The Terregon (Forrest)

The Terregon Ballroom was not a grand old hall with a storied past as the name might suggest.  Instead, it was a grain storage building on Route 47 at the north edge of Forrest, Illinois - a town of roughly 1,200 people.  For a brief time in the late 1960's however, it was host to some big name rock and pop concerts by groups such as the Grass Roots, the Cryan Shames, the New Colony Six, and many others.

Ronnie Rice, New Colony Six at the Terregon

How did these bands come to perform in a metal farm building on the edge of a small town in rural Livingston County?  It appears to have been the work and determination of one man.  Glenn Terrell was a local truck driver, a business owner, a World War II veteran, and a father of teenagers.  

In 1967, Terrell converted the 60' x 120' steel building into a concert venue, dance hall and community center.  He added a new floor, built a stage, covered the walls with wood paneling and added some colored tables and chairs.  The Terregon was born.  It had a reported seating capacity of 900, though it proved to hold more, possibly when the tables and chairs were removed.

Incredibly, for about a year the Terregon brought in a string of top-tier groups from Chicago as well as national touring acts.   Almost all of the "teen" concerts were emceed by a WLS disc jockey.  A local group from nearby Pontiac, the Chancellors, served as the opening act for many of the shows.

The Terregon opened its doors on September 2, 1967 with a teen concert featuring the Cryan Shames and the Flock.   The Cryan Shames would play the Terregon at least four times in less than a year.  

According to the Pontiac Daily Leader, over 1,500 attended the debut concert.  Before the end of the year, the Terregon hosted at least four more teen shows, each on a Saturday night:

• Sep 2, 1967     The Cryan Shames, The Flock   
• Sep 23, 1967   The Yellow Balloon, The Ides of March
• Sep 30, 1967   The California Spectrum (members of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band) 
• Oct 28, 1967   The Same, The Chancellors
• Dec 16, 1967   The One-Eyed Jacks, The Chancellors

Starting in early 1968, owner Glenn Terrell decided to shift the teen shows to Sunday afternoons instead of Saturday nights.  This change, which seemed innocent enough, would spark a controversy that would put the Terregon and the village of Forrest in the news for the next several weeks.  

On January 17th, 1968, the Forrest Village Board held a special meeting to discuss the town's new dance hall.  First, they imposed a $50 license fee for any dance held during the week.  In addition, they denied Terrell's permit request for having dances on Sundays.

The board was apparently split on the matter of allowing these dances but came to their decision after casting a secret ballot in a closed session (later determined to be an illegal action).  They justified their ruling by invoking a "blue law" enacted in the 1880s that remained on the town's books.  

One of the board members, Ray Steffen, told the Pantagraph, "It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make in my life."  Steffen had voted against the ballroom.  When ask why, he said, "Because of my concern for the youth."  He added, "I have a strong belief in the Ten Commandments.  The fourth covers this situation - Remember the Sabbath Day and to keep it holy."

Public outcry over the decision was immediate.   Newspapers across the state of Illinois ran stories about the small town that banned dances on Sunday due to an outdated statute.  Several people wrote letters to the editor of the Pantagraph in support of the Terregon and the rights of teenagers.

When Glenn Terrell was asked what he planned to do next, he responded, "Like John Paul Jones, when asked if he was ready to surrender, said, 'I have just begun to fight.'  I guess that's the position I'll have to take."   Terrell petitioned the board for a new hearing.   When they dragged their feet, Terrell informed them by letter that he intended to continue operations until they provided him with a documented report requiring him to close on Sundays.  The Village Board instead granted him permission to operate "as is" until their April meeting.  For the next several months, teen concerts were held on Sunday afternoons without incident.

• Jan 7, 1968       Jay and the Techniques, (Art Roberts - WLS)
• Jan 21, 1968     Cryan Shames, (Clark Weber - WLS)
• Feb 4, 1968      The Destinations, The Chancellors, (Art Roberts - WLS)
• Feb 11, 1968    One-Eyed Jacks, (Ron Riley - WLS)
• Feb 18, 1968    The American Breed, (Bernie Allen - WLS)
• Mar 17, 1968   The One Eyed Jacks, (Jerry Kay - WLS)
• Mar 24, 1968   The Classics IV, (Larry Lujack - WLS)
• Mar 31, 1968   The Cryan Shames, (Clark Webber - WLS)

On April 4th, during their regular town meeting, the Forrest Village Board reversed their earlier decision and granted the Terregon permission to hold Sunday concerts.  Some board members still expressed concerns however about kids dancing on Sunday.  Terrell assured the board that the events were concerts not dances.   He admitted some attendees do dance but the concerts were meant for entertainment not dancing.

Terrell had won the battle but Sunday concerts did not last much longer.  There were two in April.  By June, concerts were happening during the week and on Friday.

 

• Apr 21, 1968   The New Colony Six, The Chancellors
• Apr 28, 1968   Grass Roots, The Chancellors, (Ron Riley - WLS)
• Jun 7, 1968     The Cryan Shames, (Larry Lujack - WLS)
• Jun 20, 1968   The World Column, The Chancellors, (Art Roberts-WLS)
  
• ?              Gary Puckett & The Union Gap

Thanks to Randall Hollister and his sister Judy who attended several concerts at the Terregon, we actually have photographs from some of these shows.

The Cryan Shames - January 21, 1968

The New Colony Six - April 21, 1968

The Grass Roots - April 28, 1968

Top L-R: Warren Entner, Rob Grill; Bottom L-R: Rick Coonce, Creed Bratton

Gary Puckett & The Union Gap reportedly played the Terregon as well but the exact date has not been confirmed.   The group did perform at the Reservation in nearby Pontiac on Dec. 22, 1967.

While no teen shows could be identified after June 1968, the Terregon also held concerts for "mom and dad," some of which continued into 1969.  Here are some of the other concerts and private events we could identify:

• Sep 16, 1967     Ted Weems Orchestra
• Oct 14, 1967     Tiny Hill & His Orchestra
• Nov 11, 1967    Ferlin Husky, Cristy Lane
• Dec 2, 1967      Tiny Hill & His Orchestra
• Dec 23, 1967   Leon Ashley, Margie Singleton, Cristy Lane, (Stan Scott - WJJD)
• Feb 24, 1968   Bud Sherman
• Apr 6, 1968   Strawn Firemen's Ball: Howard Jacobs Orchestra
• Apr 20, 1968   Bud Sherman
• Jul 28, 1968   M&W Gear Co. party: Rex Troyer band
• Apr 12, 1969   Strawn Firemen's Ball: Howard Jacobs Orchestra

It is unclear why or exactly when the venue closed its doors.  If anyone has any more info or memories about the Terregon please leave a comment below or reach out to us directly at:  downstatesounds@gmail.com

Special thanks again to Randy Hollister for sharing the photos as well as scans of the Terregon flyers.  Thanks also to Reverberation Vinyl for making it happen.

The Jades (Herrin)

The Jades were a popular teen combo from Herrin, Illinois.    In early 1966, the lineup consisted of Rick McNeill on vocals and lead guitar, Carl Sutton on rhythm guitar, Steve Sutton on bass, Ron Minter on drums and Greg Marlow on organ.  Sometime after August, Paul Helms replaced Carl Sutton on rhythm guitar.

On March 26, 1966, the Jades were one of nearly a dozen southern Illinois bands to perform at a "Battle of the Bands" at the Mt. Vernon Armory in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.  Other local groups on the bill included:  

The Crescendos (West Frankfort), The In Crowd (Mt. Vernon), The Ivy Five (Mt. Vernon), The Niks (Centralia), The Screwdrivers (Carbondale), The Sting Rays (Mt. Vernon), The Universals (Centralia), The Vibrations (Salem) and The Yakks (Mt. Vernon).

The Jades performed everything from "Shout" to "House of the Rising Sun," and claimed the grand prize of a $100 and a trophy.  According to the Southern Illinois newspaper, the Burgandys of Southern Illinois University (not on the original bill) came in second.  The Vibrations of Salem were third in the "experienced" division.  Judging was done by popular vote from the 1,100 teens in attendance.

The Jades performed all around southern Illinois that year.  In the summer of '66 they held a weekly "Splash Party" at the Herrin pool.  They also performed at Teen Beat '66 which was held in the Bank of Illinois parking lot in Mt. Vernon.  

Beyond dances, they continued to "battle" other bands at events around the state such as the Young American Fair in Springfield as well as the Du Quoin State Fair Teen A Go Go.

While promoting an upcoming performance by the Jades in January 1967, the Mt. Vernon Register-News mentioned, "the popular Southern Illinois group is scheduled to cut a record for RCA Victor in Nashville, Tenn. sometime in the near future."

It is unclear when in early 1967 the band traveled to Tennessee to record their only single but it appears they headed north of Nashville to the Nugget Sound Studio in Goodlettsville.  There they recorded "Island Of Love" and "You Have To Walk."  Both songs were written by Paul Helms.  The single was released on Clark Records in May 1967.

According to the YouTube video below, Helms provided the lead vocals for "You Have To Walk."

The Jades continued to perform throughout 1967 around Herrin and southern Illinois, ending the year with a gig at the Herrin Teen Town New Year's Eve dance.  In 1968 however, the shows came to a stop.  According to information provided by Paul Byron Helms on the above YouTube video, the Vietnam War broke up the band.

Here are the Jades in simpler times, playing in their swim trunks at the Herrin pool for around 250 teens in the summer of 1966:

 

____________

Additional photos and info about some of the other area bands:

  

            

The Echos (Mattoon)

The Echos were six teenagers from Mattoon, Illinois:  Gerald (Gus) Pedigo, Roger Pedigo, Bob Perry, Mike Perry, Ron Lass and Bill Phillips.  The group's business manager (pictured in back) was Gene Clark - another high schooler from Mattoon.

The band formed in May of 1959.  An early version of the group performed at a Future Homemakers of America dinner at Mattoon High School.  According to the Mattoon Journal-Gazette and Commercial-Star, they played "I've Had It" (presumably the Bell Notes song) and an original, "Louise," written by Ron Lass and Mike Perry.

By that summer, the Echos was performing at local dances and area events. They also appeared multiple times on a local television program for teens.  

On May 6, 1960, almost exactly one year after forming, the band released their one and only single on Sage Records out of Hollywood, California.  Both sides were instrumentals.

"Haunted" was written by the youngest member of the group, Gus Pedigo.  The flipside, "River Beat," was credited to the entire band.  You can listen to a sample of both songs below:

How exactly a group from Mattoon ended up on a California label is a mystery.  Other than a mention in the local newspaper the record got no real promotion or press.  The band doesn't seem to have lasted past 1960.  Several of the members would graduate high school that year.  

By 1963, Gus Pedigo would go on to lead another Mattoon rock 'n' roll band, the Continentals.  Roger Pedigo, Gus Pedigo and Bob Perry were also members of the Artistics from Mattoon at one time or another in the 1960's.  Along with Mitch Easter of nearby Charleston, Illinois, the Artistics recorded several singles for the Cha Cha label out of Chicago.  

 

In the photo below, Bob Perry is shown playing bass and Gus Pedigo is on the far right, playing guitar.

The Artistics performing at the Blackhawk Village Lounge, Jacksonville, Illinois, 1966

By the late 1960's and into the early 1970's, Gus Pedigo and his brother Roger were two-thirds of the Gus Pedigo Trio which played mostly around eastern Illinois but also performed in Florida on occasion.

Gus Pedigo would eventually move to Florida where he would continue to write songs and play music for the rest of his life.  He passed away in 2019.

____

The artist bio for Gus on ReverbNation and other online sources paint a much more colorful musical career.   Pedigo claimed to have played guitar for Faron Young at the Grand Old Opry in the 1960's as a member of Young's backing band, The Country Deputies.  He also claimed to have worked as a studio musician at Owen Bradley's Barn outside of Nashville.  Even more incredibly, his bio included playing with J. Frank Wilson and The Cavaliers "during Last Kiss" and allegedly performing with Country Joe and The Fish at Woodstock on one song.

The Psychedelic Sounds of Howie Thayer (La Moille)

On December 19, 1967, eighteen-year-old Howie Thayer of La Moille, Illinois travelled nearly 150 miles south to Roger Francisco's basement recording studio in Urbana, Illinois.  With rented instruments and six paychecks to cover the cost of one marathon session, Thayer recorded all of the different musical parts and vocals for both sides of a single.

According to the Bureau County Republican, Thayer used "a total of eight generations (overdubs) of tape on each song - five instrumental overdubs and three vocal overdubs.   The newspaper added, "Thayer played the drums, piano, organ, bass guitar and lead fuzz guitar and sang two background vocals and one lead vocal in his two arrangements."

The two songs that Thayer recorded that day were "Movin' Groovin' Fairy Tale" and "If Death Don't Get You (Then The Government Will)."  

At the time, Thayer told the Bureau County Republican that the song "If Death Don't Get You" was about the saying "You only have to do two things in life - pay taxes and die."  He added that it was "mainly about the plight of the factory worker."  He jokingly said that "Fairy Tale" was about the plight of his love life.

Despite recording all the parts himself, the single was credited to Howie Thayer and His Psycho-Electric Happening and was released on his own Psychedelic Sounds label.

 

Thayer had graduated from La Moille High School earlier that same year.   While in school, he had been a drummer in a teen combo, the XKE's, along with Larry Lucas, Steve Westerlin, Jim Ewalt and Dale Edlefson.  After graduation, Thayer had started working as a disc jockey at a local radio station.  When the single was released, the local paper mentioned that "he will be playing the two songs occasionally on his sock show on WZOE radio."

In a 2018 conversation, Thayer confirmed many of the details of the recording.  He added that he had 1,000 copies pressed at the time and sold out.  He also mentioned, at one point you could buy the record at Clickner's in Princeton, Illinois, where the owner had provided Thayer with a special rack to display his single.

Thayer would return to RoFran Enterprises in Urbana two more times in 1968 according to the RoFran studio log (March 9th and September 5th).  The result was another single, likely recorded in the same manner as the first.   

Again both song were written by Thayer - an instrumental, "Bazap!," backed with "Side 2," a tragic love story referencing LSD and suicide among other things.  Once again, the single was credited to Howie Thayer and His Psycho-Electric Happening and released on Psychedelic Sounds.

 

It is difficult to imagine how people in north-central Illinois responded to these records in 1968.  Thayer remembers "Bazap!" getting some airplay on WSDR in Sterling, Illinois at the time - another radio station where he had worked.  

Whatever the reaction, these two singles would prove to be Thayer's entire recorded output as a musical  performer.  His radio career, on the other hand, was just beginning.  From 1967 to the current day, Thayer has worked at more than 50 different radio stations throughout the country.  At some point along the way, he legally changed his first name to "Dr."  In 1992, he earned a doctorate degree from Florida International University, officially making him, Dr. Dr. Thayer.

In 2004, Thayer bought a radio station: 96.7 FM-WZPH in Zephyrhills, FL - "The Zephyr."  The format of the station is strictly "oldies" with no commercials whatsoever.  As a result, it holds a world record for playing more than 3.5 million songs in a row.  The streak was sadly broken on October 10, 2024 when Hurricane Milton destroyed the station.  Dr. Dr. and the Zephyr however are back on the air in 2025! 

In addition to radio, Dr. Dr. is also a math teacher and a body builder... he might even be the Incredible Impressive Hulk.

Michael Day's 1972 Demo Recordings For Columbia Records

Billy Rose II, Michael Day, Kip Cohen, Paul Leka

In late March of 1972, 19-year-old singer-songwriter Michael Day of Bloomington, Illinois headed east to record an audition tape for Columbia Records.  Day had been playing keyboards and singing in bands in Illinois since junior high.  Even though he had written a number of songs by this point in his young career, Day had yet to release anything.  A demo tape for one of the biggest record companies in the world would mark his debut as a solo artist.

His introduction to the prestigious label was likely arranged by local talent agent, Irving Azoff.  Now one of the most powerful men in the music business, Azoff was just starting to make a name for himself beyond the Champaign-Urbana music scene in 1972.  One of Azoff's earliest discoveries, Dan Fogelberg, had recently signed with Columbia.  REO Speedwagon, another of Azoff's, had their first album released on Epic, a subsidiary of Columbia, the year before.   Day was hoping to be the next.

Joined by a group of mostly central Illinois musicians, Day spent six days at the Connecticut Recording Studios with producers Billy Rose II and Paul Leka (the same studio and producers REO Speedwagon had used for their first album).  There they recorded five of Michael's originals to present to Kip Cohen, head of A&R for Columbia Records:

• Dr. Freedmont's Bone Elixir
• Back On My Own
• Lead Me Love
• Whiskey Woman (later renamed "Let This Good Man Be")
• I Can Feel It

With Day on keyboards and vocals, the rest of the musicians included Norman Zeller on guitar, Doug Mazique on bass, Bobby Carlin on drums and Gale Pelletier on flute & sax.  The Freedom Soul Singers (from Connecticut) provided backing voices.

It is worth noting, Day and the other musicians had never played together as a group before these sessions.  This was not a band that had fine-tuned these songs over many months of playing together on the road.  Instead, most of the musicians were likely hearing and learning the songs for the first time.

Pelletier, a horn player who was attending Illinois State University at the time, had met Day in Bloomington and had only jammed with him a few times at Day's parent's house before being invited to join him on the trip to Connecticut.  All these years later, Pelletier still had Michael Day's handwritten lead sheet for "Lead Me Love" from the 1972 recording session.

After the sessions were over, Pelletier remembers going with Day to the Columbia Records headquarters in New York and playing the tape directly for Cohen in his office.

You can now listen to the five songs that Kip Cohen heard that day:

Cohen was apparently impressed enought that Day would soon return to Connecticut to begin recording an album for the label.  Day, along with several of the musicians, would eventually move to Bridgeport, CT during the process.   There they shared a house at 394 Saunders Avenue.

It would be almost a year later before it was finally announced that Day had signed an exclusive recording contract with Columbia Records.  Announcements in Billboard, Cash Box and Record World all suggested that the album would be ready by May of 1973.  A few of the other up-and-coming singer-songwriters scheduled to make their debuts for the label that same year included Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel.

For a time, things looked promising for Day.  An album of ten original songs was completed.  Cover art was prepared which included photos by the legendary photographer Raeanne Rubenstein.   Columbia Records assigned it a catalog # (32555).  Test pressings were produced.  A possible working title for the album (according to one tape box) was First But Not Last which would prove to be deeply ironic.   

Unfortunately for Day, Columbia Records was in turmoil by May of 1973.  Clive Davis, then president of the label, was eventually fired amid a scandal involving payola, drugs and other misappropriation of company funds.  Before the end of the summer, Kip Cohen, the man that brought Day to the label, also left Columbia Records.  The album's future was suddenly in limbo.  With no one at the label looking out for his interests, the 20-year-old Day was "orphaned" within the company during the shakeup.  

For a time, Day stayed on the East Coast.  In November of 1973, Billboard listed some live dates for Michael Day in New Jersey. He was still listed as a Columbia Records artist.  By 1974 however, Day had returned to Illinois without an album.  His debut and solo career derailed by executive turnover and bad timing.

The 1973 album remains unreleased to this day.   For more on the story including photos and audio from Day's life and career see our earlier post.

Count Demon (Champaign)

Count Demon was a rhythm & blues / jazz drummer, singer and bandleader who moved to Champaign, Illinois in the 1950's.

He is perhaps best remembered these days for a series of hard-to-find R&B 45s that he recorded and self-released during the 1960's.  His career and impact on the Champaign music scene however went far beyond that.

Count Demon was born William Evans in the Canton, Ohio area.  An article in the Massillon (OH) newspaper from August 1940 mentions a "Count Demon Evans, a 1940 high school graduate, who plays the drums."  By 1947 he was drumming and singing with Duke Jenkins' band in Ohio.  Early on Demon was paired with a trumpet player (Satchmo Thompson) and billed as a "novelty duet" as a featured part of Jenkins' floor show.

In May 1949, the Duke Jenkins sextet took up residence at the Brass Rail Club in Chicago.  While in Chicago, they recorded several sides for Aristocrat Records (a direct predecessor to Chess Records) though only one single was ever released.

Listed as Duke Jenkins Aristocrats on the record, the group recorded the instrumental "Bercuese" along with "Baby I'm Sick Of You" which was co-written by Jenkins and Demon.

By 1951, Count Demon had left Jenkins' band and started his own group.  At first they were known as the Quadratones and then eventually the Demons of Jazz.   

Members included Billy Howe (trumpet), Waymon "Punchy" Atkinson (tenor sax), Bob Reeves (bass) and Joe Bradley (piano).

By 1953, they were performing in night clubs across the Midwest.  The group was touted as "the band that plays everything - Novelties - Jumps - Blues - Sweet - Rumbas - Modern Sounds."  On occasion, the quartet was billed along with an exotic dancer.

Demon himself was advertised as "one of the world's maddest drummers" and "the famous composer and recorder of 'Baby I'm Sick Of You,' 'Double Barrel Boogie' and many others."   Another ad lists him as being the composer and recorder of "Beanphobia," "Mi Mi Cato" and "A Woman Is A Wonderful Thing."

Other than "Baby I'm Sick of You," official releases could not be verified for any of the songs mentioned.   An acetate of "Beanaphobia" however was shared on Instagram in recent years.  It was recorded at James Dooley Productions in Canton, OH with the Duke Jenkins Orchestra.  The song is indeed credited to Count Demon and appears to have been a duet with Satchmo (Thompson).  It was produced for Revo Records.

In 1955, Count Demon put the Demons of Jazz on hold and joined Champaign-native Jack McDuff and his band on the road.   Besides McDuff who was playing piano at the time, the group consisted of Bill Yancey on bass, Kilroy Beatty on sax and singer Dahl Scott.   (Ads for the group featured a picture of Count Demon behind a conga drum wearing a sombrero.)

An article in the St. Paul Recorder from February 18, 1955 mentions that Count Demon had just finished a recording of "Slipping and Sliding" with Chance Records in Chicago.  If true, it may have been one of the last sessions done for the label which had already folded by the time that article ran.  

There is no evidence the track was ever released by Chance or any other label.  Count Demon however recorded a live version of "Slippin and Slidin" several years later and released it on his own Po' Boy's Record Company.   The flip side of the 1962 single was "Why Did You Leave Me."

 

Back in 1956 McDuff decided to quit the road and possibly music and returned to Champaign to manage a dry cleaning business.  Count Demon, it seems, decided to join him in central Illinois.

Another jazz musician that relocated to the area around that same time was saxophonist Waymon "Punchy" Atkinson.  Originally from Akron, OH, Atkinson had played with Count Demon in the Duke Jenkins band and the Demons of Jazz.

McDuff famously did not remain in Champaign long but Count Demon did.  By 1958, Demon was performing around the U of I campus, often in the Illini Union at Jazz-U-Like-It.   Count Demon's quartet around that time included Punchy Aktinson on tenor sax, Bill Yancey on bass and Joe Bradley on piano.

A review in the Daily Illini from April 1960, described the "Demons" as "a local professional group; they have recorded for World Pacific, and have engagements at places such as the Eldorado, the Porthole, and the Elks."   The locations listed were all local clubs.   The mention of World Pacific Records may have been a reference to Punchy Atkinson having recorded for the label with Wes Montgomery and his brothers.

The band on this particular evening in 1960 included Tim Byrnes on bass, Joe Bradley on piano, Punchy Atkinson and Roland Clark, both on tenor sax.  At some point in the evening a young Denny Zeitlin sat in with the group on piano.  Zeitlin was a student at the U of I at the time.

The review continues, "In the second half, Count Demon surrendered the drums to Swede Perkins, and sang three songs fairly well.  The last, 'In the Evening When the Sun Goes Down,' was a slow pulsating blues of the Count Basie variety.  The audience reaction was overwhelming."

All but one of Count Demon's later recordings feature him behind the mic.  In 1962, he released four singles on Po' Boy's Record Company (54 E. Columbia, Champaign, Ill.):

#300 - My Isabella / I Don't Believe   

#301 - Slippin' and Slidin' / Why Did You Leave Me

#302 - Take It Upstairs Pt 1 / Take It Upstairs Pt 2

#303 - Wanderin' Child / Slow Train 

 

  

Other than "My Isabella" and "I Don't Believe," all of the songs were recorded live (where exactly is unknown).  Most are credited to Count Demon and A. Yarber although "My Isabella" appears to be a cover of Danny Cobb's tune of the same name released in 1955.

Count Demon's most notable song however was the risqué "Take It Upstairs."  

The song, which is full of double entendres and suggestive lyrics, was clearly a crowd favorite.  Advertisements for live performances in the mid-1960's often refer to Count Demon as "Mister Take It Upstairs."  (Listen closely to the lyrics and you can hear him name check "Jack McDuffy" and the Elks where the two of them played often.)

In 1964 the University of Illinois changed their policy regarding the Jazz-U concerts held in the student union making them reserved for students and faculty only.  Count Demon and other local musicians not affiliated with the university were no longer allowed to perform there.

Count Demon went back on the road that year.  He performing in Indiana with the Blue Knights Combo which included Joe Bradley on organ, Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and Tony Zamora on tenor sax. Also, sometime in the mid-1960's, Count Demon opened the Star Record Shop on First Street in Champaign.

In July 1966 Count Demon and His House Rockers played the 3rd Ward Club in Bloomington, Illinois. Later that year he was back in Indiana, performing live with a group billed as the Jazz Members. At times they were promoted as Count Demon and His Four Members.

The next year he released a single on Star Record and Recording Company (206 1/2 North First Street, Champaign) under that moniker:

Count Demon & His Four Members - "I Got To Work With It" / "C.C. Rider"

  

The single was recorded at RoFran Enterprises in Urbana, Illinois on March 6, 1967.   It was produced by George Tinsley.  The band included Count Demon (vocal & drums), High Priest (Hammond organ), Chuck Fields (tenor sax), LaMonte Parsons (guitar), Freddie Davis (drums, tambourine) and Victor Maguire (bongos). 

The group performed regularly in Indianapolis, Lafayette and Kokomo, Indiana throughout 1967.  They also spent a few weeks at Sasto's in Des Moines, Iowa and Allen's Showcase in Omaha, Nebraska that same year.  

In the late 1960's and early 70's, Count Demon stayed closer to home, playing and singing around Champaign with the Tony Zamora Ensemble.   Pictured below: LaMonte Parsons, Count Demon, Cecil Bridgewater, Dee Dee Garrett (Bridgewater), Tony Zamora and Milton Knox. (Date unknown)

In 1968, Count Demon, along with Cecil Bridgewater and LaMonte Parsons, filmed a performance for WILL-TV in Urbana-Champaign.  "Justice: Color Blind...or Just Blind?" was used in a 1969 documentary series entitled African-American Life in Central Illinois:

In a 1977 Daily Illini article about black jazz musicians in Champaign, several people commented on Count Demon's life and legacy. "Count Demon was one of the 'connecting links.' He stayed a long time, he played a lot of places, he gave jazz a continuity in the black community. " George Pope Jr. remembers his as "a helluva sing and entertainer. He wasn't a song and dance man, but he sang real good jazz, very similar to Mose Allison."

Richard Davis, described as one of the Count's best friends, remembers him as being "tall and thin. He could eat a lot but he'd never eat right. He led that musician's life. He didn't drink that much, he didn't use drugs or anything. He just didn't need those crutches."

Regarding his place in the community, Davis adds, "He used to operate a record store across the street from Tommy's Barber Shop (at First and Church Streets in Champaign). A lot of people used to confide in Count Demon. He was not only a musician, he was also a teacher. At the same time he was helping you learn about music, he could also help you learn about all that stuff out there (in the world), because he'd been there. Lot of people that set up shop in that record store turn out to be very involved in the civil rights movements of the '60s."

Candy Foster, a Champaign-area soul and blues legend that is still active today at age 89, regards Count Demon as a mentor. In a 2015 interview, Foster said this about Demon:

"He did a whole lot for me, took me under his wing as a young man, 19, 20, and...and showed me the ropes, ‘cause he was an entertainer, he get up there and he’d sing, and dance, and do everything, people were crazy about him. And he did novelties, songs. And all kind of things to keep people laughing, and when he danced, he had long legs, well he goin’ down, had a Mexican sombrero (laughter), he was a great hit, and – and, so, he just – he just knew how to entertain."

Earlier this year Illinois Public Media produced the documentary, Candy Foster: A Musical Witness.  At the 15:30 mark, Foster and others talk directly about the life and legacy of Count Demon.

The Vanguards (Mendota)

The Vanguards were five teenagers from Mendota, Illinois: Tony Martin, vocals; Jack Wagner, lead guitar; Jim Larkin, rhythm guitar; Benny Sutton, bass guitar; and Gary Fitzgerald, drums.  All were students at Mendota High School.

The combo formed in 1964 and got their start playing at the local youth center, the Mendota Kanteen.  

By 1966, the group was performing throughout the northern half of Illinois, including gigs in DeKalb, Dixon, Princeton, Ottawa, Streator and even Chicago.   

In early 1966 the group travelled to the Universal Recording Studio in Chicago for a recording session.  The end result was a single which the band self-released in the summer of that year.

The 45 included "What's Wrong With You," an original written by Martin and Fitzgerald, along with a cover of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" on the flip side.  (The audio in the YouTube videos below was transferred directly from the master tapes not from a record.)

 

The band also made several other recordings which were never released at the time.  They included covers of "Bulldog," "Hi-Heel Sneakers" and "Kansas City,' as well as two originals:

"Cool Richie" & "Peachtree"

  

Informal live recordings done at the Mendota Kanteen in 1966 show the band doing a number of Rolling Stones' covers (Paint It Black, Satisfaction, As Tears Go By, Get Off My Cloud & The Last Time) as well as songs by as the Kinks, the Turtles and the Animals.   Their sets included a number of Ventures-inspired instrumentals as well, such as “Pipeline,” “Diamond Head,” "Walk Don't Run" and “Perfidia.”

The group continued to perform through the summer of 1967 including gigs in nearby Compton and Amboy.  By 1968 however the members had all graduated high school and went their separate ways (i.e. Vietnam), bringing an end to the band.

Fast forward to 2010, when singer Tony Martin and his wife were involved in a car accident which left him with serious spinal injuries.   A benefit was planned for Martin in January 2011.  The day before the event, all of the members of the Vanguards joined Martin at his bedside.  It was the first time in 43 years they were all together again.

Around the same time, a Vanguards CD was produced and sold to help raise money for Martin.  Incredibly, the band members were still in possession of the master tapes and acetates from their '66 sessions.  The CD included "remastered" versions of the single along with unreleased tracks (see above YouTube videos).

Tony Martin passed away in 2014.  In the 40+ years after the Vanguards he continued to sing, performing with multiple area bands such as the Old News Band, Rum and Chowder and Lonwolf.

Guitarist John "Jack" Wagner continues to write and perform music in Texas to this day.  You can listen and purchase his latest release HERE.   He also writes musical stage plays.  His most recent, Dream Catcher: The Ray Scott Story, is currently being produced by the Mystic Cat Society in Houston.