The Very First Out On Parole Gig in 1985 at Austin's Continental Club

I’ve been trading comments with Cowboy Hank whose been posting his reactions to a bunch of George Jones albums he snagged ”recently at an antique mall in Cabarrus County” on his @just_record_stuff page on Instagram. I was telling him about George & Melba Montgomery’s great tune, “Feudin’ & Fighting” (https://youtu.be/znoBWksdyTo) about bickering couples.

It reminded me of the very first incarnation of Out On Parole right after I’d moved down to Austin in 1984 or ’85. So I dug out this photo, don’t remember who shot it, at the first OOP gig ever, at The Continental Club opening for the LeRoi Brothers.

To the left is the ‘Hillbilly Intellectual’ Joe Dickens on guitar, Mike Buck somewhere back there on drums, me & Alice Berry (AKA Lorena Jo Bodine) upfront in almost matching outfits, Linda Shaw on bass, swigging a last minute beer before the show started, & lurking in the shadows someplace, Wayne Buckner AKA the Reverend Ottis Moon on pianer. Included in the set was a version of the aforementioned “Feudin’ & Fighting”, where Alice & I had to spit that wordy song out at the breakneck pace we played it at. Yes, some of the lyrics got mangled…

Alice Berry (Lorena Jo Bodine) commented on the Facebook version of this post:
"Definitely matching outfits. I even wore a black wig and painted on a gap in my teeth to match my feuding partner LOL
Such a great band. I'm really proud to have been part of that."

T. Tex Edwards & Out On Parole - Pardon Me, I've Got Someone To Kill

 T. TEX EDWARDS writes: 

Way back in the 1980’s, Mr. Mike Buck gave me a cassette mixtape he made called THE RUBBER ROOM, comprised of old C&W songs about murder, madness, jails etc. but mainly about murder. Nowadays it’s a whole genre of it’s own. But back then it was just tapes of weird old tunes that record collectors like Buck shared amongst friends.

I had a friend named Danny Whittington back in Austin with some recording equipment at his house & on a lark, I suggested we record some of those songs next time I was back in town visiting from my then-current home in Hollywood, California. That was how this album came about. What started out as a kind of sick joke turned into a semi-serious music project.

As it turned out, the songwriting on the most part was strong, the musicianship of the friends & friends-of-friends who were recruited was sure, & somehow my drug-sick, mumbled warbling fit right in & some minor magic was created.

Weirdo Austin artist Bob “Don’t Call Me Robert” Frye, another friend-of-a-friend was tagged with coming up with some coverart. Something along the lines of Porter Wagoner’s COLD, HARD FACTS OF LIFE (one of the songs included) & this fantastic creation of Bob’s was the lynchpin in convincing Long Gone John, indie record guy & collector of transgressive art, to release a vinyl LP of the project on his Sympathy For The Record Industry label.

Much, much later, after the century turned & I had moved back to Austin, Jeff Smith of Saustex Media, consented to re-releasing a CD version in 2007.

Which brings us to the present where I still have some of those CDs left to peddle to you here on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/155359257397

AMAZON BLURB:

'Pardon Me, I've Got Someone To Kill' is a re-issue of the classic 1989 Sympathy For The Record Industry release (also New Rose in France, 1991) by T. Tex Edwards & Out On Parole. T. Tex is a true Texas Punk pioneer dating from his work in the 70's with the Nervebreakers and his later Hollywood outfit the Loafin' Hyenas. 'Pardon Me,...' is a collection of obscure C & W 'murder' songs rendered in Edwards' singular style. Top-notch backing on the disc is provided by Austin Roots luminaries Mike Buck (Fabulous T-Birds, Leroi Bros.) on the drums, John X. Reed (Doug Sahm, Jesse Taylor, Lucky Tomblin Band) on a variety of guitars, and other lesser-known but equally talented weirdos. 14 tales about drinkin', cheatin', killin' and prison rendered in high Texan fashion for your listening enjoyment. Includes the previously unreleased 'Last Will and Testimony (of a Drinking Man)' by Tex and the Affordable Caskets.

"Do The Dootz" Big Guitars From Texas w/Evan Johns (1985)

Amplify’d from www.youtube.com

"Do The Dootz" Big Guitars From Texas

"Do The Dootz" or "Do The Doots" By Big Guitars From Texas live on Dixie's Bar and Bus Stop. Evan Johns, Don Leady, Denny Freeman, Frankie Camaro, Keith Ferguson and Mike Buck with the "Do The Dootz" chorus Michael Maye and T. Tex Edwards. Circa 1985-86. Read more at www.youtube.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/f3jy

HAAM BENEFIT DAY 2009 & GOOD EGGS & HAAM FIRST ANNUAL BENEFIT

"This is one fine organization & a Godsend to yours truly & many other needy Austin musicians. I'd probably be dead or soon-dead if they hadn't offered me a helping hand. Please be generous with your support." -- T. Tex Edwards

HEALTH ALLIANCE FOR AUSTIN MUSICIANS SUPPORTER NEWS
SPECIAL HAAM BENEFIT DAY EDITION
(a newsletter from HAAM)

www.healthallianceforaustinmusicians.org
www.myhaam.org
www.myspace.com/myhaam
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Austin-TX/Health-Alliance-for-Austin-Musicians/48911101474
http://twitter.com/myhaam


EAT, SHOP, DONATE, AND ENJOY ON THE FOURTH ANNUAL HAAM BENEFIT DAY!


On Tuesday, September 22, join the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) in keeping music in Austin alive and well.

Here’s how you can help:

EAT & SHOP at 170 local participating businesses and restaurants, with 5% of your purchase going to HAAM. Download the list of participating businesses and music schedule.
DONATE your spare change to the HAAM Benefit Day donation boxes at each of the music performances. Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar by Topfer Family Foundation.
ENJOY live performances from over 90 local musical acts throughout the day. Download the list of participating businesses and music schedule.
Also,

Forward this message to your friends to let them know how they can help!
Are you on Twitter? Find us at @myhaam and make sure you tweet on September 22 to keep your followers up to date on the HAAM Benefit Day happenings.
On Facebook? Become a fan of Health Alliance for Austin Musicians.
Play Your Part! Come out on Tuesday, September 22nd to support local musicians’ health!

Health Alliance for Austin Musicians was founded in April 2005 when Seton Family of Hospitals and St. David’s Foundation joined forces with The SIMS Foundation to provide medical, dental, and mental health care to the city’s hard-working, uninsured low-income musicians. More than 1,600 member-musicians, most 35 and younger, have been served.

To learn more or to make a donation, visit www.MyHaam.org.


GOOD EGGS & HAAM FIRST ANNUAL BENEFIT

Good Eggs & HAAM, the new outreach group of Health Alliance for Austin Musicians that spreads the word about HAAM and musicians’ health care, hosts a benefit concert in September with Austin-based pop-rock band nelo.

Doors open at 8 p.m., and the music by nelo starts at 9 p.m. Thursday, September 17, at Stubb’s Bar-B-Q, 801 Red River St., on the inside stage. Tickets are $25, on sale now through Frontgate Tickets and www.stubbsaustin.com.

Good Eggs & HAAM members — young professionals passionate about live music, who understand that musicians are a unique and important cultural and economic part of Austin, and who have a desire to give back and support musicians' health care — are inviting their friends and the public to the concert. Proceeds benefit Health Alliance for Austin Musicians.


The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) provides access to affordable health care to Austin’s low-income, uninsured working musicians with a focus on prevention and wellness. Tax-deductible donations can be made on-line at: https://www.austincommunityfoundation.org/?nd=donate_detail&donation_id=18 or by mail with a check payable to Austin Community Foundation/HAAM Fund to PO Box 301496, Austin, TX 78703-0025. HAAM is a special project fund of the Austin Community Foundation.

The Armadillo World Headquarters, narrated by Joe Nick Patoski.

The Armadillo World Headquarters, narrated by Joe Nick Patoski.

The “Live Music Capital of the World” began with live music venues such as the Vulcan Gas Co. and the Armadillo World Headquarters. Learn why their influences are such a part of Austin’s culture today.