YTN-Okay, and what ended the series? Why was number 520 the last?
JR-Probably, I imagine 2 reasons...I imagine he was gettin' a little bit of heat, cause,, you know, one time the attorney general of the United States...Bobby Kennedy..sent somebody down here...to check out these records. Somewhere on one of my songs I said "jack-ass" Now, "jack-ass" was pretty risque back in the 60's. I mean, I have a song on the Viking label called "Lonely Streets of Hell", and they wouldn't play it, because it said "hell". They wouldn't play it.
YTN-Okay, and what record were they looking into of yours, exactly?
JR-Lookin' For a Handout, I think, or Kajun KKK. I think it was Lookin' For a Handout. You see, a deejay in Kansas City played it on the air, and a member of C.O.R.E. heard it...
YTN-CORE? What does that stand for?
JR-Aw, it's just another one of these groups...like the NAACP. I don't even know if it still exists. So, they called Mr. Miller, and they came down here, and they said we were recording 'vulgar' records. Okay? Cause I used the word "jack-ass" in 'em. Well, jack-ass isn't a bad word, it's in the Bible, you know. (Laughs at the silliness of it.) But, anyway, they came down and listened to it and told me "Nothing...not a thing wrong with this." There was nothing you could do about it. You could use the word nigger, and all that stuff, but not jack-ass...but this is America...
YTN-So they came down, and they were looking into the curse word, but not a thing about the word nigger? They didn't have a problem with the word nigger, just the curse word?
JR-Just the curse word! (Everyone laughing at the silliness of this, as well.)
YTN-Now, as far as I know, you only did 12 songs as Johnny Rebel. Is that correct?
JR-Yes. Just the 12.
YTN-There's some sites that have as many as 30 songs listed by you. Anyway, where, and when, were you born?
JR- Right here in Louisiana. Moss Bluff, right outside Lake Charles. 1938.
YTN-How old were you when you recorded for Rebel records?
JR-28. I would have been 28 in 1966.
YTN-A lot of people are under the impression you were in your fifties at that time.
JR-Nope. 28.
YTN-Now, were you ever interviewed as Johnny Rebel, was there any publicity of any sort, when you were doing this?
JR-Yes. There weren't any flyers, or anything like that...but,uh...the Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan came down here one time, and made me an honorary member of the Ku Klux Klan...his name was ------------- ------------- in those days...but also, in the late 60's, they were playing my records at one of the Carolina State Fairs...and there was a bunch of crap going on around there...blacks and such...and CBS went and covered that...So I'm back home barbequein' with some friends, and damned if they're not playng my record on CBS!! And they're talking about the racial records that they're making down here...
YTN-And you know they were playng your stuff on Howard Stern about a week ago?They called David Allen Coe at home to ask him if he knew who you were...
JR-(Laughing loudly at the thought of it.) Yeah. ------ called me at home and said, "You know the bastards crazy. If he finds out who you are and how to get a hold of you, he's liable to call you over for an interview. (Still laughing loudly)
YTN-Yeah, I had a couple folks write me and ask if they should contact them, but I didn't think that would go over too well with you. They got him, and that female black co-host on there, and they make a living getting people on there and tearing them apart...limb from limb...I didn't think it'd be something you'd be keen on doing.....(Everyone still laughing at the thought of Howard Stern interviewing Johnny Rebel.) I thought that might be a bit much. Might be more attention than you ever wanted.
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