The Tunes

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The group Kats were formed from Mrs. Doherty speech class as she was organizing a show as part of the class.

The group was Bill Slay, Charlie Harper, Benny Irby, Jerry Frasier, Neil Baker on the drums and Jeralyn Shipp playing the piano.

How we got these members together, I really can't remember, but we did the Kiwanis Variety Show, a show at the Community Center some some occasion I can't remember and we were actually paid a few dollars to perform at Arcadia for another occasion I can't recall. After high school, the group went in different directions. We formed the group the Tunes in College. Jeralyn wen to Rice, but transferred to La. Tech after a year and with Don Holt my cousin Jo Ann's husband and a music talent, who had actually preformed on the Louisiana Hayride at the time Elvis was there, Larry Scruggs joined the group on the drums. I can't remember what Neal was doing in the 56, 57 time period. My guess college. Larry was still around Minden. Maybe still in high school. Bobby Moorehead joined on guitar. He was at Tech at the time. That was the evolution of the 2 groups.

Earlene Mendenhall was a member of the Tunes as well as Ray Mills and R. C. Corbin.

The Tunes had a few wonderful years. We played at Fratenity and Sorority dances and shows in the ArkLaTex area as well as Miss. We preformed on the Louisiana Hayride, Big D Jamboree in Dallas, WNOE Show in New Orleans, Stork Club in Bossier City, etc. We performed on shows with the likes of Mickey Gilley, John Fred, Johnny Rivers, The Four Freshmen, Johnny Horton, etc. . We had several recording sessions in Baton Rouge and New Orleans(at the famous Cosmo's studio where all of the R and B acts recorded: Fats Domino, Little Richard, Jimmy Clanton, Frankie Ford, Huey Piano Smith, etc, etc.) We did one session at Cosmo's for Johnny Vincent of ACE Records and it was distributed nationally. We never got information how it sold. This was in the 1958-59 school year. Ray Mills joined the group then as Bobby was no longer with us. Travis Towns played the drums and Ronnie Gray played the sax. Ronnie was from Spinghill. Travis may have been. We stayed together through the fall of 59, while we were still at Tech and after graduation left for careers.

I made several trips in January of 1960 with the Ace distributed record and got help from Shelby Singleton then with Mercury records who had a hand in the records of Phil Phillips SEA OF LOVE from Lake Charles, Johnny Preston, and The Big Bopper from South Texas and met with Don Kirshner in New York who had a stable of stars, Neil Sedaks, Carol King, etc. and met Lenny Welch SINCE I DONT HAVE YOU and Buddy Knox PARTY DOLL, Charlie Rich, Jerry Lee Lewis and others.

Making it in the music business took lots of talent, the right contacts, and lots of luck. I am just grateful for the many years of fun that we had and have no regrets, just pleasant memories.

A NOTE FROM BOBBY MOOREHEAD

I have never seen the two pictures you sent me. But I know the people in them. The picture of the four guys is of a group of football players thatgot together to sing for one of the programs at Minden High School in 1955.They called themselves "The Kats". They only performed once that I know of.They were Bill Slay, Charles Harper, Benny Irby, and Jerry Frazier.

In 1956 the group was asked to sing at the Miss Minden Pageant at Minden high school. Jerry Frazier called me and asked if I would play guitar with the group because they wanted to sing "Memories Are Made of This" .The song had a guitar intro along with bass accompaniment . Don Holt was asked to play bass. We got together to practice and Jerry Frazier and Benny Irby were the only two singers that came. The other guys were away at college and didn't want to sing. Margaret Powell played the piano and Neil Baker played the drums. Since this was practically a new group we reorganized and called ourselves "The Six Tunes". Later, after Benny Irby dropped out of the group, we called ourselves "The Tunes".

This is the way I remember things happening. Jerry and I were students at La. Tech when we organized "The Tunes". Later Earlene and then Jeralyn
came to Tech. We then worked out of Ruston.

Bobby

Bobby Moorehead, Jerry Frazier, Benton Irby and Don Holt, Spring, Spring of 1956

Don Holt singing a love song to the couples below

Don Holt singing a love song to two couples, including Dennis Higginbotham (couple on left) and Nanette Walker (couple on right).

Bobby Moorehead is on guitar, Jerry Frasier is singing, Don Holt on base behind Jerry, Patti Gayle.

playing the piano.

Submitted by Linda Holt Moorehead

13 th picture: The Natchez, Miss. engagement. L to R Bobby Moorehead, Jerry Frasier,

Don Holt, Jeralyn Shipp, Patti Gayle, and Earlene Mendenhall.

Nov. 58 Harvest Moon Hop... Ray Mills on guitar, Ronnie Gray, Jerry Frazier, Don Holt on bass and

Jeralyn Shipp playing the piano.

The Tunes in Minden - Ray Mills (later of "The Uniques") on guitar, Don Holt singing , Ronnie Gray

singing, Jerry Frazier on bass and David Bailey playing the piano.

Ronny Gray, Jerry Frazier and Don Holt

David Bailey, a popular Minden youth sometimes performed with the Tunes although he was not a member of the group.

Ernest White is second from the right.Jack Chrisler is in the black suit, Don Holt is in the charcoal suit next to him and Norman Talton in the white jacket.

Don Holt, Earlene Mendenhall and Jerry Frasier

"Linda Holt Moorehead and niece, Donna Holt Wise, performing on Don's "Berry Jam" in Berry, AL."

Don Holt at the Keyboard recently