars, Capehart recorded “Rollin and Walkin Stick Boogie” just before Christmas 1955.
The hits in the Billboard Hot 100 :
Sittin' in the balcony.......18...13-weeks...1957
Drive in show................82....6-weeks...1957
Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie......94....1-week....1958
Summertime Blues..............8...16-weeks...1958
C'mon Everybody..............35...12-weeks...1958
Teenage heaven...............99....1-week....1959
Somethin' Else...............58....9-weeks...1959
] Breaking Clay Makes My Day!
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