by Honus Shain

BEING AN OLE DISK JOCKEY AND OWNING A FEW RADIO STATIONS, LISTENERS USED TO SOMETIME ASK ME, "WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE CASCADES OR SOME OTHER MUSICAL GROUP THAT WE NEVER HEAR OF AGAIN". AS JOHNNY RANDOLPH AT WAKY RADIO USED TO SAY "NOTHING". OF COURSE WE WERE IMPLYING THAT THEY NEVER HAD ANOTHER BIG HIT.

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT BAND FROM HIGH SCHOOL THAT USED TO PLAY AT SCHOOL FOR EVENTS. YOU KNOW, THEY WERE KIND OF COOL PLAYING MUSIC LIKE THE BIG GUYS AND YOU KNEW THEM ALL. NOW THAT YEARS HAVE PASSED WE FIND OURSELVES THINKING BACK TO THOSE DAYS AND HOW EXCITING IT WAS TO THINK THEY COULD PLAY MUSIC TOO. MAYBE NOT AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINAL, BUT WE KNEW THESE CLASSMATES.

ABOUT 1962, ROUGH RIVER STATE PARK WAS CONSTRUCTED AND IT BROUGHT THOUSANDS OF VISITORS TO FALLS OF ROUGH IN GRAYSON COUNTY. THE PARK WANTED TO HAVE ENTERTAINMENT IN THE SUMMER AND AT THAT TIME THE "HOOTENANNY" WAS THE THING. SO, THE PARK HIRED OUR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL ROCK & ROLL BAND TO PLAY MUSIC ON FRIDAY NIGHTS AT THE PAVILION AT THE STATE PARK. RONNIE NUGENT, BOBBY DAVIS, AND MYSELF WERE THE "CANDY KIDS". RONNIE PLAYED A SNARE DRUM WITH BRUSHES AND BOBBY AND I PLAYED GUITARS. WE SANG AND PLAYED TO A FAIR SIZE CROWD EACH FRIDAY NIGHT DURING THE SUMMER OF ’63.

THIS IS WHERE I MET DOUG PHELPS WHOSE PARENTS WHO WERE FROM JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA HAD A SUMMER CABIN AT ROUGH RIVER. ONE NIGHT WE WERE PLAYING MUSIC AND DOUG CAME UP AND SAID HE PLAYED GUITAR AND COULD HE JOIN IN WITH THE GROUP. "SURE" WAS THE REPLY AND EACH FRIDAY NIGHT THAT DOUG WAS AT THE LAKE HE CAME AND PLAYED ALONG WITH US. DOUG AND I DEVELOPED A FRIENDSHIP THAT WOULD REMAIN STILL TODAY.

IN 1964 I GRADUATED FROM CANEYVILLE HIGH SCHOOL AND WENT TO SCHOOL IN LOUISVILLE AT UNITED ELECTRONICS. I WAS THERE FOR 2 YEARS AND WHILE LIVING IN LOUISVILLE DOUG AND I ALONG WITH TWO OF HIS FRIENDS, GEORGE STONE AND DONNIE ROSS, FORMED A BAND CALLED THE "COUNTDOWNS". DOUG’S FATHER, A.C. PHELPS, BECAME OUR MANAGER AND WE WOULD PRACTICE IN A.C. AND VIRGINIA’S, DOUG’S MOTHER, BASEMENT. I STILL REMEMBER WHEN "SHINDIG" THE TV SHOW WAS ON SATURDAY NIGHTS AND WE WOULD ALL WATCH AND LISTEN TO NEW SONGS. THAT’S WHERE WE FIRST SAW SONNY AND CHER. I REMEMBER WE LISTEN OVER AND OVER TO "LOUIE LOUIE" TRYING TO GET THE LYRICS FROM THE RECORD. THEN WE’D PRACTICE THOSE SONGS OVER AND OVER IN THE BASEMENT.

A.C. GOT SEVERAL BOOKINGS FOR THE BAND. WE PLAYED AT WHISPERING HILLS COUNTRY CLUB, BOYS HAVEN, THE HORSE BRACH, KENTUCKY SENIOR PROM, AND AT SOME OF THE FACTORY GATHERINGS. WE EVEN SLIPPED IN TO A FEW BARS, LIKE THE "RED BULL" ON ALGONQUIN PARKWAY. ONE NIGHT AT THE "RED BULL" A COUPLE OF POLICE OFFICERS CAME IN AND ASK IF WE WERE OF AGE. WE QUIETLY LOOKED AT ONE ANOTHER AND SAID NOTING, THEN THEY ASK IF WE KNEW "WOOLY BULLY" AND WE PLAYED IT FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES JUST FOR THEM. THEY LEFT US ALONE.

AFTER MY TWO YEARS PLAYING WITH THE COUNTDOWNS AND FINISHING SCHOOL, I TOOK A JOB WITH COLLINS RADIO AND WENT TO CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA WHERE WE BUILT RADIOS FOR HELICOPTERS USED IN VIETNAM. DOUG JOINED THE SERVICE AND ENDED UP GOING TO VIETNAM TO FIGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY. I LOST TRACK OF EVERYONE AND IT WOULD BE 37 YEARS BEFORE WE WOULD REUNITE.

A.C. PASSED AWAY A FEW YEARS AGO AND DOUG’S MOTHER, VIRGINIA MOVED TO BUTLER COUNTY WHICH IS VERY NEAR WHERE I NOW LIVE. THIS PAST YEAR DOUG HAD COME TO VISIT HIS MOTHER AND AFTER CHECKING THEIR CABIN AT ROUGH RIVER, THEY STOPPED BY TO SEE ME. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, DOUG AND I HAD OUR GUITARS OUT PLAYING MUSIC. DOUG CONTINUED TO COME UP ON TUESDAYS TO VISIT VIRGINIA AND THEN HE WOULD COME OVER TO THE HOUSE AND WE WOULD PLAY TOGETHER AGAIN. WE THEN DECIDED TO TRY TO FIND GEORGE AND DONNIE. AFTER A FEW WEEKS WITH THE HELP OF THE INTERNET WE FOUND GEORGE IN CHARLESTOWN, INDIANA AND THE THREE OF US WERE TOGETHER AGAIN. HOWEVER, WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE DONNIE.

I CURRENTLY MANAGE AND WRITE FOR THE PINE KNOB THEATRE IN CANEYVILLE. WE ARE ONE OF THE KENTUCKY OUTDOOR DRAMAS AND LAST YEAR AT THE LAST SHOW, WE PERFORMED VARIOUS OLD SONGS AT THE THEATRE BEFORE THE SHOW. IT WAS GREAT FOR US TO BE PLAYING ONCE AGAIN BEFORE A LIVE AUDIENCE. WE WERE HOOKED ONCE AGAIN ON PERFORMING.

ABOUT A MONTH AFTER THAT, WE GOT A CALL FROM THE NATCHER SCHOOL IN BOWLING GREEN. A LADY HAD BEEN TO THE PINE KNOB SHOW AND HEARD US PLAY. THE SCHOOL WAS HAVING A SUPPER TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE SCHOOL AND THEY WANTED US TO COME AND PLAY FOR THEM. SO, WE A DRUMMER, ANOTHER GUITAR PLAYER, A KEYBOARD PLAYER AND THE SIX OF US BECAME THE NEW "COUNTDOWNS". WE REHEARSED FOR WEEKS IN MY BASEMENT, JUST LIKE OLD TIMES, AND MADE THE GIG AT BOWLING GREEN. AFTER THAT WE HAD BOOKINGS AT ROUGH RIVER STATE PARK FOR THE VALINTINE WEEKEND AND THEN THE GRAYSON COUNTY ARTS ASK US TO PERFORM AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL IN LEITCHFIELD, KENTUCKY.

DEBBY SMITH IS NOW OUR 7^TH NEWEST MEMBER AMONG CURRENT MEMBERS DOUG PHELPS, GEORGE STONE, PAT WILLIS, JEREMY STEPHENS, JR. ALVEY, AND MYSELF. WE ARE HAVING GREAT FUN PLAYING ONCE AGAIN THOSE GREAT SONGS FROM THE 50S, 60S, AND 70S. OH YES, THE 1964 GRADUATING CLASS OF CANEYVILLE SCHOOL IS HOLDING THEIR 40^TH REUNION IN MAY AND THE CANDY KIDS WILL BE TOGETHER AGAIN PERFORMING FOR THE CLASS. WHO SAYS YOU CAN NEVER GO BACK?

I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A FEELING MY GRANDMOTHER SHAIN WAS IN HEAVEN LOOKING OUT FOR ME AND NOW THAT THE BAND IS BACK TOGETHER I BELIEVE SHE AND A.C. HAVE BEEN TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER. YES VIRGINIA, THERE IS A HEAVEN, AND THE "COUNTDOWNS" ARE HAVING A HEAVENLY TIME HERE ON EARTH.