Carter Robertson




Carter with her proudest musical production, her daughters Joanna, Becky and Emily, also known as
"Carters Chord"

Vocalist Carter Robertson is no stranger to the music community, singing on such hits as Waylon's "Are You Ready For the Country", "Come With Me" and "Luckenbach Texas" to name a few. During the outlaw years she backed up Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter both on the road and in the studio. Some of her studio credits include working with James Taylor, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Graham Nash, Don Was, Carter's Chord and many others. In the late 90's she joined back up with old friends to form the Waymore Blues Band which toured and recorded with Waylon and Jessi once again. She continues to work with Jessi and is currently engaged in creating a live show based on a book she has written combined with an album of music. She is passionate about art and is very proud and excited to see her three daughters, Carter's Chord, continue the legacy of great music!

 
When did you first realize that you could sing?
I grew up singing with my two sisters and brother. My family was very musical. In fact, we sang at local churches as the "Walker Family Quartet." My brother preached and we sang. I do remember however, being in about 3rd or 4th grade and realizing that I could sing harmonies and lead. I was a very shy child so this ability gave me much needed confidence.

Did you ever have music/vocal lessons?
I was raised in the California public school system during the 60's. Music and the arts were a very important part of the educational experience. In 5th grade I was given the opportunity to be a part of the school orchestra playing the violin. The school provided the instrument. I continued playing through my Freshman year of high school. I had a very good ear and could play most anything if I heard it once. That skill didn't always serve me well. I had moved on to viola and was first chair in the school orchestra. Our conductor invited me to be a part of a string ensemble which was a high honor. The first day I showed up for rehearsal there was new music on the stand. Much to my horror I was expected to sight read it. Well...that pretty much ended my orchestra days. The local high school choir director was also an accomplished classical soloist who taught privately as well. After auditioning, he recognized my talent as a vocalist and asked my parents if he could help train me classically. I took lessons for about a year, competing in several high school vocal competitions. The problem was that as much as I enjoyed the challenge of classical music, blues, folk, and rock is what made my heart beat. I was told that I had to make a choice. I did. I chose my passion.

What early bands prior to Waylon were you involved in and where?
I moved to Hollywood the first time when I was 17. I was under contract to a production company and in a christian group that backed up Kathryn Kuhlman, a faith healer that held large revivals at the Shrine Auditorium in L.A. Fast forward a few years and I was entrenched in the west coast country music scene. I was the only girl in the Gary Hill band that was signed to Capitol Records. We did a couple of albums, toured a bit and were the Sunday night band at the famous Palomino Club in North Hollywood. I sang with various groups for their show cases in L.A. and did studio background work for artists.
I remember picking up the phone one day and having an old friend who was an engineer at the Amigo Studios in Burbank, ask me how high I could sing. He gave me a note and said start here and then just continue up the scale as high as you can go. When I reached a high D he asked if I would do that once more. Now, you have to understand he was a good friend and a vocalist as well. I didn't think anything about the unusual request. When I finished I heard a different voice at the other end of the line saying, "That's good. Thanks." My friend came back on the line and told me I had just sang for James Taylor and he would like for me to come down to the studio and do some work on a new album called "In The Pocket." I nearly fell over. I'm not much of a fan kind of person but this was James Taylor thank you very much! I went, I sang, I fought being so shy that I could hardly look anybody in the eye and sang the top octaves of a vocal recording he was putting together. He had a bass, tenor, alto and me. You can hear the finished results throughout that album but it's featured on Shower The People. I was asked a couple of months later to do the photo shoot with all of the album participants. True heavy weights. I'm in the photo, but I never got album credit as a vocalist. Tis the life of the invisible background singer.

How did you and Barny hook up with Waylon and how long were you with him the first time and then the later years?
Barny and I were both in the Gary Hill Band that was signed to Capitol Records. He played keyboards and we both sang background. Gary's producer at the time was Ken Mansfield who was co-producing Jessi Colter, Waylon's wife. She had just had a big hit with "I'm Not Lisa" and was looking to go into the studio in L.A. So Ken hired us to record her album. She like the fit and anytime she came into town for "The Midnight Special", her debut at the Santa Monica Civic or any other gig we got the call. Waylon liked what we did and hired us for his "Are You Ready For the Country" album. He then asked us to tour with he and Jessi. They were putting together the Outlaw Tour and they wanted us to become a part of their band. We toured and recorded with them from early 76-1981 the first time. In 1999 we all re-united as the Waymore Blues Band and toured and recorded for the last few years of his life.

Tell me about what inspires you and Barny to create your Christian children's musicals. How many have you and Barny collaborated on? Have you done any solo projects like this?
Life changed dramatically for me with the birth of my first child in 1981. I was done with the road and the crazy life. I needed to set down real roots. So I declined the invitation to come back after Becky was born and chose a different life. Children will do that to you. It was a time of real spiritual awakening and redemption for me. My life prior to Barny and Waylon had been pretty twisted and I had, in a sense, been on the run most of my life. I was weary and needed answers. I started a journey that continues to this day of an intimate relationship with Jesus. I had been raised with a lot of fear and misinformation. I didn't want that for my children. So I suppose that is a strong motivation when I write for children. To be honest, I have lost track of the number of musicals I have written or collaborated on. A lot! Barny has really lost count and I want to brag about him for a second. He never sought out being a Children's musical producer. It was a way to feed the family quite honestly. However, that honorable choice has garnered him several Dove nominations and one Grammy award. Pretty cool! As far as solo projects, not really. A lot of our work has been with Christian print companies as independent contractors. We are contracted to write the songs and scripts for specific curriculum.

Are you pursuing a book writing career?
Well, I don't know if I'm pursuing a career but I am writing a book. It's a quirky memoir that started out being a gift to my daughters. I was hoping to shine a light on their heritage. However, after other family members and friends read a few of the chapters, I was encouraged to think a little broader. I'm almost finished and hope to have it out either self published or with another company by the end of this year. I just finished a CD that I will have available for sale on my website and at live performances by the end of March. I have put together a show of live music and spoken word performances. It has been very well received and now I need to work on bookings. That's the missing link for me sometimes. I've always depended on someone to do that part. Now I have to be a big girl and figure it out myself. YIKES!!!

What do you enjoy most-singing or writing music?
It's difficult to say. Writing is a solitary adventure where performing is shared. They both make my heart beat.

 Which, if an, instruments do you play?
I play a little bit of guitar and I can play "Down in the Boondocks" and "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" on the piano...and often do after a couple of drinks at parties!

What is a typical week like for you musically? Performing, writing, etc.
My week really varies. On average I'm in the studio a couple of days either working on my music or someone else's. Performing live has slacked off a bit this past year but there's talk of it picking back up. I still go out with Jessi when she performs. I write pretty much every day.

What kind of music do you enjoy listening to? Who are some of your favorite artists?
I like all different kinds. Usually what resonates with me is great lyrics, raw presentation, not too slick, however theirs art in slick as well so...I listen to Tom Waites, (Heart of Saturday Night is genius!) Little Feat, Delbert McClinton, Mahalia Jackson, Marc Cohn, Neil Young, old Leon Russell, Nichole Nordeman, Nickel Creek, Tony Bennett, Vince Gill (These Days) Alison  Krause, Black Eyed Peas, Counting Crows, Delaney and Bonnie, Bob Dylan and many more. I could go on forever...of course, CARTER'S CHORD!!!!

What is it like to be the Carter in Carter's Chord?
That's actually a more complicated question than it it appears. I LOVE their music. The real Carter's Chord is unbelievable. They all three write some of the best songs I've heard in a long time. Now, I know I'm their Mama, but as a writer and artist myself, I really enjoy just listening to them. I'm a fan of great lyrics, melody and harmonies. So what's not to love? However, the protective, seasoned veteran side of me struggles. This is a tough business that has the track record of twisting and squeezing people's art until it is unrecognizable and the artist is left wondering who they are and doubting where they are supposed to go. I live with the inner angst of knowing more than I should and yet letting them live their own journey. I'm in no way shape or form a stage Mom. Just ask 'em. This is THEIR career and my job if to love them well and be a tireless supporter and encourager. If I see them struggle I do speak up. They are amazing women and are so much more evolved and aware than I ever was at their age. My cup runeth over...

What do you see yourself doing 5 years from now?
I hope I am on my third book, performing live and continuing to record. I also enjoy mentoring other women and encouraging them to pursue all they were created to be. I want to travel and do music with my best friend and partner, Barny! If you see us in a town near you c'mon on out. Or if you want us to come to your town let us know. My website should be up with current info and contact information by the end of March. carterrobertson.com

What was the first moment you remember realizing that music was what you wanted to do? When I was in the fifth grade I was introduced to music and knew almost immediately that it would be my life. It was the comfort that I needed when my mother died at an early age.

Which musical instruments do you play and what do you consider to be your main instrument? I began playing the violin in the fifth grade and moved from there to woodwinds – first, clarinet and then settled on saxophone (primarily tenor) which I played in high school and college band. I dabbled at several others because I wanted to become an orchestra and/or band conductor. However, in my senior year of high school I joined the choir and ended up switching my focus to “voice”, majoring in choral conducting instead. I use the piano to compose, but am not a pianist at all (unfortunately), so I probably would consider my voice my main instrument.

What inspires you to write a song? Do you hear melodies first or do you work out the lyrics at first? I am by so many things. Often I will write something because I need to or have a specific reason. For instance, I have written a mini production to celebrate my sister’s 70^th birthday so have written songs primarily to reflect and rejoice in the goodness of God, her love for him and the love that people have for her. Sometimes I begin with melodies and at other times I begin with lyrics.

Do you usually write songs entirely by yourself or do you collaborate? I typically do not collaborate, having only done so once.

Is there an "average" time it takes you to compose a song or does it depend on the song? I only ask because I write songs and I'm curious about other writers-some songs I compose in literally 5 minutes and others I may spend months on. Like you, it varies. I, too, have written songs within an hour, minutes and at other times, days, weeks or months. At first I thought it was an age thing as well, feeling that I had slowed down due to age, but this latest project has proved that not to be correct. I suppose it’s really about inspiration. ?

Do you compose at the piano? Most of the time I do. However, since I have a recording mechanism in my laptop, I have used it to record melodies and/or lyrics and then taken it to the piano just to develop the harmony and chording.

Aside from gospel music, what types of music do you enjoy listening to? Who are some of your favorite artists? I am a lover of music in general, but I do listen to gospel primarily. Years ago, I used country music to help me get in writing modes, especially when I was working on writing a themed project because nobody tells a story better than a country music writer. But you may find me listening to classical, jazz, pop and R&B. I am not a fan of Rap.

Do you enjoy personally performing your own compositions? I rarely sing my own compositions. I don’t sing as much as I used to, choosing to perform mostly at funerals when asked. I love hearing my songs performed by others, especially in the various arrangements and styles that others have performed them.

Have you ever felt intimidated being a woman in the music business? If so, how do you handle it? I don’t think that I would say that I have been intimidated, but I can say that it’s hard to find many people who will help or work with you to succeed. To this end, I rarely seek assistance anymore.

What inspired you to write the book "Rise Up"? I had written a different book with another person that was submitted to a publisher. They contacted me saying that they didn’t want that book, but wanted me to write or submit something else for them. Although I had several other manuscripts that I could have submitted, I said that I was willing to write what they needed. They requested a book on leadership for African American women and they titled it “Rise Up” upon its completion.

Have you ever considered delving into politics? You seem to be such a strong voice and advocate for women, especially African-American women, that I could see you having a positive impact in this regard.)Whereas I am quite the activist and advocate, I am not a politician. I could never be elected for anything because I am not a loyalist to or towards a party or a position. I am a strong advocate for women and an independent fighter for what I consider right and especially for the voiceless and the “least of these”.

I am regularly in contact with my representatives in congress and will speak out or take to the streets for issues that I believe in (health care and anti-war demonstrations).

When did you form your publishing companies? Was there any gender or cultural difficulty encountered when you created them? Right after I wrote my first song, in 1977, I read about Neil Sedaka having to purchase his own music back from a publishing company, and decided then that I would want to own my music. Having only written a couple of songs at that time, I always believed that what I would write would have value enough that ownership would be important. So when I read an article in Songwriter Magazine about publishing companies and how to form them, I followed the steps and did so. I believe that was in 1979. Afterwards, I joined organizations that held conferences that I would attend that increased my knowledge about publishing, copyrights, etc. Whereas I can’t say that I encountered problems because I was a black woman, I can say that I rarely saw women or blacks in this field during that time who owned publishing companies so I had few if any that I could relate to or connect with.

What do you like to do to relax or do you ever get to? [Couldn’t help but chuckle at this one. ] I don’t do this enough. I used to go to the movies in years past, but today I find so few that interest me. I will rent them from the library perhaps, but don’t go into the theaters that much. I have pretty much moved from music to ministry and although I enjoy it, it requires times of respite, more than what I am prone to take. I do spend a lot of time alone because the time that I spend with people is usually taxing, since I am often ministering to people who really need help. Primarily, I am a minister at a shelter for women who have recently been released from prison, those who are homeless, those battling drug and alcohol addictions and those being sheltered from abusive men. I also minister a lot to senior citizens.

In an interview with you on "YouTube" you have a picture of Dr. Martin Luther King on your wall and you also wrote a musical (partially?) based on him. Did you ever meet him when you were younger? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was and is my hero and inspiration. I lived in Georgia during the sixties in difficult times and Dr. King was a source of encouragement and hope though I never got to meet him. I had always wanted to write a musical, and in the late eighties I was commissioned by an organization in Toledo, OH to write and produce a “program” in honor of Dr. King. I decided that I would then write a musical in his honor and did so. It was entitled, “Long Live The Dream”. It was quite successful and ended up on stages in Toledo and Detroit.

Are your books A Guide to Effective Choral Singing and Songs of Faith available for purchase? (I've seen "Rise Up" on Amazon, etc) How would someone go about buying these books? A Guide to Effective Choral Singing and the hymnal, Songs of Faith, were self published. The first is no longer in print and the second is sold directly through our offices from my publishing company. It is available online through our  company, although the site is down at the moment. In addition to Amazon.com, I also sell copies of “Rise Up” as well. It is offered via my ministry site (www.greatheritage.org) but will also be sold online via my publishing site (www.srosepublishing.com) as well. (By the way, Songs of Faith contains “A Mansion, Robe and Crown”. I had assumed that you had gotten the music from there and was surprised to know that you had just chorded it yourself. Good job!)

As a former teacher and principal, what do you think about the importance of keeping music education in schools and available to all children?  Needless to say, this is also one of those things that can get a quick sermon out of me. Unfortunately, education is not of primary importance in this country, and especially a well-rounded one. We have done an injustice to our children in limiting their exposure to the arts. It was my introduction to music through the public schools and their provision of school-owned instruments that allowed me to grow and flourish into the musician and music lover that I became. It also increased my self-esteem and kept me sane and composed, in light of an abusive home after the death of my mother. I cannot fathom what life would have been like for me in school as a young child without music education.

A big thank you to Sylvia Rose Cobb for making time to do this online interview with me. If you are interested in learing more about Sylvia Rose visit:
http://greatheritage.org
www.srosepublishing.com 

To hear "Mansion, Robe and Crown" written by Sylvia Rose visit these links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwTECEe_aE4 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUYZKyDXIt8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnbp-cVrdu8
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LADY SINGS THE DELTA BLUES

An Interview with Chicago’s

Donna Herula

I got to see Donna Herula perform June 12th and 13th at the Chicago Blues Festival and it was quite a treat. We'd become friends on MySpace prior to this and it was nice to get to meet her after her first performance. Donna plays a very impressive slide guitar and sings the Delta Blues like she's been doing it all her life which she practically has. Her guitar playing reminds me of that done by the late Memphis Minnie and her vocals remind me of Maria Muldair.
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Did you grow up in a musical family? What made you decide that guitar was your instrument of choice?

Yes, I have three older sisters and an older brother and they all play musical instruments.  Although my mom did not play, she made sure that all of her kids knew how to play the piano. One of my sisters currently plays French Horn semi-professionally.  When I was young, I remember watching my sister play the guitar and sing and wished that I could do that, too. After about five years of piano lessons, I was very happy to switch to the guitar when I was 10 years old.

How did you learn to play the blues and what were your first experiences playing the blues?

My brother played really amazing saxophone at neighborhood bars in Chicago where I lived.  I made his guitar buddy show me the blues scale and it turned out that I had a knack for playing lead on electric guitar.  When I was 14, I joined an all girls rock band that played at some high schools in Chicago.  At age 16, I wrote a song “Mid Term Blues” which I played and sang at my high school variety show.  I wrote the harmonies for the two back-up singers and the music director helped me arrange the parts for the jazz band that backed me up.

What first interested you in playing slide guitar and Delta Blues?

When I went to the Chicago Blues Festival in the 1990’s, I saw two street performers, Steve Arvey and Kraig Kenning, play some great acoustic blues. Kraig Kenning played slide on his silver metallic Dobro guitar.  I had never seen anything like that before and loved it. In 1999, I saw blues slide guitarist Eric Sardinas for the first time and it had a huge impact on me.  In addition to playing electric slide with his band, he also performed some solo acoustic songs by Delta Blues legends Robert Johnson and Mississippi Fred McDowell. His playing was raw and emotional and he had superior technical ability with the slide.  From that day on, I knew I had to learn how to play slide guitar.

Tell me about your guitars. How long have been playing these two and where did you find them? They are vintage 1930's I believe. Do you play resonators for a more authentic sound?

I am a big fan of National Guitars.  I found the old 1930's National Triolian at a vintage guitar show in the Chicago area last summer. It has a wonderful traditional sound and I love playing it.I bought the National Polychrome Tricone in 2004 at Hogeye Music in Evanston, IL.  The Tricone is made specifically for slide guitar playing because of it’s sustain. Once I played it, there was no going back for me.  Both guitars are made of steel.

What kind of tunings do you use most often? I'm not a slide player (but trying to learn a little) so this interests me. What is your preferred type of slide?

I use an open G tuning and an open C tuning (which is open D dropped down a whole step).  I have a low voice so the C tuning tends to work better than the D tuning for me.  I also use a Guild Dreadnought and play in standard and drop D tunings when I fingerpick.  I like both the glass and metal slides.  I used to use the glass slide more often, but more recently, I have gone back to the brass Dunlop Preachin’ Pipe.

Was this your first time officially performing at the Chicago Blues Festival?

This was the first year that I officially played at the Chicago Blues Fest, and I was thrilled to be part of it.  I have been coming to the Chicago Blues Festival since I was a teenager and my husband and I have attended each year since then.  In 2006 and 2007, I was a blues street performer at the fest and in 2008, I was one of the performers at the ZonePerfect Booth.  This year, 2009, I performed a commemoration for slide guitar legend Robert Nighthawk at the Route 66 Roadhouse. Nighthawk would have been 100 years old this November.  Not only was he an amazing slide guitar player, he had an incredible voice and was a fantastic songwriter and lyricist.  I felt honored to play his music and had a lot of fun bringing his songs to other blues lovers.

Were you nervous performing at Blues Fest?

No.  As we were driving into the City, I actually felt less and less nervous and more and more excited.  I felt good knowing that I was going to play a number of really cool old blues songs that many people had never heard.

I liked the PorchBoard Bass you used. I've seen John Hartford with something similar. How long you've been using it in your performances?

I bought my PorchBoard Bass in the summer of 2008, so I have used it for about a year.  Before then, I tried to make my own stompboard with a pick-up and a piece of plywood and also looked into some other stomp boards, but they did not have the full, deep booming sound of the PorchBoard.  On the way back to Chicago from Madison, WI, we stopped in Janesville, IL to test out the PorchBoard.  The band EnRoute Music actually makes the PorchBoard which sounds just like a bass drum.  When we showed up, Nadene, Bill, Dean and Bonnie (the entire band) showed up and gave us this great demonstration of how it worked.  They were so nice and I have been very happy with the PorchBoard.  It brings a lot to solo, acoustic playing.  More recently, I added some Velcro to the PorchBoard and attached a tambourine, which sounds great and adds some variety to the music.
(For more on the PorchBoard Bass:  http://porchboard.com)

What do you do when you aren't playing music?

When I’m not playing music, I like to watch others perform and support local music venues.  In the past couple of months, I've seen Paul Geremia at a place called SPACE in Evanston, IL as well as Loretta Lynn at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago.  Both are wonderful places to see live music, if you are ever in the Chicago area.

What do you see yourself doing musically in 10 years?

I would like to continue to play at music festivals and grow as a musician and songwriter. 

A big thanks to Donna for doing this interview with me. To listen to Donna's music and learn more about her, including how to buy her CD, check out her MySpace page at:

www.myspace.com/donnaherula

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(photo by C. Lester)

Narvel the Marvel
An interview with Narvel Felts
by
Elizabeth Welch


THE EARLY YEARS
Narvel Felts has been a citizen of Malden, MO for a long time. Seen locally at the grocery store, post office and other places, those who are lucky enough to know him speak of him highly.  People of all ages enjoy his music, and words like "nice," "friendly," and "seems like an ordinary guy" are often used to describe him. No matter how well you know this "ordinary" man, you may not realize just how extraordinary Narvel Felts is. His history in the music business is truly something to be admired.

Born to Albert & Lena Felts on November 11, 1938, Albert Narvel Felts entered the world in a farmhouse near Keiser, Kansas. He had one sister, Ogareeda, and moved with his family in 1953 to Powe, MO. His earliest interest in music came at age 13 when he traded his BB gun for what he describes as an "old, beat up, Gene Autry" guitar. The guitar was warped but Narvel did not let that deter him. He picked cotton on a farm near Powe, saved his money and ordered his first new guitar from Sears-Roebuck. At 17, Felts entered and won a talent contest when he was in the 11th grade at Bernie High School. That talent contest led him to a career which spans more than 50 years and includes his becoming one of the original Sun Records' recording artists, an original Rockabilly artist and a noted Country performer. 

Narvel was just 17 when Jerry Mercer hired him to join his band in 1956. "We were playing places such as the Four-Way in Dudley and Pop Smitzer's over by Risco and all of a sudden Jerry was getting people to say, 'I'll hire you at the Razorback in Blytheville' or 'I'll hire you in Osceola if you'll bring that kid along.'  I remember when school was out in '56, I remember chopping cotton for a few days and then I remember seeing Jerry Mercer's tan '53 Chevy coming down the dusty gravel road one afternoon to our house. He wanted to know if I wanted to go to work with him full time and I said, 'well sure.' All of a sudden I was working doing something that I love to do. You know, I didn't love chopping cotton too much."

At first, Felts had to walk every afternoon from Powe to Bernie to meet Mercer who would bring him home after the job, but "I would hitchhike," he explained, "and some days it was mostly 'hike' until he gave me a deadline and said, 'you've gotta get a car within a couple of weeks. I can't keep doing this.' They told me and the drummer both that. The drummer lived in Sikeston and so I got a car for like $85 or something and the drummer never did, so it became my job to take him home after we got done. I got to listen to a lot of all night radio. That was the beginning."

Narvel Felts, Roy Orbison and Eddie Bond worked a package show together on August 7, 1956. Without being asked, Orbison went back to Memphis and told them they should "give Narvel a listen," so he wound up with an audition in Memphis within a couple of weeks. "Just me and the guitar player for Jerry Mercer's band, Leon Barnett, drove down to Memphis," Felts said , where he sung and Barnett played guitar. After listening, Jack Clement told them to "go home, write some more songs and bring the whole band back."

Narvel's first recording session at Sun Records was January 23, 1957. "It was exciting," he said, "and at my first session actually in Memphis that day, just hanging around was Roy Orbison. He sat in the control room with Jack Clement. Sam Phillips was back and forth and Harold Jenkins pulled a chair over by the microphone and sat where he could hear me. In a few months, he (Jenkins) would become known as Conway Twitty. Johnny Cash was there that day and this new piano player who hadn't had a hit record yet, Jerry Lee Lewis."

Things began moving fairly quickly for Felts in early 1957 when the band starting getting booked in theaters with Rock & Roll movies. "We would kind of tour like that," Felts explained. "They'd do a movie and we'd do a show. I played the Fox Theater in St. Louis for a week when they were showing the movie "Rock Pretty Baby" which was a big leap in my career.  It was prestigious and we had really big crowds the whole week.  I wound up from Sun going quickly on to Mercury Records and Mercury signed me."

Felts regularly toured the United States and Canada until 1961. On April 30, 1962 he married Loretta Stanfield in her hometown of Steele, MO. The couple had two children, Stacia, and Narvel "Bub" Felts, Jr.

FROM ROCK & ROLL ROOTS TO COUNTRY STARDOM AND BACK
Felts' really big successes and his world-wide hits didn't come until the 1970's when he crossed over to the Country charts. Some of his biggest hits include, Reconsider Me (1975 Record of the Year), Lonely Teardrops, Drift Away, Everlasting Love, When Your Good Love Was Mine, and My Prayer.

Remember some of those Rockabilly/Rock & Roll classics: Mountain of Love, Kiss a Me Baby, Foolish Thoughts and Honey Love? Many of these would become big regional hits in different areas of the United States and Canada with several making top ten lists and some going all the way to number one. Felts' music would be played by Rock & Roll, Country, R & B, and Easy Listening disc jockeys scattered from New York to California, Canada to Mexico and around the world. Hailed by Cashbox magazine as "Narvel the Marvel," he has also been called the "King of Country Soul" and the "King of the Rockabilly Revival." He is a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and is among the top 150 Country artists of the past century.

Felts toured full time from 1982 through 1990 and took his son, Bub, with him through 1986. Since his Country music breakthrough in the 1970's, Felts has been touring Europe and described his first Rock & Roll fest as something more like a Rockabilly fest. "They insisted on me playing my own songs," he said with a laugh. "I told them I hadn't sung some of those songs since the 1950's but that's what they wanted." He and Bub worked up the songs and "it was like it was in 1957" according to Narvel. "The audience went wild and all these years had passed and I was this much older but the audience was the same because they were all so young so it was quite an amazing experience. Bub came home from that and got into Rockabilly. He'd been a big fan of Van Halen and the metal bands but after that he got into my old records and took them back to his room."

On September 14, 1995, life's greatest tragedy struck the Felts family. Bub was killed in a car accident on a foggy highway near Campbell, MO at the age of 31. Although it's been over a decade since the loss of Bub, Felts still does a song for him at every show. "I played the Hemsby which is the biggest Rock & Roll festival in Europe. They refused to let me play any Country hits, but I insisted on one ballad and one song for Bub. It was a hardened Rock & Roll crowd but I did My Prayer which was a big country hit even though it was a Platters songs and that was met with rousing applause. The roof just came off the building. I did several more Rockabilly songs, then I told them about Bub. I did Since I Don't Have You. At the end of it the applause kept on and on. I looked out into the audience and through the floodlights I could see they had tears in their eyes. They had hearts and souls and they did care."

With a career rooted in Rock & Roll and flourishing in Country, Felts' talent and love for a variety of music has kept him working since his late teens and he hasn't stopped. In 2006 he received a phone call from the head of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio regarding their annual show, "American Masters" which honors a member of the hall for fame. For the first time they were going to honor a living member, Jerry Lee Lewis. They wanted Felts to be part of the show and invited him to "come sing a song or two or three." Not a bad way to spend your 69th birthday.

Felts still plays all kinds of music festivals-Country, Rock & Roll and Rockabilly but he has no favorite; he likes them all. "I wouldn't dare say a favorite," he said with a laugh, although he added that the Country audiences are a "little more accepting" of who he is.  Narvel plays to sell out crowds worldwide on a regular basis. View the official Narvel Felts website at:
www.mkoc.com/NarvelFelts.  And if you happen to see him at the grocery store, tell him "hi." He's just an "ordinary guy." 


Thanks to Elizabeth Welch for allowing me to post her 2007 interview with Narvel Felts on my websites
cfl

Guitar on the Brain

An Interview with SEMO's
Bruce Zimmerman




How old were you when you first started playing guitar?
I started when I was 5. My dad showed me some basic open chord positions and I began picking out single note melodies. I started my first band when I was 9 with my brother Dewayne and my cousins Mike and Darrel. We called ourselves The Four Z's. Later we added Jere Swader on drums and changed our name to the Blazers. I was in that band until I was around 14. I have never been out of a band since I was 9.

Do you play any other instruments?
Mandolin, harmonica, steel, a little piano and drums. I have several lap steels that I play in different tunings. I have a double neck Rickenbacker 8 string lap steel that originally belonged to Darrel in that first band. Its' sound is great for western swing and old style country.

Are you self taught or did you have music lessons?
Self taught. My Dad showed me enough to get me started and I picked it up from there. I never had band in school or any formal training. I have always played by ear. 

I recall that your father was associated with the Bootheel Jamboree-tell me what that was like. 
My Dad played bass in the house band for the Jamboree from the very beginning. The original Bootheel Jamboree was started by Jerry Foster and Bill Rice. They were DJ's at radio station KTCB in Malden at the time. They didn't have a building for the show and they had it in a big circus tent in Malden. I first played drums on the show when I was 12 and I used to play acoustic guitar and sing some on the shows also. They used to have stars come in from the Grand Ole Opry and do special guest appearances so I got to play with several when I was just a kid. There were some great musicians in the band. Billy Springer played pedal steel and Dale Hawkum played guitar. You had to back every singer that walked out on stage. I learned a lot just from being exposed to great players. Foster and Rice later sold the rights to the Jamboree and moved to Nashville and teamed up as song writers and wrote a string of hits. The Palmer family bought the Jamboree and built the building in Bernie and the show ran for many years after that. My Dad was in the band until the very last show.

What brand of guitar do you play the most?
When I play blues I mostly stay with the Gibsons. My main guitar is a Gibson Firebird. I also have a Gibson ES335. I carry several guitars on stage when I am playing with the Waterstreet Band.
I have some other guitars on stage for slide in a couple of different tunings and a couple of Fenders. I also have a telecaster and a strat that I use when I need a brighter or twangier sound.

Your CD "Guitar on the Brain" was great; how can fans buy a copy?
I will have a way to buy my CD on line soon through my MySpace website. You can also buy it at Hastings or P-Mac in Cape Girardeau. 
 
Your niece Christy Griffin who I work with at Bernie High School said that your daughter in law designed the  very cool cover for the CD.  Are other family members involved in your music in any way?
My daughter in law Lisa is a graphic designer and she did the cover for me. All of my kids play instruments and sing. My son Eric plays guitar and saxophone. Brandi plays saxophone, piano and sings. I recently did a show where my band backed Kimberly Dahme. Kimberly is the bassist for the rock group Boston and has out several solo CDs. Almost all of her songs have a male and female back up vocalist so I brought Brandi in for that show to sing the female back up parts. She did a great job on that show. My youngest daughter Victoria plays clarinet and sings.

Have you put out other recordings?
Guitar on the Brain was my first solo CD although I have played guitar on a lot of sessions for other people over the years. I am in the process of recording another CD now but I don't know when it will be finished yet.

What are some of your earliest musical memories?
One of my first memories was when my dad had some musicians over and they were rehearsing in the living room. I was probably about 5 and I had a small bodied Gibson that my aunt's boyfriend had given me. It was cracked all the way across the back of it and it rattled when you played. He gave it to me just as a toy to play with but I wanted to know how to really play it. My dad had showed me how to make an A chord by barring my finger across the second fret. They were playing a Hank Williams song in A with a simple 1-4-5 progression. I would play along with them when they were on the A chord and I would stop when they went to the 4 and the 5 because I didn't know how to make those chords but I knew it wouldn't sound right to play the wrong cord. I could hear the chord changes. After everyone left I asked my Dad to show me the other two chords. So he showed me the D and E. I think that is when it all really started for me. I don't really remember this part but when the family got together this past Christmas at my Mom and Dads, we were talking about this. I had told them that I wanted a guitar that didn't rattle and my Dad told me that when I could play a song all the way through he would buy me a better guitar. My Mom told him that he might as well get his wallet out. In a couple of days I was playing that 3 chord progression and he bought me a guitar that played a lot easier and was easier to learn on.

What is your personal favorite kind of music? Who are some of the artists you listen to?
I like everything. I still love all the old country songs and western swing. The Beatles of course and lot of music from the 60s and 70s such as The Stones,The Band and CCR. I loved all of the old Motown and the stuff coming out of Memphis from Stax and Hi records. Most of the stuff I listen to now is from strong singer songwriters like John Hiatt and some of the really hot guitar players like Albert Lee and Tommy Emmanuel. I also like the good slide players that work in different tunings like Sonny Landreth and Bonnie Raitt.

I remember some of the Bernie musicians from way back when- Junior Curtis, Butch Smith, Ray Doan, Stan Hathcoat, Bob Ash & others. Did you play music with any of them?
Those guys are some of my best friends in the world. I sold Junior Curtis his first set of real drums. I was around 17 or 18 and Junior was probably 12 or 13 I guess. I had pretty much gone to guitar all the time and wasn't really playing drums anymore. I wanted to sell them to buy a new guitar. Like most of us then we didn't have much money and Junior had a homemade set of drums. I remember his hi-hat was made out of paint can lids. Shannon Howe worked at the pool hall and Junior used to hang out there. Shannon saw Juniors potential and bought my drums for Junior. When I was in my 20s Junior and I put together a progressive rock band called Dirtywork. It was a great band and I still have people ask me about to this day.

Ray Doan was my neighbor and his was the only family that lived on our road that wasn't a relative. He used to hang out at our house all the time when we were playing guitars. He talked his folks into buying him a set of drums and they ordered them from Montgomery Ward. I showed him how to set them up the day they came in and showed him some basics about drumming. We didn't have air conditioning at the house so we slept with the windows open. During summer vacation he used to practice until 2 or 3 in the morning and we could hear it plain as day at our house. He almost drove my mom and dad crazy but I liked hearing it. I think the first song he learned to play was a Lovin' Spoonful song called Six O'clock. When I was high school, Ray and I put a band together with Stan Hathcoat on bass. We played together for a few years and Ray and I went on the road together when we were in our early 20s with a band called the Next of Kin. That was my first experience with the world outside of Bernie.

Butch Smith was a great talent. We first met when we were 15 and his family moved to Malden. He had been living in California and playing with guys like Clarence White who later played with The Byrds and was the co-inventor of the B-bender that is used on half the country songs you hear today. He was so far ahead of the rest of us when he moved to town. He was the one who introduced me to slide guitar and different tunings. I have no doubt that if he had stayed in California he would have ended up in a major band. I still have Butch's old 63 Fender Tremolux amp that he use to play harp through. I miss him a lot.

Bob Ash moved to Bernie when we were in the 7th grade. His dad was with Brown Shoe Company and got transferred to Bernie to be the superintendent of the factory. The first time they came to Bernie to see the town I was playing on a flatbed trailer with The Blazers for the grand opening of a cafe there where the bus stop was. When school started he ended up being in my class and sitting beside me. He wanted to meet me because I played guitar but he was kind of shy at didn't know how to approach me. He had just gotten his first guitar for Christmas and he caught my attention by sitting at his desk drawing out guitar chord diagrams on a piece of paper. I saw it and asked him if he played guitar. We ate lunch together in the school cafeteria that day and that was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. He knew 3 chords when I first met him and could play Twist and Shout by the Beatles. We started going to each others houses and playing guitars together. He learned faster than anyone I ever saw and in 6 months time it was pretty much an even exchange because he was figuring out stuff and showing it to me as much as I was showing him. We played in bands together off and on a lot throughout the years. In my late 20s and early 30s we had a band called Stampede with Earl Perkins and Scott Barnett that was together for about 6 years. The first year that band was together we played 320 nights. To this day there is no guitarist I play with that our styles mesh together so well. We got together and played some gigs this past summer and it was like we had never stopped playing together.

All of us as well as Gene Hanners, another great Bernie musician used to rent the Malden JC hut and have these jam sessions that would last all night. We had great fun and learned a lot from each other.

I saw you warm up Buddy Guy at the Show Me Center in November 2007-just you and a bass player-and you two were absolutely astounding. I don't often hear so much music coming out of just two people. Is this what you like to do best or do you prefer playing with a larger crew?
The bass player is Ken Keller and he is my bass player in the Water Street band and a tremendous talent. He is also a great engineer and owns IBS studios where I recorded my CD.
When we opened for Buddy Guy it was the first time that just the two of us played together. My CD had been sent to Buddy Guy's people when they were looking for someone to open up for him. They liked the CD but did not want to have a large band open because of the logistics of the equipment change over between acts. They asked if I would do a solo or duo. I wasn't going at first but the guys in the band wanted me to so I asked Ken to play with me. I do some solo and duo gigs and I really enjoy them. When I play those it is usually in a small room like a house concert or some winery gigs. This is where I get to try out a lot of my originals. I will always like the energy of a full band though.


Do you have a "day" job or just play music? (every musician's dream)
I do have a day job. I work at the RapcoHorizon company in Fruitland, MO. They make cabling systems for the audio industry. I work with sound contractors and touring sound companies helping them put together the cabling for their tours so I am working with musicians on my day job too.

What do you see yourself doing in 5 years?
I hope to be semi retired and just playing music again. I would like to do some road work again. To date I have played 38 states and 6 countries. I plan on doing some overseas tours again.

Looking back, what, if anything would you do differently in regards to your music if you could?
I would get more formal training. I don't think there is any substitute for a good ear but there have been some missed opportunities because I was not a good sight reader. If you have the ability to do both it can make a big difference.

What would you tell young musicians just starting out?
The main thing is to make sure it is always fun. The wonderful thing about playing an instrument is you don't have to be great to get enjoyment out of it. It can be enjoyed at many different levels. As far as young musicians who want to be in a band this is the advice I give them. Please yourself. You have to have a thick skin because you no matter how good you get there will always be someone that doesn't like your music. I don't know how many times I have heard someone say they hate the Beatles or they hate Elvis Presley. You are never going to please everyone. I know there are people that will hear me play and not like it or be indifferent to it. On the other hand I have had many people tell me that my music has brought great joy to them or touched there lives in someway.
The other thing I would tell them is the first rule of bands is all bands break up (except for the Rolling Stones). When you are in a band you can get to be like family and if the band breaks up its like getting a divorce. Don't let it stop you from playing. Find some more musicians and keep going. I would also urge them to play with as many different musicians as possible and to keep your mind open to playing all styles. Your musical taste changes as you change. It's just a fact of life.


Thanks to Bernie native Bruce Zimmerman for taking time out of his very busy schedule to do this interview with me.