Wendell Byrd

[Charles Duinn]

If anyone has photos or articles of the late Wendell Byrd the B3 Hammond organ player from Pittsburgh, Pa., please send me a copy via email to [e-mail].

The Wendell Byrd that I am speaking of played the organ with his feet and his signature song was Ebb Tide. Wendell had two other brothers, Perry and Jerry Byrd.
His brother, Jerry Byrd played the guitar with Freddie Cole and his trio for about 20 years.

[Charles Duinn]

If anyone has photos or articles of Wendell Byrd please email me at [e-mail]

[Ronald L Wingfield]

I Played guitar with wendell at the LOFT LOUNGE on Homewood AVE, in Pittsburgh, I don't have any pictures, but i have lots of personal information. Ronny Wingfield.

[JOHN PAPI]

Hey Ronald
John Papi I guess we both knew and loved Wendell, I was just talking to Jack Pettit Guitarest that also played with Wendell on the road a long time ago, and he had a ton of story about Wendell And all great ones..Check out my site ,there a lot Wendell showed me.. God Bless John Papi

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

Yes Ronnie,

I remember when you played with Wendell at the Loft. In fact you were in his last group before he was killed is it not? your stories are very important to keeping his legacy alive. That's what we're trying to do on this network so that the world will know the real truth.

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

Charles,

Your discussion is a very important one for this network and I hope others weigh in on it. I grew up with the Byrd brothers and we were all close as family. Jerry and I were in kindergarten together and we started our professional musical careers in the same band, playing our first night club together in 1954 and joining the musicians union together at 15 years of age. Actually Jerry was a few months my elder and had just turned 16 the week before. Since I was the bandleader, I just let them assume that he was the younger of us.

Perry was a wonderful baritone singer who preferred to sing religious music which made their father, Rev. Byrd very happy. Rev. Byrd was never too thrilled about Wendell and Jerry playing all that jazz. Jerry got his first guitar in 5th grade and the first song he learned was "Home on the Range" by Gene Autry. When Wendell was about 12 or 13 he studied piano from a teacher who lived on the hill behind our house. We could hear his lessons while we were out playing cowboys or throwing ball. I'll never forget the first concert he play at our house for the family. He played and sang "Bald Head" by Professor Longhair and we laughed all day. I didn't learn until 20 years later where he got that song and that Professor Longhair's real name was Henry Rowland Byrd. Somehow much of the R & B we heard on the radio in the 40s - early 50s was New Orleans R & B (Fats Domino, etc.)

I have about an hour of Wendell's playing on tape in my archive. He formed the Wendell Byrd Quartet in 1971 featuring Jerry - guitar, Tom Soisson - drums and me on trombone. We played the Crawford Grill, the Hurricane, the Florentine, Checkers in Market Square and a few other rooms in the Burgh. I really wish I had a tape of his classic version of Ebb Tide. No one on earth ever played it better than that. And most people would not believe that he played like he did backward and with his feet like you said but it's all true.

Perry died, I believe, even before Wendell was killed.

Jerry left Freddie Cole and moved to Thailand last year. I'm hoping to get him to join us here on the network. There is a picture of Wendell & Jerry in the Teenie Harris Collection playing at the Crawford Grill as part of the Rahsaan Roland Kirk Quartet.

Jerry and I were mentored by the great Judge Warren Watson when he was a law student. He always returned to the well when he was in town. (see below)

[J. Malls]

I have a Wendell Byrd 45 that was made in Arizona (if my memory serves me correct). I've showed it to Nelson before. Unfortunately it's pretty beat up and it doesn't play very well, but I can provide you with a label scan. It's the only copy that I've ever come across.

[J. Malls]

There's actually a scan of it on the current Interval flier. Top right corner.

[John Bailes]

I looked at a picture of the Interval Flier on the internet but couldn't make out most of the the print on the label. The Record label name appears to be Davanna. I am guessing that the record is actually credited to the Wendell Byrd - Dave Cook Duo. Is that correct?
And what are the song titles and the Davanna catalog number? I have had this one on my want list for awhile but have been lacking the details that I just inquired about. The late Jazz organist Winston Walls, who I managed for many years and who was from my hometown of Charleston, West Virginia, played in Pittsburgh a lot in the 1960's and 70's and later told me stories about Wendell's incredible playing and showmanship. I have had a fascination with Wendell ever since and would love to find a copy of this 45.

[JOHN PAPI]

MAN , WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU COULD DOWNLOAD WENDELL 'S TAPE ON THIS WEB SITE, EVEN JUST A FEW MINUTES, AND THEN ALL THE HAMMOND GUYS COULD HEAR WHAT A TRESURE HE WAS.. JOHN PAPI

[allen lloyd]

I'm originally from east lberty and lived in phoenix az in 1968 to 70. I wondered into the apollo lounge in scottsdale where wendell bryd performed. I I returned on many occasions } I never knew where he was from and i never forgot his name. Over the years I have googled him. I assumed a man with his talents would have made a name for himself nationally, but never found results til now. It blew my mind that he was prom pittsburgh. What a great showman.