that originally happened - I was in the band with Carl Perkins, and we went in to Sun Stu- dios ‘56 to record the song after “Blue Suede Shoes,” called “Matchbox.” Jerry Lee Lewis was there because Sam had hired him to play piano. And in the middle of the session, no- body even knew they were coming by - Johnny (Cash) and Elvis (Presley) dropped by. Of course it turned into a jam session. And again, something unusual happened. Jack Clement hit the record button and let the tape roll. He went next door to the Taylor Cafe and got him a sandwich. If Jack hadn’t done that, it would never have happened. Sam did think to call a photographer and he made that one picture, the only one you ever see. We didn’t think nothing of it back then. These days people ask me what it was like being in the studio with all of those big stars at once. And I tell ‘em I wasn’t in the studio with no big stars that night. I didn’t know at the time that a drummer couldn’t be a big star! (Laughs) It was later that they all be- came big stars and it all became history. I tell everybody that at that time, the only thing I was thinking about was getting paid. Sam had
started paying union scale wages, and at the time, scale was $11.00. I was thinking about my $11.00. So years later after they were all legendary stars, a good friend of mine named John Cassette had the idea to do a Broadway play. So he got the guys together that were around the same age as those guys were in 1956. I went up for the opening event. And to answer your question as to what I think about the show. It’s gotten so big that there’s the one in New York, one in Chicago and one in Las Vegas. I go to see the show somewhere a couple of times a month! That’s a long answer to your question, but that play is unreal. I have probably been to 20 of ‘em or more, and I’ll probably go to another one by the middle of next month. I really look forward to it. I wish everybody could see it. And the guys are all so talented. And I always use the same thing I said before - they don’t have any trou- ble finding actors to play John, Carl, Jerry Lee and Elvis. The problem they have is try- ing to find somebody as purty as I was in 1956! (Laughs) •
NOTE: A 60th anniversary celebration of W.S. “Fluke” Holland will take place in Jack- son, Tennessee at the Civic Center on August 16th. The lineup is still in the works, but ac- cording to W.S., Larry Gatlin and Marty Stuart are onboard, as are Earl Ball and some of the band members from the Johnny Cash Show. Make plans now to attend, and watch
www.wsflukeholland.com for up- dates.
Photos courtesy WS Holland Archives.
Special thanks to Ron Haney and to Jack Propps for getting the ball rolling!
12
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62