Livingston, Don 2010-04-01
Don Livingston with Bob Livingston and Andy Wilkinson discuss the start of Don’s career, his gigs, bands, and writing
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Don Livingston
Additional Parties Recorded:
Date: April 01, 2010
Location: Schertz, Texas
Interviewer: Andy Wilkinson
Length: 02:25:56
Abstract
Tape 1, Side 1:
Teaching guitar, Around Lubbock, his name pops up, Early Age, Hoppy, Roy Rogers, Grandfather used him as a gimmick, He would dress him up, and make him sing, San Antonio 1946, That’s what got him started, Savanna Beach, Wire recorder, That was his first recording, 6 years old, Exposure to music, Mom played Piano, Dad played by ear, Johnny Lane, Sweet Betsy, Red River Dade- his hero, Star Kiss Amateur contest, The prize was a thousand cases of Star Kiss toothpaste, That was his exposure to radio, He got a Ukulele when he was 5, Cade guitar- 8 years old, Dick Ketner, Beautiful Brown Eyes, Judy is the sister, in the middle, South West Texas State had a contest once, Their mom would get him and Judy to play the piano, And accompany him performing, High school, Joel Ray and the Rammion, Everyone played the guitar, Jerry Kenuppa- Attorney now, he played Piano, They would play at Randolph Air Force Base every, Weekend, Jimmy D and the off beats- Tanner in Texas, T & T Records, When Bob was born, he would just watch Don perform, Their parents worked at the church, When Don went to Tech, the whole family moved to Lubbock, Loral Heights, Henry Holloway- Choir director, Music was always a part of his experiences at home, Reeves Harrington, Their grandfather, Don was about 10 or 11 years old when he died, He was about in his 80’s then, Very dominant influence, He lived in the house with them, When their grandma died, Hank Williams put out Jambalaya, Their parents kept them away from death completely, They were not allowed to go, Lubbock, June 1959, Don would do Peggy Sue, Don worked with Roy Hensley, Melding Mustangs- junior high band, Texas Tech, Charlie Hatchet, John Caruthers- Bass player, Gary Blakely – Drummer, Earl Hatchet- guitar, They knew of Don because he would play around Lubbock, Teaching, He started teaching guitar before he joined the Raiders, (Tech band)
Tape 1, Side 2:
Teaching, He met a boy in junior high, He asked him if he knew what instrument, He was playing, the boy did not even know, Bill Herron, The British Invasion- when he began playing, With the Raiders, They would rotate positions, Webb, Resse Air Force Base, Amarillo Air Force base, Sweetwater Air Force base, Clovis- Air force base, Roundup – UT, The Music Box- Lubbock club, The Koko Club- Lubbock, Jimmy D- Memphis, Don started teaching classical, Jesse Taylor moved to Austin, Tx, And the rest is history, Played with Joe Ely, Other memorable students- his brother Bob, Theoretical Music, He would test them on that, Intervals, George Benson, You get to a point with him, and there is nothing more, To teach them, Don Baggot- The Ravens, Livingston Boys, Bob was in high school still, Bob was in high school when he learned how to play bass, He had a good enough ear to fake his way through a song, He played with the Raiders, Robert and Eugene Young, Gary Blakely, There was a group of “Raiders” all over the area at different, Gigs, Plainview Junior College, Joe Mingo, The Beatles, 5:00 pm on a Friday: I wanna hold your hand, The Velvetiness- Best Beatle cover band in Lubbock, Mike Farley, James Elle, Séances, The girls would tell who they had sex with, They were spilling their guts because the spirits made them, The Air Force – Red Corvette 1968, Texas Tech, Physical Education, Barry Corbin – in some of Don’s classes, Ended up in communication background, University st. in Lubbock used to be called College st.
Tape 2, Side 1:
People, Rick Fowler- in a jug band, 1969/70, Randy, Bob was beginning to write, Writing, Lubbock, Aspen- he wrote Silver Dreams, Ease, Road to Nowhere, When he was in Lubbock he did not perform, Any of the songs that he had wrote, Ode to a Pancake, J.B Hence- owner- when he quit he wrote a letter, River Roost, When Armstrong was on the moon, Bob (his brother) told him to come to the West coast, Mr. Johnson Party of Four, Joey Gallo, Don turned his name to Don Livingstoni when he was, In Italy, because he had to pretend to be Italian, Gallo told them that the business is all about the booze, “You have to play to make people buy the booze”, U Turner, When you walk into a club, see who is playing, And then turn back out the door, He went to Hollywood to be an actor, Universal Studios, without an agent, Realized that this was not for him, Charlie Daniels was at the gig, but they did not believe him, Chris Babbot- sent him up to the North coast of California, He told him that he was going to quit, Bun berries- restaurant, Escondido California, Auditions, Ted Williams- from Louisiana, Bass and drums at the same time, Hat Shop- Longhorn Hatters, All the San Diego Chargers would come hang out, Whisky Flats- name of the club, J Riley Cane, Key board synthesizer, They would never pause, good stage presence, They would never turn their backs to the audience, They would make about 8,000 dollars a week, In the 80’s, Don Livingston and the Timber lion, He would pick people to be in his band, who, Could stand on their own as a musician, The band breaks up, Ted Williams stayed with him, Everyone else new, Kelly Dunn joined the new band, There was no comradery between the group, Ted and Don went as a duo, The California highway patrol had to escort him out, He drove back to San Antonio and started a restaurant, 1982, Back to the west coast 84, 85’, He ended up being replaced by a pool table, His career started with his grandfather pushing him up on, Stage and it ended with a Native American hitting him in, The face, Cameos in movies, Currently, Don doesn’t play anymore, Mom’s nursing home, and her 82nd birthday party, With Tucker, Bob’s son
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