JOE CRANE
Joe Crane got the bug early. Growing up in Conroe, Texas in the ‘50’s, he played tenor drums with the Sam Houston Institute ROTC marching band, and would play guitar, piano, or bass with anybody, anywhere, and anytime. With Edgar Winter as a friend, Joe began meeting, playing and jamming with people like Doug Sahm, Johnny Winter, Roy Head, B.J. Thomas, Dale & Grace, and even auditioned with his drummer buddy Dodd Meredith for what later became the hit group Gary Puckett and the Union Gap. His first band was Sandy (Joe) and the Sierras . Joe backed up Barbara Lynn, played southern gospel music with the Morrison Family, and did TV shows with the Mandrell Family when Barbara was only 12 years old. He and Dodd toured with George Jones and Roy Acuff and eventually Joe landed his own radio show in 1960 on KMCO in Conroe, and a Saturday morning “live” country music show. Then, his next band the Crowd, put out a single in 1964 called “Waiting For You“ backed with “What Else Can I Do”, that was produced by the Crazy Cajun himself, the infamous Huey Meaux. Joe earned his stripes in the Houston club circuit and in the “Golden Triangle” of Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Orange, Texas, an area that was Janis Joplin, Steve Miller, and Boz Scagg’s stomping grounds. Joe would sing, play guitar, bass, or keyboards - any gig available.
After high school, with the Vietnam War sucking all the young men up, Joe joined the Coast Guard to avoid the fray, and was stationed in Alameda, CA from 1967 to 1970. Joe put together a Top-40 band called the Buzzards that played all over the San Francisco Bay Area from the Officer’s Clubs at every Coast Guard base, to Ann’s New-Mo Club down on East 14th Street in Oakland . They didn’t quite know what to make of this white guy with a white side-wall haircut in Sears, or Roos Atkins clothes, jumping up on the stage and playing real soulful versions of everything from Joe Tex to Bobby “Blue” Bland, or George Jones to Conway Twitty. He was the real deal. Joe was a walking jukebox that was playing non-stop, on or off the stage. This is half the reason that Joe and John Rewind clicked like long lost brothers from different mothers. Someone said : ”Ha! I’ll bet you guys know who Bo Diddley’s maraca player was”. Joe and John looked at each other and said: “Jerome Green”, like they had been just been asked who the current President of the United States was.
Joe and John’s mutual love of the blues, R&B, and country music was the basis for “Joe Crane and His Hoodoo Rhythm Devils.” Joe always loved Buddy Knox & The Party Dolls and Rewind loved a band from St. Louis , MO called Benny Sharp & The Zodiac Rhythm Makers. So Richard Greene said “How about the Hoodoo Rhythm Devils?” and that was that. Joe was the main focus of the band having thousands of songs in his repertoire, and hundreds of originals songs. Joe knew every song that ever got airplay in the USA, much less Texas, as John did from his Kansas City roots. Both were disciples of the late night, “after the gig” shows of Wolfman Jack on XERF in Del Rio, Texas, Floyd’s Record Shop in Nashville, and Randy’s Record Shop sponsored broadcasts from Shreveport, LA. Joe and John were on the same channel.
When Jack Leahy came into the picture with his depth of knowledge of the doo-wop world, the band was in gear.
Joe wanted like crazy to find Rodger Collins, who he knew lived in the Bay Area and had a hit called “She’s Lookin’Good” that was also a huge hit for Wilson Pickett. Joe had heard Rodger’s original version of the song on KDIA in the San Francisco Bay Area. Low and behold, Rodger lived directly across the street from Funky Features, Jack’s recording studio where the Hoodoos were recording. Joe had written “Foxy Girls In Oakland” for Rodger. Joe and John played on the record and Joe thought he was on his way.
When Glenn Walters join the group, Joe had found his real partner in crime musically. Glenn grew up deeply steeped in standards playing drums for his parents in a trio, dad playing sax and mom playing Hammond organ. Glenn knew all of the rest of the songs in the world that Joe didn’t. The two of them melted into one at times, harmonizing with each other at the drop of a hat.
The Hoodoo Rhythm Devils became Joe’s main focus and recorded 5 albums, mostly of his original music. On the road, he was unstoppable. Whatever city the Hoodoos played in, Joe would seek out the late night jam sessions in town and join in until the break of dawn.
Joe started having some of his songs covered by Johnny Winter, The Chambers Brothers, Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, and Patti LaBelle.
After the break-up of the original Hoodoo Rhythm Devils in 1974, Joe and Glenn continued to play together, backing Link Wray, Elmo & Patsy (The Homestead Act), and The Rick and Ruby Show.
In 1976, the Hoodoos reformed with Joe & Glenn at the helm, added a horn section, and started focusing on Joe’s R&B roots.
After high school, with the Vietnam War sucking all the young men up, Joe joined the Coast Guard to avoid the fray, and was stationed in Alameda, CA from 1967 to 1970. Joe put together a Top-40 band called the Buzzards that played all over the San Francisco Bay Area from the Officer’s Clubs at every Coast Guard base, to Ann’s New-Mo Club down on East 14th Street in Oakland . They didn’t quite know what to make of this white guy with a white side-wall haircut in Sears, or Roos Atkins clothes, jumping up on the stage and playing real soulful versions of everything from Joe Tex to Bobby “Blue” Bland, or George Jones to Conway Twitty. He was the real deal. Joe was a walking jukebox that was playing non-stop, on or off the stage. This is half the reason that Joe and John Rewind clicked like long lost brothers from different mothers. Someone said : ”Ha! I’ll bet you guys know who Bo Diddley’s maraca player was”. Joe and John looked at each other and said: “Jerome Green”, like they had been just been asked who the current President of the United States was.
Joe and John’s mutual love of the blues, R&B, and country music was the basis for “Joe Crane and His Hoodoo Rhythm Devils.” Joe always loved Buddy Knox & The Party Dolls and Rewind loved a band from St. Louis , MO called Benny Sharp & The Zodiac Rhythm Makers. So Richard Greene said “How about the Hoodoo Rhythm Devils?” and that was that. Joe was the main focus of the band having thousands of songs in his repertoire, and hundreds of originals songs. Joe knew every song that ever got airplay in the USA, much less Texas, as John did from his Kansas City roots. Both were disciples of the late night, “after the gig” shows of Wolfman Jack on XERF in Del Rio, Texas, Floyd’s Record Shop in Nashville, and Randy’s Record Shop sponsored broadcasts from Shreveport, LA. Joe and John were on the same channel.
When Jack Leahy came into the picture with his depth of knowledge of the doo-wop world, the band was in gear.
Joe wanted like crazy to find Rodger Collins, who he knew lived in the Bay Area and had a hit called “She’s Lookin’Good” that was also a huge hit for Wilson Pickett. Joe had heard Rodger’s original version of the song on KDIA in the San Francisco Bay Area. Low and behold, Rodger lived directly across the street from Funky Features, Jack’s recording studio where the Hoodoos were recording. Joe had written “Foxy Girls In Oakland” for Rodger. Joe and John played on the record and Joe thought he was on his way.
When Glenn Walters join the group, Joe had found his real partner in crime musically. Glenn grew up deeply steeped in standards playing drums for his parents in a trio, dad playing sax and mom playing Hammond organ. Glenn knew all of the rest of the songs in the world that Joe didn’t. The two of them melted into one at times, harmonizing with each other at the drop of a hat.
The Hoodoo Rhythm Devils became Joe’s main focus and recorded 5 albums, mostly of his original music. On the road, he was unstoppable. Whatever city the Hoodoos played in, Joe would seek out the late night jam sessions in town and join in until the break of dawn.
Joe started having some of his songs covered by Johnny Winter, The Chambers Brothers, Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, and Patti LaBelle.
After the break-up of the original Hoodoo Rhythm Devils in 1974, Joe and Glenn continued to play together, backing Link Wray, Elmo & Patsy (The Homestead Act), and The Rick and Ruby Show.
In 1976, the Hoodoos reformed with Joe & Glenn at the helm, added a horn section, and started focusing on Joe’s R&B roots.
