Now i hear his stuff on Capitol has been compiled on one CD..has anyone heard of it or got a label and number for it?

This is all I know..
GENE O’QUINN
Album Title "Boogie Woogie Fever" Date of Release Mar 14, 2000 (approx.)
prod Ken Nelson, 30 songs in Time 70:45 mins.
*Please note that Speedy West and Ralph Mooney are supposed to have done studio work on Gene's sides.

Gene O’Quin was a Texas-born, California-based honky tonk singer who died before he could garner much acclaim for uptempo stomps like Pinball Millionaire, Too Hot To Handle, That Mobilin’ Baby Of Mine, and many other sides that have become collector favorites over the years. Here, Bear Family has carefully selected Gene’s best sides from his Capitol and Intro recordings (1950-1955). The 30 songs included not only feature some of the best west coast recordings from those years, but also the cream of jazz-oriented Capitol studio vets, Speedy West, Jimmy Bryant, Merle Travis, Billy Liebert, Harold Hensley, and others. This is sharp, swinging, personable music that deserves a wider audience. Fans of rockabilly, west coast country and Texas honky tonk music should snap it up.

I loved him on Cal's Corral on Sunday afternoons. Hank Thompson and Red Rhodes both told me that Gene could have been a big star, but the breaks didn't quite come his way

------------------
Herb's Steel Guitar Homesite

Herb, is there a chance that you are thinking of Ole Rasmussen, didn't he die in a 1978 car crash outside San Bernardino?

Actually this is off the topic, but I believ there's a Bear Family comp of Ole's sides on Capitol from 1950-1952 on Bear Family as well, sheesh better get some import money ready.

I was playing with Alvin Crow at the time and we were backing up Merle Travis at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Merle spotted Gene in the audience and pointed him out to me. I wouldn't have recognized him if he hadn't been identified to me. I went up and talked with him for awhile, and he told me he was gonna move to Fort Worth area. Shortly afterwards, the accident occurred.

I have a photo somewhere in my files of Gene in the audience. The search begins...

------------------
Herb's Steel Guitar Homesite

[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 05 August 2000 at 10:13 AM.]

------------------
Have a good 'un! JH U-12

The Hometown group was really split up 1958 and working in all different areas and tours.
A spin-off was a group with Jeanne and Janie Black with Gene O'Quinn and Billy Strange went to Vegas to the Showboat, although it was for the younger three not Billy, he just went along.
They were hired and formed a group with teenager Chuck Hix, who worked with Cliffie semi regularly, and played guitar and Bass. His friend Alan Brenneman (check him out sometime as the bellhop in Marilyn Monroe's film 'Some Like It Hot') was on drums. Gene O' Quinn on a borrowed rhythm guitar.
During rehearsals Billy Strange ended up joining them on vocals and lead guitar, and the group evolved into BILLY AND THE KIDS, they hit Vegas to work, while the youngest Janie Black joined on the Friday and Saturday Nights as she was still a school kid!
Sadly though Gene bailed just before their first night and Speedy West was drafted in.
For later Vegas gigs they added Merrill Moore on piano as well.
This group was basically too good to exist and had to fall apart, Jeanne worked with Billy, her sister Janie and did the Vegas circut into the 1960's..{she married Billy Strange in 1999, how romantic!}
Gene went to his own groups, Speedy West, Merrill Moore and Billy Strange worked at the Palomino club and did a lot of session work, but after Speedy split in 1960 for Oklahoma they didn't really work together much more, although they stayed in touch.

And by the way Al Udeen, I think that both Gene and Ole guested on the Louisiana Hayride, but neither were regulars..man I'm not too sure though??

Andy

------------------
..want to learn more about this stupid fella ??
http://hometown.aol.com/altec639/page1.html