Remembering Carlo "Carl" Driggs

 Though the name Carlo Driggs may not stand out in the music world as much as other artists, it's not for lack of talent.

Carlo was born in Cuba, with music in his blood, and over the course of his career, racked up a string of major accomplishments.

I've witnessed this talent at many concerts, for which I feel fortunate to have been able to do. This is especially true since learning of Carlo's untimely death on May 31, 2017 of a massive heart attack.

Though I didn't know Carlo personally, when I heard the news of his passing I was shocked and saddened.  My first thought was that Rock n Roll heaven had claimed another angel for it's band.  I then thought of Paul Revere, from Paul Revere and the Raiders, and knew Carlo was now reunited with his former boss of 21 years, (1983-2004).

It was with Paul Revere and the Raiders that I first heard the name Carl Driggs, (he'd dropped the "o" at that time), and experienced the talent and showmanship the man possessed.

His voice could be rough and raspy sounding one minute, and the next be soft and sultry.  No matter the song, Carl could take it and make it his own, all while moving around the stage with a force of energy that was contagious; spreading through the gathered crowds of concert goers on a regular basis.

Off stage, when signing autographs, Carl was always kind and polite to every fan wanting a photo or signature.  He treated everyone equally and with respect, and was a true gentleman in every sense of the word.

For me, though Mark Lindsay is the voice on the Raiders' hits, Carl was the face and voice of the post Mark era Raiders.

Having been a Paul Revere and the Raiders fan almost my entire life, I've always had a passion for looking up all the trivial info I can find about the band and it's members.  This same passion is what led me to discover that Carlo had been in at least two other bands, prior to the Raiders, that had released albums in the United States.

The first band was called Kracker, and the other was Foxy.

It was with Foxy that Carlo co-wrote the song, "Get Off", which landed the band at #9 on the Billboard charts and #1 on the R&B charts in 1978.

 For those who may not recognize the name of the band, or the song, I've included it in this post.

As stated earlier in this post, Carlo was with  Paul Revere and the Raiders for 21 years, 1983 to 2004.  After leaving the Raiders, Carlo went on to entertain audiences as a solo artist in Las Vegas.

Though I was never fortunate to see Carlo's solo performance, I've  heard from others that it was a well polished show, where he covered a diverse range of musical genres and artists, from Frank Sinatra, to the Rolling Stones and everything in between.

Being friends with many Raider fans on Facebook, I've seen numerous posts praising Carlo Driggs' talents, and mourning his loss.  Because there have been so many, I debated whether I should post something as well.  At first I wasn't going to, but I just kept thinking of all these different things I wanted to say, so with this post, I've now added my contribution to the others honoring the memory of Carlo Driggs.

 Thank you Carlo for all the great memories you've given so many of us all these years.

Remembering Paul Revere--The Last Madman of Rock & Roll

Much like the colonial Paul Revere spread the word about the British invasion, today the internet is spreading the word of the passing of another Paul Revere.  Paul Revere Dick, born in Nebraska, January 7, 1938, passed away October 4, 2014, at his home in Idaho.

For those not familiar with this Paul Revere, he was the founding member of the 60's band, Paul Revere & the Raiders.

 The band got it's start in the late 50's, early 60's in Idaho, and were then known as The Downbeats.  When Paul, and then lead singer, Mark Lindsay, moved to Portland, Oregon, the name was changed to Paul Revere & the Raiders. 

After moving to Portland, Paul met up with Roger Hart, a KISN radio DJ at the time, who became the band's manager.  Roger helped get the band exposure outside the region, eventually landing them as the house band on Dick Clark's "Where the Action Is", from 1965 to 1967.  The band was on TV five days a week, in their colonial garb, singing and being crazy. 

 I never had the chance to see Paul Revere & the Raiders when Mark was the lead singer.  My chance to see the band wasn't until 1978, when Louie Fontaine did lead vocals.  By then I'd been a major fan of the group for 10 years, having first seen them at 9 years old on "It's Happening", their afternoon show on ABC television.

Since then, I've seen the band many times, with different lead singers.  Michael Bradley, Carl Driggs, Darrin Medley, and current Raider, Darren Dowler, have all held the position of lead singer of the Raiders over the years.

While there have been many Raiders over the years, Paul Revere was always the guiding force behind the band.  Paul would lead the charge every show, bringing audiences a fast paced set of music and comedy.  No matter how many times one would see a Raider performance, it was still fresh, fun and highly entertaining; or as Paul himself described it, "organized chaos". 

Even well into his 70's Paul Revere still toured extensively with his band, playing casinos, fairs, festivals, cruises, and anywhere else they were invited to play, and Paul would rock just as hard as always, every time. 

At the beginning of 2014 though, Paul announced that he was going to take a break from the road, upon doctor's orders.  He revealed that he'd been told to take a breather much earlier, but had continued touring, despite the fact.  Revere had had a bout with cancer years before; though this time, no real explanation was given, other than he was having health issues.

At the time of the announcement, Revere assured fans, he was going to rest up, so he could get back to doing what he loved.  In the meantime, his current band of Raiders, Darren Dowler, Doug Heath, Ron Foos, Danny Krause and Tom Scheckel, would carry on, fulfilling the tour dates the band was already committed to.

Then came the news on October 4, 2014, Paul Revere had passed away.  "Uncle Paul", "The Last Madman of Rock & Roll",  had died at home in Idaho, having gone full circle from where his band started their musical journey.

Rock & Roll Heaven has just gained another legend and leader in Paul Revere.  I'm sure he's already up there, helping to organize fun music and chaos for the angels.

R.I.P. Paul, you will be missed.

Of Life & Death

Today's post is in honor of two of my favorite recording artists. One is celebrating 70 years of life; the other, I'm remembering a life that ended seven years ago.

March 9, 1942, Mark Allen Lindsay was born in Idaho.

For those not familiar with the name, Mark was the original singer for Paul Revere & the Raiders. He was one of the biggest teen heartthrobs of the sixties.

I first saw Mark on TV one summer when I was nine years old. It was the show, "It's Happening", starring the Raiders. Even at nine, I was like many girls from that era, instantly taken with Mark's good looks and voice. I was further intrigued by the fact that the Raiders were from my home territory, the Pacific Northwest.

Over the years, because of the music, Mark and the local connection, I've been a loyal fan of the man and the band.

Happy 70th birthday Mark!

On a sadder note, it was seven years ago today that rodeo champion, and country singer Chris LeDoux passed away.

Known mostly for rodeo and singing, there were other facets to Chris' life that most didn't know. For instance, he was also an artist, working in metal sculpturing. His work was beautiful, and reflected his passions in life.

LeDoux was one country artist that both my son and I just had to see whenever he was playing nearby. Chris put on a show that was always excellent and worth seeing.

I remember when he first became ill, needing a liver transplant. Many automatically assumed Chris was a heavy drinker, and that's why the transplant was needed. In reality, he had a rare liver disease that had nothing to do with alcohol. Fortunately, a donor was found for LeDoux, and he was afforded a few more years on this earth.

The remission ended though, and on March 9, 2005, so did Chris LeDoux's fight for life.

I remember where I was, and how I found out Chris had died. Some friends and I were at the Ponderosa Lounge in Portland, Oregon, waiting to see David Lee Murphy. During the concert, David Lee mentioned that Chris had passed away that day, and told about Chris recording a song he'd written. He then sang the song, "Scatter the Ashes", in tribute to Chris.

I don't have a version of the song by David Lee Murphy, so I'll add Chris' version here, in tribute once again to a life ended too soon.

Paul Revere & the Raiders

As a little girl, the music I remember hearing the most at my house was country; Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Marty Robbins, and many others.  My parents did listen to other types as well however.

The first music I remember asking to have was Paul Revere & the Raiders.  It was the summer of 1968, and a friend and I happened to see this show on TV one afternoon called “It’s Happening”.  The Raiders were the stars of the show and had different guests daily.  I loved the show, loved the music, and was instantly hooked, and have been ever since.

I never saw the Raiders when Mark Lindsay was the lead singer, though I’ve seen both Mark and the Raiders separately, several times.

It was Raider member, Freddy Weller, who kept my interest in country music, as he had a solo career in country, aside from being with the band.

When my friend and fellow Raider fan, Denise, her sister, Shauri, and I heard the Raiders were playing at Seven Feathers Casino in Canyonville, Oregon we HAD to go; especially since the band had recently gotten a new lead singer.

The 3+ hour trip was well worth it.  Not only did the Raiders do their hits, they did cover songs of other artists as well.  Of course, the show was filled with Paul’s comedy also, which is always fun.  You’d never know he turned 73 years old this past January.

Bass player, Ron Foos, guitar player, Doug Heath, and keyboardist, Danny Krause have all been a part of the Raiders for 30+ years.  All three are as great now, as they were all those years ago.

Drummer, Tommy Scheckel was with the Buckinghams for 27 years before joining the Raiders. To say the guy can play drums is an understatement; Tommy really gets into what he’s doing onstage.

Then there’s the newest member of the current Raiders, lead singer, Darren Dowler.  Darren is an entertainment renaissance man for sure.  He’s sung with the Lettermen, the Righteous Brothers, and the Fifth Dimension, to name a few acts. He was also the original guitar player for the Backstreet Boys.  Musically, Darren also does impressions of other artists, like Sammy Davis Jr. 

Besides his extensive musical background, Darren has appeared on Broadway, in television and movies, and has written two novels.

Though the Raiders have had several good lead singers since Mark Lindsay’s departure in 1975, I have to say, Darren is definitely one of the best from the last 36 years.

Even with the 40 to 50+ changes in band members over the years, (Paul is the only original member of the band left),  the sold out concert in Canyonville is proof Paul Revere & the Raiders are still definitely a fun band to see and hear.