"Best Damn Blues Band In The World"

by Doug Carter

In the early sixties, the Hamilton area had a small number of rock and roll bands, one of which, The Barons, was from the Mountain and played only instrumentals. The original Barons were Ronnie Copple, Andy Torkelson and Steve Caskenette, guitars, and Richie Hodgson, drums. In 1963, Richard, much to the amazement of all his friends, announced that he had joined this band that practised at the fish & chip store at East 13th & Brucedale, and that they would be playing at the White Grill, a restaurant hangout just north of King Street on the west side of James Street North.
Of course we all went down, it sounded pretty good, but they needed a bass player, and Richard suggested trying out his friend Doug Carter who played bass and knew the music. I tried out for the band and it was a match. The Barons now had a vocalist and a bassist. Rehearsing several times a week, month after month, we soon began playing more and more blues and picking up gigs at the local weekend dances. With the new lineup and blues music, The Barons became The Chessmen featuring 'Son Richard' and soon added pianist-manager Paul Cronkwright. Later that year the Chessmen's lineup changed as Steve left to go on the road to play lead guitar with a six- night-a-week bar band and was replaced by Rick Golka, and Ritchie left for domestic reasons and Babe Myles came in on drums. The mandate we gave ourselves was to become the "best damn blues band in the world."

The Chessmen played at small local dances held in various venues throughout the Hammer, and of course at parties, and then in the fall of 1963 we got a gig at the Sportsmen Bowling Alley & Lounge, our biggest gig to date . a bowling alley with the lanes temporarily covered by boards and a big stage back where the pins were usually set up, and it came with an acoustic piano, bonus, Paul could join us on keyboards. It was the hottest place downtown in the mid-60s on a Sunday night . they came from all over the city to be seen and to dance to their favourite bands, some from as far away as Toronto. and on the side of the escarpment no less . out in the parking lot you could look down on the bright lights of the city back when King & James was the centre of the universe around here.
The night came, the dance floor was packed with expectant kids ready to dance but who is this Son Richard & the Chessmen band, first timers from the Hamilton Mountain? Were we gonna cut it with the cats? . can we make these people dance? . Rich said don't worry about it guys, "everything is gonna be all right" and off we went into our signature leadoff song, Little Walter's Juke.

For more tales from a life playin' the Blues in & out of Hamilton, check out 'Cool Fool: Blues Rockin' in the Hammer' at dougcarter.typepad.com

You can also find reviews of roots & blues music & bands at my Beyond Borders page on the Jamilton.ca home page.