Wednesday, July 9, 2008

goin' back to miami, part i: wayne cochran



progenitor of the rob tyner look ? or lux interior, possibly.

I first came across this one on the excellent bubblegum machine, which appears to have gone into permanent stasis.

Cochran, The White Knight of Soul, was born in Thomaston, Georgia in 1939.

From Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide:

"The outlandish Wayne Cochran - wild outfits, high snow-white pompadour - and his musical odyssey began in 1955 with his first band. By 1963, after a move to Macon, GA, and numerous personnel changes, the outfit became known as Wayne Cochran & the C.C. Riders ("Cochran's Circuit Riders"). Inspired by James Brown and his relentless touring schedule, Cochran purchased an old bus and hit the road. The group took its high-octane show all over the South and Midwest before settling in Miami for an extended stay as the house band at the Barn (aka "the House of Soul")."

It would be nice to imagine that Cochran bumped buses with Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. Who knows ? God knows how intimidating that bouffant would be on acid.

After years on the road peppered with numerous stop-offs to 'cut the rug', Cochran gave it all up for the Lord and established his own ministry in 1981.

His parishioners must be having some kind of a ball.

WAYNE COCHRAN & THE C.C. RIDERS: GOIN' BACK TO MIAMI from "Goin' Back To Miami" 45 (Mercury) 1967 (US)

WHITE KNIGHT OF SOUL
WAYNE COCHRAN ON BLOGORAMA! MIAMI VISION

4 comments:

Your driver said...

I forgot all about Wayne Cochran. He used to be on some teenage TV shows back in the sixties. My memories are vague and a little weird. Like remembering a traumatic event from childhood. Seeing that hairdo qualifies as a traumatic event.

ib said...

That hairdo... It's "Something Else!"

No, wait a moment; that was Eddie Cochran. I wonder if they were related ?

The dude must be 70 years old now. Can you imagine his sermons ?

Unknown said...

Uh oh... The Mullet Supreme yesterday? This today?

Did you get a bad haircut, ib?

ib said...

Ha! Every haircut I've ever had has been a bad one.

This WOULD take some beating though...