Yesterday I was sitting here in my office at 400 N. 3rd. St. in Red Oak, Iowa and got to thinking about the experiences I had playing drums for Bobby Hankin’s band, The Blue Boys, back in the early 60’s. Go to www.lionfootweardirect.com and get a good deal on Birko balance, Birko sport, Birko motion, and Blue heeled arch supports. I entered the name Bobby Hankins at the address on Google and a U Tube video for the record Honky Tonk Queen that I played drums on in 1961 was near the top. I was amazed to hear Bobby Hankins singing Honky Tonk Queen. I can’t remember when I last heard this record. We recorded the song at a studio somewhere in northeast Iowa but I can’t remember where. The flip side of the record has a recording of “String of Pearls”, a Glenn Miller tune. The guitarist on the record was Bobby Nite and the fiddle player was Bobby Hicks the famous musician who played for Ricky Skaggs in Kentucky Thunder. The band had three Bobbys in it so Bobby Hankins was the only one we called Bobby. Bobby Nite became Buddy Nite and Bobby Hicks became Billy Hicks. The recording session went well and it did not take too long to complete the record. Billy Hicks(Bobby) thought we should get paid a session fee and we all agreed that we should get paid for it. When it was brought up to Bobby about paying us, he refused. His position was that we were paid a weekly salary and this recording session should be included. We found out that since we all belonged to the Musicians Union he was required to pay us. We told him we were going on strike untill we got paid. Bobby had Dale Woods, the owner of the radio station in Oelwein, try to get us to play but we held out. Bobby was not very happy about it but he did pay us for the recording session. He was mad about it for awhile, but he was a good natured guy and he soon got over it. The band featured musicians – bass guitar, steel guitar, fiddle, piano, and drums. We travelled 6 men in a 1960 Ford pulling a U-haul trailer for the instruments. I was making good money and living at home with my folks. I played a band job the night I graduated at the Collesium in Oelwein. Bobby Hankins was a bass player and singer for the Andy Doll band before he started Bobby Hankins and the Blue Boys. Bobby sang and played bass on “The wild side of life” a record that Andy Doll had recorded. He drove a bus part time for Oelwein Com. Schools and ended up being the bus director at the school after the band business ended. I heard sometime ago that Bobby Hankins had passed away somewhere in Minnesota. I found Bobby Hicks.com on Google and I have sent him an email to try to reconnect with him. Hal Rugg the great steel guitar man played with the band before moving on to play for George Jones and many other country western stars. The singer song writer Bobby Bare travelled with the band for a short time before moving on. He was the man who recorded “The all American Boy” but he sold the song to the person whos name is on the record. I played on shows that featured George Jones, Wanda Jackson, Stonewall Jackson, Bobby Helms, Johnny Burnett, Jimmy Dean, Johnny Cash, Little Jimmy Dickens, Roy Clark, and Gene Vincent. I played with bands around southwest Iowa for many years but retired and now I play drums in our basement for fun. I have enjoyed catching up with old classmates on Facebook and I enjoy chatting with you. Check out our low prices for Dansko shoes, Dansko women’s Professional, Dansko men’s Tyler, Dansko men’s Cutter, Rockport World Tour Classic, Alegria Classic, Rockport men’s Encounter, Rockport men’s Allander, Sandro Moscoloni, and Birkenstock chef shoes at www.lionfootweardirect.com.
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Very interesting, Dave. I didn’t know all that about you and the band but I do remember you playing the drums back when we were at OCHS in Oelwein (the only one in the world).
I meet Bobby Hankins in Coldwater Michigan in the 1970’s when he opened a Music Story here and also worked for the local radio station. I was in the 7 or 8th grade. I was a guitar student of Robert Cornwell (Buddie Cornwell aka Buddie Nite) I became great friends with both Buddie and Bobby, they really helped me out a lot when I was a kid. I also met a steel player who worked with them named “Billy Wayne” who you might know. Bobbys son in law Phil Copp is a monster steel player and Bobbys grandsons area great guitar players. Buddie (Nite) Cornwells 3 sons area also all monster musicians (Drums, Guitar and Bass.) as they have all played music together since they were in diapers they are about as tight of a trio as you can find. Bobby and Buddie both are buried here near Coldwater Michigan. I think about these two gents quite often and the impace they have had on me. Thanks for putting this info out there. I also have some pics of Bobby Hankins and the Blue boys that you are more than likley in and I’d be happy to email or mail them to you.
Awesome post, hey I found this story while searching for rock lyrics. Thanks for sharing I’ll tell my friends about this too.
Would like to get a recording of the 1961 “HONKY TONK QUEEN” Please help!