Rock of Ages: Tracing the Roots of the Tulsa Sound
By JOHN WOOLEY As nearly as anyone can tell, the Tulsa area first started rocking to live local guys back in early 1956, when Gene Crose put together a little group and played the rockabilly tunes “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Baby, Let’s Play House” and “I Forgot to Remember to Forget” for the Cadet Capers show…
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Rock of Ages: Making Waves
By JOHN WOOLEY MTV wasn’t even a gleam in an executive’s eye when Tulsa’s first wave of rock ‘n’ rollers hit. In fact, “Where the Action Is,” that fondly remembered Dick Clark-produced daily TV show, didn’t come along for almost a decade. Even the granddaddy of them all, Clark’s “American Bandstand,” didn’t go national until…
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The Church Studio Welcomes Oklahoma State University Music Intern
Get to know Student Sadie Kane in her first Blog Post BY: Sadie Kane When I first contacted The Church Studio, I had no knowledge of the history that lies within the walls of the old building. I was unaware of the legendary musicians that had filled the historic chapel with their music that would…
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Rock of Ages: The Race for Rock
Tulsa’s early rockers were black and white, and no one cared – as long as the racial mixing was on the stage By JOHN WOOLEY “I’m tellin’ you, I didn’t know segregation back then — in the Flamingo Club for sure,” states multiple music hall of famer and bluesman Flash Terry. Terry worked in that north Tulsa…
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Rock of Ages: ‘Rockin’ this Joint Tonite
Gambling, drinking, guns and bombs — Tulsa’s rock ‘n’ roll gigs of the 1950s felt like Wild West shows By JOHN WOOLEY Before rock ‘n’ roll exploded in the late ’50s, there weren’t many places in Tulsa where a talented kid could play in front of a crowd. Tommy Crook, who left rock ‘n’…
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Pamela Thompson Pickett: You Will Be Missed!
By: Ann Bell Nicholson Pam was born to parents, Eula Mae and Jeff Thompson. They were Tulsa residents. She was an only child. She was born on December 31, 1951 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Pam graduated from Bishop Kelley High School and then the University of Oklahoma. While a student in Norman OK, Pam joined a…
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Rock of Ages: Birth of the beat
Rock ‘n’ Roll Rode into Tulsa on a ‘Mystery Train,’ and Local Teens Turned the Beat Around to Make Their Own Sound By JOHN WOOLEY In the beginning Tulsa swung. But it did not rock. Then, onto our stages stepped Gene Crose, followed by Clyde Stacy and Bobby Taylor, Wally Wiggins and David…
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2018: Year in Review
Jan 2019 Newsletter Dear Friends, 2018 has been a year of growth, community and resilience for our organization. Our team has been busy with multiple projects, including the renovation of the historic Harwelden Mansion and the construction in Studio Row, which have all been equally demanding and challenging, yet extraordinarily worthwhile. Throughout the year, one…
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OKIES ON RECORD #1
By Steve Todoroff We are starting a new monthly series here on the Church Studio Blog, where we will cover some of the early releases from the past where Oklahoma musicians appeared together in the studio, more often than not on other artist’s records. Starting us off is a popular rockabilly artist and songwriter from…
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