 |  |
| Frederick Knight | David Sea |
| J: | And then ? |
|---|---|
| A: | I came back to Alabama and started a band. |
| J: | Do you mean you started singing or playing any instrumental at that time ? |
| A: | No, I mean I put a band together. I started singing at 6 years old. The first time when I sang in crowd was 9 years old. It was at a Muslim temple. And then I was singing in church whenever in Alabama, I was singing at church every Sunday. And in Milwaukee and Detroit, you know, singing around at the house and church. And when I joined army, I was a lot of singing at many clubs. In army I had a couple time of show for army. Then after I got out of army, I started a band called "Gravy Train". |
| J: | How many pieces did you have in this band ? |
| A: | It was a 5 piece band. I was playing piano with them. 2 piano players, bass, guitar, and drums. |
| J: | And you took lead... |
| A: | Yeah, I was a lead singer of the band. The band was directed mainly by Jerry Weaver. He is a former guitarist for Aretha Franklin. He produced some stuffs on Janet Jackson long time ago, her first album or something like that. |
| J: | Is he still working as a musician or a producer ? |
| A: | No, he was disease, and dead now. But this was back... we started with back in 1972. |
| J: | What kind of music were you doing with this band ? |
| A: | R&B music, soul music. We did... you know a lot of stuff back in that time. |
| J: | Then what did you do with the band, Gravy Train ? |
| A: | We played around most of shows in Alabama area, and in Birmingham we did some recording with Frederick Knight . |
| J: | He's a recording artist from Stax isn't he ? |
| A: | Yeah. You heard the song "I've been lonely so long / I fell love and happiness.. " ( he sang ) That's Frederick Knight |
| J: | Yes, I know this song. |
| A: | Jerry Weaver wrote this song. |
| J: | What did you do with Frederick Knight ? |
| A: | We played behind him when we moved to Birmingham Alabama in early 1972, but the band started '71. We moved to Birmingham to play with at night club, called "El Dolado" club, and we played behind Frederick Knight and Rozetta Johnson, Roscoe Robinson and many other guys. |
| J: | What were you playing behind him ? |
| A: | Then I was playing drums. |
| J: | So is that time when you were playing with David Sea ? |
| A: | No, David Sea was in another band in Birmingham called "David Sea ＆ Question Marks". |
| J: | He was saying in his interview that he used to play with you, but... |
| A: | No, on stage together. You know like when I sit in, like I came up played with you last time together, like jam session...
( I have a band, and he has ever come to see my band and played with us ) |
 |
| Ali-Ollie with The House Rockers (1993) |
| J: | Did you do recording with Frederick Knight ? |
|---|---|
| A: | Yeah. |
| J: | How many songs ? |
| A: | Well, like I was playing music behind him, drums and something like that for the song "I've Been Lonely So Long" and the song called "Trouble". |
| J: | So you mean 2 songs ? |
| A: | Yeah, we did a lot of recording, but only 2 songs were released. |
| J: | Did you sing background ? |
| A: | I think so, yeah. I think I sang 2nd tenor or something. That was my first recording playing behind somebody else. And then "Gravy Train" band finally broke up, and I got another band called "Racateers". |
| J: | And were you playing drums, again ? |
| A: | Yeah, I played drums. |
| J: | Didn't you take lead ? |
| A: | Yes, I was playing drums and singing. |
| J: | What a kind of band was "Racateers" ? |
| A: | It was a R&B band. It's just a local band. But no job, you know we have to pay bills. Then I joined The Drifters |
Interview1-Index
