About Randy Floyd
Randy Floyd was born in Roanoke Rapids across the river from Gaston, North Carolina. Randy's first introduction to the guitar came when an old black man name Dreddie Mangrum used to come to his house and play songs like The Boll Weevil, Ain't That A Lovin You Baby, Bright Lights Big City and other blues numbers. Randy knew he wanted to learn the guitar. He took guitar lessons from his cousin "Jr" Rook who was an established bluegrass banjo player. Randy started at the age of 13 and within three months he had learned all the chords required to play a few songs. Jr taught him the basics and he watched the Porter Waggoner show to learn how to change chords. Porter had Norma Jean and Dolly Parton on the show and they played guitar. Randy would watch how they changed the chords and stole everything he could. Remember the VCR had not been invented back then. He had one shot at it and it was in black and white. No Color TV yet. By age 15 Randy formed his first band with his high school buddy Howard "Bozo" Conner. Randy and Bozo were both learning to play the guitar at the same time. Bozo was learning Rock and Roll from C.W. Bristow. Of course Randy and Bozo swapped licks and learned from each other. Their blended music was 50's and 60's Rock and Roll.
The two of them performed on of their first public appearances at the Gaston High School during the lunch period as C.W. Bristow had done before them. It was a huge success. They then entered a talent show (just the two of them) to play Louie Louie and Johnny B Good. A band from Roanoke Rapids N.C. called the Bronzetones entered the competition also. They had drums, bass, sax, and guitar. They were a full band and the first one Randy had ever seen live and up close. They performed prior to Bozo and Randy and brought the house down. While they were performing Randy slipped behind the curtain and asked the bass player, Gene Butts if they would stay on stage and let Bozo and Randy set in with them. Randy assured Gene that the Bronzetones had definitely won the Talent Show and offered his congratulations. Gene agreed.
The next act was called Randy Floyd and Bozo Conner with no mention of the Bronzetones. Randy had never played with a band before but figured it should be like playing with the radio. Louie Louie was the opening song where Bozo showed off his guitar and vocal skills. Shy Randy would not sing but decided to demonstrate his guitar skills with an instrumental version of Johnny B Good. He was more nervous than he had ever been. Randy brought the house down when he put the guitar behind his head and played. (This was before Jimi Hendrix did it) The crowd went wild. They never considered part of the Bronzetones was the reason they sounded so good. Bozo and Randy won first place in the Talent Show.
THE "TITANS" ARRIVE
Gene Butts liked the reaction and decided to hire Bozo and Randy as regulars. The band was called the Titans. Randy got the name from a Gibson Amplifier catalogue. One of the top of the line amp models was the Titan. Gene's wife was the sister of local radio DJ Sonny Cobb known on WCBT radio as "Sonny C". Sonny C was the biggest thing going. He decided they had something that was marketable so he agreed to rent the local armory and host a dance. The band would take 60% of the door Sonny C would get 40%. Randy had no idea what all this meant because he never considered that anyone would pay him to play music especially at this age. Sonny C was a master promoter with a radio station at his disposal. He would have Bozo and Randy up at the station to hang out and be on the air with him. He built them up as if they were the Beatles. By the time the dance came around he had the crowd whipped into a frenzy where they could not wait to get in to hear the Titans featuring Bozo and Randy. The first dance was a huge success with a turn away crowd. Randy had never seen anything like this but he liked what he saw. That night after the dance Randy was paid $48. To Randy that was like winning the lottery. He had never seen this much money...ever! Sonny C decided to repeat the process and the Titans were in high demand. The Titans played all over Roanoke Rapids and were "the band". Gene Butts and his wife had issues , Sonny C and his wife had issues and these issues finally led to tension in the band. Drummer Mike Snipes dropped out and Gene became impossible so Randy and Bozo decided to give it a rest. Stardom comes with a price.
Bozo had heard about a fantastic group from Emporia, Virginia called the Tempos. Bozo got together with the guys from the Tempos and introduced Randy to them. They saw something they liked with Bozo and Randy. The Tempos soon became the Titans. The members were Richard Stone-Vocals, Bill Anderson- Bass, Eddie Bradley-Drums, and Bozo and Randy. With that Randy and Bozo went back to Sonny C and got him to promote another dance at the armory. Just like before the crowd was maxed out. Sonny C kept saying "back by popular demand". This was term Randy had never heard and did not understood but he thought it was good. The new members of the Titans had never seen anything like the crowd at the armory.
RADIO AND TELEVISION
Singer Richard Stone's family owned radio station WEVA in Emporia Virginia. Stone saw something in the bands future. Richard's brother Will was on the radio every day so the Titans now had acces to their own radio station. After learning promotion from Sonny C the Titans were heavily promoted on WEVA and became the hot band in Virginia. They purchased an equipment trailer from the well established band the "Fabulous Continentals". The Titans logo was painted on the side and off they were now officially on the road with an equipment trailer. That was what successful bands did back then. The Titans were on tour!! They appeared on Teen Tempo on WTVR TV in Richmond, Virginia and competed in a three day battle of the bands at Virginia Beach and placed in the top 20. The Titans were gaining in fame and right on the edge of doing something really big. When they played the fans were asking for autographs and wanting their picture taken with the band members. There were groupies that followed the band around. Randy adjusted to the new found fame very well.
UNCLE SAM IS CALLING
In 1966 Randy and Bozo graduated high school and turned the magical age of 18 which meant military draft age.
In 1967 Randy was drafted into the military and joined the Air Force. Bozo went into the Marines and off to Viet Nam. Randy's music career hit the wall and all the Titan fame had to be left behind. With a heavy heart he left his guitar and the Titans behind to go serve his country. He thought Viet Nam would be his next gig. He was sent to Barksdale AFB in Bossier City, Louisiana. During the first week on the base he was contacted by Musician James Cavins who needed a guitar player in a Country Music Band. Randy went out and played on a Wednesday night and was hired by James to replace the regular guitar player. The band was called the Country Gentlemen. They played at the Circle B Bar in Bossier City, Louisiana every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night. This was Randy's first full time gig. Randy's total annual salary from the Air Force was $1600. He made many times over that playing music so he knew early that a military career was not for him.
RANDY MEETS SONNY TRAMMEL
A gentleman named Skeet Williams joined the band and soon there were issues. James became impossible so the members of the band longed to leave and play with Skeet Williams and the Swing Kings. They all left James and joined Skeet at the Stage Door in Shreveport, Louisiana. This is where Randy met legendary steel guitar player Sonny Trammel. Randy had no idea this guy had played with Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, Johnny Horton, David Houston, Webb Pierce, Hank Williams Sr, and countless others. You can see pictures of Sonny playing with Elvis at http://www.scottymoore.net/hayridecolor.html Randy became mostly a rhythm guitar player behind Sonny because Sonny was so advanced musically that Randy was in awe. Sonny taught Randy a lot about music. One night the crowd started demanding that Randy sing a song. They kept getting louder and more demanding so Skeet prompted Randy to cut loose on something...anything to keep the crowd under control. Randy performed his first vocal performance Knock Three Times and he received a standing ovation. Fortunately the tape was rolling and the moment was captured on tape.
Soon Skeet moved on and Randy was left with the remainder of the band that became Larry Dean and the Moonlighters. One Friday night Larry Dean quit the band leaving them without a singer. The band had to play the next night but had no singer. Randy remembered his Knock Three Times performance and spent all day that Saturday learning songs. He became the vocalist for the band, so I guess you could say he was an "overnight sensation".
RANDY'S FIRST STUDIO RECORDINGS
Soon thereafter, Randy landed his first recording contract with Soundtrack Chevelle Records in Fort Worth, Texas. Daddy I'm a Rich Man, You Don't Have to Be Crazy and Take Me Back were recorded during this period. These songs are included on the Reflections CD.
THE LOUISIANA STRINGS BAND
The band became Randy Floyd and the Louisiana Strings via a name the band contest . They grew into one of the top bands in Shreveport and played all over east Texas, North and Central Lousiana and Arkansas. Randy appeared on the Louisiana Hayride several times where he became friends with the sensational Japanese fiddle player Shoji Tabuchi. Shoji has one of the top shows in Branson Missouri www. shoji .com.
Soon the band landed a job at the VFW in Bossier City where they lasted for eleven years.
During this time Jim Procell, Vernon Lanyeaux, Jerry French and several other players came and went as bass players. It was at this time that Randy met fiddle player Joe Spivey and became friends. Joe has been playing with John Anderson of "Swangin" fame now for over 24 years. Joe is also a member of the Grammy award. winning group the Time Jumpers. Joe and Randy still keep in touch via annual visits to Nashville to visit the Time Jumpers and Vince Gill
Randy started writing songs and performing them at the club. The fans loved the songs and wanted to know whay couldn't they buy them on record or hear them on the radio. In 1980 a gentleman named E.L. Dean approached Randy asking why Randy's song Beautiful Lady was not on a record. Randy signed a recording deal with Mr. Dean and in a few days Randy was in Nashville, Tennessee recording Beautiful Lady, Love Me Back Together, You Gave Me A Mountain and House of the Risin Sun. This is where Randy met legendary drummer D.J. Fontana. D.J. was Elvis Presley's drummer for many years and still plays in a group called "All the Kings Men" doing Elvis tribute shows. The success of these songs led to Randy meeting legendary music manager Tillman Franks. Tillman had worked with Slim Whitman, David Houston, Hank Williams Sr, Johnny Horton, Claude King and countless others. Tillman set Randy up with Phil Baugh and Buddy Emmons for the next recording session in Nashville. That session produced I Don't Thing I Can Stand The Hurt Again, Cowboy Clothes and Country Music and You Don't Know What's happening. Randy was able to secure a record deal with Sound Waves Records in Nashville. Soundwaves was owned by Betty and Joe Gibson who were the first to sign the super group Alabama. Things were looking really good as the songs made the charts and the team started to put together a tour. Then Randy's manager Johnny Manascalco became gravely ill and died. Momentum was lost and the songs air play cooled down. Mr. Dean still believed in Randy and was ready to start all over again but Randy had realized his dream and would forever be indebted to Mr. Dean for making it happen. Randy had one 5 year old son and another on the way so he decided now was not a good time to go on the road. Randy and Mr. Dean decided to pull the plug on the career and they remain friends even today. Randy has stated many times there are no regrets with this decision.
RANDY MOVES TO THE DFW AREA
In 1987 Randy moved to Dallas, Texas and formed a new band called Special Delivery. The band consisted of Marc Tubbs on drums, Todd Peterson on Keyboards, Stu Phillps on Bass, Chuck Anderson on Sax. Everyone in the band came from a different musical background. The band could play any style of music and was really good. It was the best band Randy had ever worked with. It put the fun back into music. Randy went to a concert and saw Omar and the Howlers and Stevie Ray Vaughan and discovered the blues. Randy did not know what it was but remembered the songs of his childhood that he like so well. He liked it and that was the music he wanted to play. The band landed a big concert at the Shreveport Convention center and played to a packed house. All the old crowd from 11 years at the VFW came out when they heard Randy was coming to town. The music was fantastic and ranged from Southern Rock to Traditional Country. The crowd had never seen Randy like this and didn't know what to think. It was difficult for the band to find work in the Dallas market as it was saturated with big name national level talent and Randy was new to the area and didn't have the network of contacts he had in Louisiana . The Dallas market just would not produce enough work so the band struggled and finally disbanded. Two of Randy's best friends came from this band, Marc Tubbs and Todd Peterson.
Randy then went to work for an established touring band Marcel and the Sensations. This was a show band where Marcel would exit the stage change costumes and emulate several singers. Randy really had to work long hours at this. He was out of his element. Randy could no longer play what he wanted, rather he had to stick to the script and keep the show going while all the characters came in and exited. Countless hours of rehearsal and miles and miles of travel took its toll on Randy, his music and his family. Randy became very disillusioned with music and decided he needed a break.
RANDY STEPS AWAY FROM MUSIC
Randy took 10 year break from music and dedicated his time to his wife and two kids.He has stated many times that this was the best decision he ever made. He never touched a guitar or sung a song in public for 10 years. It was the best thing musically he ever did because it erased all the old habits and forced Randy to explore and develop new styles of music. Then one day Leon Russell called Randy requesting him to play a gig with him. Randy explained his 10 year break from music but Leon would not accept no as an answer. Randy played a few gigs with Leon and the Wed Night Jam was born. Once again music was fun. Randy was exposed to every type of music there was and was free to experiment with the Blues, Country, Rock or whatever. This relationship produced the "Sounds of Fun" CD and DVD. Unfortunately Leon suffered a crippling stroke in 2001 and the music fell silent. With paralysis on the left side Leon couldn't walk or use his left arm. His keyboard days were over for good.
BACK IN THE STUDIO AGAIN
Soon Randy was asked to do a recording session with his former bass player Jerry French and Steel Guitar Legend Sonny Trammel. This would be the first time Randy had played with these guys in almost 20 years. Jerry and Sonny had played in Randy's Louisiana Strings Band for over 20 years. Jerry was now recording and producing records and one of the best in the business. Randy recorded the "Hard Core Country" CD for Jerry's record label. It was a true fun project. Randy's voice was not as strong as it used to be but the feeling was one of appreciation and enjoyment. This led to a 20 Year Reunion Concert in Shreveport, Louisiana at the Legacy of Stars. It was truly a wonderful time for Randy. It was again fun for him to get together with the old gang and perform in front of the fans again.
During this concert Randy met legendary piano player Sonny Harville. Sonny played with Slim Whitman and recorded the Indian Love Call hit.
Randy located former bass player Jim Procell after 30 years of not hearing from him and got together with Jim for some jamming. Jim introduced Randy to Kent Gill a great fiddle player who played with Grammy Award winner David Houston. Jim and Randy renewed their friendship just in time as Jim fell ill and died on Randy's birthday in 2010.
THE LOUISIANA HAYRIDE CONNECTION
The success of the Hard Core CD led to demands for concerts in Shreveport, Louisiana. Randy began working with Sonny Trammel, Jerry French, Sonny Harville, Kent Gill and drummer Jerry Hitt. Randy had a lot of fun and renewed old friendships. Sonny Harville, and Sonny Trammel are two of the surviving members of the original Louisiana Hayride band. Sonny Trammel was a featured artist on the Hayride. The band is known as The Hayride Connection. One of the neat tricks they did was use the original 1955 KWKH radio recording from the Louisiana Hayride radio show to introduce Sonny Trammel. Once the recorded introduction concluded Sonny would play the song live. The crowd loved it. They performed concerts at the Louisiana State Fair grounds in August 2010 and were a big hit. The mayor of Shreveport came out to the concert as well as countless other business leaders. This led to requests for more from The Hayride Connection band. Someone came up with the idea to take the band back to the site of the original Louisiana Hayride the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium. This is the same stage that was graced by Elvis, Hank Williams Sr., Hank Williams Jr., Johnny Horton, Webb Pierce, Faron Young, David Houston, Nat Stuckey, Johnny Cash, Bill Carlisle, Bob Luman, George Jones, Eddie Arnold, Roy Acuff, the Wiburn Brothers, just to name a few. The Hayride Connection performed a concert at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium in November 2010. Sonny Trammel and Sonny Harville were back home again. Randy was ill and unable to play.
RENEWED INTEREST....DIFFERENT DIRECTION
Having played 50's and 60's Rock and Roll, Country then 80's Rock and many other types of music, Randy decided to branch out into a different direction. Randy has come full circle now playing those blues songs that he first heard Dreaddie Mangrum play when he was a kid. Randy formed a Blues band named Randy Floyd and the Blues Krackers. A live recording of one of their performances is on www.youtube.com. This was Randy's first introduction to a key figure in his future music endeavors the one and only Jack Miller. Jack and harmonica player and drummer was kind of the hub where all musicians rotated through. Through Jack Randy met countless musicians and finally got on the inside of the DFW music scene. While forming a Blues band Randy met a fellow named Rudy Smedley. Rudy wanted to go full time and make his living at music. Randy had been there...done that and had no interest in full time music. They formed a band called the Double Eagle Band. The name was derived during a golf outing when both Rudy and Randy eagled a par 5 at the same time. As they walked off the green they remarked "Double Eagle" and as they say the rest is history. The Double Eagle band members were at one time or other: Rudy Smedley, Marc Tubbs, Jack Miller, Phil Epps, Mike Smith, Jeff Empringham, Steve Day. They broadcast all over the world via the internet their concert from Mambo's in Fort Worth. They had a lot of fun but Randy and Rudy had opposite goals. Randy advised Rudy that he could have the name Double Eagle and Randy would go off and form his own band The Traditional Blues Band.
FINALLY A HIT RECORD!!
During this time period Randy posted a photo of his Nashville recording on Facebook for "Throwback Thursday". A gentleman by the name of Hermann Lammers Meyer contacted Randy regarding the players in the photo. Seems he had used the same musicians when he came to the USA to record. He requested and received a copy of the songs. A few weeks later Randy started receiving emails form Germany, Norway, Sweden and countless other countries. Randy was unaware of Hermann being a radio DJ who broadcast all over the world. He had a network of DJ's that did the same thing and he had done an unbelievable favor for Randy. He began promoting Randy Floyd songs like they had never been promoted before. Shortly thereafter he sent a link to Randy of the Country Music Charts for Germany and there was Cowboy Clothes and Country Music sitting at number 4. Wow a top 5 song after all these years. Shortly after this Beautiful Lady landed and number 1 in Norway. See Annette Dean was right all along. She liked that song enough to finance Randy's career. After all these years the song makes it to the top of the charts. Of the top 300 recording artists in the UK Randy was number 33. Amazing!!!!!!. With all this success came even more incredible successes via Hermann. He asked Randy to do an interview and then weaved the interview into a continuous RANDY FLOYD SPECIAL with a 30 minute radio show of nothing but Randy Floyd songs. Randy had notified EL Dean of this new found success however E.L. had fell ill and was not doing good at all. The very week of the Randy Floyd special E.L. Dean left this world for the great place he had earned in the sky. Randy attended his funeral and placed a Reflections CD and a CD of the Randy Floyd Special in his coffin. It was a day of mixed feelings. Randy was so hurt with the loss of E.L. Dean but so thankful that he lived long enough to see the success.
Many people are urging Randy to form a world tour to support the success of Cowboy Clothes and Beautiful Lady however Randy was deeply emerged into the development of the Traditional Blues Band. Here was Randy with Country Music success when he is clawing his way into the Blues Genre. Randy said the music business is such a crazy business. So unpredictable.
The Traditional Blues Band members at one time or other: Phil Epps, Jack Miller, Marc Tubbs, Steve Byas, Andrew Marton, Andy Pearce and Randy . Scott Keys, Pete Martinez also played in the band some times. Randy has said many times he is having more FUN playing music now that at any time during his 45 years of playing.
Randy is currently working on a Blues CD featuring his guitar work as well as his vocals in the Blues Genre. It should be out in early 2018. A sample of this music is available on My Space
@ http://www.myspace.com/therandyfloyd
Randy now plays gigs with The Traditional Blues Band and makes it a point to get to Branson, Missouri each year to play golf with Shoji Tabuchi and attend his show. Stay tuned life is just beginning!