Jerry Reed, the so-called "Alabama Wild Man" who found success as a recording artist, session guitarist and actor, died of emphysema on Sunday night, reports The Tennesseean in Nashville. He's best-known for "Amos Moses" and "When You're Hot, You're Hot," both of which were in the early 1970s and went to the Top 10 of … Continue reading Jerry Reed, R.I.P.
Category: People
Notes from the road
Ultramarathoner Phil Rosenstein is running the entire length of Route 66 -- and beyond -- for charity. He started a little more than two weeks ago in Santa Monica, Calif., and has already made it near the Arizona-New Mexico border. After completing his Mother Road trek to Chicago, he plans to keep going all the … Continue reading Notes from the road
Old license plates turned into art
While surfing the Net for Mother Road-related stuff, I stumbled upon this Talk Market video of California artist Aaron Foster hawking a Route 66 shield made of old license plates. It turns out that Foster doesn't make just road shields. He's made peace signs, maps of the continental U.S. and states, and even portraits of … Continue reading Old license plates turned into art
Still roping ’em in
Bushyhead is not much more than a wide spot on Route 66 in Oklahoma, but one weekend every year its population swells because of its Bushyhead Labor Day Pasture Roping and Barrel Race. Bushyhead is hosting the event again this year, but it will be bittersweet. Its founder, Clem McSpadden, died at age 82 earlier … Continue reading Still roping ’em in
John Wayne memorabilia displayed at Williams museum
"Chili" Bill Brooks was John Wayne's pilot for about 10 years, when he flew the actor down to his two ranches in Arizona. Brooks befriended Wayne, famed for his roles in "True Grit," "The Searchers" and hundreds of other Westerns, until his death in 1979. The Wayne memorabilia that Brooks collected over the years now … Continue reading John Wayne memorabilia displayed at Williams museum
Taking that California trip
This is a well-produced video of a Harley-Davidson group from Germany driving the Mother Road, with a couple of side trips to Las Vegas and the California ghost town of Calico. Angel "Guardian Angel of Route 66" Delgadillo plays a prominent role in this video.
On the road again
I received word this morning that Tokyo photographer Hiroshi Hanamura is traveling Route 66 again. He met up with a bunch of Illinois roadies at the Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket in Willowbrook, Ill., on Tuesday night. Illinois Route 66 Association President Catherine Stevanovich wrote: Mr. Hanamura starts a 2 week trip down Route 66. Hiroshi has … Continue reading On the road again
More on the road with Sir Paul
NOTE: Bumped for updates below. The previous post about Paul McCartney traveling Route 66 with his girlfriend has become long, so here's a new thread to cover the new developments. McCartney and gal pal Nancy Shevell spent Wednesday night in Amarillo, Texas, at the Ambassador Hotel, according to a local NBC TV station and the … Continue reading More on the road with Sir Paul
Isaac Hayes, R.I.P.
Most of the younger set will remember Isaac Hayes for his part of Chef in "South Park" episodes. A few also might have heard his Oscar-winning soundtrack for the film "Shaft." But Hayes, who died Sunday at age 65, was so much more. He was a songwriter and producer for the Stax-Volt soul label in … Continue reading Isaac Hayes, R.I.P.
Sad farewell
We just got word this evening that Fran Eickhoff, former owner of the late, great Route 66 Lounge in Cuba, Mo. -- sometimes referred to as "the Cheers of the Mother Road" -- passed away this afternoon. Fran was a charter member of Friends of the Mother Road and a longtime supporter of the Missouri … Continue reading Sad farewell