Saturday, June 30, 2007

Robert,
Mario Galento used to come over to our house back in the 60's and hang out with Hilton. My brother, Derek, was 'allowed' to hang out more with them than I was since wrestling was such a 'man thing'. I remember my Papa, Jay Parrish, used to stop by and visit with them, too. It was interesting reading Richard Burke's story about seeing the wrestlers at Jay's Cafe.

I went to a funeral for Jim Vickery last week in Dothan and found myself driving around town for a few minutes and 'feeling' the memories. Our home on Woodland Drive has been totally redone and doesn't even resemble the home we lived in. Although it is the same original structure, you can't even see it from the street anymore! I drove into the private drive and did a u-turn just to take a closer look.

Reading your blog sure makes me want to turn back the clock of time!
I miss my youth!
KS

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Hey y'all:

A friend sent me this poem:

Friends may come and friends may go
& friends may peter out, you know.
But we'll be friends through thick & thin
PETER OUT OR PETER IN

Anywayzzzzzzzzzzz,
Please visit Beaugator
http://www.myspace.com/thebopcats
where you can hear two songs I wrote the lyrics to a long time age:
SALLY SANG
&
CAN'T BE TOO FAST

I took the front page of the B'ham News today and put it on the fridge in The Possum Den Lodge # 2
on University Boulevard (Broad Street) in Tuskaloosa, Alabanana.

I wrote in Magic Marker LIFT 'EM & SPREAD 'EM on the newsprint.

I googled "lift em and spread em"
& got one hit
from some communist murderer who needed to have been done
killt
long befo'
he got a chance to git on the Internet.

LUCASVILLE, Ohio -- Sunday, March 13, 1994, at 12:35 p.m., exactly
35 hours and 26 minutes before my scheduled, state-sanctioned
murder, the "Death Row Escort Squad" arrived at my cell, saying
"It's time, ByrdDog."

"Strip," said one. A number of men stood in front of my cell,
nervously watching as I shed my clothing, perhaps for the last
"strip search" of my life. After going through the usual routine
of "lift 'em and spread 'em," I got dressed, backed up to the cell
door and was handcuffed.






Our ole' pahdnuh, Greg Haynes, is traveling over to Motherland
England to pitch
THE HEEEY BABY DAYS OF BEACH MUSIC http://heybabydays.com

Please check out his itinerary at "THE BOOK" section of the Heeey Baby Dayz website.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigan_Casino

These cats at the virtual Wigan Casino luv Wilbur!

Man, I gotta do this.




Now that wrasslin' is the HOT TOPIC...
HOW 'BOUT ZERO, NORTHWEST FLARDAAAA!



http://www.1wrestlinglegends.com/crowbarpress/wht/wht34.htm
MARIO GALENTO GETTING TAKEN DOWN BY GEORGE C. !!!!!!!!!

Mario, or Butch Boyette,(Bonnie Lee Boyette was his legal name) is one of the people who trained me. I got a lot of matches by going places with him and he always said bring you bag because someone may not show up. He helped me a lot in the wrestling business. There never was but one like him. He was always in top condition. He had a lot of "Guts" and would blow a person up,(make them run out of wind), due to his great condition and then beat their brains out. He never choked Elvis out. Elvis came to the matches at the Ellis auditorium where the matches were held in Memphis at that time, and came to the dressing room. Mario said "I'm fixing to get me some national publicity". He went over to Elvis and said let me show you something (he was going to break Elvis's arm). Roy Welch, who was the promoter in Memphis saw what he was intending to do and said to Mario, "Get away from him you son of a ***** ". Roy was a tough wrestler and Mario knew it. Mario never got the chance to "show Elvis something" and would have probably broken Elvis's arm if Roy had not stopped him. I always liked to wrestle Mario and he and I were good friends along with the rest of his family. I see his wife, or widow, every year at the Gulf Coast Re-union and really think a lot of her.
Buddy Wayne

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Hey, ya'll gotta check out THE BLACKCROWES WEBSITE http://blackcrowes.com

They playing BACKDOOR SANTA!
"I ain't like old St. Nick!
He don't come but once a year!"

Burke did come through fo' uz dough!


From :
Richard Burke
Sent :
Saturday, December 3, 2005 6:58 PM
To :
"Robert Register"
Subject :
Mr. Galento!

Do I remember Al Hatfield, is da' Pope a wild Bear?

I recall 64 or 65 there was a make shift jail constructed in the open in the
100 block of N. Foster, front of the Penny's Building cross from Mr.
Browns'. They had imprisoned Mario and he couldn't get out until a
predetermined amount of cash was raised for some local charity. Seems it
was round Christmas and cold as a well diggers ass. I'd seen him rasslin',
he was my hero, this was the first time I got to talk at length with him.
He told me about the bout in Mobile where, damn I can't remember the
rasslers' name, but he opened up Mario's face real good with a turn buckle
hook. Them was da' days.

I think it was Jerry Kramer who said he made more money rasslin' on the sly
when he was playin' for Detroit then he ever did in pro football, had more
fun too.

I also remember crewin' for like Frank, David Adkins, John Bedsole, Wayne
Paulk, etc., and showin' up at Jay's Downtown Cafe round twoish after
playin' in Blakely or Donaldsonville and seeing Mario, Lee, Dick Dunn,
Rocket Monroe and on and on come in from Mobile or PC from rasslin on Friday
to rassel at WTVY on Saturday, Hell some of em' was rasslin' and dissin'
each other on the TV and sharin' rides to gigs with each other, great
theatre! I also recall Lee Fields and Mario tag teamin', like in Mobile
round 68.
You shouldn't had otta' fire up my cerebral synapses like that, now I'm
gonna have a head ache only on one side toward the back for a month,
reptilian brain syndrome.
Later...
rbiii


Click on this obit of Lee Fields, a perennial favorite at the Father-Son Banquets at the Dothan Elks Lodge http://1wrestlinglegends.com/finishes/fields/



SPUTNIK MONROE http://www.georgiawrestlinghistory.com/host/monroes/photographs.html

From http://www.georgiawrestlinghistory.com/main.html:
The 1960’s saw Gunkel and Fuller top most of the cards, but they were joined by Chief Little Eagle, Bill Dromo, Mario Galento, Louie Tillet, the Torres Brothers (Alberto, Enrique and Ramon), El Mongol, Joe Scarpa, the Assassins, Dick Steinborn, the Vachon Brothers (Mad Dog, Butcher and Stan), Greg Peterson, the Professional, Tim Geohagen, Freddie Blassie, Tarzan Tyler, Lenny Montana, Paul DeMarco, Sputnik Monroe, Mr. Wrestling, Silento Rodriguez, Johnny Walker, Oki Shikina, Bob Armstrong, Derrell Cochran, Dale Lewis, Eddie Graham, the Mysterious Medics, the Infernos, the Von Brauners, and the team of Lars and Gene Anderson.

Chief Little Eagle booked during the earlier part of the decade with Gunkel, followed by Fuller and Gunkel in the middle. By the end of the decade, Leo Garibaldi took over the booking chores, and would be succeeded by Tom Renesto leading into the 1970’s.

During the 1960’s, a new singles title was born, and it would last about eighteen years. It would be known as the Georgia Heavyweight Title, and its first champion was Sputnik Monroe. Others of note to wear the belt during the remainder of the decade were Mario Galento, Buddy Fuller, El Mongol, Mr. Wrestling, Johnny Valentine, the Professional and Joe Scarpa.

The NWA World Heavyweight Title also made a return in 1963, after being absent since 1957. As mentioned earlier, Jones brought in various titles to fill the void in the late 1950’s, and continued to do so in the early 1960’s. He allowed Dick the Bruiser to bring in his title, as well as Freddie Blassie’s WWA title. In 1963, NWA Champion Lou Thesz came in for matches to unify the belt that Blassie had lost to Tarzan Tyler, and that was the end of not seeing the NWA champion come in with regularity.

The 1970’s brought huge changes in Georgia, with Jones still figuring into the mix, but taking more of a backseat role. His name was still the one thrown around in public as the top man, but he had pretty much given all the responsibility to others that owned shares of the Atlanta office.

The television program changed names in August 1971 to Georgia Championship Wrestling. After having been on Channel 11 since 1955, Ray Gunkel made the decision to change stations in an overnight move in December. Fans who had been accustomed to tuning into the old station found out on Christmas Day that it had moved to a fledgling independent station known as WTCG, which was owned by an equally fledgling young businessman by the name of Ted Turner.

Jones had grown tired of his wrestling program being shifted around to different time slots with very little notice to advise local fans. Since the show was still aired live, fans never knew exactly when to show up to fill the studio, much less what time they could watch from home. Jones and Gunkel decided to shop around, and when Turner approached them, Gunkel made a deal. Turner promised Gunkel a permanent slot every Saturday evening at 6:00 on his station, which is where Atlanta fans would find wrestling for nearly thirty years from that point.

Turner made Georgia Championship Wrestling the anchor of his station, which ultimately became the most watched television program on cable. During the 1970’s Turner, of course, took his visionary attitude to a level that no one else thought logical, yet he became known as a media mogul, rather than someone who banked off his father’s advertising company.






photo courtesy of The Dothan Eagle
http://www.dothaneagle.com/gulfcoasteast/dea/search.apx.-content-articles-DEA-2007-06-29-0020.html
The Eagle has a wonderful article today about Kinston's Rodger Johnson, former Orbison road
manager. Dean Daughtry, Greg Haynes & John Rainey Adkins are all mentioned.
TERRIFIC! Congratulations Rodger!

I found out about the article through my brother-in-law Buddy.


George McCorkle Dead at 60

George McCorkle of the original Marshall Tucker Band died this morning, Friday, June 29th at 11:30 in a Nashville Hospital. He was 60.

He had entered the hospital two weeks ago following an accident, and examination revealed terminal cancer.

George was a founding member of the Spartanburg, SC based group The Marshall Tucker Band, and penned one of the band's biggest hits, "Fire On The Mountain."

He is survived by his wife Vivienne and son Justin.

Look for our memorial for George here in GRITZ this weekend.

"There's gold in them hills and
it's waiting for me there..."

-Buffalo

http://www.swampland.com/main/section/gritz



I helped build this outhouse.

Honda has a commercial for the Odyssey that also plays on this channel.

It tries to be 70's psychedelic like to "bring back the van" as they like to say.
The song used is the one above from Parliament.
The commercial spans the lyrics above.
It's catchy and targeted at the right audience.


Ahh hah hah hah hummm!

Best,
rr http://myspace.com/robertoreg

Wednesday, June 27, 2007



HEY Y'ALL:

I rilly experienced something special today when Liz Chiz, daughter of Larry Chiz, lead guitarist in Eddie Hinton's first band: THE SPOOKS!
CAME BY THE OFFICE & INTRODUCED HERSELF!
WHAT A TREAT!


Ain't it grand that ever body in ZERO, NORTHWEST FLORIDA
is so damn cooperative. It rilly does warm the cockles of my heart.

image courtesy of http://www.ushistoricalarchive.com/statemaps/al/index.html


Mittuh Whit came through wid dah link to get us up off out into 1887 Tuskaloosa, Ala.
http://alabamamaps.ua.edu/historicalmaps/counties/tuscaloosa.html

You can zoom in and scroll down Broad Street behind the mule pulled trolleys.

Click on the link above and PERSPECTIVE MAP OF TUSKALOOSA,ALABAMA (1887) is the fifth
map down.

Click on the way you want to view & then click on "Zoom In"

Keep clicking and you'll zoom right in on the intersection of Broad Street (University
Boulevard) & Market Street (Greensboro Avenue). The top of the map is South, the
bottom of the map is North, the left side is East and the right side of the map is
West.

After you focus in on that intersection, click "Pan Left" twice and you'll see the
mules on the left pulling the trolley heading toward MELLOW MUSHROOM.

It be kewl.
Thank Mittuh Whit.

&
The Folksizzzzzzz at Zero, NW FL got they frist email from a BLACKBERRY today:
June 26, 2007 & a cat named William Wheatley sent it to uzzzzzzzunzzz

Heah it tiz:

Instant eviction works. My church owns some rental proiperties on land
next to the church, held for future expansion of the church. The
apartment over the carriage house (garage for carriage and horse, if you're
not old enough to remember horse and buggy transportation) was occupied
by a young man whose scheduling of his rent payments was less than
stellar. In addition, the neighbors all complained that every night there
seemed. To be an all-night party with the associated noise and people
coming and going all night long. Eviction in Pennsyvania takes
considerable time and expense in the courts. So we invited the police to observe
one night. They stayed for a week in our parish hall, maintaining
surveillance, then one night arrested him and his party. He was a big-time
heroin distributor and his party guests were his dealers. Instant
eviction -- the police took all of his personal effects from the apartment as
evidence, leaving it empty. We got a judge to declare the lease null
and void on the grounds that the ternant had carried on commercial
activity on the premises contrary to the zoning law and the terms of the
leas. We changed the locks. He was back in a couple of days, having posted
bail, and he broke the lock to get in. We called the police, who
arrested him for breaking and entering, and since he committed a second
crime while out on bail, he lost his bail and was held until trial, after
which he was sent to prison. Instant eviction works.

--William
Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless

Folks, I saw the John Patterson film for the first time tonight on Alabama Public
Television.
http://www.aptv.org/Schedule/showinfo.asp?ID=133082&NOLA1=FTR
I really believe this word "redneck" was something the damn
Kennedys put on us. I don't remember that word until they showed up.
& axe anybody
who went to Kindergarten wid me, I am a natural word freak!

THE DHS CLASS OF '68 ALREADY TALKIN' 'BOUT NECK SUMMER!!!!

Robert,

I have not decided whether I am going to get involved in our 40th
reunion or not.
But, if I do, I was wondering if you know of anytime any of those music groups
and musicians whose stories you share with us will be in Dothan at any time
next summer. Some event, like a Dothan 60s Revival could be a lot of fun.
If we know ahead of time we ladies might diet down
to our bell bottom size, tie dye some shirts and get ready to “get down.”

What do you think?

Sharman


Well, Sharman I think we need to dedicate the whole thing to Wilbur 'cause
HE IS OUR HERO!!!!
(MEMO TO JIMMY DEAN: LET'S START A JAMES GANG MYSPACE SITE!)

KAPN KEN BABBZZZZ WUZ A HIT IN EUGENE AT THE MCDONALD THEATRE THIS WEEKEND!


THREE PRANKSTERS ALL IN A ROW:
l to r: MIKE HAGEN, KEN BABBS, DALE KESEY
image courtesy of http://skypilotclub.com

These guys were three cats out of 14 who left California heading for Alabama in the summer of '64.
I have no idea how many made it here.
This is kinda Christopher Columbus/Plymouth Rock stuff to me.
Excuse me. I'm a little choked up right now...



Please visit http://myspace.com/paulbearbryant
Saturday, September 15 is the Arkansas game. September 11, 2007 will be Coach Bryant's 94th
birthday. This season is the 25th anniversary of Coach Bryant's last season.
Y'all already know how I feel.
I love to listen to Ronnie sing THE DAY BEAR BRYANT DIED.
http://daybeardied.com



ALISON HEAFNER image courtesy of http://myspace.com/alisonheafner

TO BUY ALISON HEAFNER'S LATEST CD...
SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER FOR $17.95 (INCLUDES POSTAGE AND PACKAGING) TO: ALISON HEAFNER
P.O.BOX 1932
BATESVILLE,MS 38606

Leave you with this:



These cats who I grew up with in Dothan have played my music!
http://www.myspace.com/beaugator39s

Please click on the link above and listen to SALLY SANG & CAN'T BE TOO FAST.
I wrote the lyrics to both songs & I thank the BeauGators
from the bottom of my little Poplar Head Heart!

Best,
rr http://myspace.com/robertoreg

Monday, June 25, 2007

HEY Y'ALL:

If you can figure out how to access this ZOOM link on the 1887 "Perspective Map" of Tuskaloosa, Ala.,
Pretty please, let me know!

image courtesy of http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/map_item.pl?data=/home/www/data/gmd/gmd397/g3974/g3974t/pm000100.sid&style=gmd&itemLink=r?ammem/gmd:@field(NUMBER+@band(g3974t+pm000100))&title=Perspective%20map%20of%20Tuskaloosa,%20Ala.%20county%20seat%20of%20Tuskaloosa,%20Co.%201887.%20H.%20Wellge,%20Beck%20%26%20Pauli%20Lith.%20Co.


This is a great story about my company & it happened today.

This stuff is all about the heartbreak of Tuskaloosa Real Estate in 2005.

Let me give you a little inside stuff.


Real estate got so retail in Tuskaloosa in 2005 that even my boss wouldn't buy.
My boss is a Jew.
I was taught to be prejudiced about Jews.
My Daddy taught me, "Son, they're good, hard-working folks but they'll break in line."

They'll also walk across your yard, give you a good dog cussing & then turn around & buy you lunch with whatever you want to drink.

Well, if you confronted my boss and accused him of being a Jew, he'd probably say, "Those Jews never did anything for me!"

Anyway, when you're dealing with my boss, remember that old joke:

Why did God create Gentiles?

Somebody's gotta pay RETAIL!!!!

Anywayzzzzzzzzz,

Back
in
2005
you couldn't buy property in Tuscaloosa 'cause it was so high. Land & houses were beyond retail. To a certain extent, it's still the same way but the Summer of '06 softened it a bit and this summer will help to bring it down too.

My boss didn't buy anything in 2005 and then toward the end of the year, he went apeshit and bought this "renovated home with an upstairs apartment with a private entrance."

Oh, shit!
Like he told me today,
"PUT A 'FOR SALE' SIGN ON THAT BITCH!"

About 8:30 this morning, I'm thinking I'm on schedule when I get a call from Karen, my property manager.

Flooded basement, No juice, Wrecked air conditioner, tenant almost electrocuted.

Well I show up with a sump pump, a long ass extension cord and they no juice to be seen.

The male tenant starts to plug an electric meter w/o it's plastic shield into the meter box.

I ask, "What's that all about?"

"Cause my wife got shocked so bad
[implying "because of your negligence"-ed]
I pulled the meter 'cause I wanted to be sho' they wasn't no juice," the tenant replied.

"Ummm, O.K.", I thought
as I drifted toward the skreet where I called my little ALABAMA POWER SECURITY HOTLINE
& in a few, I got the word.

METER WAS PULLED BY ALABAMA POWER MAY 27!

Rut Row!

I slowly gathered up my sump pump and one extension cord.
I volunteered the one I'd plugged in upstairs to the cause.

I eased out the driveway. I'd already told them I'd called an electrician. Only promblem wuz the electrician came from ALABAMA POWER SECURITY!

Now folksizzzzzzzz, that's whut we called
INSTANT EVICTION!!!!



image courtesy of http://www.georgemccorkle.com/george_high.htm

Robert,
please send out a prayer request for our dear friend George McCorkle.http://www.georgemccorkle.com/george_high.htm
He has been diagnosed with terminal bone cancer.

He is a founding member of the Marshall Tucker Band and a true Southern Rock pioneer.

George is one of the kindest, most talented people I've ever known.

Alison and I have been blessed to have George in our lives.
He always had something good to say. He is an encourager not a discourager on this earth.
Life is unfair, but GOD is good!
Thanks,
Robert Nix and Alison Heafner..............
George we love you, brother.............

image courtesy of http://myspace.com/alisonheafner

Roberto,
Last nite Alison Heafner closed the show for a whole bunch of bikers and fans for a great cause,Alzhiemers Research!
They made $68,000.and also had a hair cutting raffle to cut harley bikers hair!! They had hair longer then Artimus Pyle's!!!
They made $3,500 from five bikers!
It was fantastic! The mosquito's ate us alive but it was for a great cause!!!
The bikers hair even went to a children's fund at LOTS of LOVE LeBONEUR Memphis!!!
Alison did three encores!!!
Live is unfair but GOD IS GOOD!!!!
Thanks my GREAT friend!!!
Robert and Alison.......................

Subject: Zero, Northwest Florida
To: robertoreg2003@yahoo.com
I was friends with all of the people who were mentioned on this web site.
But, I was unable to open any of the photos.
I would really like to see the pictures of Lou Mullinex
who was my best friend in high school and he and I played together in the Rubber Band with Johnny Townsend and Tippy Armstrong.
Are these pictures available anywhere else ?



Who is this cat who played with the Tuscaloosa All Stars?

"Photo 2. Somebody's front porch in T-Town. Sitting - Lou Mullinex (always liked that picture of Lordy Lou), Standing left to right - Jennifer Toffel (now Mrs. T.), The late Art Schilling (miss that boy) and Jenny Fraley. *PHOTO BY JENNIFER TOFFEL"
- JOHNNY TOWNSEND


From Igor:

Here 'tis. See attachment. Was a cheap camera back then. Little fuzzy. Sharpened a bit in photoshop.

Now here's a sample of the terrific stuff Mr. Townsend sent us:

Leavell seated on the left
Mullinex seated in the middle
Charlie Hayward on the right
The two guys against the wall are not identified. Please sent their identification along with any suggestions or unwanted comments to robertoreg2003@yahoo.com
From WYKER:

The cat behind Chuck is Jimmy Nall and the other cat is James Taylor's older brother..Alex Taylor ... who was the first one to cut BABY RUTH on his first album...and I think it was also Capricorn's first 45.

Alex died at King Snake Recording Studio during a thunderstorm..it knocked the power out and Alex was one cat that could not stand any down time...

He died much too young ! And was a great Soul singer...

wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwyker

Y'all show your appreciation to Jennifer and Johnny by visiting their websites and see what these super entertainers are doing with their lives.

Check out Johnny @

http://www.JohnTown.com
http://www.myspace.com/TGZBand

Best,
rr http://myspace.com/robertoreg