New Southwind
2001-2002 B'ham AL
Bob Staples owned Spanky’s on Valley, and his original Spanky’s was in Pelham on US 31. His wife, Terri, was a great singer. They wanted a country band to play regularly in Pelham. Bob invited me to join some other guys to back her up. He already had a rhythm section and keyboard player lined up. We hit it off immediately. When Bob closed the joint on Valley, Pelham was his home base (the venue is in the pics below). He had a big heart and hired several folks who were down on their luck, and more than a few carried a hefty bar tab. I was very grateful that he threw more gigs my way.
Bandmates
Terri Staples – vocals
Pete Bahm – drums
Paul Richie – keyboards, vocals
Dave Wilcox – bass, vocals
Tim Elliott – guitar, vocals
The Scene
Our set list was more than just country, as we covered tunes like “Third Rate Romance” and “Oh Darling.” One of my favorite moments playing came when I finished our version of “Tush” and as I was sliding down off the final note, Terri started into “She’s Got You” by Patsy Cline. I swear, going from tubescreamer slide to tremolo-drenched country gave me chicken skin.
Usually, we were a two-weekend-a-month house band. When Doubleshot faded out, this band kept me goin’. I will always appreciate the gigs Bob sent my way. This included some gimmick nights (the crowd after the show by the male strippers stands out in my mind) and a fund-raiser for a buddy who lost everything in a house fire was quite moving. When my oldest daughter graduated from high school, he let her and her friends come in for the gig. As the only guitar player in the band I learned a lot and grew as a musician.
Upshot
The band ended when the joint went down in flames. Literally. I had a quirk about always taking my rig home after a gig; I was always worried about my gear being ripped off and was often chided for this. So I came out clean, but Pete never got over losing his drums, and Dave lost his bass rig. Both lost their desire to play out anymore. I never saw 'em again. Helluva way to go. (Note: those with outstanding bar tabs celebrated their good fortune...)