The Snakestretchers
Encyclopedia
The Snakestretchers band featuring Roy Buchanan
on guitar was originally organized by Danny Gatton
to play a PBS documentary on WNET in New York City, hosted by Bill Graham
. The original band was Roy Buchanan (lead guitar), Dick Heintze (keyboard wizard), Michael "Pokey" Walls (drums & vocals), Chuck Tilley (vocals & rhythm guitar) and Danny Gatton on bass. Danny Gatton and drummer "Pokey" Walls left the group before the show was taped and teamed up at Gus N' Johns Restaurant, also in "suburban MD". (Peter Van Allen '72-74 Bass)
The band itself had no name at that time. When queried "What's the name of your band?" - "Pokey" quickly replied once - "Roy Buchanan and The Snake Stretchers" (two words). Thinking up nutty names for the band turned out to half the fun of any given night.
This name was never intended to be serious. It was “officially applied” when the group played a politically connected event at a Wash, DC PBS station and one band member casually answered the “ever popular question” with "the Snake Stretchers" - to someone who turned out to be a Washington Post reporter. It was just in fun, but once published in the Washington Post, it was accepted as fact and "coined" into a single word.
Many great guitar players worked there, including Roy Buchanan, Danny Gatton and Roy Clark
.
Roy Buchanan
Roy Buchanan was an American guitarist and blues musician. A pioneer of the Telecaster sound, Buchanan was a sideman and solo artist, with two gold albums early in his career, and two later solo albums that made it on to the Billboard chart. Despite never having achieved stardom, he is still...
on guitar was originally organized by Danny Gatton
Danny Gatton
Danny Gatton was an American guitarist who fused rockabilly, jazz, and country styles to create his own distinctive style of playing. A biography, Unfinished Business: The Life and Times of Danny Gatton by Ralph Heibutzki, was published in 2003. It has a voluminous discography...
to play a PBS documentary on WNET in New York City, hosted by Bill Graham
Bill Graham (promoter)
Bill Graham was an American impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death.-Early life:...
. The original band was Roy Buchanan (lead guitar), Dick Heintze (keyboard wizard), Michael "Pokey" Walls (drums & vocals), Chuck Tilley (vocals & rhythm guitar) and Danny Gatton on bass. Danny Gatton and drummer "Pokey" Walls left the group before the show was taped and teamed up at Gus N' Johns Restaurant, also in "suburban MD". (Peter Van Allen '72-74 Bass)
Origin of the band's name
The name originated in the band room at the Crossroads Nightclub in Bladensburg, Md. Every break the band sojourned to the band room, drank beer and told "road stories". Chuck Tilley said one night he “dreamed he was hired as a snake stretcher”.The band itself had no name at that time. When queried "What's the name of your band?" - "Pokey" quickly replied once - "Roy Buchanan and The Snake Stretchers" (two words). Thinking up nutty names for the band turned out to half the fun of any given night.
This name was never intended to be serious. It was “officially applied” when the group played a politically connected event at a Wash, DC PBS station and one band member casually answered the “ever popular question” with "the Snake Stretchers" - to someone who turned out to be a Washington Post reporter. It was just in fun, but once published in the Washington Post, it was accepted as fact and "coined" into a single word.
External links
The Crossroads was a crab house and night club and is still located at the "Peace Cross" in Bladensburg, Md.Many great guitar players worked there, including Roy Buchanan, Danny Gatton and Roy Clark
Roy Clark
Roy Linwood Clark is an American country music musician and performer. He is best known for hosting Hee Haw, a nationally televised country variety show, from 1969–1992. Clark has been an important and influential figure in country music, both as a performer and helping to popularize the genre...
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