Buckeye Beat

Home
Bands and Performers
Labels
Venues
Works
Radio
TV
News
About the site
Contact Us

Big Jay Bush and the Houserockers


Dayton, 1964-72

pic

Jerry "Big Jay" Bush and his tenor sax fronted this hard driving R&B band for many years. The band started playing Dayton clubs, and spent many months as the house band at the Diamond club. They also did a lot of traveling to numerous cities including Boston, NY state, Indianapolis, Akron, and Louisville.

The band went through a fair number of members but during their heyday in the mid-late 1960s the band had first Tommy Gaddis and then Nelson Calloway as lead singer. William "Boots" Vaughn was the lead guitarist. Boots played left handed using an right handed guitar upside down. Emmett North replaced Vaughn around 1970. Bobby Warren also played guitar in the band during the mid 1960s. 

pic

The band recorded two 45s, the first on the Redbug label in 1966, with Tommy Gaddis singing lead. The songs are "Dynamite", a raw R&B pounder backed with the deep ballad "Come On Home Baby".  In 1969 they recorded a second 45 with Nelson Calloway as the lead singer. "Funky Horns" is basically the James Brown often covered classic "There Was A Time" with different lyrics, it's a full blast raveup! At the time of the recording, the band included Bush, Vaughn, Darrell Strong on vocals (formerly of Ohio Rhythm Makers), Calloway on bass, Chuck Wade on sax, and 'Blatz' on drums. 

pic

pic

In August 1972, Big Jay Bush was shot and later died while performing in Canton. That was the end of the band, although a few members played in other bands.  In 1970, Boots Vaughn left to join the Aswads, who would also record a killer version of "There Was A Time".  Nelson Calloway joined the Cold Sweat.

Discography:
Dynamite / Come On Home Baby - Red Bug 0007
Funky Horns / Soul Meeting - Vangee 305 (two different pressings)