Vern Minkler was an baseball player, musician and music venue owner in Lane County. Background: 1916 – Born in Oklahoma 1932 – Name in RG Vaughn News Notes – attending a social 1937 – Worked at the Vaughn Store 1939 – Lived in Oakridge, Oregon 1938 – Baseball player for the Public Market (center fielder for local team) […]
Featured Bands & Musicians
Leon Smith and the Basics
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 […]
Caliente
Eugene’s premiere Salsa band! Active Years: 1987 – 2007 “The 11-piece group has gone through many phases since its formation in 1987 by band leader and lead singer Fernell Lopez and former Lane Community College music students Enrique Rios, Alejandro Gonzalez and David Bender. They began as a Latin-jazz combination band, but around 1993, pianist […]
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)
Burners
The Burners (1979-1984) Genre: Roadhouse and Classic R&B Home Base: Eugene, Oregon The original Burners: Chris Porter, Paul Burnett, Newel Briggs, Abner Burnett, and Butch Cousins Whole Lineup: Butch Cousins – drums Paul Burnett -guitar Abner Burnett – keyboards, guitars, and vocals Chris Porter – guitar Dean Engleson – bass Newel Briggs – guitar Mark Schneider […]
Arroyo
Active Years: 1975 – 1977 Genre: Folk/Country Rock Base Location: Eugene, Oregon Arroyo was founded by Don Ross after leaving the band “Wheatfield”. Arroyo had steady regular gigs at Murphy and Me in Eugene, the Reed Opera House and the Oregon Museum tavern in Salem, and Sacks Front Avenue and the Last Hurrah in Portland. They also […]
Caracas
Caracas was a popular Latin Jazz band based in Eugene, Oregon. Active Years: 1979-1984 Original Members Mario Bressanutti Tony Proveaux Randy Deutcher Nathan Waddell Members Mario Bressanutti Paul Schimming (trumpet) Dennis Caffey (Drums) Mark Schneider (bass) Juan Lara (congas) Curtis Kraft (congas) Sal Figueroa (percussion) Additional musicians who also shared presentations of “Caracas” include: Lynn Baker (sax), […]
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) […]