February 04, 2006
Gene Crowley and his Rhythm Rascals
The tall tale was a staple of people who used to live on the prairie. Telling whoppers may have been a way to entertain on those dark and cold nights far from the nearest town and well before the invention or popularization of television, VCRs, DVD players, Tivo, and the internet. In any case, I will admit that I have had some doubts about certain dramatic details of some of the stories passed down to me, or which my father has told through this site. And, I did wonder about some of my father's musical adventures and his band, "Crowley's Rhythm Rascals."
Sure enough, though, I have put my hands on an old clipping from a newspaper called The Lemmon Squeezer, which may have been the student newspaper of Lemmon High School, which my Dad, John--then known as Gene--attended in South Dakota. Its October 13, 1939 issue contains the following notice:
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J.C.C.'s To Sponsor Homecoming Dance
As a fitting climax for the Homecoming celebration, students will dance to the symphonic synchronization of the jazzin' jumpin' jives, Gene Crowley and his Rhythm Rascals, tonight at the American Legion Hall.
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The same issue of The Lemmon Squeezer contains another article about a "Cotton Club Cafe" show to be held the very same night by the Lemmon High School juniors and seniors. According to the article, my father also played the drums for that performance.
--Mike Crowley
Sure enough, though, I have put my hands on an old clipping from a newspaper called The Lemmon Squeezer, which may have been the student newspaper of Lemmon High School, which my Dad, John--then known as Gene--attended in South Dakota. Its October 13, 1939 issue contains the following notice:
As a fitting climax for the Homecoming celebration, students will dance to the symphonic synchronization of the jazzin' jumpin' jives, Gene Crowley and his Rhythm Rascals, tonight at the American Legion Hall.
The same issue of The Lemmon Squeezer contains another article about a "Cotton Club Cafe" show to be held the very same night by the Lemmon High School juniors and seniors. According to the article, my father also played the drums for that performance.
--Mike Crowley
Mike Crowley Saturday, February 04, 2006