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the fabulous Wailers
COPYRIGHT 2005, THE FABULOUS WAILERS
WAILERS IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Third Transition
Buck Ormsby (1960 - 1968/9) (1983 - Current) replaced John Greek (original rhythm guitar) in 1960. Buck was playing bass guitar in a group he formed in 1956 with Bill Englehart. The band became known as Little Bill & the Bluenotes. Both attended Jason Lee junior high school in Tacoma and later Stadium.
They formally met at a local theatre where a showing of the movie 'Blackboard Jungle' was showing. 'Rock Around The Clock' by Bill Haley & The Comets was the opening song in the movie. Out in the lobby Bill & Buck decided to put a band together with Frank Dutra on tenor sax and Buck's friend Lasse Aanes on drums.
They were the premier and only rock 'n roll band until the Wailers formed. The Bluenotes recorded and released a Billboard chart record in 1958 called 'I Love An Angel' on the local Seattle Dolton Records label. The Wailers released an instrumental called 'Tall Cool One'. There were a few battles of the bands and the guys started to know each other through these gigs. Buck would go and set-in with the Wailers occasionally because the Wailers did not have a bass guitar in the band.
Tall Cool One' became a hit record and the original group traveled to Philadelphia appearing on the Dick Clark Show, then the Allen Freed Show, and several more east coast appearances. The Wailers returned to the Northwest in 1960, deciding to finish high school, but to keep playing. John Greek was asked to leave the band because of some inter-controversy and Buck Ormsby was asked to replace him.
It was a natural since Buck knew all the tunes and fit right in. In 1961 Buck, Kent and Rockin' Robin formed the Etiquette Records label and continued to record the Wailers and several other northwest artists including discovering and producing the Sonics. Buck stayed with the Wailers until 1968. He later helped form and played with the popular Seattle band name Junior Cadillac until 1983. He still operates Etiquette Records and Etiquette Productions.
