Chase Park Stories

Dennis Detweiler · Post by **Dennis Detweiler** » 27 Aug 2002 9:45 am

I saw a post questioning the possibility that all subjects have been covered on the forum. Are there any humorous stories or practical jokes from the days of the Chase Park? I remember a more "loose" atmosphere 25yrs ago

Caution: Careful not to ruffle any feathers.
Dennis
[This message was edited by Dennis Detweiler on 27 August 2002 at 10:46 AM.]

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 27 Aug 2002 3:36 pm

Well...the first time I was there, in '76, I was very impressed...with the lobby. The Chase-Park Plaza was evidently two separate, but adjoining, hotel buildingss that had been "joined" years before.

Anyhow, we got a room on the 12th floor...may have been the "13th", though.

The room was adequate, and all the furnishings were very "old" (antique?), I guess you would say. The whole decor was late art-deco, circa about 1940. (The main ceiling light in the room was a brass square...about 18" on a side, and it had 25 small light bulbs...yep, I counted them...5 rows of 5 bulbs). I kept thinking to myself..."this is the way those fancy hotel rooms looked in those old Cagney, Bogart, and Gable films".

Anyway, we settled in the room and there was this "door" I thought I'd investigate. At first, I thought it was a closet, or a door to an adjacent room---but it hadn't been opened in many years...painted shut, 'ya know.

Well, with a lotta pulling and tugging...I finally got the thing open.

My jaw dropped...almost to the floor!!!

It turned out to be a kitchen! Complete with everything you'd find in a "kitchen" from that era...even some old pots and pans and cereal and oatmeal boxes, table, chairs, old gas stove, fridge, you name it...covered with about a half-inch of dust! Honest to God---it was like someone had closed the door 35 years ago (remember, this was back in '76) and nobody (but me) had ever opened it again!

Weird...to say the least.

Oh yeah, I got some music stories as well (that was a big year...with Chalker, Emmons, Rugg, Myrick, Lloyd, Reece, Jernigan, Red, Wally, Rinehart, Beavers, etc.---no shortage of pickers back then, either!)

I'll save those stories for another time.

Don Olson · Post by **Don Olson** » 27 Aug 2002 4:41 pm

Hey Dennis,I remember one of the last years at the Chase we had eight guys in a two bedroom suite,big time party,fun and top notch music.I don't think I set or sleep the whole weekend.Now I take my wife and I get to set and remember the great music.
Zumsteel Don

Dennis Detweiler · Post by **Dennis Detweiler** » 27 Aug 2002 6:06 pm

Donny...sounds like a Vincent Price movie? Are you sure you didn't accidently drink out of Buddy's LuLu cup?

Don...those were some good late night/early morning events.

Dennis Detweiler · Post by **Dennis Detweiler** » 27 Aug 2002 6:19 pm

One vivid memory for me was on a late saturday afternoon. I was getting on the elevator to go up to my room to replentish my spirits. The elevator door opened on the main floor and a load of conventioners got off. One patron with a glass in hand was VERY slow at navigating a departure from the elevator. He seemed to be looking for the open door and finding the walls of the elevator instead. Before he could get off the waiting conventioners boarded and we all proceeded at stops at each floor. I finally got off and went to my room. I left my room to go back downstairs about 15 minutes later. The door to the elevator opened and there he was (still) trying to get off while everyone was getting on and off at the same time. When we finally got to the main floor, the same guy, with drink in hand, was still bouncing around in the elevator trying to get out in slow motion. After I got off, the door shut and he was on his way up again. I always wondered how long he rode the elevator that evening?
Maybe one of our forumites??
Dennis[This message was edited by Dennis Detweiler on 28 August 2002 at 05:11 AM.]

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 27 Aug 2002 9:06 pm

Donny- I was at the 1976 show and it was in St. Charles , MO.

I was at the 1977 show and it was at the Chase Park.

I went in 77 with Jerry Hendrix, a friend and a very good steel player( he played with Buck Owens in Bakersfield for awhile).

Well, anyway we got in the elevator and there was Buddy Emmons with his derby. We just said "hi" and that was it....al

John Lacey · Post by **John Lacey** » 28 Aug 2002 7:05 am

You got it wrong, Al. I remember it very distinctly as being the Chase in '76. It was my first convention and my wife and I drove down from Thunder Bay with a friend in a camper. We stayed outside of the city in a campground and commuted in every day. I remember talking to Lloyd Green briefly at the desk of the Chase and also hearing Reece play the "Get acquainted" Friday nite show on the rooftop lounge. I remember being astounded by Larry Londin on drums. He captured my attention more than even Reece. I remember seeing Buddy and Jimmy Day staring up at Mike Smith and Paul Franklin doing duets and wondering how they had the balls to play in front of those guys. My wife didn't have a great time there as she got a tic bite and was sick all weekend. Oh yea, we did book a room for one nite and sh e thought she was hallucinating when she saw a huge cockroach. We don't grow them that big in Canada.
John out.

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 28 Aug 2002 7:25 am

I go back to 1939-1945 at the Chase. Us urchins from Granite City Il, would go into the kitchen off the main ball room;one of the guys uncle was a head chef there.We could look out thethe little glass ports and see and listen to the bands, Alvino, Goodman , Harry James, Herb Jeffries with Count Basie or maybe it was Ellington. We had to keep out of the way of the swinging doors that the waiters were always going in and out of. The snooty maiter de{sp} was always looking for a way to kick us out.Alvino was playing an Electraharp and had his straight guitar ona stand which he would walk pver too and play standing up. All of us really enjoyed the vocals by Herb Jeffries.

Lynn Owsley · Post by **Lynn Owsley** » 28 Aug 2002 7:57 am

The Chase Park also has some memories for me...In the mis 70s I had to work the Grand Ole Opry with ET on Fri and Sat. and was not planning to come to St. Louis that year, but Jimmy Day called me and insisted that my wife and I come on up after the Opry and the Midnite Jamboree...we decided to go...Jimmy was having a large time and we wanted to get in on this. After arriving early am and seeing some jam sessions it was time for me to go to bed, Jimmy kept jamming. He gave us a key to his and Cheryl's room and we went to bed...hours later I awakened and found 2 men asleep on the floor by the bed, I stepped on one of them, and what a shock to me, and they both woke up...they were speaking German and neither I nor my wife could do much communicating, this scene looked a lot like a Three Stooges in the haunted house scene...Jimmy was very generous with his one bed room, but had forgot to tell us about the sharing and neither of us knew the other was there...This makes for a good convention... when dealing with a hang over. These Germans became our good friends and are still today...you may know them as Hermann the Germann, of Wisbaden,Germany and Jorgen Koope,of Austin,Tx... Jorgen still operates the Jimmy Day J&M Productions booth down near stage left, go by and say Hello to him, he speaks pretty good english now!!!

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 28 Aug 2002 6:22 pm

John Lacey-Maybe my memory is getting foggy and I might be going nuts. But Ask Scotty.

It was at St.Charles Mo,about 20 miles north of St.Louis, I liked that as I didn't have to drive into the big town.I met Reece there in his suite and Buddy was with him.

My wife and I drove down there. It was some kind of big Motel. It was sure smaller than the following years. He had to move it to the Chase for much more room.

I only attended two years down there, 1976 in St.Charles and 1977 at the Chase Park.

Just to keep my sanity, would someone ask Scotty about 1976 convention. I'd like to know if I completely lost it....al

Kenny Davis · Post by **Kenny Davis** » 28 Aug 2002 8:03 pm

My first time was in 1980. Pretty cool place! I kind of feel bad about something though - I took a picture of this nice young couple, and they gave me an address to send it to them, and I lost it! I also took a picture of this nice young lady with Buddy Emmons, and I lost her address also. I still have the pictures, and I could post them - Maybe someone might recognize them.

John Lacey · Post by **John Lacey** » 29 Aug 2002 12:46 pm

Al, pretty sure I even have the old mag that came with it. Wasn't '77 the year Buddy recorded his live double album?

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 29 Aug 2002 1:46 pm

If I remember correctly the first one was in St Charles and Maurice Anderson was the unintentional star, as some other players literally picked him up, carried him to the stage, and told him to play. Which he did and what a set that was.

Winnie Winston · Post by **Winnie Winston** » 31 Aug 2002 3:19 am

Ah! Memories!
The Chase Park Plaza was an amazing hotel. Actually, it was two hotels, the Chase and the Park Plaza. The Chase, "one of the most expensive hotels of the time," was built in 1922. The story is told that shortly after its opening a businessman tried checking in to the Chase. He was turned away because he was Jewish. In 1929 he returned, built a grand 29 story hotel right next door to the 11 story Chase, drove it out of business, and bought it out. The two hotels were joined by a series of internal passages. The Chase was showing its age. The Park Plaza was also getting old, but the opulence of it could still be seen.
One of the best memories....
I was there with my record producer, Ken Bloom, who had started off as a sax player in high school in Hollywood, and then branched into other musical idioms. He had always talked about his "idols" and one was Tex Beneke-- the sax player who had taken over the Glen Miller Band during W.W.II when Miller was killed in a plane crash. As much as Ken loved the playing of Tex Beneke, he had never seen him live, and was content to admire him via the few recordings he made.
On the Saturday evening, the old Bob Wills Western Swing Band came on, fronted by steel player Leon McAuliffe. MacAuliffe announced that "a friend" was going to be playing sax with them for the set. It was Tex Beneke. Bloom was in seventh heaven!
It turns out that McAuliffe was walking though the hotel lobby when he spotted his old friend. They used to play with each other when they were in the service during the early part of the war. Seems that Beneke was visiting his in-laws and was staying at the hotel. "Have your axe?" asked McAuliffe. "Sure do," was the reply. "Well, I'm playing tonight. Want to sit in?" And what a show it was!
The same year saw Curly Chalker hold forth as the last player on Saturday night. Starting at about 11:30, Curly was well along the road of inebriation. Drinking a constant supply of "7 and 7" he held forth for well over two hours. Some of those in the audience were upset that someone that drunk was allowed to be on stage in public. Those who were less concerned about his demeanor were treated to the most amazing music I have ever heard. All internal censoring-barriers were dropped, and whatever came into his head came out of the amp. I have never seen or heard such masterful playing of the instrument.
At one point Bill Lawrence (also drunk) stood up to offer a comment, and Curly said, "Sit down old man. You're making the place look shabby!"
What times!

Winnie

Henry · Post by **Henry** » 31 Aug 2002 4:42 am

I was at the 1977 show and it was at the Chase Park. WHAAAAUUUWWW
BUT DID YOU KNOW SCOTTY's STORY about the
CHASE PARK'S first I.S.G.C. ????
try this FTP address

ftp://217.121.132.128/[This message was edited by Henry on 31 August 2002 at 05:56 AM.]

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 31 Aug 2002 7:21 am

Winnie, I too saw Beneke at the Chase w/Miller in either 1940 or 41. Tex saw us kids in the dining room and during a break he came back and talked to us. One of the kids was studying sax and Tex really talked alot with him. Tex bought us all a Salsbuty steak with the trimmings. Remember this was the depression and the only hamburger we had seen or tasted was the cheapest our mothers could buy at the store. We didn't know that the salsbury was hamburger until one of the cooks told us. We thought it was equivilent to T bones, porter house, Etc:

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 31 Aug 2002 7:42 am

It was the Chase Park Plaza in '76, Al.

"Scotty's 5th National Steel Guitar Convention"

It was Sept. 3-4-5, and I was there, along with John Lacey, on the rooftop lounge. We were all pretty impressed with Reece and Bobby Caldwell Friday night! Saturday night, we were all pretty impressed with Buddy Emmons and Randy Rinehart, who swapped steels onstage a couple of times. I'm pretty sure that Koos Biel remembers it well too, since he was the "longest distance traveled" guest, and got "stuck" on stage with Buddy at the end of the night!

That was a long time ago (back when I could play

), and somewhere around here, I still have that entire convention on tape.

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 2 Sep 2002 7:04 pm

Donny-Well then can you tell me that last time it was at St. Charles?....al

Louie Hallford · Post by **Louie Hallford** » 2 Sep 2002 8:07 pm

The late 70's at the Chase Park Plaza was my first years to go to the Convention. I do remember that long Curly Chaulker set .Seems Curly played his theme song and about three others in two hours and then finished up with his theme song. The rest of the time he was talking and giving the sax player a hard time. I am still not sure whether he was joking with the poor guy or if he unhappy with him for some reason. I tell myself he was just having fun with the guy.

I taped most of it but later erased it as it was somewhat of an X rated performance. I love his playing and always regretted that he did not play more that night. One of the greatest IMHO.

On a lighter note,surely everyone remebers the big mob lined up at the door every night making a mad rush for the choice seats. Reminds me now of a big South American or European soccer crowd trampling each other.

Even though I was a lot younger then,I was still old enough to have good manners even though I did not always display them.

To beat the crowd, I found a hole in the wall with a curtain over it that went in behind the vendor booths. It just so happens that the hole was down near the front of the auditorium real handy to the front row seats.

Apparently it was not a well kept secret that the hole was there as I along with a fellow un-named forum member kept getting a lot of "discourteos" visitors trying to take our hole away from us or get in before the doors opened.

To fix that problem we managed to find a big desk about 15 feet away and we slid it over in front of the hole and proceeded to stand guard over "our hole". Everytime someone came over trying to get in, we would tell them it was a vendors entrance and that Scotty had asked us not to let any one enter there. Sorry,back to the front door you must go to be trampled.

Worked pretty good until some irate attendee who wanted to get in couldn't get by us. Turns out it was a vendor and that it was indeed a curtained off secret entrance area for vendors.

After finding out it was indeed a vendor area,we felt that even though we weren't ask we would volunteer to guard that opening for the vendors every year. Sure made our conscience feel better to know we were doing something useful to help Old Scotty and his vendors out.

Now I have to apoligize to all those people that wondered how I always managed to get a front row ahead of them even after all the bodys they had trampled on trying to to be first to the front row.

Now,I can't believe I did that,but I have had a lot of laughs about it over the years.