Leon Smith and the Basics (1960-1966) Genre: Rockabilly Base Location: Eugene, Oregon Best known for the top 40’s hit song, “Little 40 Ford”. The song, written by Wayne Marshall, was recorded in early 1959 in a Eugene basement studio with an earlier version of the band, The Orbit Rockers. It was released on a local […]
Featured Bands & Musicians
Highwaymen
Genre: Folk Active Years: 1963 – 1964 Home Base: Eugene, Oregon Members Rob Anderson – guitar, banjo, bass, vocals Marc Ellington – guitar, vocals Bill Ayres – bass, banjo, vocals “I played with Marc Ellington (2 years my senior) while a junior at North Eugene for about a year (1963/4). We called ourselves The Highwaymen. Marc […]
Cole McElroy
Cole McElroy (1888 – 1947) J. Cole McElroy, also known as “Pop” McElroy was a popular Jazz musician and widely known dance hall manager from Oregon. “Born in Corvallis to E.B. McElroy, he moved to Eugene to attend the University of Oregon in the late 1800’s. He graduated from UO in 1900. In 1910, after nine years managing his father’s […]
Sixth Dimension
The group was form by a group of teens attending South Eugene High School. Active Years: 1966 – 1969 Base Location: Eugene, Oregon Genre: Rock / Garage Rock Members David C. Olson (sax) Tom Fox Mike Grant Gary Gibson Music History The Great Ballroom (March 1968) – Register Guard article, March 1968 Monroe Stomp Sugar Shack (Springfield)
Jackdaw
Genre: Folk Active Years: Early 1970’s Home Base: Eugene, Oregon Members: Wayne Drury – lead guitar, vocals Rob Anderson – lead guitar, vocals Randall Crawford – bass, banjo, vocals Comments From the Band: We worked together in the Eugene area in coffeehouses and misc. venues; mostly playing the brilliant songs Wayne wrote (see Wayne Drury […]
Little John and the Monks
Active Years (1965-1967) AKA: The Nomads Genre: Garage Rock Base Location: Blue River, Oregon Winners of the Northwest Battle of The Bands at the Lane County Fair in July of 66′. Members: Tom Davis – Vocals Clark Lynch – Drums & Vocals Bob DiMartino – Keyboards (also played in Hot Spice from Spokane) Larry Harding – Lead […]
Archie Parrott (1914-1972)
Archie Parrott and his orchestra played for many dances up and down the Willamette Valley and often traveled with many instruments. In the photo to the right, they are playing in a musical bandstand built of lattice work with a stylish decorative backdrop in Eugene’s Willamette Park in 1936. (Oct 17, 1936 RG article) Archie (standing) […]
Wheatfield
Wheatfield (1971-2006) Genre: Americana/Folk/Bluegrass/Country/Rock Base Location: Eugene, OR Wheatfield formed in October, 1971, as a folk duo by Pete Wolfe and Will Hobbs, who met in the Odyssey Coffee House in Eugene, Oregon. Their first impromptu rendition of “Helplessly Hoping” met with immediate applause, and the two decided they had something special and worth pursuing. Within […]