Marquette yields vintage albums

One of the earliest long-playing record albums to come from
the Upper Peninsula was issued by Hoot Roberts on Choco Records.

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Marquette County acts were among the Upper Peninsula artists producing long-play albums when that format was popular.

Still, northern Michigan musicians released few 12-inch records because they were expensive and usually reserved for big-name stars.

The regional discs, which included rock, country, folk and Christian titles, appeared from the mid-1960s until vinyl disappeared 20 years later.

One of the earliest album releases with a connection to the U. P. is "Invitation to the Blues" by country & western singer Hoot Roberts.

The 12-track LP was issued on Marquette's Choco Records label.

A Navy veteran born in Montgomery, Alabama, Roberts toured with Johnny Horton, who recorded "The Battle of New Orleans," "Sink the Bismarck" and "North to Alaska."


JOHNNY HORTON

After Horton was killed in a car crash on Nov. 5, 1960, Roberts started his own group.

During a gig, perhaps at the Cackle Club, Milwaukee's "Home of Western Music," Roberts met Gene Norell, a disc jockey based in Wausau, Wis.

Roberts followed Norell to Wausau where he soon had his own radio program on WHVF, a daily television show and record label.


MARVIN RAINWATER

The singer was also friends with country star Marvin Rainwater who composed two songs for Roberts' album, "The King Has Fallen" and "Now and Then."

Little is known about short-lived Choco Records, which had a mailing address in rural Marquette County, but Roberts died a few years after his album was released.

Marquette resident "Tiny" Cochart, meanwhile, issued two long-playing record albums. A giant of a man at 6-foot-three inches and 250 pounds, he is also known as Tiny C. Hart.

Cochart was born in Wisconsin and started driving semi-trailer trucks coast-to-coast at age 18, but his real ambition was to sing country & western music.

After nine years on the road, Cochart took time off to start his own group in California, but returned to trucking.

When his rig broke down in LaCrosse, Wis. Cochart saw his fate and decided to give music another try.

Later, he organized country & western band The Tiny Cochart Night Riders in Marquette, playing nightclubs around the country for years.

He recorded five singles for Coulee Recording Corp. in LaCrosse. With the addition of "Double Life" and "One More Drink," both Cochart compositions, Coulee issued an album called "The Best of Tiny."


TEX RITTER

Cochart recorded in Nashville and "played and sang with Tex Ritter, Waylon Jennings, Merle Travis, Ernest Ashworth, Johnny Cash, Tommy Cash and Dottie West," according to Robert C. Gehl, who wrote the liner notes to the album.

Big "Tiny" recorded another batch of tunes for a self-titled album on the Studio One label. The collection contains another original, "Let Me Live Again," and covers of tunes by Willie Nelson, Bill Anderson, Marty Robbins, Tom T. Hall and others.

Fellow Marquette County resident Lane Dawson, on the other hand, released several Christian albums on the Shalom label.

A long-time Ishpeming resident, Dawson recorded the collections at Oak Valley Sound in Nashville.

Known around the U. P. as the "singing bus driver," Dawson released a handful of country singles in his younger days and worked as a radio engineer and announcer.

Dawson composed many of the songs on his albums and covered "The Rose," written by Amanda McBroom and recorded by Bette Midler, on his album "Love Letters."

Another Ishpeming resident, Mark Mitchell, issued his first album in 1983 and released a follow-up two years later.

"The Tree's Fell," Mitchell's debut, contains the theme song to the WLUC-TV6 outdoors program "Discovering" with Buck LeVasseur, and eight other songs.

Mitchell wrote all the tracks which were recorded at Studio 8 in Ishpeming.

"Unsung Songs," recorded at the same studio, appeared in 1985. Containing nine originals, the album was mastered and pressed at Queen City Albums in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Mitchell's folk songs usually refer to historical events in the north country, making them especially interesting to many U. P. residents.

Both albums were issued by Ishpeming's White Pine Records.

Kris Erik Stevens, a graduate of Ishpeming High School and later a successful disc jockey on powerful Chicago radio stations WLS and WCFL, also cut his own album.

Titled "Feelings," the disc was released by General Record Corp. in 1973.

The 11-track album was recorded at Melody Recording Studio in Atlanta and Universal Recording Studios in Chicago.


IDES OF MARCH

Jim Peterik, leader of the Ides of March rock group from Chicago, was involved with the project, writing opening number, "Mother Nature, I'm Coming Home" with Stevens.

Peterik, who wrote the 1970 hit "Vehicle," contributed four additional compositions to the album, and later co-founded Survivor.

Andy Kim, famous for "Baby, I Love You" and "Rock Me Gently" wrote liner notes for Stevens' album.

The record was produced by Stevens and Wendell I. Parker.

About the same time, two albums were released with connections to Northern Michigan University in Marquette.

"The Fantastics" featured a group of NMU students, who recorded material and toured under the direction of faculty member Tim Lautzenheiser.

Their album contained the aforementioned "Vehicle," "California Dreamin'," by the Mamas & Papas, a Carole King medley and other tracks.

Presented as entertainment ambassadors of the university, the students traveled to Fred Carter Recording Studios in Goodlettsville, Tenn. to tape the album which was released on the Nugget imprint.

Northern students Bill Van Effen, Keith Polkinghorne and Larry Henry, who comprised the Wayfarers, also issued their own LP.

The album, which contains a number of early rock classics, "Make Me Smile" and "Colour My World" from Chicago, and other selections, was called "The Wayfarers...Live."

After attempts at live recording failed due to background noise, the disc was recorded in the school's band room.

Appearing on the Recorded Publications Co. label in Camden, N. J., the album was released in 1974.

Hard to find today, these varied albums are now artifacts of the era before the compact disc and Internet came to dominate music.

Callahan caps Rockin' the Bay

Singer Deb Callahan closed the
2nd annual Rockin' the Bay Music Festival
in Gladstone on Saturday with an
attention-grabbing set of blues originals
and cover songs.

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Blues singer Deb Callahan made an auspicious debut in the Upper Peninsula last weekend.

The Philadelphia-based musician delivered a captivating 100-minute performance as headliner for the 2nd annual Rockin' the Bay music festival in Gladstone.

Callahan led her crack band through a blues set with plenty of soul and a touch of rock 'n' roll to cap-off a day of music presented by the Gladstone Yacht Club.

Also appearing at the June 19 event were Deaf Man's Radio, an ensemble of four northern Minnesota musicians; and the Honky Tonk Twisters from Hortonville, WI.

Earlier in the day, music fans heard sets by local acts Scotch and Soda, Grassfire, Travis and the St. Lou's, Bad Dog, the Lark Brothers Band and Jeff Krebs & John D. Beck.

With three well-received compact discs to her credit, Callahan is a rising star on the national blues scene. She has captivated audiences at a growing number of blues festivals while her CDs have been critically acclaimed in the music media.

Announcing that she was on her first trip to the U. P., Callahan launched her set with "Hallelujah, I Love Him So." The song Ray Charles wrote and recorded in 1955 as "Hallelujah, I Love Her So" was the first of three
tracks by the Georgia musical genius in Callahan's program.

Callahan saluted the late Texas bluesman and guitar-slinger Albert Collins with "If You Love Me Like You Say," before delving into three tracks from her "Grace & Grit" CD, released in 2008.

"Food on the Table," "Get It Right" and "Obstacle to Love" ably demonstrated Callhan's abilities as both a songwriter and singer.

She tapped a tambourine on her thigh as the audience got into the groove.

Callahan introduced "Coffee Grind," a stand-out number from her first CD, "If the Blues Had Wings," issued in 2002. The song, which she wrote with Randy Lippincott, recalls early blues by the likes of Billy Holiday and Bessie Smith, two of Callahan's biggest influences.

"What'd I Say," the first Top Ten pop hit for Ray Charles, slotted next.

"Tell your mama, tell your pa. I'm gonna send you back to Arkansas," Callahan shouted, firing up the crowd.

Next Callahan performed "Blue Pearl Moon" and "Credit Card Blues" two originals from her second CD, "The Blue Pearl," released in 2005.

The audience clapped along as Callahan sang the chorus: "I've got the credit card blues, it's the American way." Both songs were composed by Callahan and Chris Arms.

Callahan paid tribute to bluesman Fenton Robinson with "Somebody Loan Me a Dime," which she explained was about the era before cellphones.

Guitarist Allen James added some impressive fretwork to the song.

Rock fans may remember Boz Scaggs' lengthy version of the tune from his 1969 debut album which included Duane Allman on dobro and slide guitar.

Next on the bill came Callahan's observations on relationships with "Romance Over Finance" and "If Your Man Messes Up."

The talented vocalist performed the latter song as an effective duet with bass player Garry Lee. "If your man messes up, can I submit my resume," Lee sang in the chorus to the song which evolved from a comment a street sweeper made to Callahan in the City of Brotherly Love.

Callahan added some powerful rhythm and blues to the setlist with "Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter," written by Alline Bullock, Tina Turner's older sister. The song served as the opening selection of an Ike & Tina Turner compilation album issued in 2002.

Returning to her most recent disc, Callahan sang "Work a Little Harder" and ended her set with "Lovin' Cup" a chestnut from the late Paul Butterfield's songbook.

The audience demanded an encore and Callahan returned to the stage with the insistent "I Don't Need No Doctor." The song, written by Ashford & Simpson, was a hit for Ray Charles and his Orchestra in 1966 and later covered by Humble Pie and New Riders of the Purple Sage.

Callahan's exciting live shows have drawn legitimate comparisons to Bonnie Raitt, Etta James and Aretha Franklin. Of course, Callahan admires those singers as well as contemporaries like Tina Turner, Marvis Staples and Joan Osborne.

Blues Revue Magazine praised Callahan's songwriting and vocal abilities, saying she "possesses an instinctive feel for the blues."

Callahan grew up in a musical environment and joined her first band, a blues rock combo, at age 20. She moved from Boston to Philly in 1990 to study social work, learning about real-life blues firsthand.

She returned to performing five years later with a group called the Blue Root, performing material by blues legends such as Victoria Spivey, Mamie Smith, Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson and Blind Blake.

Bitten by the blues bug, Callahan formed her own band with keyboard player Walter Runge when Blue Root disbanded in 1997.

Today's version of the Deb Callahan Band consists of veteran Philadelphia musicians Allen James (guitar), Garry Lee (bass) and Tom Walling (drums).

As Callahan vacated the stage, music fans trickled away after enjoying 11 hours of top-notch entertainment on the Gladstone waterfront.

In all, nine bands were presented on two stages with proceeds benefiting the Gladstone Youth Wrestling Association.

Attendance was "much better" than last year, according to organizer Craig Johnson.

The well-run 2010 version of Rockin' the Bay should only enhance the reputation of the Gladstone yachting facility, already known as the "friendliest club on the lakes."

Top live LPs taped in Michigan

Bob Seger recorded his legendary "Live Bullet" album
at Cobo Hall in Detroit.

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Several of the greatest live rock 'n' roll albums ever issued were taped in Michigan.

Bob Seger's "Live Bullet," J. Geils Band's "Full House" and "Kick Out The Jams," by the MC5 were influential when they were issued and still stand out today.

All three memorable long-players were committed to vinyl during legendary performances at Detroit-area venues.

The infectious energy created by the performers and audiences jumped off the grooves when those records were played on the radio, at home or at parties.

Released in 1976, "Live Bullet" earned Seger the national recognition that had long been denied him.

Although "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man" reached No. 17 in 1969, Seger's popularity had been largely confined to Michigan and Florida.

He toiled in the rock 'n' roll trenches, playing small venues for a decade and recording a series of outstanding singles and albums largely ignored beyond his home base.

Seger took selections from five of his albums and added the single "Lookin' Back" for the "Live Bullet" setlist.

The 14-track album was recorded at Cobo Hall before 24,000 crazed fans on Sept. 4 & 5, 1975 by Metro Audio.

WWWW-FM radio personality Dan Carlysle was succinct in his introduction: "You are here because you want the real thing. Let's bring on Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet band. Now."

Seger's no-nonsense opening was Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits," which was released as a single from the album.

Seger played many of his own gems including "Travelin' Man," "Beautiful Loser," "Turn the Page," "Heavy Music" and "Katmandu."

Although Seger had a cache of originals, the band performed Van Morrison's "I've Been Working" and paid tribute to Elias McDaniel with the classic "Bo Diddley."

The killer show ended with an extended version of "Let It Rock," written by Chuck Berry under the pseudonym E. Anderson.

Packaged with a photo of Seger shaking his long locks under red and yellow lights, "Live Bullet" reached No. 34 setting the stage for the massive success of the next album, "Night Moves."

If the wild excitement of "Live Bullet" could be topped, "Full House" might be the record to do it.

The live album was recorded on April 21 & 22, 1972 at the Cinderella Ballroom in Detroit, despite the fact J. Geils and his bandmates hailed from Boston.

Like Seger's album, "Full House" was recorded on location by Metro Audio.

The band was firmly rooted in rhythm and blues in 1972 and a decade away from releasing the chart-topping "Centerfold."

"Alright! Are you ready to get down? I said are you ready for some rock 'n' roll? Let's hear it for the J. Geils Band," said the announcer as the sextet launched into "First I Look at the Purse."

Written by Robert Rogers and Smokey Robinson, the song was a minor hit for the Contours in 1966.

Magic Dick's extraordinary harmonica playing dominates the record in a way the instrument was seldom used at that time.

Peter Wolf sings like a maniac and Geils wails on his guitar, the sound nearly out of control.

The setlist includes two tracks written by Juke Joint Jimmy, "Whammer Jammer" and "Cruisin' For a Love."

Wolf and Geils add their own composition, the rocking "Hard Driving Man," while John Lee Hooker's "Serves You Right to Suffer" jams for nearly ten minutes.

The "Full House" album cover pictures a poker hand with three Jacks, a King and Queen. Card players will realize, however, that a full house comprises three of a kind and a pair.

Perhaps the "Full House" refers to the crowded venue, but the Queen is obviously winking.

The cover was conceived and designed by Wolf and drummer Stephen Jo. Bladd.

Released later in 1972, the album charted at No. 54 but quickly gained a lasting reputation as an unbeatable party album.

The Motor City Five, meanwhile, were dead serious with their live LP, "Kick Out the Jams."

The radical group did just that on the debut album, recorded on Oct. 30 & 31, 1968 (Devil's Night and Halloween) at "Uncle" Russ Gibb's Grande Ballroom in Detroit.

Brother J. C. Crawford delivered an inspiring introduction about the impending youth revolution. He ended with "I want to know, are you ready to testify? I give you a testimonial. The MC5!"

With that lead singer Rob Tyner dove into "Ramblin' Rose," the first of eight tracks on the record.

"Right now it's time to kick out the jams," Tyner shouted before launching into the title song, adding a 13-letter expletive.

For the rest of the program, the MC5 performed a number of incendiary originals including "Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa)," "Borderline," and "Starship," a jam which included lyrics from Sun Ra.

Like the J. Geils Band, the MC5 also included a John Lee Hooker song. Written by Al Smith, "Motor City Is Burning" had been recorded by Hooker the previous year and included on his album "Urban Blues."

A psychedelic collage of photos by Joel Brodsky, showing the group in concert, became the album cover.

While the group and manager John Sinclair insisted Elektra Records retain Tyner's vulgarity, the record company wanted it deleted.

Both versions of the album were issued but the controversy turned Elektra against the group.

The censored version of "Kick Out the Jams" was paired with "Motor City Is Burning" for a single which reached a disappointing No. 82 in the spring of 1969.

After giving "Live Bullet," "Full House" and "Kick Out the Jams" a fresh listen, it's evident they retain their luster and remain among the greatest live albums ever released.

Don't take my word for it. Give them a spin yourself.

Cars, oldies define St. Ignace

Little Eva performed "The Loco-Motion" for
fans attending the St. Ignace Car Show in 1995.

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Vintage cars and rock 'n' roll seem to be the perfect combination if you're looking for a trip down memory lane.

That fact was quite evident when my wife Sue and I attended the nationally-known St. Ignace Car Show back in 1995.

We travelled to the eastern Upper Peninsula in our "Little Red Corvette," to borrow the title of Prince's first big hit.

Although the 1980 model had a 350 V-8 engine, it didn't have a compact disc player, so we listened classic radio as the miles sped by.

We arrived in St. Ignace with our friends Bob and Carol Nygaard ready to check out the automobiles we had admired as kids and attend an "oldies" concert in the evening.

Our day was filled with reminisces of cars we owned, or wished we owned, back in the day.

Like lots of other boys, I loved hot rods and bought magazines which featured the speedy machines on the cover.

So, I was quite surprised when we ran across a booth manned by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, an important figure in the hot rod world in the early 1960s

A well-known southern California custom car builder, Roth created the iconic "Rat Fink" character.

You know Rat Fink. He's an insane-looking mouse displaying the letters R F on his t-shirt. With his bloodshot eyes bulging out of his head, Rat Rink is nothing to look at, but he took hot rodders by storm.

Roth inscribed an image of Rat Fink for us, adding the drawing of a fly next to his signature, just like the insects known to buzz around the demented rodent's head.

Rat Fink proved to be wildly popular, inspiring a song by the same name written and performed by novelty singer Allan Sherman.

You may very well recognize the song, too. It's a snappy sing-along with lyrics comprised of just six different words.

The punk rock band Misfits even recorded their own take on a 1979 single which wasn't issued on compact disc until 1995.

Our little group of car enthusiasts may not have been aware of the new version of the "Rat Fink" song that afternoon in St. Ignace, but there were plenty of diversions.

Sue and I drooled over a number of fantastic Corvettes, comparing them to our own.

Seeing some showroom-quality Thunderbirds recalled the days when a I owned a 1962 version of Ford's classic sports car.

After scouting cars all afternoon, we were off to the high school to revisit some great rock 'n' roll.

The memorable bill included Little Eva, Ronnie Dove and the Contours.

We clapped along when Little Eva motivated the crowd with "The Loco-Motion," her chart-topper from the summer of 1962. Born Eva Boyd, the singer was just 16 years old when she recorded the hit while she was working as the babysitter for songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin.

The Contours also brought fans back to 1962 with their hit "Do You Love Me." The Detroit-based R&B group recorded for Gordy Records. "Do You Love Me" was a hit for a second time in 1988 when it was included in the movie "Dirty Dancing," starring Patrick Swayze.

Singer Ronnie Dove performed a number of his tunes, putting the mid-sixties into focus. Perhaps best known for "One Kiss for Old Time's Sake" and "Cry," Dove had nine Top 40 hits in 1965 and 1966.

Hours later we left St. Ignace with smiles on our faces thanks to a terrific car show and the memory-laden music of some rock 'n' roll idols.

The nostalgic feeling we got from the show lasted for years, but some of the details didn't.

So, to refresh my memory, I contacted Ed Reavie of St. Ignace who organized the first show in 1976 and every one since.

He reminded me that in addition to the acts we saw, his car show has hosted an impressive roster of rock 'n' roll legends.

For example, Reavie pointed to early 1960s stars such as Freddy Cannon, Jack Scott, Gary (U. S.) Bonds, Johnny Tillotson, Bobby Vee, Brian Hyland and Bobby Lewis.

Rockers from the mid 1960s appearing at the annual event have included Lou Christie, the Outsiders, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Herman's Hermits and the Reflections.

Acts like like the Crystals, Shirelles and Lesley Gore showed the ladies could command attention too.

Reavie said entertainment has ranged from early rockers Danny and the Juniors to Climax and Gallery, popular in the early 1970s.

In addition, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Michigan native Del Shannon, famous for "Runaway" and many other hits, attended one year, although he did not perform.

Tommy Durden, who co-wrote "Heartbreak Hotel" for Elvis Presley, composed a song especially for the St. Ignace car show entitled "Wheels, Wheels, Wheels," Reavie noted.

Combining his experience running the St. Ignace car show with a life-long love of automobiles and rock 'n' roll has given Reavie a unique perspective which flowers each year into "one of the largest collector-vehicle events in the country."

Just in time for this year's 35th anniversary show, slated for June 25 & 26, Reavie has written a book about his favorite subject, "St. Ignace Car Culture."

Selling for $21.99, the book is aimed primarily at "gearheads," Reavie says

"For teenagers growing up in the 1950s it was all new-cruisin', drive-ins, drag strips, the country's intense love affair with the automobile, and the birth of rock 'n' roll," says a summary of the book released by Arcadia Publishing.

The book is illustrated with hundreds of photographs from Reavie's own collection as well as images from others.

Just flipping through Reavie's tome reminded me of the hours I spent cruisin' Escanaba's downtown, or "bombing the drag" as it used to be called, in a circular route from the A&W Root Beer Stand to WDBC and back.

Turns out teens from all over the country, including small towns in the U. P., were doing the same thing.

Since that first show, St. Ignace has hosted dozens of rock 'n' roll greats, hundreds of well-known automobile personalities and countless thousands of car enthusiasts.

As Reavie is quick to tell you: "All of that and still no traffic light!"

Omo the Hobo cut 150 singles

Well-known as Omo the Hobo, this Delta County native played
under the name Smiley Joe Omohundro when this picture was taken in 1960.

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Delta County's Omo the Hobo issued so many 45 rpm singles during his career that a complete listing is probably not possible.

Even a partial discography of his seven-inch records contains a remarkable 150 entries.

Most singles appeared on his own label, while dozens were issued by Accent Records, based in Hollywood, California.

Consider that each single contained two songs and you begin to see how prolific Omo was as both a composer and recording artist.

Some of Omo's most popular songs were released more than once, often with different flipsides, making an accurate accounting difficult.

You should know Omo was born Wellman W. Omohundro at 8:12 p. m. on Oct. 3, 1917 on the family farm near the historic community of Fayette on the Garden Peninsula.

As Omo was quoted in a brief biography printed on one of his picture sleeves, "he was one of three children that lived."

Not liking the hard labor involved in farm life, he left home at age 18, in the middle of the Great Depression.

He tried all kinds of jobs and discovered he "was no good at any of them."

Consequently, he enlisted as a private in the U. S. Army on April 4, 1941 eight months before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

After the war, Omo became a "strolling troubadour and made his living singing and playing in bars throughout the country."

The sleeve notes claimed Omo "started with nothin' and still got nothin'."

Still, Omo made a living for himself because he had learned to "play the guitar and harmonica and sing a little."

Omo said he wrote songs "for the president on down to the bum" as well as a few about himself.

He recorded as Smiley Joe Omohundro until the mid-1960s, later as Omo the Hobo and occasionally Omo the Lobo.

Looking to appeal to every audience, the Upper Peninsula native wrote and recorded songs which were purposefully sentimental, humorous, ribald or even religious in content.

As Omo was launching his career, he placed a classified ad in the Oct. 30, 1954 issue of Billboard magazine. The advertisement read: "Girl partner wanted- single, white, 25-33, singer to team up and build western act."

Catching a bit of a break, Omo met Scott Seely, artists and repertoire chief for Accent Records. A songwriter and producer, Seely signed Omo to his fledgling label, founded in 1954.

Documentation of the 45s released by Accent is incomplete, but the first record Omo issued may have been "I Don't Drink to Get Drunk"' backed with "Brother, I've Had It."

The top side was attributed to Baby Doll Omohundro, apparently the young lady who responded to his Billboard ad, while the flip was credited to Smiley Joe.

The 45 was assigned catalog number 1076. The same tracks were released as Accent 1080, with each artist performing the other song.

Two more Omo 45s followed in the sequence. Accent 1081 featured "Shut That Gate" and "Do You Cheat on Your Wife?" while the next record comprised "Someone's Just Waiting To Take What I Got" and "They Made a Fool Out of Me." Smiley Joe was credited with all the songs except "Wife" which was performed by Baby Doll.

Accent's most successful act was Buddy Merrill, featured guitarist for the Lawrence Welk Orchestra, who released over two dozen albums for the label.

Omo was quite productive himself. One estimate is that he released a total of 45 seven-inch singles for Accent, located on prestigious Hollywood Boulevard.

When his tenure with Accent ended in 1965, Omo decided to carry on by releasing records on his own Omo the Hobo label.

Issued as catalog number 101 was a pairing of "Keep Smiling" and "Omohundro or Mohundro," a track which dealt with the two versions of Omo's last name.

"Keep Smiling" began another run of records, numbering more than 100, which Omo issued primarily in the 1960s and 70s.

A savvy marketer, Omo included a list of his recordings on picture sleeves distributed with his 45s informing potential customers of his extensive catalog.

I recently acquired one of those sleeves which helped in assembling a discography as well as providing additional insight into his life's work.

Omo had at least some of his 45s pressed at Monarch Records in Los Angeles. Matrix numbers preceded by a small triangle reveal that a single called "Alky-holic Is My Name" was pressed there in Feb. 1966. The record was actually a reissue of his last known Accent sides from the previous year.

Besides singles, Omo recorded enough material to issue a dozen extended play discs (EPs), each containing four to six songs. In his listing, Omo noted another EP with eight songs was lost at Alco Records.

In addition, Omo's catalog was bolstered by a number of full-length long-play albums.

One series started with "Party Record No. 1" and continued for eight volumes. There was also a series of family records.

Omo sold his singles for $2 and albums for $5. He also offered tapes for $7 and calendars or "health books" for $2 each.

Often on the road, Omo received mail at Post Office Box 2002 in South Gate, California.

He supplemented his income from record sales by playing for donations in bars and nightspots around the country, never staying in one spot too long.

He often played an acoustic guitar with "Omo the Hobo" painted at the top and the request "No drinks, tips only," painted below.

Another six-string used early in his career displayed the words "Strolling Troubadour" and "Smiley."

Omo encouraged patrons to buy a record as a souvenir and asked them to request one of his songs on their favorite radio station.

After decades on the move, Omo returned to the Upper Peninsula, living in Escanaba during his later years.

The aging musician kept his massive inventory of records in his basement, his friend Bud Irving told me.

Omo's career fell silent in 1996 when he died at the D. J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans in Marquette.

Irving now owns one of his guitars, while his myriad records have homes far and wide, which seems perfectly appropriate for a traveling musician called Omo the Hobo.

#

Photo album from Fidelity Recording Studios, 1969, courtesy of Randy Hauck.







CLICK HERE
FOR THE OMO THE HOBO DISCOGRAPHY
As compiled by Steve Seymour