The calls, all received the same day, were from three lifelong friends. When I see the names of a Charles Crawley or a Jimmy Childre or a Chuck Byrd come up on my cell phone, I will step out of whatever I’m doing to answer. If I don’t see the name come up and realize later someone like that called, returning those calls will be at the top of my priority list.
There is a reason for that.
These are people I have known since before kindergarten. We all grew up together, played together as kids, went to school together, had the same teachers and even got in trouble together. These three people know a ton of folks and have done well in life.
Charles, a couple of years older than the rest of us, is a retired Colonel in the United States Army. Jimmy, who I have written about here on previous blogs, is a business entrepreneur and has graduate degrees from Duke University and Cambridge. Chuck is a very successful attorney who represents people and businesses all over the country.
Not bad for three guys who grew up in Reynolds, GA and played at recess together.
Chuck, Jimmy and I have something else in common besides growing up in Reynolds and having the same teachers and same lifelong friends.
We were all three members of a rock n roll band called The Discords. Although this band only knew about three songs and we didn’t know the words to those, we still made music together.
As I look back on it, we didn’t have many gigs at all. But we practiced a lot on the back porch of Jimmy Childre’s house. Jimmy was the drummer. Chuck played bass guitar. I played rhythm. We had a few more musicians (and I use that word lightly) in our group but I won’t embarrass them by mentioning their names.
We played one night for the Parent Teachers Meeting at the Elementary School. We really didn’t realize at the time that we were kids singing about a house of ill repute in New Orleans but The House of the Rising Sun was one of the few songs we could play.
At one Kiwanis Club meeting in town, we were asked to back up our friend Bunny Marshall, who had been asked to sing, These Boots Are Made for Walking. Of course we readily agreed because we needed the exposure. We didn’t worry one bit about the fact that we didn’t know how to play it. Poor Bunny stood up to sing and all we knew was the part that said, “one of these days these boots are going to walk all over you and the dunt,dunt, dunt that followed. It was a pretty embarrassing moment for the Discords when we had to sit down and let Mrs Winnie Hodges accompany Bunny on the piano.
Our other big gig was at Marijo Goodroe’s birthday party. There was a crowd there that night. And we spent all day getting set up for this rock n roll dance party. Again, we didn’t consider the fact that we knew only three songs. After playing those three songs over and over, we finally had to sit down and let Marijo play the record player.
The reason you readers never heard of The Discords is because we never had a successful show. We had one disaster after another trying to make music together at public gatherings.
Thankfully the members moved on to different things.
Bottom line is the group very appropriately named The Discords didn’t do too good. But the members who made up the group did all right.
And after 50 something years the neat thing is we still remain friends and keep up with each other.
And when one of them calls, I answer.
10 comments:
I remember each and every engagement of The Discords. Both of you will recall that I did not own a guitar. I could only play (and I use that word loosely) when Buster would let me use his white and red Fender electric guitar. Mama and Daddy, using limited funds wisely, recognized where to invest in musical instruments. They did, however, buy me all the books I could read. As I type this I remember that I only had one baseball glove and bat growing up. Again a wise use of funds.
Bruce - I recall that we wrote one song. I do not recall the title but I remember it being of the genre of "Last Date" and Tell Laura I Love Her". Since the tear jerk emotions had been had been pretty well used up by those two songs - we used a variation. I believe it had something to do with amputation. We wrote it and I kept one copy of it. Years ago Mama found it and showed it to me. Maybe I still have it somewhere.
As an aside both of you may remember that Wayne Cochran (who played at Lake Henry with his C. C. Riders) wrote "Last Date". Wayne is now a preacher in South Florida -- Google him up. There was a lot of talent in Middle Georgia back when The Discords were playing. Remember the The Tip Tops from Hawkinsville -- The Caliente's from Reynolds -- The Sixpence from Fort Valley ( I think they also played under the name of The Malibu's).
-Chuck
Chuck,
Bruce just called me and told me to look at your reply. I pride myself in having good a memory, however I can't recall anywhere near what you two do.
Speaking of Eddie Byrd (Chuck, isn't he your cousin), maybe ya'll see him or hear his band sometimes. I do run into him occasionally and he says they are still playing often. I also think they were the Malibus at one point. I have been wanting to hear them again, maybe we can ask them to play for our next reunion - or, as an alternative, we could get The Discords to play!
Bruce, I have a photo of The Discords somewhere. I hope I can find it and send it to you.
By the way, thanks for doing this for us - it is priceless.
Jimmy
failed to mention that in the last couple of years I have purchased a Hofner bass guitar (aka Beatle Bass) and have attempted to play it. I know 3 songs. I also got a Gretsch Tennessee Rose electric guitar and I can play 1/3 of a song on it. I even still have parts of the original 'Discords' drum kit.
Point being - this could be the start of "reuniting" THE BAND. I am sure our fans have been waiting!
Jimmy
Perhaps a reunion of The Discords will be a good thing. Buster is out of town for a few days -- when he gets back I will ask him if I can borrow his guitar again. As you know I did not learn to play it very well the first time around -- I expect no better success 40 years later.
I heard Eddie Byrd ( he is my 3rd or 4th cousin) and Dennis Herbert's band play this last November. They are as good as they ever were -- good as any band you will hear.
Chuck
Okay, I'll dust off the old drum set and start practicing. I remember our best number was 'Little Red Riding Hood' - can't wait to get started. Heck, I might as well go ahead and brush up (so to speak) on 'Louie Louie' while I am at it. Bruce, I remember you did know the words to it - there aren't many.
Do y'all think I should go ahead and quit my day job?
Jimmy
PS If either of you remember our third song, I'll go ahead and knock it out too!
Although I do not have neither Chuck nor Jimmy's permission to do so, I had to publish their comments about The Discords sent via email for the rest of you to read.
Commments too rich not to publish.
-BG
I was trying to figure out Chuck's comment about the song, "Last Date." Really had me stumped. Then it dawned on me the song was "Last Kiss" not "Last Date." I still know all the words to that song.. and that was definitely in The Discords repertoire. No doubt I can still play that song on the guitar.
chiY'all don't get too carried away here, for I want to recognize another great band that hailed from the Reynolds area. How could you so easily forget the JiGaBus ( Jimmy Whatley, George G. and Buster Byrd). We also did several birthday party gigs at the Womens club,Womens club meetings AND a live performance at the home of the Byrds (Buster and Chuck). Buster and I alternated between lead and bass but Jimmy always played the drums. One day when Jimmy was out of town, Buddy Marshall substituted on the drums. I recall vividly that Buddy had the sense of rhythm of a Grizzly Bear in heat. I think his performance was the beginning of our demise.
I was also in a band called the Misfits with Reggie Singleton,Tommy
Woods,& Mike Cottrell.Our biggest gig was Pam Smith's birthday party.
Buster Byrd & I played four or five songs that we put on a tape recorder back in the late sixties. We inserted the applause track from a couple of game shows on T.V. after each song. Unfortunately this tape is lost.
I also remember a brief tour of the Virgin Islands with Chicken George Goddard back in the late seventies.We played some Folk music(John Prine,etc,etc.).The tour was critically acclaimed but not a financial success.
Cal (aka Cobby)
I remember the Malibu's: Wes Wheeler, Dennis Herbert, Eddie Byrd, David Luckie--I think that was all of them (seems like there might have been one more). Haven't thought of them in forty years!!! We all thought they were the greatest and many of us definitely have some very fond memories of those dances at the American Legion Hall in Ft. Valley!! You all were a few years younger so I missed your music! I bet it was great, too.
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