Class of '61's 'cement gone
'
~ As this writer looks over the years, the one thing that
was the great joy outside of his family was his high
school graduating class, Muskogee Central High School
Class of 1961. It was the finest group of young people
assembled to date. It's identity remains still to this
day, and it is characterized by the friendships that
have continued throughout the years.
, There have been many graduating classes, but the'
Class of 1961 had something that no one else had,
something that only we could claim and we did so with
every opportunity. We were blessed with a personality
that would keep us returning to our home town and
gathering together to renew our friendships. He was
the cement of the Class of 1961.
For almost 31 years, the Class has returned' to
Muskogee to visit their families, eat their favorite hot
dog and to listen, remember and dance to the music of
the late' '50s and early '60s. Songs like "Black and
Blue," "40 Days," "Brown-eyed, Handsome Man" and
"California Sun" were among the music that reverberated
through Muskogee Country Club, Meadowbrook
Country Club, the Elks Club and the Civic Center.
Many people would try to claim our cement. He was
ours and ours alone. He moved out into the world and
became a noted civic leader, but he still belonged to
the Class of 1961.He was proud of that fact.
On March 6, our cement was abruptly removed from
this earth. The reason is known' only to the wisdom of
the Creator. He lived a full life and did not depart until
be had left numerous memories that lasted far beyond
graduation day. As the members of the Class of 1961
learn of his demise, there will be much sorrow. God
bless you, Joe B. Huff.
J. MICHAEL RAFTER, Muskogee
The above appeared in the Muskogee Daily Phoenix 3-12-92. It was provided to me by our classmate Jay Cook. I have made some copies which will be available at the '61 Reunion Welcome Table. Thank you Jay.
My husband, (Mandell Matheson), as a lobbyist at the Oklahoma Legislature, met Joe when he owned a little club that drew legislators, staff, and lobbyist, (who usually go to pay the bills). The name of the club was "Toppers" in the old Howard Johnson motel on North Linclon, in Oklahoma City. One of the closest places to the capitol where you could get a drink when those long days at the capitol were over especially in April and May when crunch time comes. Joe was still playing the piano in the club occasionally and everyone who came into the club became an instant "friend of Joe" Legislators, staff people, and lobbyist alike. When I told Mandell that I had gone to high school with Joe the tie became even tighter.
I can tell you all just as Michael said in the obit, Joe became the "cement" of the drinking class of the Oklahoma Legislature. Everyone knew him and felt very welcomed by him, his wife, and her daughter who worked at the club.
We still miss that smile and the fun that followed Joe all his life.
Such a remarkable class mate..so talented..I can still see him at the piano..belting out "Black and Blue" and all those other songs we dearly loved. He was such an integral part of who we were in 1961...we miss you
Joe B. was my second date. The first date was going to The Ritz with Cheparney when we were in the 5th grade; his mother drove us...but that's another story. Joe B., early in 7th grade invited me to a dance at Teen Town which was located on second story over Arrow Cafeteria. I was surpised he went through with it because of my attire; mother had a beautiful blue-green taffeta dressy dress made for the occasion. This was a big deal. However, when the Saturday eve came/I put on the party dress, we realized I had no dressy shoes, SO I WORE THAT DRESS WITH BROWN PENNY LOAFERS! Joe B. never said a word but he must have noticed the incongruity of my attire. That was our first and last date but I harrassed him through the next 6 years, grabbing/ripping the Tuf Nut leather tags off the backs of his jeans. I saved all of them in a shoe box which was pretty much full by the time we graduated. OH THAT MUSIC, BLACK & BLUE, WILDWOOD FLOWER.....IT MADE OUR HEARTS SING AS ONE. THANK YOU JOE B. FOR ALL THE FUN, THE MUSIC, AND THE FRIENDSHIP.
I was wandering down a hallway at Central High in 1959, when I heard some music coming from a classroom. It was Joe Huff and Jay Cook working up some songs, as they were in the process of forming a band. Having just arrived the summer before from Dallas, where I had been playing in a little band with my cousin, I was eager to possibly join them. I had learned some "rock and roll" chords (3 for some songs, 4 for the others!) from a classmate at our small school in Big D, Steve Miller (who went on to have somewhat of a career in music over the years) and was more than ready to get with some other musicians in this new town and do SOMETHING.
Our first "gig" was a teen hop at the YMCA, emcee'd by Jim Kizzia. Joe was on piano, Bobby Sadler on drums, Wally Burns on sax, and Jay and myself on guitars. Man...we were set! Jim Farthing soon took over on drums and Brian Tyree joined us the next year on sax. Jay switched to bass and I was on lead guitar. Some of us have taken leaves over the years with other drummers, bass players and guitarists filling in: Jimmy Thompson, Tommy Tarrapin, Jack Lauderdale, David Teegarden, and a few others. I might mention that Teegarden later became Bob Seger's drummer for many years, playing on hits such as "Turn The Page."
Our main, long-time lineup was Joe, Brian, Jay, me, and Ed Windsor on drums. We were lucky to have gotten on the "college circuit" playing universities, sororities, fraternities, and scores of high school proms and dances, private parties, Tulsa's Petroleum Club, the opening of Quail Creek Country Club in OKC, the Cimarron Ballroom, and other remarkable and some forgettable venues.
I still have our 130(!) song set list from 1961, and we all admit we copped some of our "staples" (Tennessee Stud, Black and Blue, and Who Do You Love) from John Tolleson's band and Ronnie Hawkins & the Hawks, arguably the best band in the country at the time. By the time the Beatles were firmly ensconced into every young person's musical wish list, our bookings suffered because we didn't want to play their music - we considered it popcorn, fluff, well...crap...that we weren't going to go along with, so we eventually put the Huff Band to rest - at least for a while, as we've played many times together again over the years.
Joe was our friend and brother as well as our leader and musical director. We all loved playing as well as being together. Like all aggragations that spend a lot of time together, we had our fights - never serious or with fisticuffs, but some words, scowls, and finger pointing, then it was all gone in five minutes or by the next practice. If a problem happened during a dance, it was over by the time we'd loaded up and were heading back home, listening to Wolfman Jack on XERF or the L'il Wayne Rainey Show if the "Wolfman" had already signed off.
It was unbelievable when Brian and his wife Joanna knocked on my door in Ft. Worth that day in 1992 to tell me Joe had died. The funeral in Oklahoma City, sad. It's been nearly twenty years since his death, but it's still hard to get up on a stage and realize that he won't be there. We in the band, as well as all the many friends he had in school, business, and life will always miss Joe B.
Hey Connell: I enjoyed reading the saga of the band. And, something you said made me realize that I have finally understood why I never liked the Beatles, much. Why would I want hamburger when I'd been eating steak all the time?
Judy Kay Wilson (Synar)
Class of '61's 'cement gone
'
~ As this writer looks over the years, the one thing that
was the great joy outside of his family was his high
school graduating class, Muskogee Central High School
Class of 1961. It was the finest group of young people
assembled to date. It's identity remains still to this
day, and it is characterized by the friendships that
have continued throughout the years.
, There have been many graduating classes, but the'
Class of 1961 had something that no one else had,
something that only we could claim and we did so with
every opportunity. We were blessed with a personality
that would keep us returning to our home town and
gathering together to renew our friendships. He was
the cement of the Class of 1961.
For almost 31 years, the Class has returned' to
Muskogee to visit their families, eat their favorite hot
dog and to listen, remember and dance to the music of
the late' '50s and early '60s. Songs like "Black and
Blue," "40 Days," "Brown-eyed, Handsome Man" and
"California Sun" were among the music that reverberated
through Muskogee Country Club, Meadowbrook
Country Club, the Elks Club and the Civic Center.
Many people would try to claim our cement. He was
ours and ours alone. He moved out into the world and
became a noted civic leader, but he still belonged to
the Class of 1961.He was proud of that fact.
On March 6, our cement was abruptly removed from
this earth. The reason is known' only to the wisdom of
the Creator. He lived a full life and did not depart until
be had left numerous memories that lasted far beyond
graduation day. As the members of the Class of 1961
learn of his demise, there will be much sorrow. God
bless you, Joe B. Huff.
J. MICHAEL RAFTER, Muskogee
The above appeared in the Muskogee Daily Phoenix 3-12-92. It was provided to me by our classmate Jay Cook. I have made some copies which will be available at the '61 Reunion Welcome Table. Thank you Jay.
Karen Tanner (Matheson)
My husband, (Mandell Matheson), as a lobbyist at the Oklahoma Legislature, met Joe when he owned a little club that drew legislators, staff, and lobbyist, (who usually go to pay the bills). The name of the club was "Toppers" in the old Howard Johnson motel on North Linclon, in Oklahoma City. One of the closest places to the capitol where you could get a drink when those long days at the capitol were over especially in April and May when crunch time comes. Joe was still playing the piano in the club occasionally and everyone who came into the club became an instant "friend of Joe" Legislators, staff people, and lobbyist alike. When I told Mandell that I had gone to high school with Joe the tie became even tighter.
I can tell you all just as Michael said in the obit, Joe became the "cement" of the drinking class of the Oklahoma Legislature. Everyone knew him and felt very welcomed by him, his wife, and her daughter who worked at the club.
We still miss that smile and the fun that followed Joe all his life.
May you rest in peace our friend.
Karen Tanner Matheson
Judy Kay Wilson (Synar)
Karen, Jay did not write this. MIKE RAFTER WROTE IT. Jay just happened to have a copy of it and sent it to me to post on Joe's memory page.
ciao
judy kay
Lisa Scott (Harbison)
Such a remarkable class mate..so talented..I can still see him at the piano..belting out "Black and Blue" and all those other songs we dearly loved. He was such an integral part of who we were in 1961...we miss you
Judy Kay Wilson (Synar)
Joe B. was my second date. The first date was going to The Ritz with Cheparney when we were in the 5th grade; his mother drove us...but that's another story. Joe B., early in 7th grade invited me to a dance at Teen Town which was located on second story over Arrow Cafeteria. I was surpised he went through with it because of my attire; mother had a beautiful blue-green taffeta dressy dress made for the occasion. This was a big deal. However, when the Saturday eve came/I put on the party dress, we realized I had no dressy shoes, SO I WORE THAT DRESS WITH BROWN PENNY LOAFERS! Joe B. never said a word but he must have noticed the incongruity of my attire. That was our first and last date but I harrassed him through the next 6 years, grabbing/ripping the Tuf Nut leather tags off the backs of his jeans. I saved all of them in a shoe box which was pretty much full by the time we graduated. OH THAT MUSIC, BLACK & BLUE, WILDWOOD FLOWER.....IT MADE OUR HEARTS SING AS ONE. THANK YOU JOE B. FOR ALL THE FUN, THE MUSIC, AND THE FRIENDSHIP.
Connell Miller
I was wandering down a hallway at Central High in 1959, when I heard some music coming from a classroom. It was Joe Huff and Jay Cook working up some songs, as they were in the process of forming a band. Having just arrived the summer before from Dallas, where I had been playing in a little band with my cousin, I was eager to possibly join them. I had learned some "rock and roll" chords (3 for some songs, 4 for the others!) from a classmate at our small school in Big D, Steve Miller (who went on to have somewhat of a career in music over the years) and was more than ready to get with some other musicians in this new town and do SOMETHING.
Our first "gig" was a teen hop at the YMCA, emcee'd by Jim Kizzia. Joe was on piano, Bobby Sadler on drums, Wally Burns on sax, and Jay and myself on guitars. Man...we were set! Jim Farthing soon took over on drums and Brian Tyree joined us the next year on sax. Jay switched to bass and I was on lead guitar. Some of us have taken leaves over the years with other drummers, bass players and guitarists filling in: Jimmy Thompson, Tommy Tarrapin, Jack Lauderdale, David Teegarden, and a few others. I might mention that Teegarden later became Bob Seger's drummer for many years, playing on hits such as "Turn The Page."
Our main, long-time lineup was Joe, Brian, Jay, me, and Ed Windsor on drums. We were lucky to have gotten on the "college circuit" playing universities, sororities, fraternities, and scores of high school proms and dances, private parties, Tulsa's Petroleum Club, the opening of Quail Creek Country Club in OKC, the Cimarron Ballroom, and other remarkable and some forgettable venues.
I still have our 130(!) song set list from 1961, and we all admit we copped some of our "staples" (Tennessee Stud, Black and Blue, and Who Do You Love) from John Tolleson's band and Ronnie Hawkins & the Hawks, arguably the best band in the country at the time. By the time the Beatles were firmly ensconced into every young person's musical wish list, our bookings suffered because we didn't want to play their music - we considered it popcorn, fluff, well...crap...that we weren't going to go along with, so we eventually put the Huff Band to rest - at least for a while, as we've played many times together again over the years.
Joe was our friend and brother as well as our leader and musical director. We all loved playing as well as being together. Like all aggragations that spend a lot of time together, we had our fights - never serious or with fisticuffs, but some words, scowls, and finger pointing, then it was all gone in five minutes or by the next practice. If a problem happened during a dance, it was over by the time we'd loaded up and were heading back home, listening to Wolfman Jack on XERF or the L'il Wayne Rainey Show if the "Wolfman" had already signed off.
It was unbelievable when Brian and his wife Joanna knocked on my door in Ft. Worth that day in 1992 to tell me Joe had died. The funeral in Oklahoma City, sad. It's been nearly twenty years since his death, but it's still hard to get up on a stage and realize that he won't be there. We in the band, as well as all the many friends he had in school, business, and life will always miss Joe B.
Judy Kay Wilson (Synar)
Hey Connell: I enjoyed reading the saga of the band. And, something you said made me realize that I have finally understood why I never liked the Beatles, much. Why would I want hamburger when I'd been eating steak all the time?
judy kay