The Canteen Bands were HOT !!
This is just a part of The History of North Georgia Garage Bands. There are more stories and history to be sure.
If you were a member of one of the local bands, let us know and we'll add your part to it!
Pictured here are:
Johnny McKinney, Roger Mull, Danny Davenport, Skip McKinney
Sadly, this is the only photo I can locate of Roger with the band. It was taken shortly after the Blazers were formed for the first time.
This was the First and Only Original Blazers. This was also the first band to ever play the Blue Ridge Canteen, after which we were selected by the Georgia Press Association to play for their Annual Convention in Jekyl Island, and were asked to stay the summer and play for the Hotel Association, namely the Wanderer, the Corsair and the Bucchaneer.
The Second Variation of The Blazers
2004
Johnny McKinney, Ted Christopher, Skip Mckinney and Danny Davenport at the Arts in the Park Festival in Blue Ridge May 29th, 2004 - Ted Replaced Roger Mull as the Blazers Drummer after Roger decided to move on and the Second Variation was born.
The Third Variation of The Blazers
consisted of:
Skip McKinney Ron Thomas, Danny Davenport, Ted Christopher and Eddie Queen.
This Variation lasted only a short while until Skip decided it was time to move on.
The Fourth Variation of The Blazers
Now
This was the Red Coat Blazers. We had Custom Made Red Velvet Jackets
with Gold Lame Flames and wore Tux Shirts and Ties.
This Variation was made up of:
Ronnie Thomas, Danny Davenport, Eddie Queen, Ted Christopher and Tony Matthews.
The Fifth and Final Variation of The Blazers
The Final variation of the Blazers made the
" On Fire " Album
and continued on for a while before the band broke up and ended the Blazers Era.
A few members tried to hold on but it just wasn't the real Blazers, it was over.
Bobby Ferguson, Danny Davenport, Eddie Queen
Danny Postelle and Larry Patterson
Danny Postelle
couldn't be here for the
Arts in the park Festival
but here he is at home.
The Misty Lane Magazine issue #19 with the Canteen / Blazers Story ..... Is out now!
To visit 60s Garage Bands ...
Blazers interview at 60s Garage Bands .....................
To visit 60s Museum ...
Not to be forgotten, the Blazers and now the other Canteen Bands are a part of the Fastest Growing Music Craze in the world. Garage Bands of the 60s!! This stuff is HUGE! Already a buzz band litterally around the world, The Blazers have now found themselves as a HOT topic among collectors from one end of the USA to the other and the topic of an interview with www.60sgaragebands.com as well as one of the premier Garage Bands Magazines in the world, Misty Magazine headquartered in Roma, Italy.
The interrest in The Blazers surfaced when Danny Davenport got an email from Mike Dugo of www.garagebands.com who had visited Dannys Web Site for his Firstake Enterprises Company which also contains a Blazers / Canteen Story. When Dugos Web Site listed The Blazers link, Davenport got hit with tons of email concerning the "On Fire" album The Blazers did in the 60s, from collectors all over the USA. Testing their resolve, he agreed to sell a couple of the unopened copies of the 40 year old album for OVER $1,500.00 each ...... "They didn't even blink, I got the payment within a couple of days from both". Its truly amazing what these collectors will pay for one of these.
The Blazers saga has evidently been building through the years and known quite well in some circles and is obviously new to others, but to say the least, "Its real and its exciting". The Canteen Reunion Concert would have been a concert to remember and The Canteen Board of directors had announced Super Star Guest Host Billy Joe Royal would perform with The Blazers at the concert in the fall, but the plans fell through.
This is the Wanderer Hotel at Jekyl Island where the Summer of The Blazers took place. Just one of the Major Hotels where the Blazers Entertained twice a day, plus the private parties they played for ... it was AWESOME !! Click the pics for a better look !
Danny and Skip
Playing on the Beach !!
Click photo for a better look!
When you start to remember the music from The Canteen, some will remember the early days when a record player was all there was, then the jukebox. There were no bands. However it wasn't long after the beginning that live music became a mainstay of The Canteen via local musicians who made up the core of the bands which shared the stage and became a real draw to the Saturday night event which dominated our lives in those days.
I suppose everyone had their favorites, and without a doubt, the competition was fierce. The first band to appear at The Canteen was made up of some of the guys who played together at West Fannin High School and decided to take their combo to a new level and play out and away from West Fannin High and the Gymnasium. Thus, Johnny McKinney, Skip McKinney, Roger Mull, and Danny Davenport formed " The Original Blazers ". This was the beginning of the new era of music in North Georgia, and defined how the Canteen would grow and develope in the future. This was the band which captured the hearts of the Georgia Press Association and traveled to Jekyll Island at their request to play for their annual convention and ended up being asked to stay and play the summer for three major Hotels on the Island. It was a time we will never forget. I suppose you could call the Original Blazers the Pioneers of that era for lots of kids and bands in a lot of different ways.
It wasn't long before things heated up and other kids started putting together their own bands. The Twilights, The Unknowns, The Mondels, The Road Runners, And Red Beard and the Pirates. We need names, contact info, and recordings for all of these and more. It was just fantastic. The Canteen was developing its own part of musical history, and it wasn't long before some of the best bands from Atlanta started to play The Canteen!! Bands like " Kudzu " and " The Lovin' Machine " . These were the best of the best of the local bands from Atlanta to Blue Ridge and around the North Georgia area. The fact that they were anxious to play The Blue Ridge Canteen was a testament to the draw this little building had and the reputation Joe T. O'Neal had developed with The Blazers.
So take a look. Place your mouse over any of the photos below and click for a closer look at some of the press coverage and flyers that were put together and arranged for the events which The Canteen became known for. Not just the bands but the Charity Events and in general, a helping hand where needed.
This is a good start, but we really need assistance from those who can help us find more flyers, clippings and band info for this site. There will hopefully be a Canteen Museum where all this will come to life with Jukeboxes, records, guitars, recordings, clothing, and other instruments, clippings, flyers, posters, high school annuals ( yearbooks if you prefer ), photos, etc.and we just can't do it without knowing where to look. PLEASE, help us include these things. Let us know where to look. Who to contact. We need stories and memorabillia to include here. Please help us. Send Email Today with any info you might have and we promise to follow up.
Here are some photos of Memorabillia which will be placed in the new Museum when it opens. Place your mouse over each clip and click for a better look.
We desperately need photos of all the bands who played as well as recordings !!
Blazers begin rehersals for
Canteen Reunion
Ted, Bob and Danny
Click Pics for a better look !
The Abalons, AKA " The Lovin Machine " !!
Click the pic for a better look !
