TONY CONN birthday - June 1, 1997 - Ray Campi, Russell Scott, Big Sandy, Ronnie Mack, Johnny Legend

Rockabilly singer Tony Conn was celebrated on his birthday at this event. Many of Tony's friends took part in the show. Due to the informal nature of the performances, there was sometimes unusual instrumentation - such as Ray Campi singing with a hand mike, Russell Scott playing a borrowed electric bass, and Big Sandy without his guitar. Melba Toast, who organized the event, baked a leopard-skin colored cake in honor of Tony. The Big Bopper himself once gave Tony one of the three leopard-skin coats he owned. The venue, Crazy Jack’s in Burbank, was formerly Jack’s Cinnamon Cinder.

Guests were backed by:
Ronnie Mack - guitar / vocals
Bob Reynolds - bass / vocals [except during Russell Scott]
Skip Heller - guitar [beginning with Russell Scott]
Dan Hughart - drums

Emcee: Ronnie Mack

00:00 - intro
00:44 - Ronnie Mack - “Congratulations”
03:23 - Ronnie Mack - “Dream Lover”
06:39 - Ronnie Mack - “Happy Birthday to You” / Tony Conn blows out candles
07:10 - Tony Conn - intro
08:17 - Tony Conn - “Like Wow”
11:13 - Tony Conn - “Slow Down”
14:36 - Tony Conn - “Daddy’s Home”
19:16 - Tony Conn - “Rockabaily” *
21:43 - Melba Toast congratulates Tony
22:25 - Ray Campi - intro
23:42 - Ray Campi - “All the Time”
26:45 - Ray Campi - “Hollywood Cats”
30:18 - Russell Scott - intro and setup
32:45 - Russell Scott - “A Mess of Blues”
36:42 - Russell Scott - “Buzz Buzz Buzz”
39:58 - Russell Scott - “I Got a Woman”
44:04 - Big Sandy - intro
45:37 - Big Sandy - “I Thought It Over”
48:53 - Johnny Legend - intro
50:05 - Johnny Legend - “Rock Billy Boogie”
53:03 - Johnny Legend - “3D Daddy” / “Seven Nights to Rock” / “Shake Rattle and Roll” / “Rockabilly Bastard”
56:59 - credits

* Spelled “Rockabaily” on the "High School Hellcats Reunion" album. Spelled “Rockabailly” on the single.

“Congratulations”
Willie Nelson
Sony/ATV Tree Publishing / BMI

“Dream Lover”
Bobby Darin
Alley Music Corp. / BMI
Trio Music Company / BMI

“Happy Birthday to You”
Patty Hill / Mildred J. Hill
public domain

“Like Wow”
Ben Weisman / Al Weisman
Charles N. Daniels Inc. / ASCAP

“Slow Down”
Larry Williams
Arc Music / BMI
Larina Music / BMI

“Daddy’s Home”
James "Shep" Sheppard / Clarence Bassett / Charles Baskerville
EMI Longitude Music / BMI
Three Wise Boys Music LLC / BMI

“Rockabaily” [or “Rockabailly”]
(a rewrite of “Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey,” which is public domain)
Tony Conn / Rip Masters
Winsor Music Co. / BMI
American Federated Music / BMI

“All the Time”
Keith Rush / Joe Danna
Screen Gems - EMI Music Inc. / BMI

“Hollywood Cats”
Stephen G. Reush
Ron Weiser Publishing Company / BMI

“A Mess of Blues”
Doc Pomus / Mort Shuman
ABG Elvis Songs / BMI
Elvis Presley Music / BMI
Pomus Songs Inc. / BMI

“Buzz Buzz Buzz”
John Gray / Robert Byrd [Bobby Day]
Stone Agate Music / BMI

“I Got a Woman”
Ray Charles / Renald Richard
Mijac Music / BMI
Unichappell Music Inc. / BMI

“I Thought It Over”
Joel Scott Hill
Tenyor Music / BMI

“Rock Billy Boogie”
Dorsey Burnette / Johnny Burnette / George Harkins / Henry Jerome
BMG Blue / BMI
Johnny Burnette Music / BMI
Mitchell Music / ASCAP
Ring a Ding Music Company / BMI
Son of Rock n Roll Music / BMI

“3D Daddy”
Johnny Legend
Ron Weiser Publishing Company / BMI

“Seven Nights to Rock”
Henry Glover / Louis Todd Innis / Buck Trail
Fort Knox Music Inc / BMI
Trio Music Company / BMI

“Shake Rattle and Roll”
Charles E Calhoun
Mijac Music / BMI
Unichappell Music Inc. / BMI

“Rockabilly Bastard”
Johnny Legend
Ron Weiser Publishing Company / BMI

Melba Toast previously posted many of these songs as individual videos:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mrsmelbatoast+%22tony+conn+birthday+tribute%22

VIDEOGRAPHY / EDITING: ELECTRIC EARL

© Copyright 2023 Earl P. Reinhalter. All Rights Reserved.