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Mis Amigos by John M Ramirez
When I was a tap dancing lad of 9 years, my school of dance regularly had recitals at venues like the Arneson River Theater and Municipal Auditorium and even got to be on local San Antonio TV. That was the Doris Aceli School that started in her parents home on N. Zarzamora, blocks away from where I attended Little Flower grade school. Imagine that, an altar boy who could dance...lol! A little trivia for some of you who knew the late Randy Reinhard, one of the finest steel guitarists and keyboard players who toured and recorded with a list too long to even begin...Randy was also known to have been an excellent tap dancer and if you knew him, you'd agree that he would knock your socks off on an instrument and then tap dance for an encore! Although we didn't know each other through dance lessons, Randy also learned the art from "Miss Doris".
At WOAI TV, Ch.4 at the corner of N. St Mary's and Soledad, I got my first notion that playing guitar was in my future. Having been through dressing room prep...getting into my white satin puffy sleeved shirt, pink cummerbund, black pants and shiny black tap shoes and, yes-makeup, I was in the wings nervous to be on live TV (the Tommy Reynolds Show), when up walked the house band guitarist with his big, beautiful archtop Gibson guitar and was warming up with some playing. Turns out that was the late, great Spud Goodall who was very well known as a player and educator; it was a joy and honor to meet Spud again after being hired by Ed Fest in 1971 at Caldwell Music. All of "the cats" came into Caldwell and many taught there too...Spud and Jack Skiles just to name a couple. A good friend and customer who was recently in one of Guitar Tex Facebook posts, Jim Richards was a frequent visitor too...everyone knew Mr. Fest and Caldwell was the players hub of the 50s, 60s and into the 70s. Jim, now well into his 80s, is still teaching and people wonder how that's possible. Most of us understand that music is what keeps us going....en Español-sin Musica, no hay Vida! Without Music, there is no Life!
So when I was made fun of in grade school for being a dancer, I reluctantly quit dancing lessons and then wanted to take guitar lessons. I waited for my uncle to return from his USAF stint in Alaska to begin and the roller coaster was on! Strict would be an understatement but my Uncle Genaro Ybarra gave me a great foundation. As opposed to one of his other students, the great Bubba Hernandez of Brave Combo fame, I went down the drop the needle on the record hole.
So this year I am celebrating my 60th Anniversary of, I guess you could say, being a professional musician. That is to say, getting paid for playing. I always had to be in a band and we had some cool ones, mostly which evolved with high school/college mates. Playing frat parties was it on a stick and then Teen Canteen and other Teen Clubs was all I wanted to do. The big stages that I knew I liked from my childhood experiences as a dancer were distant dreams. Until the day a concert promoter asked my band, Rocksand, if we would like to open a show. We had recorded at Andrus Studio in Houston (where Moving Sidewalks recorded), been on Swingtime-San Antonio's version of American Bandstand, were playing concerts at Sunken Gardens and and were writing our own tunes. That show turned out to be opening for It's a Beautiful Day, John Mayall, Quicksilver Messenger Service and the Grateful Dead at Hemisfair Arena.
Over the years the bands I have been in have played many bigger shows and I have been blessed and quite fortunate to have shared stage with many notables. So I'll try to, the best of my ability, to enumerate the shows in somewhat of a chronological order. (editors note: if you don't recognize a band, Google if you're curious)
Before Rocksand, the Chayns opened for the Classics IV, and Playboys of Edinburg.
Plum Loco opened for Jimmy Vaughn and the Fabulous Thunderbirds at Sunken Gardens. We did our arrangements of tunes but had no original material so my good friend who I love-Jim Beal Jr in his Express-News column said we were good but a "glorified jukebox"...still laughing out loud on that one.
"345" opened for George Thorogood at the Junction on Blanco. Where else could you go and to a concert on one night and see wrestling the next? If you are wondering about the name, both the lead guitarist, Peter Carey and myself, owned Gibson ES-345TD guitars and by the time we got home and to bed it was usually around 3:45am.
With Jeffrey Charles, original country artist I've been with 12 plus years, we've opened for the late Johnny Bush, David Allen Coe, Junior Brown, the Bellamy Brothers and Johnny Rodriguez. We are hoping to complete an LP for release in 2023 which will be retakes and and upgrades on EP from years back with some new originals. If our plans come to fruition, there will be a couple of guest artists on the LP who you will recognize....stay tuned!
I am very thankful to have played all these years and to still enjoy it is being blessed beyond words. Some day it will be just for fun and when that day comes, that's okay too! But for now-somebody has to make the Harley payment! Happy Holidays to All of my readers and may you enjoy the things that are most important in your lives! For me, it's the Big 3...Family, Faith and Music! My Best to You All!
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