"The Diamonds Four" November 1970-March 1972

The Diamonds Four 1971
Fred, Wayne, Chad. Larry
1971 We were the 1st band to play the Holiday Inn, Merrillville, IN now the Star Plaza Theater.
This version of The Diamonds Four were Fred Bible, Chad Jones, Wayne Youngblood, and me.

This was my first job on the road playing drums. Fred Bible was the band leader, he treated and paid me very well. For a guy in my early 20’s and single this was the dream gig. Playing drums, being paid well, staying and working in 1st class hotels, eating in restaurants, sleeping till noon, what could have been better at my age?  Some of my fondest memories were with these guys like when actor Strother Martin (Cool Hand Luke) came and visited with us on a break and a TV show with Hank Aaron in Atlanta and doing a radio show with the real Minnesota Fats in St. Louis. Sadly to say the other three are gone and we stayed friends until their passings in the early 2000’s.

Me , Wayne, and Fred a few months before Wayne's passing in 2009, Fred passed in 2012. Chad passed in 2002.

The cities we worked in the 1 1/2 years

St. Louis, MO
Norfolk, VA
Smithtown, Long Island, NY
Altoona, PA
Albany, NY
York, PA
Greenville, SC
Biloxi, MS
Atlanta, GA
Fort Walton Beach, FL

Mobile, AL
Akron, OH
Merrillville, IN
Phoenix, AZ
Muskegon, MI
Euclid, OH
Buffalo, NY
Southpoint, OH
Columbus, OH