ESKAYS
We were "The Eskays" from Baxley, GA. we played from about 1966 until about 1971 when the lead guitar player got drafted.
We played a lot of Senior Proms around the coast and in the Carolinas, many, many gigs at night clubs, on military bases at officers clubs, teen clubs, homecomings, frat parties and etc.
We played Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas mostly.
We, like of lot of our other bands booked with Hit Attractions out of Charlotte, NC. We also booked with a guy from Augusta by the name of Johnny Masters or something similar.
We featured Organ (the first Kustom Roll and Pleat this side of the Mississippi), lead guitar, bass, drums, two trumpets, sometimes a sax, one lead singer and several others who sang, and for a good while go-go dancers and had one of the earlier light shows around.
We played the old Elks Lodge in Waycross, Steve's Pineroom between Waycross and Blackshear (where they issued guns and knives at the door if you didn't already have one (ha!ha!)), country club's all over the south, military bases all over the south, Florida State frat houses, University of Florida frat houses, University of Georgia, Ga. Tech, lots of gigs in Dublin, Vidalia, Jekyll Island, South Carolina, gigs around Daytona Beach, Proms, Teen Clubs and all around the southeast. I noted that we had a few things in common with some of the other bands featured on your web site such as one of the vans we had was lettered by the famous " JJ Miles" from LA via Brunswick ( a real artist), we also opened gigs for some national acts during that period (from country to rock to soul) including "Dell Reeves", "The Swingin Medallions", "Arthur Conley (Sweet Soul Music)" and many more. We also booked with some of the same booking and talent agencies "Hit Attractions" from Charlotte and "Masters Promotions" (A big promoter from Augusta). We recorded some cover tunes and original material at the old Lefevre Sound Studios (now Axxis Sound) in Atlanta around the late sixties (I think Rodney Mills of the Bushmen was the engineer). Members of some of the early groups were Bill Bowers, Roy Sapp, Johnny Hampton, Jimmy Crews and Winton Herrin (Imagination Incorporated). The members of the group when we finally quit were Bill Bowers (Trumpet and Lead Vocals), Winton Herrin (Keyboards, Bass Keyboard and Vocals), Jimmy Eason (Lead Guitar and Vocals (He's the one who got drafted!), Weyman Allen (Drums and Vocals), and Dwight Carter (Trumpet, Vocals, and Mr. Dance-Man). I am including some photos of the group when we were Imagination Incorporated
Information Courtesy of Winton Herrin, 2007.
©DaveandAndy 2007