This one is pretty easy. My dad's band was called Bobby Poe and The Poe Kats - I guess because it was the days of Hep Cats and Cool Cats. The Poe Kats featured Big Al Downing on piano, Vernon Sandusky on lead guitar and Joe Brawley on drums. For the most part, bass was handled by Big Al with his piano.Big Al was discovered by my dad when Big Al won a amateur talent show sponsored by KGGF, their local radio station in Coffeyville, Kansas. Big Al was immediately asked to join the band after performing Fats Domino's "Blueberry Hill" at the contest. Later on in their careers, my dad and Big Al co-wrote several songs for Fats Domino.
In any event, the band's first single, "Rock And Roll Record Girl" b/w "Rock And Roll Boogie" is somewhat of a collector's item. The single was eventually released on the White Rock label, but almost didn't see the light of day because my dad had basically used the tune of "Chattanooga Shoeshine Boy" and slapped his own lyrics on it. How the publisher's of "Chattanooga Shoeshine Boy" ever figured that one out is one of life's little mysteries. In an unfortunate twist of fate, that whole scenario scared off Sam Phillips at Sun Records, who had originally been interested in releasing the single...