The band that put Rockabilly music back on the records chart in the early eighties scored several hits on both sides of the Atlantic.
Like many bands that start off in other countries, the Stray Cats were no exception, starting out in London where Rockabilly music was just starting out in the early 80’s. Becoming popular right from the start they released their debut album in 1981.
Deciding to test their luck in America, they signed with EMI America and in 1982 released their U.S. debut album “Built for speed”, which compiled the highlights from their two British lp’s. Their biggest help came from MTV, when at the time it was “anything goes” new wave era. The band first appeared in the middle of 1979 performing under a number of names including “The Tom Cats”, The Teds, and Bryan and the Tom Cats, and since 1983 they have used only “Stray Cats” as their name. The Stray Cats became so popular that even members of the Rolling Stone and the Who and even members of Led Zeppelin were attending their concerts. And of course everybody knows that you have to start from somewhere, at the time when Brian was just getting started he was in high school. He was playing nights as a solo act in little neighborhood bars, remember this was at the time when Disco music was topping the music charts and Brian’s music seemed totally strange. So by the time they started to get a good following of fans The Stray Cats started playing around Long Island and by this time the had developed a repertoire of between 200 and 300 songs, now that is a lot music. I think the only other band that was rumored to know more songs was Rare Earth when it was said that that band knew over one thousand songs, but remember it’s just a rumor. With the Stray Cats album release in 1981 their debut British album,they scored three straight hits with “Runaway boys”, Rock this town”, and “Stray Cat Strut” all of this happened when they were still in Europe. By 1982 the Stray Cats came to America and the rest is history.
Learn more about the Stray Cats on KWMC’s 1490 AM “little Red Rooster Show’ as we feature the music and history of the “Stray Cats” as they become the Artist Of The Month.All stories and fun facts are by Wendy Johnson and all shows are produced by Javier Martinez.

American Bandstand was an American music show that aired from 1952-1989 and was hosted by Dick Clark from 1956 until it’s final season, it premiered locally in March 1950 as Bandstand on Philadelphia television station WFIL-TV channel 6.Although the show had a change of hosts, it was Dick Clark that was chosen as the permanent host in 1956. Know simply as Bandstand it was until August 5 1957 that it was finally called “American Bandstand”. One show from the first season from December 18, 1957 indicated as the Second National Telecast, which is now in the archives of Chicago’s Museum of Broadcast Communications.
Most of the programs were filmed in black and white with three RCA cameras. It was briefly filmed in color in 1958 when the then new technology was being experimented with. The new color cameras took the place of three black and white cameras and soon they had difficulties in filming with just one camera, noticing the program lost something, the studio went back to black and white cameras two weeks later. In total there are 883 episodes of American Bandstand. No dancer was a cent to be on the show. Many regulars were offered commercials, but anyone making money from being on the show was immediately thrown out. The regulars as well as the kids who appeared often, were admired around the country. But not so in Philadelphia. Even though the show was a rite-of-passage for many Philadelphians, the regulars were often bullied and beaten up. Then problems arose at the time when Dick Clark was involved in the Payola Scandal. During Clark’s testimony he sad that he had given up outside interests connected with the recording industry. Clark also admitted a $125 dollar investment in Jamie Records with a return profit of $11,900 and of the 163 songs he had rights to 143 were given to him. When questioned about Jamie Records it was discovered that $15,000 was paid out in payola. All Clark got was a slap on the wrist.
Find out more about American Bandstand as we feature some of the artists that performed there in the early years of Rock”n”Roll. This will be part one of Bandstand as part two will be later on KWMC’S 1490AM’s Little Red Rooster Show.
All information and known facts about the artist is by Wendy Johnson and all shows are produced by Javier Martinez.

A band that has sold 26 million albums in the U.S. alone, but have never had a #1 record. Why most people would think that they were a southern rock band because of their theme about bayous, catfish,the Mississippi River,gave people the idea that they were from down south. Actually the Creedence Clearwater Revival are from El Cerrito California.
In the early years from 1959-1967 it was Fantasy Records label co-owner Max Weiss who gave the group the name The Golliwogs after a childs character. Some names that were rejected before becoming Creedence Clearwater Revival were Muddy Rabbit,Gossamer Wump, and Credence Nuballand the Ruby. Althought the band never had a #1 single in the U.S., the song Bad Moon Rising is the only one song to hit #1 in the United Kingdom during September and Ocober in 1969.Their live performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival were not included in the film nor in the Soundtrack because John Fogerty thought that the sound quality was inferior,also most people don’t remember that the Creedence Clearwater Revival were actually the headliners for the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
By 1970 Creedence had more success with two sided singles than any other band to that point except for Elvis and the Beatles. The bands original name was to be Clearwater Revival Creedence, but a record printer named Brinson Buttercourt misread and misspelled the name. Although they never had a #1 in the U.S. as a single they did have a #1 album here in the states, he album Green River hit #1 and went triple platinum. Creedence were the first band to sign a contract to perform at the 1969 Woodstock Festival,they were paid 10,000 dollars to perform and were scheduled to play at 3 A.M. on Sunday morning.
Learn more about the Creedence Clearwater Revival as KWMC 1490AM presents them as artist of the month on the Little Red Rooster Show. All know facts and stories of Artist Of The Month are by Wendy Johnson and all shows are produced by Javier Martinez.

Known famously for his version of an eighteen month old record recorded first by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters Chubby Checker records the song “Lets do “The Twist.
It was first suggested by Dick Clark that Danny and the Juniors do the song first but later declined.Chubby Checker was eighteen years old when he and a backup group called the Dreamlovers first recorded The Twist in a 35 minute session.
It was not until August 6,1960 that Chubby debuts The Twist on Dick Clarks Saturday Night Show, but also remember that Chubby had already performed the Twist for the first time before 3,000 teenagers at a club called The Ice House in New Jersey.
The Twist is the only single to top the Billboard charts twice, first in 1960 and then in 1962. When you hear stories of how Chubby Checker got his stage name they always give credit to Dick Clarks wife when actually she only came up with just half of it. Checker was working in an Italian meat market when his boss Tony gave him the name Chubby and then Clark’s wife gave him the other half “Checker”. An overnight sensation Chubby Checker tours with Clay Cole’s Christmas Rock’n’roll Show at the Paramount Theatre in New York with Neil Sedaka, Bobby Vee, The Drifters, Dion and Bo Diddley.
By 1961 the New York saftey council announces that of 54 cases of back problems reported in a single week, 49 were due to too much twisting. August of 1961 on the anniversary of the Twist, Let’s Twist Again is released to catch the beginning of a new wave of interest in the dance, this would be Chubby Checkers third gold record.
Find out more about Chubby Checker as we feature him as artist of the month on KWMC’s 1490 AM’s Little Red Rooster Show.
All known facts and information are by Wendy Johnson and all artist of the month shows are produced by Javier Martinez.

Raised as a military brat, his family moved houses often. He spent part of his childhood living in San Diego and completed the third grade at Fairfax County Elementary School Fairfax County Virginia.
His father was then stationed at NAS Kingsville and then he attended elementary school in Kingsville Texas.
At an early age he read as much and probably more than any student in his class, but everything he read was off beat that a teacher was sent to the library of congress, to see if the books he was reading really existed because most of the books were from the 16th and 17th century on Demonolgy. How could a kid like this be later associated with one of the biggest and best bands of the 1960's.
As a story that is actually too lengthy to talk about in such a small article, it is best to get to the point. When you think about this band, it feels like a strange, beautiful psychedelic dream that actually happened. What has not been said about one of the all time greatest band of the late 60's"The Doors". In their early playing years when they played they could fit maybe 50 or 60 people. In the first night they managed to fill the bar, the next day if only 10 people were there that was it and no more.
Determination in any goal you want to achieve is the best answer. By September of 1965 The Doors recorded a demo version of one of their songs at World Pacific recording studios, they were helped by some family members and a female bass player, who all left immediately afterwards due to the fact that they disliked the material.
Although The Doors did recruit some bass players to record with them in the studio, none of them were ever really hired to play with the band. As much information that there is on Jim Morrison and the Doors it would be impossible to include many interesting stories about them. The best next thing is to listen to their music as they will be featured as the next Artist Of The Month on the all new Classic Hits Station KWMC 1490AM on THE LITTLE RED ROOSTER SHOW.
All information of known facts and interesting stories about the artist of the month are supplied by Wendy Johnson, and all shows of the Little Red Rooster show are all being produced by Mr. Javier Martinez.
​Find out more on Jim Morrison and the Doors thisJune as we feature them as Artist Of The Month.

England got a lot more of the Beatles than Americans did during the groups formative years, between  1962 and 1965 the Beatles were featured on 53 BBC radio programs including their own series, “POP goes the Beatles”.
Although the BBC’s written archives was a place where they kept every single piece of paper relating to the Beatles performances finding the music on tape was a whole different story.
The BBC usually didn’t keep such recordings, most tapes were erased to be re-used for other artists. Some producers kept some Beatles copies thinking that maybe some day they would be worth something and in some cases recordings were taken from listeners who taped of the radio. Also remember that at this time there really wasn’t any business for “Rock’N’Roll as we know it.
All sorts of other acts would perform at the BBC as well as musical acts.The BBC also had a listening panel and a TV panel people selected to make comments on radio and TV programs broadcasted by the BBC and also all these comments were archived, A security guard said, the Beatles were vastly overrated, their performance was amateur and their entertainment value was very low.
Somebody else said that they were noisy, boring and a waste of time. It is 1963 and the Beatles haven’t broken in nationally but they are getting momentum in the U.K. it is their breakthrough year and are trying desperately and trying to make it and are willing to do anything to appear on the BBC. Nevertheless the BBC was crucial to the Beatles career, it presented them on it’s airwaves months before they had a record deal and when it offered them their own show “POP goes the Beatles”.
At that time they had only released just 3 songs and 1 lp. Consider that the Beatles “Capitol/EMI recordings from 1962 to 1970 amounted to 212 songs.
At the BBC they recorded 88 songs,most in multiple performances, for a total of about 280 songs. Among the 88 songs are 36 songs, nearly three albums worth, that the Beatles never recorded for EMI or Capitol records.Also remember that these recordings are very historical too. At the Beatles first taping for the BBC on March 7,1962 Pete Best was still their drummer.
Learn more about the Beatles Live At the BBC on the Little Red Rooster Show and KWMC’s all classic hits station 1490 AM. as we feature the Beatles “Live at the BBC” as artist of the month.
All information and facts are by Wendy Johnson and all shows are produced by Javier Martinez.

Like some artists that contribute so much to a generation with their music, gold records, #1 hit songs so many more in the top 40, the top 20 or even the top 10. Janis Joplin had only one #1 during her career, "Me and Bobby Mcgee". The song hit #1 in 1970 one year after her death. She was born in Port Arthur Texas, spent one semester in collage but soon dropped out after cruel treatment by her fellow students. A devoted student in Kenpo Karate in which she earned a third degree black belt, she kept with the music believing that music should not be about making money.
In the late 60's Janis hitchhiked to San Francisco to escape collage and join the hippie movement. During her performance at the Monterrey Pop Festival she performed two sets due to the fact that the first performance was not taped. In the world of Rock"n"Roll is it always sex, drugs and Rock"n"Roll?, what about cover ups and or conspiracy?
Janis Joplin died of an assumed heroin overdose on October 4, 1970, she was found dead in room 105 at Highland Gardens Motel. The person that found Janis said she had blood on her lips and in her mouth and a broken nose, lying on the floor purple faced, the broken nose was not listed on the death certificate, plus Janis had not done drugs for six months. In her motel room no drugs or narcotics were found, then the police were called and they too found no drugs, but they told reporters that Janis had "fresh needle marks" on her arm, 10 to 14 of them on her left arm. The last person seen with her was someone who was with her in a bar across the street from the hotel on the night of her death.
Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Alan"Blind Owl" and Janis Joplin .Alan Wilson died 15 days before Hendrix of an overdose, Hendrix died of an overdose 16 days before Janis Joplin, does this make you wonder?
Think about this: It's the summer of love 1967, the peace movement is on, the Vietnam war is on and riots are all over the country, Kent State University war protesters cost several of students their lives, they were shot by the National Guardsmen, the country is in turmoil, young men are leaving the country to avoid the Vietnam draft. The Governments are worried about the music scene because of the lyrics and messages in the music. All the young people wanted was love and peace, the government hated it because they could not control the movement. The FBI watched music performers and concerts very closely and had many files on many of the performers. So the best thing to do was to get of Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Wilson, John Lennon and many more others and of course Janis Joplin.
Learn more about Janis Joplin on KWMC's 1490AM's Little Red Rooster show on the next artist of the month featuring Janis Joplin. All articles and known facts are by Wendy Johnson and all shows are produced by Javier Martinez.

A tragic day in 1959,and it will always be remembered as such. The tour was a disaster since the beginning.
Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper were playing small dates in frozen towns in the upper mid-west, with all of the musicians crammed into a drafty bus, Buddy Holly’s had left with frost bite and everyone was in a bad mood.
Trying to get to the next show ahead of everyone else Holly decided to rent a plane to fly them there, a young pilot named Roger Peterson agreed to fly them. The weather was bad with flying advisories out. The Dwyer airplanes were not licensed for instrument flying, plus Roger Peterson had failed his instrument test recently.
The flying service charged a fee of $36 per passenger. A popular misconception, originating from the song by Don McClean said that the name of the airplane was called the “American Pie”, in fact there is no record that exists of any name ever having been given to the plane except the serial #N3749N. Also it was Holly who asked Dion and the Big Bopper to join him on the flight, not Holly’s band members, Holly said we are the guys making the money, we should fly ahead of everyone else.
The plane took off at 12:55 AM on Tuesday February 3 and around 1:00 AM the pilot failed to make radio contact back to the tower. It was not until around 9:35 AM that the wreckage was spotted less than six miles from the airport.
This will always be remembered as the worst tragic accident in Rock ”n” Roll  history. Learn more about the Winter Dance Party Tour of 1959, on the next artist’s of the month featuring Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper on the Little Red Rooster Show on KWMC’s the all Classic Hits Station 1490 AM.
All known facts and artist information is by Wendy Johnson and all shows are produced by Javier Martinez.

Dion Francis DiMucci, better know as just Dion, is an american singer, songwriter who has incorporated elements of DooWop, Rock and R&B styles and recently, straight Blues. He was one of the most popular American Rock artist of the Pre-British Invasion era. He had 39 top 40 hits in the late 50's and early 60's as a solo performer with the Belmonts and with the Del Satins. He is remembered for such hits as "Run Around Sue", "The Wanderer" and "Ruby Baby". In his early years he used to accompany his father in a Vaudeville shows, he then developed a love for Country music.
He also developed a fondness for  the blues and doo wop-musicians he heard performing in local bars and on the radio. Like most artists his first recordings went no where and it wasn't until he got together with the Belmonts that his break came through. In early 1958 the song "I wonder why" made it to #22 on the charts. By 1960 Dion started recording with a new group called the Del Satins and this is the time when the song "Runaround Sue" went all the way to #1 in October of 1961 selling a million copies. In 1968 after changing to different record labels he went back to Laurie Records at this time he experienced a powerful religious experience after getting clean again from heroin addiction.
Laurie Records took him back under one condition and was that he had to agree to record the song "Abraham, Martin and John" in response to the assassination of John Kennedy and those of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy during the spring of 1968, this is the song that restarted his musical career all over again.
Find out more about Dion DiMucci as KWMC 1490AM presents Dion as artist of the month on the "Little Red Rooster Show". All known facts and trivia information is by Wendy Johnson and all artist of the month shows are produced by Javier Martinez.

​What is traditional, becomes normal, and then becomes boring. 
The traditional Christmas oldies music has been a format of radio stations for generations, you get to hear the same ole songs over and over. Although these traditional songs might be pleasing to an older generation, what about the kids today? 
They fall into the same idea thinking that all Christmas music was by Bing Crosby, Burl Ives, Johnny Mathis and Brenda Lee. These songs are so burnt out. If you were to include new artists it is still the same songs but just re-done. 
There are many bands and artists that recorded Christmas music that no one has ever heard of, they didn’t want to sell a million copies, or to have a #1 song, they did it for fun and at the same time it was seasonal. 
There are so many Christmas songs out there that nobody has any idea of who the artists are. But whether they are from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s or 80’s, this Christmas Holiday of 2017 KWMC 1490 AM, the all new Classic Hits Station will present rare songs and artists that most people have never heard before of Christmas Oldies music, and it will be presented on the “Little Red Rooster Show”. 
This special presentation with all known facts and trivia are by Wendy Johnson and all artist of the month shows are produced by Javier Martinez. 
This holiday season to all of the surrounding areas and citizens in Del Rio Texas, may you have the happiest of holidays this Christmas and New Year. From all of the staff at KWMC 1490 AM the all new Classic Hits Station.