Posted on 10/01/2021 6:53:00 AM PDT by mylife
George Frayne, who as the frontman for the band Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen melded Western swing, jump blues, rockabilly and boogie-woogie with a freewheeling 1960s ethos to pave the way for generations of roots-rock, Americana and alt-country musicians, died on Sunday at his home in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. He was 77.
John Tichy, one of the band’s original members, who is now a professor of engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, said the cause was esophageal cancer.
Though the band lasted only a decade and had just one Top 10 hit, Mr. Frayne’s charisma and raucous onstage presence — as well as the Airmen’s genre-busting sound — made them a cult favorite in 1970s music meccas like the San Francisco area and Austin, Texas.
Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen was not the only rock band exploring country music in the early 1970s. The Eagles, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Poco and others mined a similar vein and were more commercially successful.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
RIP
RIP. From the article:
“He said, ‘We’re gonna reach back and get this great old music and infuse it with a ’60s and ’70s spirit,’” Ray Benson, the frontman for Asleep at the Wheel, one of the many bands inspired by Mr. Frayne, said in a phone interview. “He saw the craft and beauty of things America had left behind.”
Saw Ray and Asleep At The Wheel about a month ago at the Crystal Bay Casino in Lake Tahoe. They too were awesome and Ray was on his game. Even got a fist bump as they came off stage. But, I am NOT a fanboy. LOL!
Asleep At The Wheel is still great.
A fine tune indeed. Hadn’t seen this video. Many thanks for posting. Cheers!
Is he making St. Peter wait at the Pearly Gate while he puffs, puffs, puffs one more cigarette?
:)
If you aren't moving when you listen to that, there is something wrong with you!
The last meal, Up is where it's at ...
Why yes, yes they are. The young man on the pedal steel was friggin’ awesome. Well, actually the entire band was.
Oh damn, I saw this guy play at Nassau community college in 1980, long, long long time ago. I remember his song “Two triple cheese side order of fries” Afterwards they had a show with a chimpanzee who painted and they took a raffle and I won the painting lol Wow RIP CC
Its a shame no one plays pedal steel anymore.
Robert Randolph does.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxcLNHasPx4
Saw Asleep at the Wheel in 1979 at the Deschutes Station Tavern in Bend, OR. Great show. They’re coming to Tucson a week from today, but the venue is all about masks and proof of vaccination, so I won’t be going.
very cool, very fun. I love NRBQ too but never saw them.
time to call willie nelson..
Lucky there was only mask requirements that were not YUGELY enforced at the show we went to. Same location we went to this past Sunday to see Tab Benoit and his Swamp jam. Masks yes, heavy enforcement no. Our useless gov hasn’t pushed the CV ID yet but it’s probably coming. Some venues are putting it in place.
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