[78-L] Curly Hicks

[Cary Ginell]

I was right. Kevin Coffey has indeed delved into the Curly Hicks 
situation in depth, and is even in touch with family members of one of 
the men who played accordion with the group. Here's his note to me. 



Cary Ginell

From: Kevcof at aol.com
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 05:17:48 -0400
Subject: Re: Curly Hicks
To: soundthink at live.com




 Hi Cary --
 
I know a bit about the band, though what I know has been very difficult to 
come by. I know most of the musicians involved, and you're correct about Atlanta 
-- they were at WGST -- staff musicians. I am in touch with some of the family 
of Woody Doxtator, who played accordion on the last session, and with a nephew 
by marriage of Hicks. I have a photo of Doxtator and am supposed to be getting 
one of Hick's from his nephew at some point (I am gathering the recordings I 
have at this time to send him -- odd that you should write now). 
 
Curley Hicks played guitar. On the last session he split between 
guitar and bass.
Elmer Hicks -- reportedly Hicks' brother, but possibly some other sort of 
relation (I can't place them together at any point in their youths, nor can I 
establish that their parents were the same) -- played accordion on all but the 
final session.
Mack Eargle played bass on the first session.
It's possible, though far from certain, that the man doubling bass 
& steel guitar on the middle sessions was Jimmy Colvard.
The guy doubling vibes and traps was Charles "Nu Nu" (or "Noo Noo") 
Chastain.
Doxtator played accordion on the final session.
The clarinetist on the final session may be WGST musician J.C. Johnson, who 
was known to be associated in the early '40s with Chastain (this detail came 
from the late Red Wootton, who worked for a while in Atlanta and knew Hicks 
& Chastain).

They're an interesting band -- Hicks, Doxtator, Eargle, and of course Colvard 
all worked with various country artists (I have a photo of Doxtator with Chet 
Atkins) and J.C. Johnson may well be the clarinetist on the 1941 Tennessee 
Ramblers session cut at the same sessions as the final Hicks date. Sounds like 
the same musician. 
I remember how I first came across Hicks. Probably about 20 years ago, I 
was collecting anything that had to do with Adrian Rollini and an auction list 
had several discs by Hicks and claimed "Adrian Rollini group" in parenthesis 
next to the listing -- apparently mistaking Chastain's vibes and traps for 
Rollini. So I bought a couple -- among the better ones, including "The Old Man 
Of THe Mountain" and "Diga Diga Doo" -- and I've tried to get them all -- even 
the polkas -- ever since.
 


 
Kevin