Johnny Rebel was born in 1938, in Moss Bluff, Louisiana, as Clifford Trahan. Unofficially, his musical career got it's start at age 13 when, despite his mother's warnings that, "They're gonna laugh your little coon-ass off the stage, Clifford.", he won his first amatuer singing contest, and raced all the way home clutching his $15.00 in prize money. (And for a 13 year old in 1951, $15.00 was nothing to sneeze at!). From that point on, he was hooked. Officially, his musical career got it's start in Crowley,La., when he recorded 'Tag Along" for J.D. Miller on the Todd label in his late teens. (There is also supposed to be a purple label 45 release of Tag Along, on Miller's Zynn label, though this was released later.) Moving on to Nashville, Tennessee, he had the opportunity to cut two more singles for the Todd label, under the pseudo-name Jericho Jones, at the age of 20. These recordings were Black Magic + one, and The Blues Knocked On My Door + one. As original Todd 45's, they're extremely rare, and hard to find today (As a matter of fact, he said HE doesn't even have a copy.), but they can be found on some compilation lp's of old southern country/rockabilly releases, primarily in Europe. Additionally, Black Magic has turned up on several compilation e.p.'s over the years, on labels such as Lucky Four, Redita, and others, both stateside and abroad. (Again, mostly as bootlegs.)
Not long after, he returned to Crowley, and began recording and songwriting with the late J.D. Miller. He recorded numerous country/rockabilly (or swampbilly, as it's often referred to) sides with Miller, which were released under the names Johnny Blaine (on Viking, and Ringo Records, in the early 60's), Johnny 'PeeWee' Blaine (Also on Viking, in the early 60's), PeeWee TraYhan (On Wildwood Records, in the early 60's) and as PeeWee Trahan (On Flyright Records, recorded in the early 60's, but not released until Flyright was purchased by an English outfit in the early 70's, when they were dug out of J.D. Miller's extensive vault of old master's, and released.) which appeared on many of the lp's in 'The Legendary Jay Miller Sessions' recordings' on the well-known,now-defunct Flyright label. Among these titles were White Lightnin', Tag Along, I'm Gonna Learn, Bop and Rock Tonite, Swingin' Doors, and It's a Great Big Love. All of these early recordings of Clifford Trahan's had a decidedly rockabilly-ish sound to them, very unlike his later recordings on Rebel, X-Rated, and Master-Trax would sound. The fact is, they were just recordings made on the spur-of -the-moment, in one take, with the full band, (Most of these recordings released on Flyright were tapes of Clifford Trahan, and J.D. Miller's other studio musicians, who were on call at that time, working on other projects.), when they were just screwing around in the studio. Miller, and the fellows at Flyright, would just dig them out and release them as part of these compilation lp's, when the mood struck them, thruoghout the 70's. Although Clifford Trahan remarks in the interview on their lack of 'quality'... for a bunch of guys just 'screwing around', they're certainly very impressive recordings.
About this time (the early to mid-sixties) is when things took an interesting twist at J.D. Miller's now famous little studio in Crowley, La.. To quote: "Reb Rebel Records were recorded, and produced, by J.D. Miller...the influential Louisiana songwriter, studio operator, and record executive. He was also Excello Record's biggest and best source of material. He stamped the label with his signature sound and style that has become Excello's best legacy from the 1950's and 60's. J.D. Miller recorded some of the finest downhome blues, R&B, rockabilly, and swamp pop from it's stable of artists:Slim Harpo, Arthur Gunter, The Gladiola's, Lonesome Sundown, Al Ferrier, Guitar Gable, Johnny Jano,Lazy Lester, Lightnin' Slim, Silas Hogan, and many, many more.
The strange part is that all the while he was recording these great black swamp classics, he was also recording sessions for the Klan-based Reb Rebel Records. There were some 20 releases spanning 1964-1972 on the odd-beat label. Some were very in-your-face Klan releases, while others were simply down-South patriotic pieces." Among those sometimes controversial recordings were, of course, the 'For Segregationists Only' lp, and the 21 singles released by Rebel Records from Happy Fats, Son of Mississippi, James Crow, and Mr. Johnny Rebel himself. (a.k.a.: Clifford Trahan) |
