Dave Jackson

Jerry Dolby and Clara Reida interviewed March 2012.

On my most recent trip back home to southern Colorado, Pueblo-based record dealer, and dear friend, Joel Scherzer presented me with an album for my collection – one that would turn out to be probably my favorite find of the weeklong record search.

Dave Jackson Singing Folk Style Music - Morning Town Ride (Valerie VR 7000) is a collection of 16 songs of the genre. "Many of the songs selected are personal favorites, but there has been no attempt to display any of my own views or personal feelings," he writes on the back cover.

Included are Jackson's renditions of songs penned by Donovan ("Colours"), Tom Paxton ("I Wonder Where I'm Bound"), Rod McKuen ("Two-Ten, Six Eighteen"), Pete Seeger ("Turn Turn Turn"), as well as several traditional folk numbers.

The LP isn’t produced well. In fact, I dare say there is any production whatsoever to this album. It almost sounds like the recording was made in a closet. But the sad, loner vocals, and the barely audible guitar easily makes the record memorable.

Listen to a sample of "Man of Constant Sorrow"

I had to find out who Dave Jackson was. But there were few clues to go on. The album appeared to be a product of the Custer County Independent School District, based out of Westcliffe. The school’s science teacher, Jerry Dolby, is listed as the school sponsor of the recording.


“I did find the 1969 yearbook for Custer County High,” Dolby said. “The picture of Dave Jackson is the same as the one for a sixth grade teacher of the same name. I can find no evidence of his being on the faculty for more than one year.”

According to Dolby, the annual also shows a “Mrs. Dave Jackson” on the faculty, who was the pep club sponsor.

“I'm confident the class sold Dave's album as a fund raiser for a class trip.”

The cover art was done by Margaret Locarnini.

“Margaret was quite an artist, she was a super talented person,” said Clara Reida, who also worked at the school, and later bought a ranch with her, to raise horses. I remember there was a big brewhaha in the area, and she had to leave her job at Custer County, to go teach in Florence. Apparently the valley was being developed and a billboard was cut down, and how it was pinned it on Margaret I don’t know. But she had to leave her job.”

Attempts to locate Dave Jackson were unsuccessful.

The Cuerno Verde Ranch Presents Billy Thompson

In the early 1970s, Billy Thompson and his wife Katie were burned out from the daily grind of touring from town to town. Looking to settle down, after a country music career spanning some three decades, the couple moved to Colorado and set up shop at the King's Loft in Aurora.


After packing in crowds there (along with visually-impaired singer/guitarist Ray Cobb, drummer Mike Turner, Steve McCaskey on bass fiddle, and guitarist Ronnie Miller) they got the call from the Cuerno Verde Ranch to bring their act down south.


Located 10 miles south of Westcliffe, and sprawling across 4000 acres, the club attracted tourists to its sauna baths, tennis courts, rodeos and abundant wildlife. Known also for its nightly live music, nabbing Thompson, who was previously the longtime guitarist for Hank Thompson (no relation) and the Brazos Valley Boys, would have given the club a star draw.

Thompson started his musical career with the West Texas-based Melody Cowboys (along with Red Hayes, Troy Jordan, Donnie McDaniel, Bobby McBay, Havey Grosman and Lloyd Jordan) , who became regulars on the Wichita Falls-based Sam Gibbs Orchestra Service tour. The band (who later morphed into the Melody Ramblers), and Thompson as a solo act, recorded for the Odessa Bo-Kay label (104 - "Love Gone Blind" / "Waltzing with Sin" and 115 - "Oh Lonesome Me" / "Worried Over You"), and in 1960 on Slim Willet's Winston label (Winston 1048 - "I Should Have Told You").

(For a wonderful archive of Billy Thompson photos, visit Jim Loessberg's Pedal Steel Guitar site).

It was during this time that Billy met Katie Jean, who sang for Bob Wills - who at the time was managed by Sam Gibbs.


While his King's Loft bandmates Cobb, Turner and McCaskey decided to stay put in Denver, the couple enlisted Jimmy Dee on drums to accompany Ronnie Miller for the Cuero Verde Ranch gigs.

The Thompsons then re-released their King's Loft LP with a different album cover for their Cuerno Verde Ranch audience.


Both albums feature the same 14 song line-up, recorded live (at the King's Loft).

(Credits lead singer/performer)

Side One:
Betcha My Heart - Katie Thompson
Statue of a Fool - Billy Thompson
Satisfaction - Ray Cobb
Easy on my Mind - Steve McCaskey
Togetherness - Billy and Katie
I Can See Clearly Now - Ronnie Miller
Auctioneer - Ray Cobb

Side Two:
Walk on By - Billy Thompson
Sweet Dreams - Katie Thompson
Fishing Blues - Steve McCaskey
Singing my Song - Katie Thompson
She's Got to be a Saint - Ray Cobb
Isle of Golden Dreams - Katie Thompson
Behind Closed Doors - Ray Cobb

Listen to "Betcha My Heart"

Listen to "I Can See Clearly Now"

Billy Thompson died September 16, 1989.
He was inducted into the West Texas Music Hall of Fame.

Katie Thompson was inducted in the Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest Hall of Fame in 2003.

Ronnie Miller went on to play with Charley Pride.

Jimmy Dee was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, for his own 1950s and 1960s recordings. His whereabouts are unknown.

COMING NEXT POST: The Steel City Band