At Big Earl's Hop, 19581956: Gordon Jones and Ray Dippel join the brothers and form the Harmony Boys band. They practice in the Jones living room and soon play at a few square dances. Their early style is country-western, but after Elvis emerges they shift full-time to rock 'n roll.
They put together stage outfits: bright red pants, peppermint socks, white bucks, white shirts, and red ties with a little tinfoil sparkle. For beach dates they wear red swim suits and on formal affairs put on tux shirts, black jackets, and black hats.
1957: they play Teenland, Big Earl's Hop (near the airport), the Jim McKinney radio show and Teenage Rage, a live TV show on channel 20. Other appearances are meetings and dances in Lincoln, Taylorville, and St. Louis. They travel in Ben's 1955 Ford, a light-brown job with bar grille, long tail lights, and on the rear a Harmony Boys plaque.
Their play list covers the top 40 rock hits, thanks to radio DJs like "JA" (Jim Austin), who broadcasts a live show from Teenland. Stations give them recordings; Charlie copies the lyrics and Ben, Ray, and Gordon create arrangements by ear.
1958: at a telethon in the Abe Lincoln Hotel, a "Battle of the Bands" pits The Harmony Boys against Hobie Henson's Red Devils. The match is even until Gordon's drum solo: he jumps up and dances around his white Slingerland drum set, twirling sticks in the air and not missing a beat. This act astonishes the band and brings the house down. [to be continued]
At Jerome Village Hall, 1958
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