WALKING STICK SOCIETY
PRESENTS
LEON REDBONE MEMORIES
| The Walking Stick Society |
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 Billy Bratcher |
One of Billy's first LPs was "On The Track"
by Leon Redbone dating back to 1975 when he was 13 years old.
Although Billy's musical taste would weave in and out of many
genres, he was drawn to those songs featured on that record
perhaps after hearing his ragtime playing grandmother banging
out some of them on her piano at an early age. Billy would
eventually form a lifelong passion for entertaining as an
upright bass player touring coast to coast as well as being a
top notch songwriter. His Vermont group The Starline Rhythm Boys
are known worldwide and are the Honky Tonkin pride of his native
state. It was Austin Texas bred Wayne Hancock who would steal
Billy for touring ventures across the U.S. in the late 90s.
Billy would eventually cross paths with Leon Redbone, nothing
more than as a fan. But it was those encounters that would
influence a beautiful solo record called
"In The Lobby" that pays respect to Redbone and beyond.
Although Bratcher remains the chief songwriter for The Rhythm
Boys and bass player, he formed a few side acts. Sweet William &
SugarCone (complete with his own comic strip), a lovely
piano guitar/ vocal duet. Also, The Hokum Bros. a vaudeville
style musical comedy act. Although he remains very active with
all, his dedication to preserving the musical heritage of Leon
Redbone has become that of a sincere necessity, perhaps as a
thank you for being an early musical influence in his young
life.
Bratcher lives not far from the shores of Lake Champlain in
Burlington, Vermont and has also spent 35 years in hospitality. |
 Tom Dameron Photo by Bob Tedrow |
Tom Dameron is a local
Artist and Musician living in Homewood, Alabama. Tom plays Tuba
in two musical groups, The Old Fashioned Rhythm Method and The
Anything Goes Trio. More information can be found on
www.tomdameron.com
and
www.theoldfashionedrhythmmethod.com
and on Facebook and Instagram. Tom spent his career of fifty
years as a Hospital Pharmacist specializing in the preparation
of I.V. fluids but also spent his free time being an artist and
playing music with a number of Traditional New Orleans style
bands. During this time he discovered Leon Redbone who became
his greatest influence in music. After retiring from his
practice of Pharmacy Tom has been able to pursue his art and
music full time. Tom works in a variety of mediums: pencil,
watercolor, etchings, serigraphy, acrylics, encaustics and
stained glass. The focus of his work is the celebration of
people and nature. Music and art come together in his work. Tom
produced a Serigraph of Leon Redbone as a tribute a few years
ago and was honored to have Leon sign the back of the piece
after a concert. Now this piece of art is a treasure. Tom has
paid tribute to a number of his musical friends. Their pieces
have been included in the permanent collection of the Alabama
Jazz Hall of Fame. Tom also has work in the Montgomery Museum of
Art and many private collections. |