From: fergus@wam.umd.edu (Fergus Cameron Poole)
Subject: Re: Kentucky Headhunters
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 04:17:17 GMT

In article <1992Sep25.052605.14225@access.digex.com> geffy@access.digex.com (Geff King) writes:
>In article <1992Sep23.035839.OC20966@iscnvx.lmsc.lockheed.com> 
>marshall@nebula.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com writes:
>>In article <19olasINNqmt@falcon.natinst.com>, keithp@natinst.com (Keith Peterson) writes:
>>
>>Well, yes, they left the band, but that was about six months ago, so it's
>>certainly not news. If you saw them recently, then what you saw is what
>>you get. Since the brothers left the band, I haven't heard too much out
>>of them. Personally, I could do without them altogether; a band
>>with no fiddle, dobro, steel guitar, or banjo is not a country band
>>in my opinion.
>
>Garth has both....does he qualify?  The Geezinslaws got neither..do they?
>Can I substitute a piano for the banjo and call it "honky-tonk"?
>
>+-----Geff King ---- mail geffy@access.digex.com -----------------------+

Well, to sort of side step this whole issue, I'll just say that the core 
members of the Kentucky Headhunters, lead guitarist Greg Martin, rhythm 
guitarist Richard Young, and drummer Fred Young (the Young Brothers being the
most prolific writers in the group as near as I've seen) have pulled in the
singer and bass player from their original band, Itchy Bros. and they are 
still incredible in concert.  I saw them in August with Doug Stone and Hank Jr.
and after their set I didn't even bother to stay for Hank.  Now Ricky Lee and
Doug Phelps, the two former Headhunters were the guys who were the Headhunters 
link to the country/bluegrass type tradition.  Now even though the HEadhunters
don't make traditional country music, I always felts they were part of that
tradition and several others as well.  So I can see where they might not be of
interest to someone only interested in straight C&W, but for me they hit alot
of musical areas of interest with extreme skill.  Of course, now that they seem
much more blues and rock centered (or atleast to me, anyways) it seems to me
they could get a lot more exposure as a rock band, since people in C&W circles
don't take to them much.  I guess that they've always been interested in not
being a certain type of band, like rock or country or blues, but to just be
the Kentucky Headhunters and nothing else.  That even held tue to the point 
where some of the guys had to leave because they couldn't even be themselves
in this band.  

I haven't heard anything about the Brothers Phelps lately, but the Headhunters
are planning their own new album now (judging from the concert, they have 
atleast an albums worth of new material) and they are also going to play with 
Johnie Johnson, Chuck Berry's blues keyboardist who despite a long and pretty
amazing carreer is only now gaining some real attention (or as far as I can
tell, apologies to anyone who knows better), on his upcoming album.  So in
whatever form, the Headhunters are alive and kicking.  For those that don't
care for them, well I guess your lucky they don't get much air play.  Either
way, they're still my favorite band.


						-Fergus Cameron Poole
						fergus@wam.umd.edu
Newsgroups: rec.music.country.western