More From Donna about Wayne Logiudice, Hampton Grease band Plus Gadsden’s Morticians never played on the same stage with The Pallbearers

Gadsden’s Mortitians never played on the same stage with The Pallbearers

but according to a member of the band, David Stringfellow, “We murdered a few songs.” Morbid as it might sound, we could resist posing the question when we were informed that there was yet another great R&B oriented band from an area that seemed to have a lot of soul.

Greg

I saw your website and thought I would let you know about another Gadsden, Al band, the Morticians. We were not that good but we were entertaining and if I am not mistaken we were the first integrated band in Alabama. At least the only one I knew of and it did create some interesting moments. We formed in Dec. of 67 and went thru late 69 or 70. We were tight with the Bleus and played with them several times. I guess our highlight would have been when we opened for the Buckingham's in Florence the winter of 69. Dana from the Bleus had produced a few shows with them and hired us to be one of the openers.

p.s I have lost my 45's of the Bleus recordings. Any way you could find out if I could get a CD of there recordings? Thanks. Enjoy you site.

David Stringfellow


David,


Did your band ever "open" for Dan Penn and the Pallbearers or the Augusta Georgia Pallbearers? Sorry I couldn't resist. There is a CD that includes most all the Bleus recordings that is very good including those produced by Eddie Hinton. Do you have any band photos? We will be happy to include in our bands and if you want to a band directory we can do that. Tony Lumpkin sent me the CD I reference above.

Greg

David

Sorry never opened for the Pallbearers but we did murder a few songs. I have some old posters that I will forward. I would really like to see if I can get one of Tony's CD's. Could you forward my email to him? By the way I did attach our old photo business card, did you receive it?

Thanks,

David Stringfellow

Regards

Greg

More from Donna about Wayne Logiudice, the Hampton Gease Band etc.


Hey Greg,

Could you please correct "Georgia Terrace" to "Georgian Terrace" in one
of my emails that you posted on your blog? I didn't proofread my email
very well I guess. I was so excited to find Wayne.

Wayne and I talked for over two hours last night. I don't remember what
all we talked about but he did mention that one reason Ray Whitley was
so messed up was that he had been involved in a DUI vehicular homicide
in which he struck and killed a 12-year-old girl, for which he did 4
years in prison, and that he was never the same once he got out. We
mostly talked about various people we knew back then that were in the
crowd we ran around with.

I also learned that Wayne's father was Giorgio Sebastian Logiudice, who
was a concert pianist who graduated from Julliard. Wayne didn't see him
from the time he was 3 years old until he was 21, when he visited him in
Texas.

Wayne has promised to send me a CD of pictures of himself and his family
and their 4 cats. Also he's got a CD someone made for him of Ow!
Boogaloo, but he doesn't have the flip side. I sure wish I could afford
that $200 mint condition 45 on eBay!

Wayne was definitely a show stopper. He sure knew how to work a stage,
even when he first started performing and was playing venues like Misty
Waters. He was too young to get into Knotty Pines when we were hanging
out, or he would have been there too I'm sure.

I need to ask him how much I can share of what we talked about, but it
was mostly about how we met and different folks we hung out with over
the years. We exchanged addresses and phone numbers and have vowed to
stay in touch.

So the story continues...

Donna

Update 11/28/2009



I went and saw Glenn Phillips of the old Hampton Grease Band last night
at the Red Light Cafe. He's sort of legendary in the world of guitar
virtuosos. He remembered me from the 60's and 70's because we hung out
in the same venues, like the old Grecian Village in Brookhaven, where
his drummer, Jerry Fields (guy in turban), used to also play drums in a
bouzouki band! I also frequented the clubs they played like the
Catacombs, the 12th Gate, the Bottom of the Barrel, etc.



Glenn knew Wayne well and was just thrilled that I had talked to him.
I'm going to give him Wayne's contact info. Here is a picture of me with
Glenn, who had just finished a set and was dripping with sweat. I'm 67
now and certainly not the hot babe I was back in the 60's, LOL. Wayne
will turn 65 on January 28, 2010. Well, as Wayne used to say back when
he was just a kid, "Pee hockey damn!" I had to take a nap beforehand in
order to go, and it will probably take me three days to recover from it!
Don't know how I used to stay up so late and still function, but I'm
sure the addition of nearly 50 years of age and 40+ pounds of fat has
something to do with it.