THE JOKERS
Kerry Kidd
Bob Pruitt
Thanks to Bob Pruitt, we finally have a story on The Jokers and a picture.
Big Band Issue!!!
Mike Greene
Kerry Page
Johnny Tuttle
The members of the band were: Kerry Page on lead guitar, Johnny Tuttle on drums, Mike Greene (’65?) on rhythm guitar and Kerry Kidd (’68) on bass guitar. Bob was the singer. Bob told us he was invited to audition for The Jokers after Kerry Kidd overheard him signing in the shower after football practice. Bob tried out and, as he put it, “the rest was history.”
The Jokers practiced in the back of Greene’s Furniture Store, which belonged to Mike’s grandmother. Greene’s was located on Trout River Boulevard, close to the skating rink (I was never allowed to go to).
I bet all of you will remember The Jokers playing in the gym after football games. Kerry Kid and Bob would have to take quick showers after the game and then hurry to join the band. Dancing to their music made us quickly forget the defeat we had just suffered on the football field. Correct me if I am wrong, but we did not win a single game our senior year.
The Jokers played the songs of the Beatles, Animals, Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, Kinks and Chuck Berry. In addition to our high school gym, they played at the Southside Women’s Club, along side the Almond Joys, later know as the Allman Brothers. They also traveled and played in other parts of Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.
The night Mitch Rider and the Detroit Wheels played at the Jacksonville Beach Coliseum, The Jokers were the house band.
They won the Battle of the Bands in downtown Jacksonville, beating out Dennis Yost and the Classics IV who were from Fletcher High School and later became famous with their recordings of “Spooky” and “Stormy.” OMG—Dennis Yost and the Classics IV went to Fletcher—I never knew that.
We asked Bob for his favorite memory. He said it was when they played at ABAC in Tifton, Georgia. That was the most money they ever made in one night even though Bob now can’t remember how much. The charge was $5 stag and $10 drag. Bob says they packed the house. The Carter sisters (not of Nashville fame) recruited them for this gig having seen them perform in Fernandina Beach. The night they played at ABAC, one of the sisters won the Miss Georgia pageant and was a finalist in the Miss America contest. After hearing this story, I’m not sure whether it was the money or those two beautiful Carter sisters that made it Bob’s favorite memory
.
As most of you know, we lost our precious blonde curly headed Johnny Tuttle back in 1997 from cancer. We are very sad to recently learn that Kerry Page is now battling brain cancer. Please click on the Prayer Request page for contact information for Kerry and keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
On a happier note, Bob plans to be with us at our 60th birthday party. No, Bob did not marry Harriet Mishoe. He has been married 39 years to Joyce Estes who he says is the most beautiful redhead in the world.
THE GROUPPE
Peter, Paul and Mary plus One—that was the Grouppe, a homegrown folk-singing musical group who was very popular during our junior and senior years at Ribault High School. We all thought they were every bit as good as that famous trio. The group consisted of our fellow classmate Mike Register, Barbara Rust and Ricky Purvis from the Class of 1966 and Bill Barrow from the Class of 1965.
Mike and Rick sang and played the guitar, Barbara was the vocalist and Bill played the bass.
Mike Register currently lives in Salem, Illinois with his “remarkably patient” wife Lucinda, whom he married in 1986, and their 16 year old son, Paul. Mike also has two beautiful daughters Erika (32) and Amanda (30) by a previous marriage. Mike is now the Director of Choral Activities at Kaskakia College in Centralia, Illinois. He conducts the Concert Choir, Community Chorale, KC Blues (jazz choir), Madrigal Singers and teaches music courses—history, theory, etc. Mikes tells us he misses the Florida weather, the beach, seafood and seeing water everywhere.
As a sidenote, Mike may have been the last classmate to see Mr. Williams when they pulled up beside each other at a traffic light in downtown Nashville. Mike was a junior or senior at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, Tennessee at the time. They ended up having lunch together and Mr. Williams took Mike to see a bar he was redecorating. To learn more about Mr. Williams, click on “Tribute to Mr. Williams.”
Back to the Grouppe . . .
According to Bill Barrow, Rick, f/k/a Ricky, Purvis has traveled the world in search of places to build beer and sugar beet processing plants which he has been doing ever since he left Jacksonville. His base of operation used to be near Cleveland, Ohio, but he has recently moved to South Carolina across the Savannah River from Augusta, Georgia. Bill says Rick’s passion is golf and Rick has to be in hog heaven now being so close to the Masters. Rick married the former Ramona Johns, also from the Class of 1966, and they are still happily married.
Barbara Rust was married to Fred Hafer, older brother of our classmate Ryan/Rufus Hafter. They have since divorced. Fred never sang with the Grouppe but he did play bass in a high school band with was led by Ricky Foxworth and had a drummer then known as Claude Trucks. Claude Trucks later became known as Butch Trucks of Allman Brothers fame.
As most of you probably already know, Bill Barrow is the older brother of our own Charlene Barrow Catlett and the husband of Charlene’s best friend and our classmate, Cindy McElhaney Barrow. Cindy told us she chased Bill until he caught her and they married in 1969. They have two children and five grandsons. Bill owns his own company in the television broadcast industry and Cindy is a surgical nurse practitioner. They live in Hatboro, Pennsylvania and are certified SCUBA divers and NAUI dive instructors which has taken them on trips to, among other places, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago and the Florida Keys.
Charlene and Bill have graciously furnished us with these pictures and the CD video. If you want to take a nostalgic journey back in time, just put your feet up and listen and watch the CD.
Mike Register
Class of '67
Barbara Rust
Class of '66
Bill Barrow
Class of '65
Rick Purvis
Class of '66
The Grouppe
December 1967 recording in
Ribault's Auditorium
Turn your sound all the way up and listen to Ribault's own fabulous folk singing "Grouppe." They were every bit as good as Peter, Paul & Mary, don't you think???
THE PEYTON BROTHERS
....Finally
"For more than 35 years, our music has taken us many places and given us many wonderful experiences. We’ve done a lot and seen a lot but one thing we haven’t done, until now, is record our music. After countless requests, we’ve put together a CD of some of our favorite songs. We hope you enjoy the Peyton Brothers...Finally!"
- The Peyton Brothers
For information on how to order their new CD "Finally" or to join The Peyton Brothers mailing list, please contact:
The Peyton Brothers had an article in the Times Union on June 4, 2009 about their recently released CD "Finally." I'm sure all of you will remember our classmate Dan and probably his brother John ('66). Who knew Dan and John had two older brothers named Michael and Lee and they could all sing and play musical instruments? As the article said, "they didn't grow up playing music around the house. It was just a matter of the four of them, back when they were 16 to 22, deciding they were going to form a band" . . . and the rest is history as they say.
The Peyton Brothers have been performing their unique style of bluegrass and folk music for over thirty-five years. The four brothers, John, Dan, Michael and Lee, began playing as a hobby in 1972 and within a year of picking up instruments for the first time were making public appearances in and around their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. In 1976 the group began performing on a full-time basis and quickly found themselves touring throughout the southeast playing clubs, colleges, music festivals, theme parks and corporate and concert dates.
They have appeared in concert with The Dillards, John Hartford, Doc & Merle Watson, Gamble Rogers, Ralph Stanley, Mike Cross, Mike Reid and many other well known folk, bluegrass and country performers. In 1978 the band hosted its own TV show, The Peyton Brothers–Up Close and Musical, which aired on NBC’s Jacksonville, Florida affiliate, WTLV. They also appeared for five consecutive summers at ABC’s Silver Springs Park in Ocala, Florida.
In 1981 the band ceased performing full time but has never abandoned its music. Over the last twenty-fve years The Peyton Brothers have continued to perfect their musical style which features vocal harmonies only a family act can deliver. Their performances remain as fresh and enjoyable as ever drawing their audiences into an entertainment experience that eclipses the typical listening event.
THE PRINCETONS
Gary, his brother Wes (’65), Wayne Waters (’65) and our Frank Albritton also had a folk group in high school—The Princetons. They started in 1964 and had several different members including Buzzy Moll (‘65), Earl Stoddard (’65) and our Mike Register before Mike joined the Grouppe.
At the golden age of 50, Gary decided to get back into music and began playing at places such as Borders, Barnes and Noble and other coffee shops. Recently he played at The Island Room and the Dock Street Depot at Cedar Key. He is enjoying his new career. Sounds to me like he's "livin the dream."
Wes Couliette
Frank Albritton
Wayne Waters
Gary Coulliette
Two recent photos of our classmate, Gary....... doing one of the things he loves to do most........singing........his other love is surfing! Fins up, Gary!
