# I once met a man who knew the words to every Johnny Cash song.



## Bitzy (Jul 13, 2015)

It was back in the late nineteen-fifties in the Upstate New York city of Rochester. A smart-mouth teenage Yankee boy growing up in the Rochester suburb of Greece, New York. Of course all of the urban action was not happening in Greece! Excitement was found in the "big city" fifteen minutes to the south.

I considered myself to be a fair guitar player on the leading edge of the "Rock and Roll Generation." Our band was called "The Fendertones" because I owned a Fender Stratocaster and my partner played a Fender Jazz Master. It was just the two of us, so to call it a real band was pushing the envelope of reality a bit.

We were both excited because we had scored two rare and expensive tickets to a limited edition Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Three concert at the Masonic Temple in Rochester. We were major fans of Johnny Cash and I was an admirer of lead guitar player, Luther Perkins. Luther was as much of Cash's sound as was the singer.

We arrived at the Masonic Temple about a half hour before the concert to find that our seats had been sold out from under us. That's right - no warning - no refund and, apparently, no consideration of us two teenaged boys from Greece, NY. It seemed that some Rochester big-wig and his wife were nestled comfortably in our front row seats. It didn't seem fair!

Time was winding down before the concert started and we still had no seats. I lamented in a not-too-quite voice, "So, we're just screwed out of our seats?"

"No one gets screwed out of their seats at my concerts," came a familiar voice. "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash, and we have some chairs on the left side of the stage by Luther. You should be able to see and hear just fine. Would that be to your liking?"

And that was the time I met a man who knew all the words to every Johnny Cash song.

Bitzy


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## hollydolly (Jul 13, 2015)

Nice memory Bitzy ..and welcome to the forum


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## Lara (Jul 13, 2015)

OMGoodness!!!!!! Great story and so heartwarming too. What a good heart Johnny Cash had and not at all affected by his high status. I love that. Welcome, btw. I'd love to hear your guitar playing talent…..I think I've heard of the Fendertones. Holy Smokes!! I just googled it and I'm speechless. Sloop John B…best rendition I've ever heard! Which one are you?


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## hollydolly (Jul 13, 2015)

Wasn't Sloop John B..the beach boys?


Anyway I just _you tubed_ the fendertones, and the vocalists seem all pretty young..is it the same group Ditzy?


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## Bitzy (Jul 14, 2015)

hollydolly said:


> Wasn't Sloop John B..the beach boys?
> 
> 
> Anyway I just _you tubed_ the fendertones, and the vocalists seem all pretty young..is it the same group Ditzy?



To my surprise, I must admit that I have never googled "The Fendertones" as a band name until the very moment you mentioned it here. Back in nineteen fifty-nine there was no internet to check for particular version of the band name. There was, however a group called "The FenderMen" who gave rise in 1959 with a popular song called "Mule Skinner Blues." This group actually startled us when we first heard of them and the similarity of band name and the fact that they named their band after the guitar brand.

Actually, after hearing the band name back then, we changed the name of our band to "Radio Frequency." Unfortunately, a new name wasn't the what our band needed. I cannot lay claim to any success in the music industry for "The Fendertones."

My success as a musician did not come until 2007 in a Texas band called "OUT FEET FIRST." But that's a different tale.

Bitzy not Ditzy


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## Lara (Jul 14, 2015)

hollydolly said:


> Wasn't Sloop John B..the beach boys?
> Anyway I just _you tubed_ the fendertones, and the vocalists seem all pretty young..is it the same group Ditzy?


Um, holly, his name is Bitsy . Actually, The Kingston Trio sang it in 1958 (originally written from Carl Sandburg in 1917 called "John B Sails" and sung by Blake Alphonso Higgs in 1952). Then Johnny Cash sang it in 1959. Then Brian Wilson made some minor chord changes and recorded it in 1966. Many other singers have recorded it too. 

I watched the video of the Fendertones too. Yes, the vocalists were younger but the guitar players were our age. I'm not sure which guitar player was Bitsy though.

OOPS…Bitsy and I posted at the same time.


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## hollydolly (Jul 14, 2015)

Well the mystery is solved Bitsy's group from the 50's are not the same group on youtube.. 

Good story tho' Bitsy..


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## Meanderer (Jul 14, 2015)

...are you sure it wasn't Johnny Western, who you ran into?


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## oldman (Jul 15, 2015)

Bitzy--Great story. My dad and his brother (my uncle) and myself had a small band, but we never played professionally. We were in need of a drummer, but never found one that wanted to play country. My Dad played the guitar really well and also the fiddle, piano to some extent and the banjo. I play the guitar, but not very well. Besides my half-hearted attempt at playing the guitar,  I also play the banjo,(but I strum, not pick it) the fiddle and the harmonica. All three of us would get together on some Sunday afternoons and play for our families and now and then, we would invite a few friends. It was always a lot of fun. My Dad thought he was another Hank Williams and would try to yodel. He thought he was good, but IMO, I didn't think so. We played all country, especially Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and some Bluegrass. Bluegrass was my favorite. Flatt & Scruggs, The Monroe Family, Grandpa Jones and Del McCoury are the performers that I would try to imitate.


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## Bitzy (Jul 16, 2015)

oldman said:


> Bitzy--Great story. My dad and his brother (my uncle) and myself had a small band, but we never played professionally. We were in need of a drummer, but never found one that wanted to play country. My Dad played the guitar really well and also the fiddle, piano to some extent and the banjo. I play the guitar, but not very well. Besides my half-hearted attempt at playing the guitar,  I also play the banjo,(but I strum, not pick it) the fiddle and the harmonica. All three of us would get together on some Sunday afternoons and play for our families and now and then, we would invite a few friends. It was always a lot of fun. My Dad thought he was another Hank Williams and would try to yodel. He thought he was good, but IMO, I didn't think so. We played all country, especially Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and some Bluegrass. Bluegrass was my favorite. Flatt & Scruggs, The Monroe Family, Grandpa Jones and Del McCoury are the performers that I would try to imitate.



In 1959, I was just being weened from formal piano lessons. I loved playing music and performing for others. I did, however, find it quite difficult to imagine myself traveling from place to place om bicycle (later on motorcycle) with a piano on my back. The incident I have written about here was very early in my career as a musician. My family was not wealthy, but we were comfortable. I did not get my first car until I was almost twenty-five.

My adventures in the realm of music was still in the future. I had college, marriage and parenthood to process first. I had many years to hone my guitar skills patterning my styles after Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Mickey Baker, Chuck Berry, The Ventures and George Harrison.


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## Ina (Jul 21, 2015)

Good to see you made it Bitzy. As you have seen, we are a very mixed bag of monkeys trying to share as many bananas as we can.  I haven't been very active of late, but I think I'm ready to change that now that I've had some time to myself.  

Meanderer and Hollydolly are old friends as well as so many here.  I think you'll find many here that will bring some laughter into your world, and then there are always those who try to bring in some serious subjects. 

Now you could fill out you profile so everyone can get to know a little.  Just look at mine, I blabbed all. :wave:  :hide:


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## Bitzy (Jul 22, 2015)

Ina said:


> Good to see you made it Bitzy. As you have seen, we are a very mixed bag of monkeys trying to share as many bananas as we can.  I haven't been very active of late, but I think I'm ready to change that now that I've had some time to myself.
> 
> Meanderer and Hollydolly are old friends as well as so many here.  I think you'll find many here that will bring some laughter into your world, and then there are always those who try to bring in some serious subjects.
> 
> Now you could fill out you profile so everyone can get to know a little.  Just look at mine, I blabbed all. :wave:  :hide:



Nice to see your reply, Ina. I am certain that I will fit in here with people here. Their responses are quite welcome also. My brief tale of meeting Johnny Cash is quite true and is a bookmark in the earlier parts of my life.


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