Howard Perkins
Portsmouth, 1950s-1970s
Opening night for Howard and the Country Music Hall, 1960
Howard Perkins is a major figure in southern Ohio country music. He recorded a number of 45s, including a rockabilly classic, but his main legacy was co-founding the Country Music Hall in New Boston, a venue that brought national acts to the area and gave locals a place to develop.
There are not a lot of details on Howard's life. Online sources have his birthday in 1919 or 1929. 1929 seems more plausible, based on the one picture of him in circulation, he looks 30ish.
He was a regular on Portsmouth's WPAY radio station around 1959, sharing time with Zeke Mullins and his family members and other area acts. The show was called Hometown Jamboree.
Second weekend for the Country Music Hall with Howard and a few amusingly named acts, November 1960
Howard recorded his first record in late 1959, the country bopper "It's A Cryin' Shame" with "Lovin' Baby" on the flip. "Lovin' Baby" is classic rockabilly all the way. The record is credited to Howard and the Kountry Kinfolk. Zeke Mullins owned Shawnee and the musicians are probably the same folks that backed Lucky Boggs and Zeke.
Billboard March 28,1960. Sorry but we just ordered the last copies of the record.
In the fall of 1960, Howard and Gene Robirds opened the Country Music Hall in New Boston (about 5 miles up river from downtown Portsmouth). They took a closed theatre, the Pan Theatre (3972 Gallia St), and remodeled it for live music. The Hall opened on November 11, 1960, first used as a live substitute for the radio show. The place was an immediate success and the partners started to bring national acts. Many country acts at the time were on tours that included an established star ot two, and some acts that were breaking out, promoting new records. Those shows were booked at the Country Music Hall, with local opening acts.
Howard sold his interest in the Country Music Hall to Jim Stout in 1963, but he returned to managing it a few years later. He also appeared there regularly as a performer.
Howard made two 45s for the REM label in Kentucky, both likely recorded at the same session. The first record has two country rockers, one of them a re-recording of "It's A Cryin' Shame". The second record has a trucker tragedy song "Johnny Overload" which was co-written by Stan Lane. Lane figures prominently in Howard's endeavors from this point. "Johnny Overload" was recorded by other artists but Howard's seems to have been the first. "Johnny Overload" was also issused with a different flip side "Under Control". This pairing was released on three labels, probably related to juke box distribution.
1964 show with Howard using his home field advantage to promote a new record
1965, Howard is back with another record...but wait, it's the rare sci-f themed "Overlord" version! (or just a typo)
Howard returned to the recording scene around 1968 with another trucker themed song "Double Clutchin' Man", released on the Go-T label based out of the Detroit area. It was around this time that Howard and Stan Lane formed Tan-Lan Enterprises, which had a PO Box in Gallipolis, OH. Gallipolis is on the Ohio River about 50 miles east on land from Portsmouth. Tan-Lan appears in the Billboard annual music producers list thorugh 1974. Tan-Lan operated the Saddle label which released a couple 45s. Howard having arrangement credits on the record by the Country Drifters.
January 1968 ad
Stan Lane had also taken over the ownership of the Country Music Hall, which was changed to the Midwest Jamboree show about 1968-9. Howard's name still shows up as a manager and performer. In September 1970 Stan sold the business to Phil Meddock, who promised a reboot with more "Nashville recording stars". By 1971 the Jamboree had ended and the old theatre was hosting Christian revival type events.
There was one final 45 by Howard, on the Jay Bird label. He recorded two gospel songs, under the Tan-Lan productions name. The label was from Kansas, but seem to feature Ohio artists, mostly a song-poem operation than Tan-Lan used for record distribution. Stan Lane also had a gospel 45 on Jay Bird.
December 1963 story
That's the end of our verifiable knowledge on Howard Perkins.
From Billboard, 1974. Super Cities was based in Detroit and related to the Go-T label. There is a Super Cities credit on one of the Saddle label 45s. The Dor-Cee-A label was a Gallipolis custom label for the Anne McCoy bizarre classic record about Chief Cornstalk and Mothman
Discography:
It's A Cryin' Shame / Lovin' Baby - Shawnee 102, 1960
It's A Cryin' Shame / Lazy Sonofagun - REM 346, 1964
Johnny Overload / One Step Out The Door - REM 368, 1965
Double Clutchin' Man / My Maw Didn't Raise No Fool - Go-T 202, 1968
Johnny Overload / Under Control - Indian Head 1110 / Juke One Stopper 2012 / Fire-Lite 1110, 1970
Jesus Is My Everything / He Reached Down His Hand - Jay Bird 1018, 1972