Tony got out of the house so we were rehearsing at Norman apartment, we had only practiced three or four times. We were doing all the
old standards, mostly black music,’ Walk The Dog’,’ Dock of the Bay' and so on. Finley was signed with Stax Records and had just cut a
singe. He was going to be on a local T.V. show with George Klein called Talent Party. He wanted us to go on with him, we had never heard
the song before, he had the 45 but show up so late we didn't get to listen to it. Here it is my first time on television to pantomime a song
I've never heard.
There was no way I was going to play drums, I hated seeing people pantomiming stuff any way. Jimmy played drums, Tony played the
back of his guitar, Norman played a mop and I played a broom. We all had a lot of fun, even Finley. We got a job at the Bachelor and Three
in Frayser, as the house band. The only thing fueling me was the drug, not the music. I didn't like the whole thing, it was way to straight, I
had been playing 'Dock of the Bay' as long as I wanted to. I was into the music we were doing in Toad, all this stuff was like slow music,
even if it was fast.
The first thing that happened was Finley didn't care much for Jimmy. Both of them were good singers and their harmony was pretty good.
Jimmy was drinking a lot and getting on stage a little late some times. I don't know what happened, I wasn't there at the time but they
kicked Jimmy out of the group. I didn't like it, Jimmy was a good part of the deal and a very close friend. I had to deal with it though, it was
better then working a 8-5 job. It really wasn't a band, it was more like a job. Tony, Norman and me always road together, we would drink a
few beers and smoke a joint on the way to the gig, same thing every night.
This one night it was the same old thing. About half way through the second set something happened. I don't know if somebody spiked
me or if it was a flashback, thing got real weird. The first I knew about it, I was coming in late and not doing my rolls right. The more I
thought about it the worse it got, it was getting all in my head. By the time we took a break I couldn't think straight. The beer wasn't
doing it, I was real paranoid, I knew it was acid.
The next set was terrible, everybody in the place, I mean everybody knew what I was thinking. The club was full of demons, it was so
strong I almost got sick. They was no hallucinations, it was all inside me. It was stronger then anything I had ever felt, I couldn't stand it.
After we got through playing I went outside, Tony came out and asked me what was wrong. I told him how I was feeling, he laugh and said
I needed to get over it. I couldn't go back in the club that night, it wasn't any better the next day. I don't know what happen, but something
was bad wrong. We were going to rehears the next day, I quit the band that very day.
A few days later I was out with some friends, we smoked a joint and I thought I was going to die, it was the same feeling I had at the club.
Everybody could tell what I was thinking, that was it, no more pot. Not only did I stop smoking pot, I stop drinking too. It was like a
nightmare I couldn't wake up from, I couldn't be in the room with anybody smoking pot, it would give me that feeling. I was thinking I was
going nuts, that’s when I turned to God. As soon as I ask Him for help, the feelings started going away. I got a real job, and got out and got
us an apartment, I didn't drink or smoke pot for over a year. Next Story - The Shaparrails 2
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| Brown and White Craw Chris |
| Brown and White Craw Chris |
aka
| The Shelby Forest State Park Band |
| The Shelby Forest State Park Band |
1972
| Finley Brown - vocal Jimmy Crawford-vocal Norman Brown-guitar Tony White-bass Roger-drums |