1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:02,759 Speaker 1: The True Story of the Fake Zombies is a production 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:06,519 Speaker 1: of iHeart Podcasts, Talk House and never Mind Media. 3 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 2: Spening. 4 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 3: My fellow Americans, I want to end this war. 5 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 4: The American people want to end this spar The people 6 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 4: of South did not want a. 7 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:20,159 Speaker 5: Festival that drew hundreds of thousands of young people to 8 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 5: a dairy farm in a white lake, New York of 9 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 5: the woodstock music and art there. 10 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 3: Does anyone ever really want to go on strack? We 11 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 3: work hard on these cars. We have to stretch. 12 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: I'm here in Bay City, Michigan, and we're going back 13 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: in time nineteen sixty nine to be exactly. I'm looking 14 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: for the origins of the Fake Zombies. I'm trying to 15 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: imagine what it was like to be a teenager here 16 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 1: back then, the kind of kid who showed up to 17 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: see the fake Zombies, hoping to see the real zombies, 18 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: wide eyed and excited to see the perfectly tailored, perfectly 19 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 1: British five piece band they love, only to notice that 20 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:11,199 Speaker 1: there are only four guys on stage, and the singer 21 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:15,559 Speaker 1: isn't the tall and impossibly good looking Colin Blunstone. In fact, 22 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 1: it's a short guy from Texas, built like a linebacker, 23 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: how disappointed those teenagers must have felt as they walked 24 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: back to their mom or dad's car after the show, 25 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,479 Speaker 1: knowing they'd spent their money to see a fake version 26 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: of a band they loved. Finding someone who actually saw 27 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: the Fake Zombies play has been a challenge. We're talking 28 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: about hazy nights spending rock clubs almost fifty five years ago. 29 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: Even if some of the old timers I've met in 30 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: Bay City saw the Fake Zombies back then, they might. 31 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 3: Not remember it, but I know it happened. 32 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: Because on the night of June twenty second, nineteen sixty nine, 33 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: the first and only time, the Fake Zombies got a review, 34 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: and not very glowing right up in the Saginaw News. Saginaw, 35 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: just twenty minutes from Bay City, was an established market 36 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 1: for rock and roll bands. By nineteen sixty nine. The 37 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: newspaper had a column devoted to the genre called Rick 38 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: on Rock. Rick was on the scene that night in 39 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 1: June when the Zombies came to town, sharing the stage 40 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: with another familiar name from the Delta Promotions roster. 41 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 4: Only two hundred and fifty teens turned out to see 42 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 4: question Mark in the Mysterians and the Zombies. Thursday night 43 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 4: had the Saginaw Auditorium. Many of those who attended wish 44 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 4: they had him. The Zombies were especially disappointing, and the 45 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 4: crowd begun to leave during their fourth tune. Most listeners 46 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:56,519 Speaker 4: expected to hear the sound the group made a few 47 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 4: years ago when they made million Sellar hits. 48 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: Rick didn't know it at the time, but what he 49 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 1: and those listeners actually heard was four guys from Texas. 50 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 1: The Rick on Rock Review paints an odd picture in 51 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:16,360 Speaker 1: an erain reel. Bands were regularly giving transcendent, unforgettable performances 52 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: in Michigan on any given night. 53 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 3: This was not one of those. 54 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 6: We would have known right off the bat that the 55 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 6: Delta Zombies bogus and wouldn't have even considered attending a 56 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 6: show like that. 57 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: Gary Johnson from the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Museum 58 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: was a teenager in Bay City in nineteen sixty nine 59 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: and he attended a lot of shows at the Saginaw Coliseum. 60 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 6: It was a great venue for music at that time. 61 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 6: They were booking quite a few rock and roll shows, 62 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 6: and I went to see most of the big Detroit 63 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 6: bands mc FI, I, Seekers, Sists and Funk Railroad and 64 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 6: Boy Duke's star Sinsville station The Frost. I also saw 65 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 6: BB Kingmare, as well as the English blues band Savoy Brown. 66 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: While Saginaw was a regular stop for big bands back then, 67 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: the coliseum wasn't exactly made for rock and roll. 68 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 6: There was no alcohol sales and no one had t 69 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 6: shirt concessions. 70 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 3: Not that Gary and his friends cared. 71 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 6: Most everyone in my group was high, either from smoking 72 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 6: marijuana before the show or dropping acid or mescaline. 73 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:25,479 Speaker 1: By the time the Fake Zombies came to Saginaw, Gary 74 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 1: was reading Rolling Stone and Cream magazine. He was aware 75 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: of the fact that the real Zombies couldn't possibly be 76 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 1: playing so close to home. 77 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 6: I knew that Rod Argent had formed a new band 78 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 6: and lead singer Colin Blunstone was working on his solo LP. 79 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 1: Gary skipped the Fake Zombie show that night in Saginaw. 80 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: He knew it wasn't for real music fans anyway. 81 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 6: I would think that almost all of the audience for 82 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 6: the Fake Zombies were younger kids who heard Time of 83 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:58,280 Speaker 6: the Season on the radio but hadn't yet discovered the 84 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 6: music press and were sophisticated enough to realize they were 85 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:03,480 Speaker 6: being taken. 86 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:07,160 Speaker 1: Delta promotions wasn't targeting guys like Gary with the fake Zombies. 87 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 1: They were after the young and gullible. 88 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 6: I can't imagine anyone who was really into music in 89 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:17,280 Speaker 6: nineteen sixty nine being dumb enough to think they were 90 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 6: going to see the real zombies. 91 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: Gary and his friends were obsessed with music back in 92 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty nine. They were the kind of music freaks 93 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: who knew a real Colin Blunstone from a fake one. 94 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:32,480 Speaker 1: They were part of the select group of people who 95 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: appreciated the Zombies. 96 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 3: In their time. 97 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,799 Speaker 1: Remember, it wasn't until decades later that the Zombies masterpiece 98 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: album Odyssey and Oracle started making best Albums of All 99 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,840 Speaker 1: Time lists. The people who did love the Zombies back 100 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: in the sixties really love them, and they still do. 101 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: A lot of them even started their own bands, and 102 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:55,920 Speaker 1: there was no band other musicians loved more than the Zombies. 103 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: They loved Colin's high, vulnerable voice and the tasteful, perfectly 104 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:09,599 Speaker 1: placed keyboards courtesy of Rod Argent, and one of those 105 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: lifelong Zombies fans happened to become the lead guitarist of 106 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:16,280 Speaker 1: what is, in my opinion, the greatest American rock and 107 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 1: roll band of all time. 108 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:19,719 Speaker 6: Hello. 109 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,840 Speaker 7: My name is Mike Campbell from Tom Pitty and the Heartbreakers, 110 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:26,279 Speaker 7: and I'm here talking about one of my favorite bands 111 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:27,599 Speaker 7: of all time, The Zombies. 112 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 1: Mike Campbell seeing the Fake Zombies was a long shot, 113 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 1: but I had to ask. 114 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 8: We had heard maybe that it was possible. 115 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 1: Somewhere in Florida there was a live show at some 116 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 1: backyard or something like that. 117 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 8: Maybe that was possible. 118 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 7: Maybe if I dig deep, I can remember hearing somebody say, oh, 119 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 7: there's a band, not really the Zombies, but they said 120 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 7: to the Zombie. 121 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 8: I might have heard a rumor maybe, but that's really 122 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 8: a stretch. 123 00:06:52,640 --> 00:07:01,160 Speaker 4: The Stars as a good Bay City's number one hit 124 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 4: music station. 125 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 1: So it's back to digging up what I can in 126 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 1: Bay City. I've been to the local museum, learning what 127 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: I can about how and why the Fake Zombies came together. Here, 128 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 1: of all places, a town with a rough and tumble history. 129 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 1: Here's Bay City historian SANM. Fitzpatrick. Back in these days, 130 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: it was a red light district, a very violent red 131 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 1: light districts. 132 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 3: It was given the name Hell's half Mile. 133 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 1: I've been digging through library stacks and ancient newspapers looking 134 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 1: for the Fake Zombies. 135 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 3: I know that had happened. 136 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: Four guys from Texas, including Dusty Hill and Frank Beard 137 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: from zz Top, toured as the zombies and they were 138 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 1: assembled and managed by Delta Promotions here in Bay City, Michigan. 139 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: I just don't know exactly what happened. This is the 140 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: true story of the Fake Zombies. I'm Daniel Ralston. I've 141 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: learned the hard way that digging up a fifty five 142 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 1: year old mystery comes with some difficulties. First off, out 143 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: of the four Texas Zombies, only one is still alive, 144 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: Frank Beard, Drummer and Zizi Top. We've asked him for 145 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:33,560 Speaker 1: an interview a few times. No luck as of yet. 146 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 1: I can feel parts of this story fading away. For 147 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:42,440 Speaker 1: almost a decade, it looked like the closest I would 148 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: ever get to experiencing the Fake Zombies tour was the 149 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 1: conversation I had with a guy named Tom Hocott. Tom 150 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 1: and I spent an afternoon together in twenty sixteen over 151 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 1: a bowl of chili. Tom told me about his time 152 00:08:56,520 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 1: working for Delta Promotions. He didn't tour with the Texas Zombies, 153 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:04,880 Speaker 1: but he remembered them coming into town. He shared everything 154 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 1: he could about the fake Zombies operation. When I reach 155 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 1: back out now that I'm in Bay City again, I 156 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: don't hear back from him. I get in touch with 157 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: a friend of Tom's who lets me know that Tom 158 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 1: suffered a stroke and can't really communicate the way he 159 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:26,679 Speaker 1: used to. Those early conversations with Tom Hocott helped me 160 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: understand what Delta Promotions was doing and how Bill Kehoe 161 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 1: and Jim Atherton evolved from guys running a teen dance 162 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: club called Band Canyon into rock and roll hustlers managing 163 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 1: fake bands. Tom told me about Keyho, the local businessman 164 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 1: who ran the club and passed away in nineteen ninety. 165 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:50,079 Speaker 1: Digging through the archives of the Bay City Times, Keyho 166 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:53,319 Speaker 1: seems like a model citizen. He's actually in the paper 167 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:57,480 Speaker 1: a lot, a local businessman involved in city politics when 168 00:09:57,480 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 1: he wasn't running the teen nightclub where Base City's adults 169 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:01,079 Speaker 1: dropped off their kids. 170 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 3: On Friday nights. 171 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:06,920 Speaker 1: All Tom could tell me about Jim Atherton, the other 172 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: half of Delta, was a rumor he'd heard that Jim 173 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 1: had been shot dead in a mob related hit in 174 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: Grand Rapids. I tried to find some record of Atherton's death. 175 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:22,320 Speaker 1: An article about the shooting or an obituary. Nothing, and 176 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:25,840 Speaker 1: there's a good reason for that. Until twenty twenty one, 177 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 1: Jim Atherton was still alive and Gary actually talked to him. 178 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:34,719 Speaker 1: They talked on the phone briefly about setting up an interview. 179 00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 8: And of course at that point I had a load 180 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:40,960 Speaker 8: of questions. I was going to ask him about Delta promotions, 181 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 8: the fake Zombies, the other fake bands. 182 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 1: We were that close. He was going to hear the 183 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: whole story straight from the guy who helped mastermind it. 184 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 8: But sadly, it was like two days after I had 185 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:56,559 Speaker 8: talked to Jim that he passed away. 186 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:05,480 Speaker 1: I know Jim Atherton is the guy. Kehill may have 187 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: been the straight lace, respectable one with his name on 188 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: the deed at Band Canyon, but somehow four psychedelic, hard 189 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 1: rocking teenagers from Texas end up in Bay City. Jim 190 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:20,079 Speaker 1: Atherton has to be the connection, and I still want 191 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:24,960 Speaker 1: to know something anything about him. He never married, he 192 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: has no children, and Gary just missed him. This is 193 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: a rock and roll story, and they say rock and 194 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:40,440 Speaker 1: roll never dies. So we're going back in time because 195 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:51,520 Speaker 1: Jim Atherton may be gone, but I found his prom dings. 196 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,079 Speaker 1: The thing that started all this, the thing that had 197 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:06,679 Speaker 1: Keyho and Atherton seeing dollar signs can be traced back 198 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 1: to one single moment. 199 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:10,839 Speaker 4: Ladies and Gentlemen, the Beatles. 200 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: The cultural shift of the sixties kicked off in America 201 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:17,840 Speaker 1: when the Beatles played Ed Sullivan in nineteen sixty four, 202 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 1: in the time when Americans were first putting TV sets 203 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:24,719 Speaker 1: in their living room, Seeing four British guys with objectively 204 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:27,960 Speaker 1: odd haircuts being screamed at by girls with a ravenous 205 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:34,400 Speaker 1: look in their eyes did something to this country. Suddenly, 206 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:37,320 Speaker 1: teenagers were quitting the football team and asking their parents 207 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: for Gibson guitars and Vox amplifiers. The boys tried to 208 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 1: mimic those bowl cuts, but this is America, so they 209 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: grew their hair out even longer. Eventually, four or five 210 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:52,440 Speaker 1: of these formerly straight laced youths with shaggy hair and 211 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 1: various instruments would have something. They called it a garage band. 212 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:04,200 Speaker 1: The British invasion came, it saw it conquered, It created 213 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:07,880 Speaker 1: rock and roll animals, and Band Canyon was ground zero 214 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 1: for garage bands in the Greater Bay City area. Obviously, 215 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 1: Delta Promotions couldn't put together a fake Beatles everybody knew 216 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:23,800 Speaker 1: what John, Paul George and Ringo looked like by nineteen 217 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:27,320 Speaker 1: sixty nine, but the then recent breakup of the Zombies 218 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:31,439 Speaker 1: provided an opportunity. Unless you were a hardcore music fan 219 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 1: or fellow musician Colin Blunstone, Rod Argent and the rest 220 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 1: of the Zombies faces were virtually unknown, so why not borrow. 221 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:40,199 Speaker 3: Them for a while. 222 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,600 Speaker 2: Overse and f. 223 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 1: But how does a small town like Bay City birth 224 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:57,559 Speaker 1: of scheme this audacious? How did Keyho and Atherton get 225 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 1: talented musicians like two of the guys in It's Easy 226 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 1: Top to pretend to be the Zombies from their offices 227 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:10,079 Speaker 1: in rural Michigan. It turns out Jim Atherton had something 228 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 1: every teenage musician in America was looking for. 229 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:13,840 Speaker 3: In nineteen sixty nine. 230 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: Jim worked for Sun Amplifiers, a legendary name in the 231 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 1: world of extremely loud music. With the roots of punk 232 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:30,240 Speaker 1: taking shape in Michigan, loud bands like the MC five 233 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 1: and The Stooges needed loud amps, and nobody makes them 234 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 1: louder than Sun. Atherton was twenty five in nineteen sixty nine, 235 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 1: only a few years older than the bands he recruited. 236 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 1: Unlike his Delta partner Bill Keyho, who was a decade older. 237 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:50,720 Speaker 8: Jim Antherton was well known in Michigan as a band manager, 238 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 8: and in the late sixties he partnered up with Keyho 239 00:14:57,560 --> 00:14:58,880 Speaker 8: in Delta Promotions. 240 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:02,840 Speaker 1: Atherton could give upstart musicians, cutting edge amps, and management 241 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: contracts with Delta, an offer a young rocker couldn't refuse. 242 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 3: The fact that. 243 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 1: Atherton was six foot six and over three hundred pounds probably. 244 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 2: Didn't hurt. 245 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: A rumored mob killing six six, three hundred pounds. Jim 246 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 1: Atherton sounds like a tough guy. He had to be 247 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 1: the muscle behind Delta Promotions. But with Atherton gone, Gary 248 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 1: and I were unsure we'd ever get the real story. 249 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:51,200 Speaker 1: But this one always seems to have a twist. Gary 250 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 1: ran into somebody he used to teach with, and I'll let. 251 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 3: Him tell you, okay. 252 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 9: I had mentioned earlier that I might have a connection 253 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 9: with a friend of Annas, and when I spoke to 254 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 9: him just prior to his death, he had mentioned that 255 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 9: he was friends with a guy by the name of 256 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 9: Jim Thompson. 257 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: That's the thing about a fifty five year old mystery. 258 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 1: You never know where you're going to find what you're 259 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 1: looking for. Gary and Jim Thompson are old friends. Gary 260 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 1: was a teacher and Jim Thompson helped build sets for 261 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 1: theater productions at Gary School. All that time the two 262 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: were friends. Gary never knew that Jim's wife, Rhea had 263 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: a lifelong connection to Jim Atherton, a guy we've been 264 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: trying to learn about for almost a decade. Ria knew 265 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:43,120 Speaker 1: Atherton before, during, and after. 266 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 3: The Delta Promotions days. 267 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 9: She revealed that when she was dating Jim Antherton, they 268 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 9: never kissed. I mean it was truly a platonic relationship. 269 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 1: I make a few phone calls from my hotel room, 270 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: and later that day Gary and I drive to Essexville, 271 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:11,040 Speaker 1: just across the river from Bay City. We've been waiting 272 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:13,200 Speaker 1: to be at the right place, at the right time. 273 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: In this case, the right place to hear the story 274 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:19,680 Speaker 1: of Jim Atherton, the man behind this rock and roll 275 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:23,200 Speaker 1: con is the doily covered living room table of Ria Thompson, 276 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 1: Atherton's longtime platonic girlfriend, Riha invited me over to her 277 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:31,359 Speaker 1: house to play cards with her and her husband and 278 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 1: aid of their friends, and agreed to let me ask 279 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:37,480 Speaker 1: her some questions about her old boyfriend. Never let it 280 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:42,639 Speaker 1: be said, the Michigan people aren't welcoming. As Gary and 281 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:44,920 Speaker 1: I pull up to the home of Ria and Jim Thompson, 282 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 1: with its manicured front yard and decorative law and ornaments, 283 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 1: it strikes me as funny the fifty five years later, 284 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:53,800 Speaker 1: the story of Jim Atherton's rock and roll pass will 285 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:56,480 Speaker 1: be found in a place like this, not in some 286 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:59,080 Speaker 1: grimy rock club or with some rock and roll lifer. 287 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:02,320 Speaker 1: The people in this old rock and roll story grew 288 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:11,439 Speaker 1: up and settled into adult lives. Why don't we just 289 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 1: start at the beginning. Where did you first meet Jim Atherton? 290 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:21,919 Speaker 7: My aunt invited me to come down to their place 291 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 7: in Gaines, Michigan. I was fifteen and her son, my cousin, 292 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:31,199 Speaker 7: was having a little party and he invited some friends 293 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 7: and they were playing Elvis Presley songs. Gail invited Jim 294 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:42,919 Speaker 7: along with a couple other people, and at fifteen, I 295 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:47,720 Speaker 7: hadn't quite found myself yet, and he paid attention to me, 296 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:49,680 Speaker 7: and I was flattered. 297 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:52,880 Speaker 1: Riha shows me pictures of her and Jim Atherton as teenagers. 298 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:53,880 Speaker 7: Okay, here we go. 299 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 1: I've always pictured Atherton as this intimidating figure. Getting to 300 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:00,639 Speaker 1: hear about Jim from someone who actually knew him changes that. 301 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:01,200 Speaker 3: Immediately. 302 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:03,399 Speaker 7: He asked if he could come and see me. And 303 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:08,119 Speaker 7: he had a nineteen fifty six Buick blue and white, 304 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 7: and he came up all the way up to Essexville, Michigan, 305 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:13,240 Speaker 7: and we visited. 306 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 1: And this would have been the late fifties, and it 307 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: sounds like teenage. Jim was a big softie. 308 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 7: I had permission to go to a movie and then 309 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:24,480 Speaker 7: he came home, and I probably mom and dad served 310 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 7: them a little food and they went home. And then 311 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:31,720 Speaker 7: he got my address and he wrote to me for 312 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 7: two and a half years. I wrote to him every week, 313 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:38,359 Speaker 7: a little you know, friendly friendly letters, and he would 314 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:41,879 Speaker 7: come in once a month to take me out to 315 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:47,640 Speaker 7: a movie. Mom was strict, strict, but fair. He asked 316 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:51,920 Speaker 7: me to go to the prom. Oh, I know, thrilled 317 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 7: to death, and I was fifteen or sixteen, and she agreed. 318 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:58,280 Speaker 7: I went down to my aunt's and he came over 319 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:03,399 Speaker 7: and we went to the prom together. And I have 320 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:05,160 Speaker 7: pictures which I will not show. 321 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:07,439 Speaker 1: Ria pulls out two photos of her and athletes who 322 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: together they're real jewels, at two different proms. 323 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 7: Anyway, for about a year and a half. That went 324 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 7: on in my junior year. He's a senior and he 325 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 7: is coming over more often. But you know, I'm sure 326 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:26,040 Speaker 7: he had rules and regulations too. But about once a 327 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 7: month I would see him and we would go on 328 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:28,280 Speaker 7: a date. 329 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:33,479 Speaker 1: In those teenage dance days, going to the dances, was 330 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:35,240 Speaker 1: the music a big thing for him. 331 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 7: Well, he wasn't a good dancer. He was young. Jim 332 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 7: at that time carried an enormous amount of weight. He's 333 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:45,080 Speaker 7: six ' six and little feet. 334 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 1: She shows me a picture of Jim in his high 335 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: school football uniform. 336 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:52,159 Speaker 3: Played football, but he is in fact huge. 337 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:55,480 Speaker 7: He got a scholarship when he went to Central Michigan. 338 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:59,439 Speaker 7: He didn't stay and he got hurt. Also, sports was 339 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 7: not interest at all. 340 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 1: Ria shows me another photo of her and Jim. He 341 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:08,720 Speaker 1: looks happy, she looks beautiful and address she's clearly proud 342 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:09,359 Speaker 1: of you. 343 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:10,159 Speaker 6: Look incredible. 344 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:13,679 Speaker 7: I should show you. That's the second problem we went to. 345 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 7: The first problem was I hadn't blossomed yet, but I 346 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:23,840 Speaker 7: was finding myself at that time. And interestingly enough, that's 347 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:27,960 Speaker 7: when Jim came into the picture. Yeah, about that time, 348 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 7: but he probably came to that problem that year because 349 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 7: Jim was not in the picture yet had too many Jims. 350 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:40,240 Speaker 1: Her Jim is her husband, Jim Thompson, who's been sitting 351 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 1: quietly across from us at the table this whole time 352 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:45,720 Speaker 1: while his wife reminisces about her old boyfriend with a 353 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,920 Speaker 1: man half her age. This Jim is basically a saint. 354 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:52,080 Speaker 7: I had three gyms, to be perfectly honest, and I 355 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 7: got teased about it, and I said, it makes it 356 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:56,480 Speaker 7: real easy and there's no mistake when you're out with them. 357 00:21:57,359 --> 00:22:01,160 Speaker 3: So Rhea picked her Jim became of her and Atherton. 358 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:05,760 Speaker 7: I'm pleased to say that Jim and I remain good friends. 359 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:09,200 Speaker 7: And when I told him I had met somebody real special, 360 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 7: of course he was hurt. He's angry, but we remade friends, 361 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:29,480 Speaker 7: and both my husband and Jim they became good friends. 362 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:33,200 Speaker 1: As interested as Gary and I are in the dynamics 363 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,359 Speaker 1: between Rhea and her Jim's I remember to ask her 364 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 1: about Atherton's rock and roll past and if she remembers 365 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:42,760 Speaker 1: the fake zombies. So you mentioned on the phone that 366 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:46,240 Speaker 1: you know Jim had this rock and roll life that 367 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:47,879 Speaker 1: you didn't know too much about. 368 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:51,760 Speaker 7: No, I think his interest in music evolved I think 369 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 7: music came into his life later in his late teens. 370 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:58,960 Speaker 1: By the late sixties, Rhea was seeing less of Jim Atherton. 371 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:02,200 Speaker 1: She stayed close to home. He was out on the 372 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:06,200 Speaker 1: road working for Sun Amps and managing Delta Promotions. 373 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:09,440 Speaker 7: Bands as he got older, and he was real involved, 374 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:12,359 Speaker 7: and he had some business out here to the east 375 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,679 Speaker 7: of US, and I'm not sure exactly where or what, 376 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:19,720 Speaker 7: but he would come into town and I'd have dinner 377 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:23,800 Speaker 7: for him, and Jim was my gym. Was comfortable with that. 378 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:25,760 Speaker 7: Like I say, they got to know each other and 379 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:26,640 Speaker 7: they liked each other. 380 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:29,679 Speaker 6: That's very progressive. 381 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:35,479 Speaker 7: Well, well, not only that, Jim was real respectful. And 382 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:38,439 Speaker 7: when Jim my gym wasn't around, he wasn't playing games 383 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:43,440 Speaker 7: or flirting or anything like that. He was just appropriate appropriate. 384 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 7: So I felt comfortable enough. 385 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:47,600 Speaker 1: So Atherton would come over for a nice dinner with 386 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 1: Rhea and her Jim at their place when he wasn't 387 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:56,879 Speaker 1: out selling fake bands and loud amps to teenagers. I 388 00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 1: asked her if Jim Atherton was involved in any illegal 389 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:00,400 Speaker 1: bit business. 390 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:05,879 Speaker 7: Are we telling secrets? Maybe we can tell a secret. 391 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:11,840 Speaker 7: He got involved in pot with his men, which eventually 392 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 7: in basically caused him some grief. 393 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:27,679 Speaker 1: That grief Rhea is referring to was on the front 394 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:30,560 Speaker 1: page of the Bay City Times on February eighteenth, nineteen 395 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 1: sixty nine. It's one of the stories I found while 396 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 1: researching Delta Promotions. 397 00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 3: In the library. 398 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:40,239 Speaker 1: It details a drug bust and a house operated by 399 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:43,480 Speaker 1: Delta Promotions. The headline reads. 400 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:46,119 Speaker 3: Pot raid bags eight in west Side dwelling. 401 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,080 Speaker 1: The Delta crew is pictured front and center with their 402 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:55,840 Speaker 1: names listed underneath. I recognize one of them, Tom Hocott, 403 00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:58,960 Speaker 1: the Delta employee first told me about the fake zandies. 404 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:03,640 Speaker 1: In the photo, the Delta guys standing in a semicircle 405 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: around a table bags of weed piled up. 406 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:08,600 Speaker 3: In front of them. They look really fucking cool. 407 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:13,480 Speaker 1: The police lined them up for this newspaper photo op 408 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 1: unwittingly taking a photo of the crew behind the fake 409 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:17,200 Speaker 1: zombies operation. 410 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 3: But the picture only. 411 00:25:20,119 --> 00:25:23,439 Speaker 1: Has seven Delta employees in it. The caption list the 412 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:26,719 Speaker 1: seven guys pictures and ends with missing from the photo 413 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:31,159 Speaker 1: is James Atherton, twenty five, a local rock music promoter. 414 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:33,919 Speaker 1: I actually, do you want to see the heat the 415 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:34,880 Speaker 1: front page of all paper. 416 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:39,480 Speaker 7: I'd love to I've seen it, but butt great bed 417 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 7: eight and was ide dwelling. 418 00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 1: I ask Rio what happened to Jim after the Delta 419 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 1: pot bust? 420 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:48,679 Speaker 7: Right there is when he got into his problem. They 421 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:51,119 Speaker 7: was smoking pot and they got arrested for it and 422 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:54,800 Speaker 7: they got hauled off to jail, and it made it 423 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:58,199 Speaker 7: made the news here in Bay City. And his father 424 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 7: was like a lot of people that generation, didn't know 425 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:05,360 Speaker 7: anything about it, and he thought that, you know, it 426 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 7: was like doing cocaine or shooting up or whatever. And 427 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:12,199 Speaker 7: he came to the jail, he said, you know what's happened, 428 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:15,760 Speaker 7: and he was ready to get all the help for Jim. 429 00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:18,679 Speaker 7: And Jim said, Dad, don't worry about this is no 430 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 7: big deal. Well, it was a big deal to Dad. 431 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:25,160 Speaker 7: Probably the next time I see him might have been 432 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:29,600 Speaker 7: a year and a half or so. Every time he 433 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:33,280 Speaker 7: was in town, he'd give us a call and we 434 00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:36,280 Speaker 7: always had a good visit. But he's always. 435 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: Rhea's friends are starting to filter into the house for 436 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:43,840 Speaker 1: her weekly card game. Gary and I joined her guests 437 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 1: at the kitchen table, and it becomes apparent that it's 438 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 1: time to turn off the microphone. 439 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:51,040 Speaker 3: No, you're all good, Come on. 440 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:51,800 Speaker 4: I'm. 441 00:26:56,680 --> 00:26:58,439 Speaker 1: For the next two hours ten of us play a 442 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:01,719 Speaker 1: card game called Oh Shit, which is apparently popular in Michigan, 443 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:16,880 Speaker 1: even though Gary's never heard of it. I can only 444 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:20,399 Speaker 1: make assumptions, but it feels intentional that Atherton managed to 445 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 1: keep his face out of the Bay City Times. Did 446 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:26,159 Speaker 1: Bill Keyhoe work his city hall connections to make it 447 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:29,800 Speaker 1: all go away? For his partner? Bill Keyho and Jim 448 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 1: Atherton are both gone. Rhea helped me get closer to 449 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:35,920 Speaker 1: the answers. But we need to talk to somebody who 450 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:39,600 Speaker 1: knew Keyho and Atherton, somebody to help me put this 451 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:44,359 Speaker 1: whole fake zombies thing together. And there's an old adage 452 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:47,160 Speaker 1: that comes to mind. If you want to know about 453 00:27:47,160 --> 00:28:01,959 Speaker 1: a band, talk to their opening act. In the article 454 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:04,639 Speaker 1: about the Delta pot Bus, it says that three of 455 00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:07,159 Speaker 1: the guys arrested were in a local underground rock and 456 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:13,639 Speaker 1: roll band called Dick Rabbit. It turns out Dick Rabbit 457 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 1: were really good. They were also siblings, Richard, Philip and Gordon, 458 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:23,159 Speaker 1: the Thayer brothers. This is their song, you Come On 459 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:27,280 Speaker 1: Like a Train, recorded in nineteen sixty six. It's about 460 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:29,320 Speaker 1: as heavy a record as you'll find from that year. 461 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:31,480 Speaker 1: And you can bet your ass those are Jim Atherton's 462 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:51,080 Speaker 1: supplied sun amplifiers. They start looking for Dick Rabbit, a 463 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 1: real band in the middle of a bunch of fakes. 464 00:28:56,600 --> 00:28:59,520 Speaker 1: Maybe Gary and I shook some old spirits loose. Maybe 465 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: talking about Atherton and Keyho and Delta in Bay City 466 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:06,640 Speaker 1: brought something back to life, because just two days after 467 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 1: playing cards with Rhea, I find myself on the phone 468 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 1: with Gordon Thayer, the singer and guitarist for Dick Rabbit. 469 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 1: About thirty seconds into our conversation, all I can think 470 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 1: is I wish I was recording this call on a 471 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:24,959 Speaker 1: better microphone. All I know about Gordon is that he 472 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:27,520 Speaker 1: was in Dick Rabbit with his brothers, and Dick Rabbit 473 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 1: was signed to Delta Promotions, so that's where we start. 474 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:36,920 Speaker 5: We were with them from about sixty seven through sixty nine, 475 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:40,640 Speaker 5: so a couple of years. We were there during that 476 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:48,360 Speaker 5: time when the Delta Promotions was actively putting together bands, 477 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:51,440 Speaker 5: there really weren't the bands. 478 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:56,480 Speaker 1: Finally, someone who was actually there when Atherton and Keijo 479 00:29:56,560 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 1: were assembling their fake bands. 480 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:00,400 Speaker 3: I'm caught a little lot guard. 481 00:30:01,160 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 1: What do you remember about how that came together? 482 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 5: And I think they were kind of hurting for finances, 483 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:12,480 Speaker 5: So they were trying to come up with ways to 484 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:17,520 Speaker 5: make money and they're just having to be a connection. 485 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:20,960 Speaker 5: I don't really know the full connection with how they 486 00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:23,720 Speaker 5: knew or felt that they could get away with the 487 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:24,520 Speaker 5: zombie thing. 488 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:27,320 Speaker 1: I've been trying to find answers about the details of 489 00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 1: this for almost a decade. So it's funny to hear 490 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 1: Gordon call it the zombie thing. 491 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:37,240 Speaker 5: They just put together musicians, put them in the where 492 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:40,200 Speaker 5: Allison told him we were in the songs, and then 493 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 5: start booking them on the road. 494 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:45,400 Speaker 1: But Gordon didn't just watch from the sidelines as Keyho 495 00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:48,560 Speaker 1: and Atherton assembled the Texas Zombies and sent them on tour. 496 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:54,560 Speaker 1: He was actually on the tour with Frank, Dusty, Siebe 497 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:56,000 Speaker 1: and Mark with. 498 00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:59,200 Speaker 5: Their band for them on the road up and down 499 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:00,880 Speaker 5: the East Coast US three months. 500 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:05,600 Speaker 1: On the next episode of the podcast, we go on 501 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:10,720 Speaker 1: tour with the Texas Zombies, Dusty. 502 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:15,200 Speaker 5: And Frank Beard knew him well. Dusty was in there, 503 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:18,200 Speaker 5: We partied with him, they sent him out on tour, 504 00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:20,920 Speaker 5: and then they send us with him to be the 505 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:21,680 Speaker 5: front bat. 506 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:32,120 Speaker 1: Follow the fake Zombies on TikTok if you'd like to 507 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 1: see all the photos flyers and e Femera we've collected 508 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 1: in our research for this podcast. At the very least, 509 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: you should see how good looking the Texas Zombies are. 510 00:31:40,920 --> 00:31:42,960 Speaker 1: You can also follow us on the iHeart app, and 511 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:46,360 Speaker 1: there's one more way to connect with us. This podcast 512 00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:48,600 Speaker 1: is made up of stories from people who were around 513 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:51,120 Speaker 1: for the Fake Zombies. There are memories of this rock 514 00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:53,960 Speaker 1: and roll caper are the reason we're here fifty five 515 00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:56,840 Speaker 1: years later. We're lucky to have them. We also know 516 00:31:57,560 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 1: there are more stories out there. My hope is that 517 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:02,080 Speaker 1: you heard this podcast and talk to someone about it. 518 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:04,960 Speaker 1: I rarely give advice, but I would encourage you to 519 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:06,960 Speaker 1: ask your favorite seventy year old what they were doing 520 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 1: in the summer of nineteen sixty nine. Chances are it'll 521 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:13,000 Speaker 1: be a good story. If you found somebody who was 522 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:16,800 Speaker 1: there and cross paths with the Fake Zombies, the Real Zombies, 523 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:21,400 Speaker 1: Delta Promotions, or anyone mentioned in this podcast, email us 524 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 1: at Fake Zombies pod at gmail dot com. This podcast 525 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:29,000 Speaker 1: was written by Daniel Ralston. Executive produced by Ian Wheeler, 526 00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:33,400 Speaker 1: Melissa Locker and Daniel Ralston. Produced by Anna McClain and 527 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:37,719 Speaker 1: Nick Dawson. Score, original music and additional audio engineering by 528 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:42,040 Speaker 1: Robin Hatch, additional production support from Cooper mal in Los Angeles. 529 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:45,480 Speaker 1: The True Story of the Fake Zombies is a production 530 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:49,400 Speaker 1: of iHeart Podcasts, Talk House, and never Mind Media. For 531 00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:54,360 Speaker 1: more podcasts from iHeart Podcasts, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 532 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:56,280 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.