Album Notes

Speedro is a songwriter from Pflugerville, TX. He was born in East Tennessee, only miles from the birthplace of names such as Chet Adkins, Roy Acuff, Dolly Parton, Archie Campbell and Kenny Chesney.

It was with friends at Central High School in the mid 1960s that a group called the Chimes was formed. The band covered songs by STAX and MOTOWN recording artists. A management agreement soon followed that had the group working closely with WNOX DJ Johnny Pirkle. Johnny later became a successful station owner and businessman in his own right. He had a true passion for developing local talent. AT WNOX he also met DJ and future record producer Rob Galbraith.

WNOX had a long history in country music. Chet Adkins, Don Gibson, Kitty Wells, Sonny James, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Bill Carlisle, Homer and Jethro, and many others got their start there. But by this time, the station was playing top 40.

During the day, Speedro was going to the University of Tennessee majoring in music theory and composition. He studied music composition under Dr. David Van Vactor, conductor of the Knoxville Symphony for 25 years and the founder of the University's School of Music. He also marched in the University's Pride of the Southland Marching Band.

His band was featured on several local television shows and by the late '60s, the Chimes had done shows with artists such as the Dave Clark Five, Herman's Hermits, and the Box Tops. They found themselves in demand from Atlanta to Detroit.