Billy Ward and the Dominoes

I used to see them often when they played the Golden Hotel in Reno. In those days, the Golden gave them rooms in the hotel, but when they left the stage they had to head for their room. I got to know them well enough that we often visited up there. Only a few places we could eat together, so we had them come out to our apartment and fix dinner for them. This was in the late 50's, and segregation was very obvious in those days. We almost had to "sneak" up to their room to visit with them.

A friend of a friend wanted to me Billy, so I took them up with me on one occasion. I heard that they later married and moved to California, where he had a home. I found this foto on the internet, it could be her, not sure, if anyone knows who the woman is, would like to hear from you. Jeanette, or not.

In the 1950s, no single location manifested the isolation of Black artists striving for crossover success more starkly than Reno and Las Vegas, where audiences were overwhelmingly white and Black performers were not permitted to walk through the front doors of casinos in which they appeared. Today in America it is hard to imagine such a blunt daily affront to human dignity.

I remember in those days, Sammy Davis was appearing at the Mapes and they stayed at a Motel our on South Virginia. Mapes would furnish them a motorcycle escort in the evening to bring them to his hotel. I am not even sure if they could enter through the front door or had to use a side entrance. I remember that right after their show they left the hotel.

It;s odd, in a way, but I, and many others, never asked WHY? Anyone could come in and lose their money, except a negro, or a black, as they were called in those days, it just .... was. In some respects, I question myself as to why, I did not question it. It was a casino, we existed because people lost their money. We took money from Chinese, Indian, any race creed or color, but not blacks. Looking back, I can see no rationale in that policy. 

I corresponded with one of the Dominoes after I left Nevada for a time. I do wonder if that is Jeanette in that foto, or not. He passed away in 2002.

It is rolling around again ..... December 7

I imagine the number of people who vividly remember this date is dwindling. I am 79, born in 1932, and remember that day as if it were yesterday. As FDR said, "A date which will live in infamy."

I was in Greencastle, Indiana, along with my Mom and Dad, we were visiting my Brother Dean, who was attending DePauw University. We had just finished eating lunch in the Delta Tau Delta house dining room, my brother's fraternity. I was reclining on a big leather couch, suffering from a mild allergy attack from eating too may hot homemade Parker House rolls. I knew better, I was allergic to eggs, but could not resist those hot rolls.

News was coming in on the big Philco Radio in the large Commons Room, which was filled with many students and their parents. I remember hearing, Japan, Pearl Harbor, sneak attack, bombs, aircraft, words like devastation, casualties, ships sinking, words that would soon become commonplace.

The stillness in the crowded room, the expressions on faces, there was a foreboding feeling in the room that made me acutely aware that a disaster had happened, one that would have a dramatic affect on the young men in the room. I had a feeling that they sensed how this would affect their future, that their lives would never be the same, a life altering event.

I remember the three hour drive home, in a Packard Clipper, few to no words were exchanged between the three of us. We drove in silence. The country would soon be at war, and we all knew it. My Dad had served in WWI and knew of war, his Father, Caleb,  was in the Civil War, and Dad had heard many stories of the horror of that war. He was the most silent, he knew what the future held.

December 7, 1941, "A date which will live in infamy." We should never forget that date.

The Dominos at OSU may start to Fall - SOON

I can see this "domino effect" hovering over Columbus, Ohio and THE Ohio State University. It could have an effect on Smith, Griffin and Tressel, and perhaps even more, almost sure that some assistant coaches will become involved, if nothing other than "scapegoats." Captain Tressel may be the last one to leave the ship, or may even Smith. I think Archie was involved in some cover-up also.

Maybe not, just allegations so far, but the source of the allegations have rarely, if ever, been wrong, so there may be some truth to them.

I for one would not be surprised. I lost faith in their program when they got rid of Bruce and they way the did it.

I think the dominos will start falling soon. I think that Terrell will announce his intentions soon, regardless of his "declaration" and he may not be alone.

Who does the maintenance on Airwolf?

I'm watching reruns of Airwolf, the most sophisticated helicopter known to mankind. It is kept, in a cave in the sandy desert. String and Dom can fly it. Cannon, machine guns, intricate scanning and photographic capabilities, flies at great speeds, can maneuver, do anything.

It is ready whenever they need it, at a moments notice, they go to the cave, get in, somehow go straight up in a narrow cave and the rotors don't touch any of the narrow walls. It has anti-things it drops in case someone shoots something at it. Awesome, to say the least.

But there is just String and Dom, who does the maintenance on it. I know that jet airplanes take constant maintenance, a whole crew is available to work on a jet, but there is no one else in the cave, just the two of them.

Who and how is the maintenance done?

Billy Ward

Anyone remember Billy Ward and the Dominoes? Clyde McFatter, Jackie Wilson?

Deep Purple, St. Theresa of the Roses, Stardust, Sixty Minute Man, were some of their hits, they had a number of them and I think Billy wrote a lot of them.

I got to know them when they played the Golden Hotel in Reno. In those days, blacks could entertain, but they were not allowed to "mingle" with the customers in the room. The Golden was a hotel, and let them have rooms in the hotel. Not many did that in those days. I remember Sammy Davis and his uncle did their show at the Mapes and had to stay in a motel way out on Sough Virginia.

On a number of occasions we had Billy and his group out for dinner, not too many restaurants that we could go to together. They always enjoyed the home cooking, they loved my fried chicken, mashed potatoes, pan gravy, peas and biscuits.

A friend of a friend saw Billy's picture in the Reno Entertainment Section and was interested in meeting him. I arranged to go up to their room at the Golden after their last show of the evening, so that she could meet him. Mixed relationships were frowned on in those days, blacks were not even allowed in the casinos yet, so a mixed relationship was frowned on and difficult to work out, and she had a young daughter from a previous marriage. I think they eventually got married and moved to California, last I heard of them.

I corresponded with a couple of the Dominoes after I left an came back to Ohio, but eventually lost contact with them. They were a good lounge act, played well to the audience, good material and acknowledged their friends from the stage. Always thought that was smart.

The Gaylords, The Vagabonds, Louis Prima, Sam Butera, there were a lot of great lounge acts in those days, I wonder what they have today?