Teenage Trends

"TRACKING THE TEENAGER"

Growing up with parents that regularly visited their favorite Pub called "WHY NOT" in Phoenix, became a somewhat surprising situation for me to learn to play all types of country music and enjoy the feeling of performing in front friends and strangers both. The bands name which played there on a regular schedule was called "Society Cowboys" I remember picking up that Electric Gibson guitar for the first time and just staring at it, with all of its knobs and buttons. It played so much easier than that Ole acoustic Jumbo Gibson. I can still remember how smooth the strings were, you barley had to press down on them, and WOW what a sound!! Sitting down, laying the guitar across my lap, (turning it backwards for most right handed people) and then started to play a few song with the BAND!! What a feeling. A true rush of excitement and then to have your Voice amplified as I began to sing old time country favorites. Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings. The one lead singer had all this music on sheets on paper with all of the words that were placed in that big white thing in (front of me in this picture.) I was so impressed with the Band sound with drums and lead guitar, and even a Bass player. I always looked forward to going there and trying to copy the stuff that the band would play until late hours of the night. It was truly a learning experience for me at such a young age.

Then my father bought me a guitar from someone at the PUB, I now had my own Electric Guitar, even a Microphone and a "TWIN REVERB " amplifier. I was practicing all of the time. I would set up in the bedroom and practice in front of the dresser that had a big old mirror on it. I would play song after song, trying to duplicate the sound of the band. Somehow it just did not sound the same. I wanted to be a part of a larger group of musicians. I wanted to be good.

STORY-TRUE LIFE EXPERIENCE

I remember one time my Mom and Dad took me to the Tower Plaza Mall to the Milanos Music Store. What a great Trip. All types of Guitars and really cool equipment. They told me they wanted to provide me the opportunity to take guitar lessons. I remember picking out a neat guitar from the rack and then sitting down with my style of playing. The man who was going to teach me asked me, "what I was doing holding it that way". I explained to him that it was the way that I taught myself to play. I began to play this song Wildwood Flower. After I was done, I remember looking at the man, and him telling my both my parents at the same time,,,"I can't teach this boy,,,"he's a freak" From that point on I knew that I was playing the guitar in a different and weird kind of way, but pretty cool as well, and I was on my own..

1971-1975
During these years I was attending East High School in Phoenix. I tried to find every chance I had to play music. There were parties every FRIDAY NIGHT somewhere. This picture was taken during the building of a Homecoming Float work project. This picture was taken by Tony Arme and placed placed in our yearbook. I set up by myself and played while other decorated the float. It was so fun to sing and play. I remember people would shout out songs and I would spin them off just like a Radio,,( if they were COUNTRY SONGS),,,Well almost!!

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Here is a picture that was taken when I was playing at a desert party after a FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL GAME

All my Football Buddies would bring out a generator and start it up so I could play after the game. I can't remember how many times I would just sit on top my AMP and play everyones Favorite songs:
Johnny B Good, Workin Man Blues, Knock 3 Times,Johnny Cash,,,,,,,,,I even played a few songs from the Beach Boys. BEST of all let's not forget about my Idol ELVIS... I loved the way that he sang in his Movies, there was no one like Him and the way that he entertained. I tried to keep up on the popular songs of the time.

2816 EAST GARFIELD STREET
Oh Boy,,,let the good times roll. It is very hard for me to recall the amount of parties we had in this home. From Band Practices to FRIDAY NIGHT POLICE CALLS. This was the place to come for good fun, food, and Laughter. It all happened in about a 900 Square front ROOM. Friends from the High School would come over and partake of all the entertainment that we had to offer. Many people learned how to do the country swing among other types of 2 Step moves and Good Fast Rock and Roll Boggy.
I love the pants in this picture, It was the thing to be wearing, I even had white tip Saddle oxfords that I would wear along with my White 3" belt.
My Mom would get into the Kitchen and start cooking food for everyone, while my Dad would make the Beverage Run. Everyone would come and leave happy and well fed. (we even got on first name basis with most of the Phoenix Police Department Officers list. Many nights after 12:00 p.m. we were told to "turn down the music, or call it a night". I can remember waking up on Saturday Mornings walking out from my bedroom and always finding people sleeping on my floor in the living room. My Dear Sister Stephanie would be cleaninng up the house from the night before. Mom would get up and make us all Breakfast, before I headed off to football practice. It was a interesting time at the Hutzler's House that's for sure.

.....to be continued