Podcaster Rick Kern reminisces with his bandmate, Jerry Johnson,  from 53 years ago. The stories cover their time playing in two bands, one in El Paso, Texas and another 8 years later in Los Angeles. Their stories covered some fun times including movies, music and even spiders! You'll have to tune in for all the details.

Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, on “The El Paso Radio History Show” with Jackson Polk and Melissa Sargent, the members of one of El Paso’s favorite bands regroup to talk about their history. Jaime Medford, Jim Stevens and Denis Rochford, who performed as Springfire, share what they’ve seen of El Paso history and some thoughts on local music. Also on the program are Jeff Moore (Springfire member) and Rick Kern (El Paso musician & historian).

The only radio program about El Paso history airs from 10 a.m.-noon Saturday on News Radio 690 KTSM.

Rick Kern, host of TalkandRockRadio, interviews Sean McGeeney and his band, The Urge. They are the top wedding band in Ireland. Rick and Sean dial it back about 13 years when they first met through a mutual friend (Bobby Napier) fiddle player for Tammy Wynette. They talk about their first meeting via the internet, the beautiful country of Ireland and playing music on the Emerald Isle.

#talkandrockradio

#theurge

Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, on “The El Paso Radio History Show” with Jackson Polk and Melissa Sargent, the members of one of El Paso’s favorite bands regroup to talk about their history. Jaime Medford, Jim Stevens and Denis Rochford, who performed as Springfire, share what they’ve seen of El Paso history and some thoughts on local music. Also on the program are Jeff Moore (Springfire member) and Rick Kern (El Paso musician & historian).

The only radio program about El Paso history airs from 10 a.m.-noon Saturday on News Radio 690 KTSM.

Rick Kern (musician/podcaster) and Sam Stephenson (musician) were guests on the El Paso History Radio Show that aired on Jan. 4, 2020. They discussed the early rock band history of El Paso, Texas in the 60's and 70's. There were many great bands and this episode just scratches the surface of what actually came out of El Paso. This is part II of the two part interview.

Rick Kern and Sam Stephenson were guests on the El Paso History Radio Show that aired on Jan. 4, 2020. They discussed the early rock band history of El Paso, Texas in the 60's and '70's. There were many great bands and this episode just scratches the surface of what actually came out of El Paso. This is part I of the two part interview.

Trading in the Road for the Sea

“Trading in the Road for the Sea”…after 30 years of playing clubs, colleges, and corporate venues on the road, Duncan Tuck found a new stage on the high seas. “It’s great and I don’t miss driving 1000 miles a week.”

Duncan is a guitarist, vocalist, comedian and song writer and now spends most of the year performing on cruise ships.

“In this business, like in so many other careers, you need to continually adapt.” Duncan started his professional career in 1968, with music and comedy, playing bars and music rooms. When the music rooms started closing in the 80’s, he was able to focus on the humorous parts of his show. “George McKelvey, who had a prominent comedy club in Denver, gave me my first chance headlining. Using song parodies, funny voices and a lot of one-liners, for the next decade I was a road comic. I’ve reinvented myself a few times from folk, comedy, and now cruise ship entertainer”.

“I’ve traveled all over the country, but Denver is home. I grew up here. After college at Mesa in Grand Junction, Colorado, I lived in about a dozen cities around the country including Detroit, El Paso, Dallas, Aspen, and even gave California a try when I moved to LA in the mid-seventies. I played rooms all over Southern California and even worked the Ice House in Pasadena with David Letterman, Robin Williams and Lily Tomlin.” He even appeared on the Gong Show. “I did not get gang gonged. I won receiving 30 points $516.32, a Gong Trophy and the $49.26 of Stridex Medicated Pads, which I’m still using up as coffee filters. Actually it was something fun to put on my resume.”

“In 1999, Ralph Achilles, who I had known for years and who had been part of the FAB Company, was working as a stand-up comic on ships and suggested I check it out. Ralph referred me to Don Casino Productions. They liked what I did and wanted to represent me to the cruise lines and I performed for the first time on a cruise ship in May 1999.”

I'M CONSIDERED A GUEST ENTERTAINER ON THE SHIPS

Guest Entertainers are comedians, ventriloquists, magicians, cabaret singers, instrumentalists, etc. Country to Classical via Comedy best describes my show. It gives me the opportunity to play “baby boomer” songs and “classics,” and mix it up with humor and funny character voices. I have a full orchestra backing me up, but continue to keep my flamenco numbers solo”.

In addition to the production shows with the singers and dancers, the Guest Entertainers usually do their own show one night a cruise and may split a show with another entertainer later in the cruise. On special itineraries Duncan has done as many as three different hour long shows. Over the years he has worked with Princess, Holland America, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Crystal Cruises. “Most of the year I’m on Princess or Holland America ships. They give me the longer contracts”.

“I’ve been on most of the Princess and HAL ships and itineraries. Working on the ships is a little like living in a hotel, except your backyard changes every day. I’ve been asked if I get tired of working on ships. What could be better than working one night a week, entertaining people and making them laugh, and seeing the world.”

#duncantuck

Ronny Cox is an American actor, singer-songwriter, and musician. He has been consistently active in the entertainment industry for over 40 years, playing a diverse range of characters. His best-known roles include those of George Apple in the series ‘Apple's Way,’ Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil in the action comedy flick ‘Beverly Hills Cop’, Richard Jones in the action film ‘RoboCop’ and Vilos Cohaagen in the sci-fi movie ‘Total Recall’. As a musician, he has played in more than 100 shows at various theaters and has released five CDs till date. Born as the third of five kids to a carpenter cum dairyman, Cox grew up in Portales in New Mexico. He attended Eastern New Mexico University where he majored in speech correction and theater. In 1960, Cox got married to Mary. The couple was happily married for over four decades before Mary passed away.

Ronny Cox made his acting debut in the 1972 film ‘Deliverance.’ During 1974 and 1975, he appeared in the family drama series ‘Apple's Way’. He next appeared in an episode of the horror drama series ‘Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected’. In 1981, he played Colonel Kerby in ‘Taps’, a movie about a group of military students who take over their school so as to save it from closing. Two years later, the actor featured in the films ‘The Beast Within’ and ‘Tangiers’. After this, he starred as Lt. Andrew Bogomil in the action comedy ‘Beverly Hills Cop’, the highest-grossing American film of 1984. That year, Cox also joined the cast of NBC’s ‘Spencer’. He then reprised his role of Capt. Andrew Bogomil in ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ which released in 1987. He also began playing Dr. John Gideon in the medical drama series ‘St. Elsewhere’ the same year.

Cox commenced the new decade with the sci-fi flick ‘Total Recall’ which also featured Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Rachel Ticotin and Michael Ironside. Also in 1990, he starred as Chief Roger Kendrick in the police drama series ‘Cop Rock’. He ended the decade with the role of President Jack Neil in Dwight H. Little’s thriller ‘Murder at 1600’.

In 2000, Cox appeared as John Ramsey in the miniseries ‘Perfect Murder, Perfect Town’. This was followed by his role in the western series ‘American Outlaws’ where he appeared as Doc Mimms. In 2006, he featured in the series ‘Desperate Housewives’ and ‘Commander in Chief’. Two years later, the actor made an appearance in ‘Cold Case’, a police procedural series that revolved around a police department division that investigates cold cases. Following an appearance in the adventure-thriller movie ‘Beyond the Reach’, Cox played Gideon Claybourne in the 2018 musical drama ‘Nashville’.

Ronny Cox also has a successful music career. He performs at various festivals and theaters every year along with his band that comprises world-class musicians. He has also released CDs featuring an eclectic mixture of folk, jazz and western tunes. Some of his music projects are ‘How I Love Them Old Songs…,’ ‘Cowboy Savant,’ ‘Acoustic Eclectricity’ and ‘Songs... with Repercussions,’ to name a few.

Ronny Cox was born on July 23, 1938 in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, USA, to Lounette and Bob P. Cox. He studied at Eastern New Mexico University and graduated in 1963. Talking about his love life, Cox met his wife Mary when he was in the seventh grade and she was in the fifth. The couple married in 1960 and had two kids. His wife died in 2006.

#ronnycox 

#talkandrockradio

                             The Inimitable Rod Crosby         

The Intruders was a rock band formed in El Paso, Texas on 1960. The original members were Rod Crosby, Les Lockhart, Donnie Webb and Bobby Wilson. Bobby Wilson, younger brother of Bill Wilson, drummer for the Rock Kings, started the group. The Intruders first gig was a Texas Western Kappa Sigma dance at the Downtown Hilton Hotel. Their pay was $40  ($10 per person). From that time in 1960 until 1973, Rod Crosby emerged as the band’s leader. The original members dropped out along the way. It became known as Rod Crosby & The Intruders, and Rod played full time until 1973, when Rod sought employment in the corporate world. In that 13 year period , the Intruders performed consistently, booked every weekend, and played hundreds of jobs at almost every high school in El Paso, all the NCO Officers Clubs on Fort Bliss, Biggs Air Field, McGregor Range and White Sands Missile Range, countless weddings, college parties, private parties and graduation parties. The group was fortunate to have evolved during a time when the Rock & Roll industry was thriving, growing leaps and bounds. The groups appeal was based off their ability to cover tunes precisely for dancing, always lending themselves to the desires of the audience, as opposed to the band.                    

Having performed for thousands of people for the past 60 plus years - Rod Crosby & The Intruders is one of a very few that can make that claim.              

In 2009, an entity called the Border Legends of El Paso was created to honor any and all local musicians with a body of performing work over a long period of time.                                         

The Border Legends of El Paso entity staged a non-profit concert, annually, to pay tribute to El Paso’s musicians, past & present, net proceeds going to charitable causes. The annual concert was produced by Rick Kern and Rod Crosby (co-producers).                     

Rick and Rod both had connections to the Bobby Fuller Four. In 1965 Rod was asked by Bobby Fuller to consider joining his group. Rod painfully declined due to his many obligations. The Bobby Fuller Four went to Hollywood to make their mark which they did with I Fought The Law, and more.              

However, Bobby was killed due to foul play, shrouded in mysterious circumstances, an unsolved murder to this day that remains on the E channels 10 Most Unsolved Murder Mysteries.                          

Two members of the Bobby Fuller Four joined Rod’s band not long after the tragedy. Rod picked up the bands musical torch and performs many of the Bobby Fuller Four songs to this day, as well as many of Buddy Holly songs, Buddy being Bobby’s and Rod’s greatest influence, unknown to either until it was discovered later as friends.                    

Current members of Rod’s Intruder band are drummer, Rick Benites, bassist, Ed Clore, guitarist, Paul Dillon, guitarist/keyboardist, Rick Armstrong and guitarist Rod Crosby. All members are vocalists, as well. They are still in great demand with many of El Paso’s annual high school reunions. Long live Rod Crosby & The Intruders and Never to Be Forgotten!

#rodcrosby

#rodcrosby&theintruders

The Group Called El Paso is a musical group that made an impact in the El Paso community and nationally during the late 60’s and early 70’s. The group garnered such respect that up to today, great musicians continue to revive and relive the same musical experiences and memories under the name of El Paso Band under the direction of one of Raul Montes, one of the musicians who joined the original group towards the end.

The Group Called El Paso musicians came together from various groups like the Generation Band, The Preludes, Bobby and the Premiers and several others. Several of The Group Called El Paso musicians developed and formed their musical foundation during their school years while playing with the Jefferson High School Orchestra and Band. The Jefferson Music Department at the time was known nationally and won many national recognitions under the direction of Milan Svambera and Bernie Glover. Most of the group’s musicians started playing in clubs as young as 13 years of age due to their genuine love of music and the reality money was needed back home to help their parents with house and school expenses.

The Group Called El Paso played at popular venues locally and charged fee to enter the venues. Long lines formed around the venues 2 hours before opening to avoid the full capacity problems that were usual every time the group played locally. Success is defined differently by all but for the group, success came when they were signed by The Howard King Agency out of Beverly Hills. Mr. King flew to the Que Que Venue in El Paso and heard the group play to a full capacity crowd with lines outside waiting to enter for hours. The group contracted to play almost all high end diner clubs from San Francisco to New York. The Group Called El Paso played Top Forty, R&B, Standards, Country,  Jazz and Mexican music to many varied audiences. The group can best be labelled as young kick ass musical entertainers. The group counted on members that had powerful vocal and instrumental musicians.    

After over 50 years, The Group Called El Paso can be considered one of the best El Paso Musical Groups in terms of musical talent, quality of venues played nationally and revenue earned as a group.      

#group called el paso

#talk and Rock Radio