In 1965, Homer Derry James and I were close neighborhood friends. We enjoyed playing and practicing together at his house. After meeting Gray Hurley, he introduced me to James Michael "Mike" McMahan. I next introdeuced Mike to Derry and we started practicing in the basement at my house. While talking to Lonnie Linsey about playing keyboard, he introduced us to Bobby Ray Burgess. A little while we met Frank "Frankie" Gorman and evntually Bobby's brother Jerry joined us.
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| The Shags: Terry Ottinger, Frankie Gorman, Bobby Burgess and Mike McMahan |
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Terry Ottinger Recalls The Shags
Our band was named The Shags, after Mike's uncle Stanley "Shag" McNabb. Not long after Derry James, our drummer and sometimes lead singer, left the band for college and the Air Force. The members of The Shags in order of joining the band:
Terry Ottinger - bass guitar and vocal
Mike McMahan - lead singer, lead and rhythm guitar
Bobby Burgess - rhythm and lead guitar and vocals
Frankie Gorman - drums and vocals
Jerry Burgess - keyboard and vocals
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| The Shags |
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We had several managers. Mike's uncle, Gene "Wompo" Laymen was our band's first manager. He started instilling in us the importance of being dependable and business-minded.
Frank Gorman, Sr. and Dennis Burgess were our next managers. They managed us when we competed in the 1966 Tennessee State Championship Battle of the Bands. We were selected from among 29 statewide bands to participate against three finalist groups. We finished first runner-up to The Oakridge Rogues on June 3, 1966. The Master of Ceremonies was Joanie Perkle of WNOX Radio fame in Knoxville, Tennessee. The event was hosted by the Oakrdige Jaycees.
Clinton Frnacis was our next manager. We again competed in the 1967 Tennessee State Championship Battle of the Bands held in Oakridge.
Matt Osborne and Jack Brockwell of Matt/Jac Productions followed and became managers of both The Shags and The Night Mist.
Bobby and Jerry left The Shags, leaving three remaining members: Mike McMahan, lead singer and lead guitar; Frankie Gorman, drums and vocals; and Terry Ottinger, bass guitar and vocals. We then changed the name of the band to Night Mist and recorded our only record on the M-F-T label. The songs 'Janie' and 'Last Night' were recorded at the Vibrant Recording Studio in Newport Tennessee.
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| The Shags |
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