Billie Joe Becoat (Centralia / Alton)

Like many young men, Billie Joe Becoat wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life.  He studied a variety of subjects in college and worked a number of different jobs before he was 30 but his real passion was songwriting and playing music.  His talent eventually led him to San Francisco in the late 1960's where he recorded two albums for Fantasy Records.  Later in life, after returning to Illinois, he became better known as the inventor of the two-wheel drive bicycle.  His passion for music however never waned.

The son of a minister, Becoat grew up in Centralia, Illinois.  He attended Centralia Township High School and the nearby junior college (now Kaskaskia College).  He later moved to Alton, Illinois where he got married and started a family.  For a time, he worked at McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis as a precision assembler.  There he helped build the Gemini spacecraft as well as fighter planes.  In the early 1960's, he went back to school at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, majoring in zoology and chemistry.  Later, he worked as a biochemist at Ralston-Purina.  Somehow, Becoat still found time to write songs.

While at junior college, Becoat was known as the "madcap poet" on campus.  He wrote lengthy poems "dealing with the supernatural or having a moral lesson," which were printed in the student newspaper.  A few years later, Becoat's mother told the Centralia Sentinel, "Billy Joe was never really interested in anything but writing and singing his songs."  

In 1964, Becoat won a talent competition at the SIU Alton Center singing and playing folk songs.  He performed "All The Pretty Little Horses" and "Ox Driver's Song."  His prize was an expense paid ski trip to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  (He sold the ticket for some much needed cash.)

After SIUE, Becoat studied at the Barnes Hospital School of Cytology.  He graduated in 1967 and was  working in St. Louis as a certified cytologist the next year.  At night and on the weekends, he was performing his songs in the local folk clubs.  According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Becoat "appeared frequently at the old Circle Coffee House in LeClede Town and sang at the Crystal Palace in the Gaslight Square."  Becoat soon moved to California in hopes of finding a bigger audience for his music.

While living in San Francisco, struggling to get noticed, Becoat recorded a demo at Wayne Farlow's studio.  Farlow, who had recorded a young Tom Fogerty many years before, suggested Becoat take the demo tape across the bridge to Fantasy Records.  Before Christmas 1968, Becoat had a recording contract with the label.  

His debut album, Reflections From a Cracked Mirror, was released in May 1969 on Fantasy.  (In the UK, the album was released on Liberty Records).  Becoat sang and played 12-string guitar and harmonica on the album.  It contained ten original songs.  

You can listen to the entire album below:

 

The album received several glowing reviews.  In Billboard, Ed Ochs wrote that Becoat is "a black Dylan, taking over where Dylan leaves off, with his sweet, swaggering blues.  Lyrically and musically, Becoat is the smartest, hippest and most original folk artist specializing in urban and country lore since Lightnin' Hopkins."

The review in the September 1969 issue of Playboy read, "Of the young black singer-writers whose material is based on collective racial experience, Billie Joe Becoat is among the most potent we've heard.  Reflections in a Cracked Mirror (Fantasy) contains ten compositions in a folksy blues-Gospel bag; they are as complex as any songs in the folk-rock library, yet remarkably lucid and pertinent.  Becoat's emotional but controlled voice would be a gas in any context."

The lead track on the album, "Caldonia the Second," was also released as a single.  The b-side was a non-album track, "The Harp Player (From A Goethe Poem)," which Becoat sung partly in German.

In October 1969, Becoat performed at the Berkeley Folk Festival.  Other performers included Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, John Fahey and Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen.  A month later Becoat opened for Creedence Clearwater Revival at a benefit concert held at the Fillmore West.  He had already written the material that would make up his second album.

Let's Talk For Awhile was released in July of 1970 on Fantasy Records (Liberty Records overseas).  Ten songs, all original.  Listen below: 

"Firefly" was released as a single with "You Can Slip, You Can Slide (You Can't Hide)" on the flip side.  The reviews for the second LP were positive though less enthusiastic than before.  On review wrote, "Pleasing, that's about it."  Becoat continued to perform around Berkeley for the next year or more.   His record deal with Fantasy was not extended.  

Becoat returned to Alton by 1972 and soon started working in construction and carpentry.   He continued to write songs however.  In October, he copyrighted two songs, "Don't Spoil A Woman" and "Shang-A-Lang."

By the late 1970's, Becoat was working on new music with his friend Howard Neal, also from Alton.  With Becoat's help, Neal built a small recording studio in the basement of his house in 1978.  Neal also started his own label, Shoestring Records.  One of the first singles on the label was "Disco Fever" with words and melody by Becoat and music by Neal.  The single, along with most of the Shoestring catalog, was compiled by Numero Group in 2024 as part of their Eccentric Soul series.

Becoat and Neal wrote several additional songs together around that same time.  Some of the titles included, "Hobo Girl," "Don't Give Up On Love," "Don't Turn Your Bed To Stone," "(Maybe) Someday We'll Get Together," and "The Show Must Go On."  On some of these songs, Becoat used a pseudonym, Dwayne Z. Norris.  Demos were recorded for several of them but none were released.  Another song written by the pair, "Tell Me Everything You Know," was recorded by Carletta Sue and released on Shoestring.

During the 1980's, Becoat performed music around the Alton area on occasion, often playing bass.  At the time he owned his own business installing windows and doing home repairs.  His life changed completely in 1986 however.  While fixing a broken chain on his son's bike, he got the idea for a new kind of bicycle, one that delivered pedal power to both the front and rear wheels.  The concept turned into an obsession.  Four years and more than $200,000 later, he turned his vision into a reality. 

In 1990, Beacoat received a patent on the two-wheel drive bicycle.  His innovation quickly received national press, including a profile of Becoat in Ebony in 1993.  The cycling world took notice as well.  Some people believed the idea would revolutionize the industry while others saw it as a passing fad at best.  With the help of investors, the majority of which were African American, 2-wheel drive bikes were soon being manufactured.  In fact, over the next few years a handful of different models were produced under various brand names such as BWA (Bikes With Attitude), Legacy, Discovery and McGregor.

Despite having produced more than 5,000 bicycles by 1993, the main company, 2 Bi 2 Inc., lost more than a million dollars in that same period of time.  Becoat was undeterred.  He continued to sell 2-wheel drive conversion kits as well as adapt his idea in new ways.  He designed a front wheel drive scooter and was looking at ways to expand his design to motorbikes.  Becoat self-published a memoir about the whole experience in 1995 called Dream Peddler: The Story Of An Entrepreneur.

Even during this busy period of his life, music was never far from Becoat's mind. In 1993, he told Ebony that he was working on a blues album.  A year later he told the St. Louis American that his Revol Records was promoting talented musicians in the Alton area.

In 2011, Becoat suffered a stroke.  As part of the recovery process, he started playing guitar and bass again.  Around that time, Becoat's nephew recorded a short "day in the life" documentary of him playing music and talking about his life.

 

In 2015-2016, Becoat uploaded several videos of himself to YouTube, playing the blues and telling stories.

 

 

 

Billie Joe Becoat passed away on November 20, 2025.

___

Billie Joe Becoat's brother, George Becoat, was a member of the Semi-Tones featured in our previous post.  Two of their sisters, Mary L. Hayden and Pauline Brooks, were well known gospel musicians in the St. Louis area.

This video of a Becoat family gathering includes audio of Billie Joe singing and playing " I Guess I'll Have To Learn To Fly," a song he first recorded in 1969.  The audio was recorded in 1995.

Ben Cooley, Bill McManners & The Arkansas Travelers (Champaign-Urbana)

The Arkansas Travelers were, oddly enough, not from Arkansas at all.  Instead, the popular Illinois country band originated from the Champaign-Urbana area.

Ben Cooley of Seymour, Illinois was the band's leader and guitar player.   His brother, Ken Cooley, was also in the group along with Bill McManners and Lyle Dillman.  

By 1963, Tommy Morgan had replaced Dillman.  Ron Riddle of Bloomington also joined the group on pedal steel at some point.

In the 1960's the Travelers were regulars on WHOW radio in Clinton as well as Uncle Johnny Barton's "Corn Belt Country Style" television show on WAND-TV in Decatur.   The popular program was broadcast across several stations in the Midwest and lasted for nearly six years.  As a result the group had their own fan club at the time and even released a newsletter, Travelers Trails.

The band performed regularly at festivals, fairs and hillbilly jamborees around the state alongside Barton and other local country and bluegrass groups.  They were often on the bill when stars of the Grand Ole Opry and other country performers came through central Illinois.  

In 1960, the Arkansas Travelers opened up for a 15-year-old Brenda Lee at the Champaign County Fair.  Also performing that weekend was Webb Pierce, Carl Smith, Red Sovine and Stonewall Jackson.

In 1964, the Travelers shared the stage with a young John Hartford at the Le Roy Fall Festival.  Hartford, who had been a DJ at WHOW, would have been well known to the group and country fans in the area, long before "Gentle On My Mind."

In a 1996 article, Ben Cooley mentions that the band in its heyday performed on shows with Loretta Lynn, Tex Ritter, Ray Price, Smiley Burnett, Porter Wagoner and Billy Walker.

In addition to playng live, the Travelers produced more records than nearly any other country act from downstate Illinois in that era.  Between 1958 and 1964 the group recorded and released at least 10 singles on three different labels.  

Their first record, "My Blue Eyed Baby" b/w "The Sun Shines Brighter," was released in 1958 under the name Bill & Ben and the Arkansas Travelers.   It was a Starday Custom pressing (#715) released on their own Traveler Records.  The address on the label was 601 E. University, Champaign, Illinois.

The second 45, released in 1960, was also a Starday Custom pressing (#878) on Traveler Records.  This time they were credited simply as the Arkansas Travelers.  The address given was P.O. Box 61, Seymour, ILL.

 

"You Ask Me" was written by Ben Cooley, while "Just One More" was written by Bill McManners.

Next the Arkansas Travelers recorded at least four singles for Ben Baldwin Jr. and his Benz Record Company in Champaign.   The label produced primarily records for square dancing.

1207  Arkansas Travelers - "Arkansas Mountain Rag" / "Travelers Boogie" 1961

1208  Arkansas Travelers - "Whadausay" (caller: Ben Baldwin Jr.) / "Whadausay (Instr.)" 1961

1211  Arkansas Travelers - "Wooden Heart" (caller: Ben Baldwin Jr.) / "Wooden Heart" (Instr.) 1961

1215  Arkansas Travelers Orchestra - "Loose Goose" / "Randy Lynn Rag" 1962

Between 1961 and 1963, the group also released three 45s on the Nashville label, which essentially consolidated the Starday Custom pressings under a single label name.   The recordings were done at the Starday Studios in Nashville, TN.   It was very likely during one of these trips to Tennessee that the Travelers performed at the Grand Ole Opry as well as Ernest Tubbs Record Shop.

5013  Ben & Bill and the Arkansas Travelers - "My One Mistake" / "Monkey See Monkey Do"  1961

(Some later pressings list the artist as Ben Cooley and the Arkansas Travelers. )  

 

"My One Mistake" was written by Ben Cooley.   "Monkey See Monkey Do" was written by McManners.

For the next few releases, the group dropped "Arkansas" from their name and were simply known as the Travelers, at least on record.

5110  The Travelers - "Make Believe World" / "Lips That Do The Talking"  1963

"Make Believe World" was written by Ben Cooley and Tom Morgan, with vocals by Cooley.   "Lips That Do The Talking" was written and sung by Bill McManners.

5154  The Travelers - "Most Of The Time" / "Passions Over Conscience"  1963

 

Ben Cooley handled the vocals for both sides and wrote "Passion."  McManners penned "Most Of The Time.

The group's last known release was in 1964 on the Midwest Record Company out of Champaign.  Other central Illinois artists on the label included Marvin Lee (Flessner) from St. Joseph, Junior Garner from Decatur and Jack Reno who was a radio personality that worked at WHOW at the time.

4004 The Travelers -  "I Even Fooled Myself " / "Keep Your Money (And Save Your Breath)"  1964

 

Both songs were were written by Tom Morgan.   Vocals for "I Even Fooled Myself" by Ben Cooley while Morgan sang "Keep Your Money."

Ben Cooley and the Arkansas Travelers continued to perform live until at least 1975.  However, there is no evidence that the band recorded anything after 1964.

The Arkansas Travelers at WHOW circa 1963:  Bill McManners, Ben Cooley, Ken Cooley, Tom Morgan

Dan Fogelberg - The 1971 RoFran Demos

While attending the University of Illinois, Dan Fogelberg became a popular performer in the Champaign-Urbana area, especially at the Red Herring Coffeehouse.   The Daily Illini once described him as "astounding audiences with his versatility and magnetic stage presence as a folksinger in the David Crosby-Neil Young mold."  

By the summer of 1971 however, it was clear that Dan Fogelberg had outgrown the local folk scene.  He had dropped out of school earlier that year and was starting to perform in Chicago more than Urbana.

As a result, his return to the area in late June of 1971 was already newsworthy.  A Daily Illini article wrote "a regular Red Herring performer until he made it big in Chicago, Fogelberg will return Wednesday at 9 pm for a benefit concert."

A few weeks after the show, while still in town, Fogelberg approached local musician and sound engineer Roger Francisco about using his studio to record some demos.  Dan explained that his manager, Irving Azoff, wanted to take them to California in search of a record deal with a major label.

The RoFran Enterprises Studio would have been well known to Dan at that time.  Some of his earliest studio recordings were done there as part of the Red Herring Folk Festival compilation albums.  This includes early versions of his songs "Looking For A Lady" and "Hickory Grove."

Thanks to an interview conducted with Roger Francisco in 2015 by the Sousa Archives and the Center for American Music, we have a few details about how the 1971 demo session came about.  Here is the story in Francisco's own words:

Dan Fogelberg ‐‐ he was always helpful for other people. He'd come in and play on sessions with other people. And then all of a sudden, one day, “I've gotta have this demo tape for Irv Azoff is taking it out to LA, and I'm gonna do that. I don't have any money to pay it.” “Okay.” “Come on, you can – you know, day at the studio, we’ll hold it for you.” So we spent a day in the studio and he took the album out."

The RoFran Enterprises sessions log book shows the exact recording date to have been July 21, 1971.  What Fogelberg recorded that day however was not preserved in the ledger.

Incredibly, a tape bearing that same date and Dan's name (misspelled as FOGELBURG) has recently surfaced.  The tape contains three songs, all studio recordings, feature Fogelberg with a backing band. 

The names of the other musicians playing on the session are not known at this time.  The song titles, according to a handwritten note inside the box, appear to be: "Another Daydream," "There Is A Reason (Who Has The Time)," and "Little Miss Mindy."

    

Two days after the recording session, the Daily Illini, somewhat prophetically, ran an article about the impending success of some of the area's talent.   "Don't be surprised if you walk into a record store one day and find an album recorded by a former Red Herring regular.  It may soon be a reality."   

The article tells of Mormos and their new album released in France.  Members of the group, many of which were former Red Herring performers, included Jim Cuomo, Elliott Delman, Rick Mansfield and Annie Williams.  Regarding Dan, the article proclaimed that he was "likely to be recording soon under a national record label."

In fact, Fogelberg soon left Champaign and headed to Los Angeles himself where he waited for months while Azoff worked on securing him the right deal.  Fogelberg wrote about this period in his life on the Super Seventies Rock Site:

David Geffen had just formed Asylum, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel had just been signed to Columbia, and Irving was trying to sell me.  

I was a big fan of Joni Mitchell's. She was a big influence on my songwriting. I'd seen that Geffen had set up this label for singer-songwriters, and I said, "What a great idea. This is where I want to be."

At the same time, Clive Davis had heard about me through Irving, and Clive was offering me a singles deal. I said, "No, I want an album deal, or we don't do it."

Geffen's label sounded like a haven for progressive artists, so I showed Irving an article about Geffen in Rolling Stone, and Irving said, "OK, I'll call the guy."

We got David's number and got him on the phone. He said, "I have no idea who you are, or what you're talking about, but if you send me a tape I'll listen." The rest is pretty much history. Irving went to work for David, and they hollered at each other across Sunset Boulevard.

But the ironic thing was, I didn't go with Asylum. It didn't feel exactly right, and Irving was saying, "Look, there are a lot of places to go here." He wanted to play the record companies, and for six months he just made the rounds. Every day I'd be sitting out in the Valley, in this little apartment, eating chili and waiting for a record deal.

Irving would come home and say, "Well, it's A&M, definitely."  I'd say, "Oh, great. When do we start?"  And Irving would say, "We'll talk about it tomorrow." The next day he'd come home and tell me about another record company.

He did this to me for about six months. Finally I said, "I'll believe it when I see it." In the end, we went with Columbia and Clive, but for an album, not just a single. 

Fogelberg returned to Champaign-Urbana briefly in October of 1971 for a concert at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.  He opened for REO Speedwagon and the All Star Frogs at the first ever rock concert held in the Great Hall.

In ads promoting the concert, Dan was bill as being "Back from California."  An article in the Daily Illini mentions that he had been on the West Coast "studying with Neil Young."

A review of the concert in the Daily Illini a few days after the show was however less than impressed with the "new" Dan Fogelberg. 

"Seeing Fogelberg perform used to be an almost mystical experience.  He'd come on stage looking dragged out and sullen, say hardly an audible word during his entire set, giving nothing but his music and the feeling in it.  The cheerful, clean, talkative Dan Fogelberg of Saturday night seemed like a different person altogether, and not necessarily a better one.  The California experience polished him, but it took some of the mystery and appeal away from his stage personality."

The reviewer conceded that "neither his songs nor his playing lost any of their sensitivity or beauty during his stay on the West Coast."

Fogelberg would return to perform one last time at the Red Herring in January of 1972.  That night he shared the stage with Elliott Delman and Annie Williams, both back from Paris.  Like Dan, the two were only in town briefly.  (Recordings of the concert appear to exist and it may have been broadcast live on WPGU.  Later, the three went to the radio station and had a late night in-studio jam session.)

The Daily Illini review of the Red Herring performance was titled, "Fogelberg, Delman Unchanged."  Despite the sentiment, things would never be the same again.  In many ways the concert served as Dan's farewell to his "college years" and to his home state.

Still, Fogelberg shared a new song that night proving he had not forgotten where he came from:  "Three thousand miles east / I may miss the harvest / But I won't miss the feast."  The chorus adds: "It looks like your gonna have to see me again / Illinois, oh, Illinois / Illinois, I'm your boy."

Other Early Fogelberg Recordings

 

 

The Session (Carbondale)

UPDATE:  On April 3, 2025, WSIU removed most of my Session videos from YouTube for broadcast and copyright reasons.  The videos I posted were originally given to my by Bruce Scafe, creator and producer of the show, who specifically asked that I share them.   Thankfully, most of the videos posted here were already available elsewhere.

2nd UPDATE (May 27, 2026):  WSIU assures me that the original master tapes for the Session are safely stored on the Carbondale campus.  They hope to re-air some of the episodes as money and time allows.  In fact, they plan to rebroadcast the complete Billy Joel show during the upcoming pledge drive.

The Session, one of the first nationally televised music programs to feature up-and-coming artists, was filmed and produced by WSIU-TV (Channel 8) in Carbondale, Illinois.  The half-hour show aired weekly on PBS stations across the country between 1971 and 1973.  It featured primarily rock, jazz and folk groups from downstate Illinois as well as the St. Louis area.  On occasion the show presented new artists from around the country, including a young "Piano Man" from New York.

The Session was the brainchild of Bruce Scafe, WSIU's television producer at the time.  Scafe was an Aurora, Illinois native that held a bachelor's degree in music and a master's in radio-television from the University of Illinois.  Before being hired at WSIU in 1970, Scafe played trumpet for two years in Les Elgart's band.  He was also a member of the U of I Jazz Band for several years.  The Session was a natural marriage of Scafe's two main interests, music and television.

Between August 1971 and August 1972, Scafe directed and produced 67 episodes of The Session.  All of the camera and audio crew were students at Southern Illinois University.   Hosts of the show included London Branch, Larry James and David Langdon. 

Initially the program was broadcast in Carbondale and re-shown on public television networks around the Midwest.  By the summer of 1973, PBS selected 17 programs to broadcast nationally.  Before they aired however, Scafe left WSIU for a television job in Texas.

When asked about the show in 1973 for a syndicated article promoting the program, Scafe said, "We only had two cameras available.   It would have looked great if we had three.  I look at the program now and I find a lot that's lacking."  He added, "But we did the best we could and I think we actually pulled off miracles with the equipment we had."  

A year later, Scafe went on to help create another music show for public television in Texas.  That show, now the longest-running music program in television history, was Austin City Limits.  In a recent correspondence with Bruce Scafe, he reflected on his time directing and producing The Session more positively than he did in 1973, saying "Everything I learned about directing music came from that show.  I had to be quick on my feet.  With only 2 cameras I had to make every shot count and be able to anticipate what was next.  I think we accomplished that…making 2 cameras look like 3.”  Scafe added, "I can honestly say there would be no ACL without that experience."

Thanks to Bruce, we can now watch more episodes of The Session than any time in the last 50 years.  He has shared with us several complete episodes which you will find below.  Also, Bruce has shared a treasure trove of photographs taken by Myers Walker, art director at SIUC-TV at the time.  Walker was responsible for the variety of different sets used on The Session.  His photographs provide a unique view of the show and the musicians.   The descriptions below come directly from the PBS press releases and/or newspaper TV listings.

The Session - Performers and Episodes

Brownsville Station  (PBS Ep. 101 / Tape Date: ? /  Air Date: 6/9/73)

You may be able to view the video HERE

Recorded in Carbondale, Illinois in 1972 and aired nationally by PBS in June of 1973.   The band members included:  Tony Driggins (bass), Michael Lutz (vocals, rhythm guitar), Henry Weck (drums) and Cub Koda (lead guitar).  The Session was produced and directed by Bruce Scafe.  The songs performed: 

Mister Robert

Wanted (Dead or Alive)

Rock With The Music

Jonah’s Here To Stay

Country Flavor

   

  

Fanny  (PBS Ep. 102 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 6/16/73)

 Recorded in Carbondale, Illinois sometime in 1972 and aired nationally on PBS in June of 1973. 0:00 Knock On My Door 5:37 Hey Bulldog 9:48 Ain't That Peculiar 14:14 The First Time 18:47 Borrowed Time 22:31 Charity Ball Below is the original PBS press release:

Fanny, an all-girl rock band who write, sing and play today's music will perform on "The Session," a new summer series of rock and jazz programs produced by public television station WSIU, Carbondale, Illinois. With four albums to their credit, Fanny has toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe where they are well-known. A hit single, "Charity Ball," put the group at the top of the charts. Of the group, two Manilla born sisters, Jean and June Millington play bass and guitar respectively, with Nicoel Barclay on organ and piano and Alice deBuhr on drums. Nicoel (Nickey) does most of the song-writing for the group. For "The Session" the group does several numbers from their third album, "Fanny Hill," including "Knock on My Door," "Hey, Bulldog," "First Time," "Ain't that Peculiar" and the aforementioned hit, "Charity Ball."

"The Session" is a production of WSIU, Carbondale, Illinois. Dave Langdon is host, produced and directed by Bruce Scafe. The program is transmitted nationally by PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service.

 

    

Fanny, an all-girl rock band who write, sing and play today's music will perform on "The Session," a new summer series of rock and jazz programs produced by public television station WSIU, Carbondale, Illinois. With four albums to their credit, Fanny has toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe where they are well-known. A hit single, "Charity Ball," put the group at the top of the charts. Of the group, two Manilla born sisters, Jean and June Millington play bass and guitar respectively, with Nicoel [sic] Barclay on organ and piano and Alice deBuhr on drums. Nicoel (Nickey) does most of the song-writing for the group. For "The Session" the group does several numbers from their third album, "Fanny Hill," including "Knock on My Door," "Hey, Bulldog," "First Time," "Ain't that Peculiar" and the aforementioned hit, "Charity Ball."

John Hicks Quartet  (PBS Ep. 103 / Tape Date: ? /  Air Date: 6/23/73)

Besides being an excellent jazz pianist, John Hicks does a great deal of composing and arranging. He is joined by Julius Hemphill on alto sax and flute, Gerald Brantley on bass, Phillip Wilson on drums, and Marcella Hooks, vocalist.

Mike Murphy and the One-Eyed Jacks  (PBS Ep. 104  Tape Date: ?  Air Date: 6/30/73

    

Mike Murphy and the One Eyed Jacks, a rock group with a good measure of rhythm and blues in their act, will be featured on The Session. Group leader Mike Murphy does all of the song writing for the One Eyed Jacks and plays a total of 13 insturments, including calliope, accordion, French horn and of course guitar. Through the years Murphy has played with such rock superstars as Janis Joplin, the Jefferson Airplane, Blood, Sweat & Tears and many others. Other players in the group are: Van Gray, congas; Terry Murphy, organ; Bruce Hall, bass; and Greg Sagesser, drums. For The Session, Mike Murphy and the One Eyed Jacks perform "You Don't Seem to Realize," Untitled," "You've Got Your Nerve," "La La Song," all Mike Murphy tunes and Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love."

Don Crawford  (PBS Ep. 105  Tape Date: 3/22/72  Air Date: 7/7/73)

Folk-rock singer Don Crawford will appear on "The Session," the PBS series of popular music. Crawford, a native of San Francisco is known as a singer of folk songs, rhythm and blues oriented music and is also an actor, monologist and composer. A professional performer since the age of 14, he is adept at six and twelve string guitar and is an accomplished jazz bassist. Among others, he has performed with musicians John Handy, Paul Horn and Gerald Wilson. For "The Session," Crawford performs "I I See You Inside My Mirror," "The Colorado Sweet / Suite," "Gonna Buy You A Music Box," "Lady Anne," "4th Of July Party Song," "For All The Ladies," and "All Because Of You."

Burton & Cunico  (PBS Ep. 106 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 7/14/73)

Ray Burton and Gino Cunico, a folk-rock duo from Sydney, Australia, on WSIU-TV's The Session. The program was taped in 1972 in Carbondale, Illinois and aired nationally in July of 1973. Hosted by Larry James, the Session was produced and directed by Bruce Scafe. The songs performed: Gypsy Lady How In Love Am I? Astral Plane Ride Grandfathers (I Live In A) World Of Fantasy Dream For A Love Run For Your Life

Jake Jones  (PBS Ep. 107 / Tape Date: 5/3/72 / Air Date: 7/21/73)

"a rock band whose instruments include a mellotron"

Recorded May 3, 1972 in Carbondale, Illinois and aired nationally on PBS in July of 1973.  The band included Chuck Sabatino (bass, vocals), Joe Marshall (guitar), Phil Jost (keyboards, mellotron) and Don "Barney" Biver (drums).   The Session was directed and produced by Bruce Scafe.  Some of the songs performed:

The Boat Song
Kiss of Death
Why Do I Cry
Speak To Me Lady
Don't Let Lost Time Bring You Down

Gerry Grossman  (PBS Ep. 108 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 7/28/73)

Gerry Grossman, a singer-guitarist-comic from Chicago, will perform on The Session. Twelve years of guitar experience, plus an extensive knowledge of rock n' roll all the way back to the Big Bopper, provide Grossman with an impressive repertoire. He is continually called upon to defend his claim that he can perform ninety-five percent of all pop songs recorded since 1955. Comedy figures prominently in Grossman's act as well. During a performance he parodies the subjects that are amusingly close to us all - pop music, television, social customs and adolescence. Grossman has appeared at many clubs in the Midwest and has performed on college campuses across the country. For The Session Grossman sings "Rock n' Roll Medley," "When She Smiled," "I Found You," "Watching the World Go By" and "Christy."

Dub Crouch, Norman Ford, and the Bluegrass Rounders  (PBS Ep. 109 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 8/4/73)

Dub Crouch, Norman Ford and the Bluegrass Rounders, a veteran bluegrass group from St. Louis will provide a rousing program of entertainment on The Session. The group has been together for sixteen years, and in 1971, were the winners of both the National and International Bluegrass Band Festival, held in Oklahoma. Along with Dub Crouch, who plays the 5 string banjo, and Norman Ford, who plays the flattop guitar, are Stan Wagganer, mandolin, Bob Wagganer, fiddle and Jesse Sanson, bass fiddle. For their appearance on The Session, the group performs "Panhandle Country," "Midnight Train," "Just A Used-To-Be To You," "Doin' My Time," "Roll On Buddy, Roll On," "Rawhide," "Live and Let Live" and "Ozark Breakdown."

St. Louis Ragtimers  (PBS Ep. 110 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 8/11/73)

St. Louis Jazz Quartet  (PBS Ep. 112 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 9/8/73)

Formed four years ago, the Quartet has made several appearances with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and has performed more than 200 concerts for the St. Louis Chapter of Young Audiences, Inc., in addition to numerous special concerts on college campuses throughout the Midwest.  Jeanne Trevor is the vocalist for the quartet.  Other members are David Schrage, pianist, Terrence Kippenberger, bass, and Charles Payne, drums.  Their program on THE SESSION will include “I Got Love,” “Green Dolphin Street,” “A House Is Not A Home,” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Mike Murphy and the One Eyed Jacks, a rock group with a good measure of rhythm and blues in their act, will be featured on The Session. Group leader Mike Murphy does all of the song writing for the One Eyed Jacks and plays a total of 13 insturments, including calliope, accordion, French horn and of course guitar. Through the years Murphy has played with such rock superstars as Janis Joplin, the Jefferson Airplane, Blood, Sweat & Tears and many others. Other players in the group are: Van Gray, congas; Terry Murphy, organ; Bruce Hall, bass; and Greg Sagesser, drums.

The Ship  (PBS Ep. 113 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 9/15/73)

An unusual folk-rock opera called "The Ship" embarks on a "a voyage through the human emotional range." Authors Steve Melshenker and Steve Cowan - who also perform on the program - describe "The Ship" as a "a contemporary folk music journey, a journey of the mind." Their opera uses a voyage metaphor to involve the listener in "an exploration and penetration of the senses." Segments of the opera are entitled "The Storm," "The Calm," "Lost," and "The Island." Performing "The Ship," which will soon be released by Elektra Records, are Todd Bradshaw, electric bass; Steve Reinwand, guitar, dobro, harmonica and vocals; Mark Hamby, piano, flute and vocals; and composers Melskenker and Cowan, guitar and vocals.

Ron Elliston Trio  (PBS Ep. 114 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 9/22/73)

The Ron Elliston Trio - all members of the University of Illinois Jazz Band - are Fred Atwood, bass; Chuck Braugham, drums; and Elliston, piano. Braugham won the "Best Big Band Drummer Award" at the Mobile (Alabama) Jazz Festival in 1969, and the same year was named "Best Drummer" at the Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival. Bassist Fred Atwood has appeared with Phineas Newborn, Jr. and toured with the Maynard Ferguson Band. Elliston appeared with Dick Schory at Carnegie Hall and worked with the Al Cohn - Zoot Sims Quintet. Their program will include "Skating in Central Park" by John Lewis; a medley of Miles Davis' "All Blues," Bach's Prelude in E Minor and "Django" by John Lewis; and "Minha Saudade.

Coal Kitchen  (PBS Ep. 115 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 9/29/73)

   

Band members: Carla Peyton, vocals; Kevin Cox, flute and congas; Harry Washburn, guitar; Bob Pina, keyboards; Andre Mossotti, bass; and Billy McMullin, drums

Oliver Lake and BAG (Black Artists' Group)  (PBS Ep. 116 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 10/6/73)

Illinois Quartet  (PBS Ep. 117 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 11/9/73)

Modern variations on a classical form - the string quartet - are offered by the Illinois Quartet, as they perform two compositions.

There were roughly 50 additional episodes of the Session that aired in Carbondale and around the Midwest in 1971-1972 that were not selected by PBS.   This includes some of the earliest known footage of the "Piano Man."

Billy Joel & Friends  (Tape Date: 2/10/72)

  

 

Billy Joel would just as soon chuck the whole music business, buy a boat and spend the rest of his life fishing. But now that he's in music, he writes all of his own music and displays unusual versatility and range of expression on both his vocals and the piano. Backin up Billy Joel are Al Hurtz on guitar, Larry Impelletiere on bass and Rhys Clark on drums. Numbers include "Travelling Prayer," "Everybody Loves You Now," "Captain Jack" and "Tomorrow is Today."

Listen to a podcast about the Billy Joel & Friends episode which includes an interview with Bruce Scafe:

Radio Will · Billy Joel Carbondale 1972

The Session also featured a number of groups from the Champaign-Urbana rock, folk and jazz scenes:

REO Speedwagon  (Tape Date: 10/13/71)

You may be able to view the video HERE

Head East (Tape Date: 11/12/71)

    "who make use of their Moog-Synthesizer"

Finchley Boys

    "a rock group perform with an electric violin"

Sunday

    "group combines hard rock and jazz music"

  

All Star Frogs

Rocky Maffit

    "Rocky Maffit is a composer-lyricist-singer-guitarist. His music is on the quiet side, but not without a distinctively underlying rhythm and an interesting and unusual blend of voice and guitar. The numbers he performs include 'Gasoline Rainbows,' 'On the Boulevard' and 'Only Suckers Worry'"

James Barton & Friends

    "sing his original folk songs"

Ron Bridgewater Quartet

    "perform 'Naima' and 'Arman,' characterizes its music as the black man's experience through jazz"

Many of the other performers featured on The Session were from southern Illinois or the St. Louis area.

Magna Crunch

    "a six man rock band that blends rock and jazz with choreography and unique musical instruments"

    "a St. Louis rock band plays a program of entirely original music incorporating a wide range of styles from ragtime to an Old English Round"

   

David Earl

     "composer-singer peforms his own work.  Puts his poetry to music"

   

Bob Rembke

    "folk-rock guitarist and comedian presents his own works and some by Bob Dylan"

   

Dalphene McAdory

    "sings in a small nightclub atmosphere"

   

Oldfield, Branch & Company
    "The jazz trio performs four original compositions, plus Simon and Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Waters'"

   

Fee

     

  

The Singing Sphinx & The Souvenir Sounds

     "The Carbondale, Ill. chapter of the Sweet Adelines of America, who call themselves the Singing Sphinx, combine with their barbershop brothers from Herrin, the Souvenir Sounds, to bring an evening of barbershop harmony."

   

Ed Jenny
    "sings excerpts from his three rock operas"

Spoonriver Band
     "'Funky rock 'n' roll plus a little touch of soul' is one way of characterizing the music of The Spoonriver Band from St. Louis. The varied backgrounds of several of its members presents a tasteful blend of styles"

Frank Bellino 

    "plays the viola d'amore"

Gand Family Singers (Tape Date: 4/12/72)

    "Bob Gand and his daughter Gale and son Gary are joined by Joan Berstein in a  performance of traditional American folk songs"

The Group

    "a small jazz trio"

Rich Crandall Trio
    "a contemporary jazz-rock group"

Stanton, Sullivan & Riley
    "freedom and intense involvement are the cornerstone of this group, a folk trio from Carbondale, Illinois"

Corey Jones
    "guitarist plays folk-rock and bluegrass"

Kay Pace & The Inspirational Wonders 
   "gospel singers from Freewill Baptist Church, Carbondale"

Olive Brown
    "blues singer"

SIU Baroque Ensemble 

    "performs Bach, Handel"

The Riverfront Ragtimers

    "features Jean Kittrel on piano, Don Frantz on banjo and Don Summers on tuba"

London Branch Quartet 

Don Brown & The Ozark Mountain Trio

The Country Sounds

Diamond Rio

Equinox

Vince Huffman Quartet

The Jazz Progression

SIU Faculty Brass Quintet

The Session - Behind The Scenes

   

   

    

      

   

     

The original story was posted in July 2023.  Special thanks to Bruce Scafe for generously sharing videos, photos and documents from The Session.