60's Culture: WHBQ AM & George Klein

What's wrong with this picture?

Paul: This picture of G.K. and the Pod Girls is a total HOOT! I don't remember, what was a Pod Girl? I recognized Sula first...then Linda...then Jan...and...uh...Okay, is that B.J. or Nancy on the far left? Who is that next to Sula? And who is on George Klein's right - is that Dora? Mare?

B.J.: Where did this come from? I have no recollection of this whatsoever. It must be fake. But, I do recognize everyone, I think. It's me, Linda, Dora, George, Jan, Ellen, and Sula. Please somebody refresh my memory!

THE STORY OF HOW THIS PICTURE HAPPENED

From: Dora To: Sula , Nancii , Jan, Linda
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006

OK SULA YOU CAN SETTLE THIS ARGUMENT JAN AND NANCII AND I HAD. NANCII AND I SAID "THE PLACE" WAS RIGHT OUTSIDE OF GOLDSMITHS IN MEMPHIS. I WAS TELLING THEM ABOUT YOU AND EDIE AND ME GOING THERE AND EDIE PLAYING LIKE SHE WAS FROM ENGLAND. JAN SAID NO, "THE PLACE" WAS LOCATED IN LEVYS AND THERE WERE CLOTHES THERE. NANCII AND I SAID NO IT WAS RIGHT OUTSIDE AND AROUND CORNER FROM GOLDSMITHS AND NO CLOTHES WERE IN THERE. IT WAS JUST A TEENAGE CLUB THING WITH GEORGE KLINE. OK SO WHO IS RIGHT?

Sula: I don't know the name of the place where George Klein had those parties-- But where we went...and this was before we could drive as I recall because Edie's mother took us I think...so we must have been 14 or 15. George Klein broadcasted on AM radio. AM 56 I think...WREG ? He was broadcasting live when those parties were going on. It was like a radio Dick Clark thing. It was in the building where WREG had the radio station...and there was a marquee out front over the door like a V, the old fashioned kind with WREG on it and then where you could put letters up announcing things...anyway, it was the WREG radio offices...you went inside the door and if you went upstairs it was to the radio station...but they had taken the basement and made it into this kids party place where George Klein was in a booth. The place was so crowded though you could hardly move and it was very hard to even see George Klein at all in the mass of people... Was the WREG radio offices were across from Levy's? If you were going down the street and Levy's was on your right...I'm thinking this place was on the left?

Linda (Rosica) Machen: I don't remember Levy's being right next to Goldsmith's. I thought is was on down the street. I do remember the teen place but couldn't recall where it was. Ya'll are a lot better than me. I do remember being really ugly and Judy said Jan, E, Annette & I were gay. I'm going to beat her butt the next time I see her.

Jan (Greene) Sprott: THE CLOTHES WERE NOT IN THE BAND AREA---THEY WERE OFF THE ELEVATOR--YOU WENT LEFT AROUND THE CORNER---LIKE SOUTHEAST BEHINE THE ELEVATORS MAYBE -AND MAYBE DOWN A LITTLE --BUT NOT LIKE STAIRS TO THE BAND STAGE AREA WHERE I SAW THE BOXTOPS ETC. DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU WERE---PROBABLY ALREADY IN AN UNDERGROUND BAR--- BUT IT IS IMPRINTED IN MY HEAD AND BESIDES ANNETTE KNOWS I AM RIGHT---WE WERE THERE TOGETHER A FEW TIMES. LOVE, YOUR INTELLIGENT FRIEND, JAN

Dora: You are only using directions like south east to sound intelligent and make me think you are right. Oh what you will not stoop to prove you are right when you are so wrong. Nancii and I always walked out of Goldsmiths around the corner and the door was on the same side and you walked down some stairs and into the club. YOU were probably in a gay bar!!!!!!

Jan (Greene) Sprott: Wasn't Levy's on the left side of the street: on the (sorry Dora) West side of the street? I am getting tired and it is still morning!

Dora: I really don't know directions at all. I just know by landmarks and that is why I know where The Place was.

Sula: Boy my memory is so shot! ...there was a teenage club in downtown Memphis called the Roaring 60's--- so maybe that's where you all saw the Box Tops? And so maybe we are talking about 2 different places?

Jan: Well I think we must be, too but what I can['t figure out is: Why do I not remember the Goldsmith one? And they don't remember the Levy's one? I would think we would have gone to both---the Levy's one was sort of a ramp you went down west of the elevators and then behind them. It had chairs and a little stage for the band--Cokes and Popcorn I think----I don't remember a dance floor. Annette, look at your emails---do you??????????? Annette really doesn't have the best memory, bless her heart. I have to remember a lot for her. But NO ONE has a memory like Dora--she just gets a little--- confused----- sometimes

Dora: JAN WE WENT TO "THE PLACE" AND THAT MUST HAVE BEEN ANOTHER CLUB WHERE YOU WENT. THE ONE SULA IS TALKING ABOUT. DONT HAVE ON GLASSES AND CANT GET THE CAP KEY OFF. I LOVE YALL. OH JAN DO YOU AND ANNETTE REMEMBER US DRESSING UP LIKE HULABALOO GIRLS IN ANNETTE'S BASEMENT FOR LAURIE'S BIRTHDAY- 10TH GRADE- AND SAYING WE WERE THOSE GIRLS????
Linda: The underground club (Roaring 60's) is not the one where we were either. I don't even remember a dance floor--just chairs...

Dora: You know I do remember two places. In Levys you did go from inside the store down some steps and there was this little place where they would have bands and you could drink cokes BUT there was also the one right behind Goldsmith's that you entered from the street and went down some steps it was The PLACE. George Kline would be there at least he was when I went. only went about three or four times. I remember Sula, Edie and I think Nancii was with me one time.

Sula: They had bands at the Orpheum in the daytime too a few times...It was the Malco back then I think...I remember going with Edie once to hear some big thrill band (I wasn't hip to them) and we rushed out to wait by the back stage door after the concert cause Edie wanted to meet one of the band members & when he came out all sweating & stuff, there were a million girls rushing at him, and Edie told me to put her name & phone number in his coat pocket. I had to hustle cause there were all these girls storming them and I quickly stuffed it in his coat pocket...and he felt it and looked around and I ran...god, the things that Edie talked me into! I remember that guy looked around coming out of that stage door like rabbit in a pack of hounds...he just stood around dazed and all these teenage girls were cackling around the band members trying to get out of there.

You all remember the George Klein WHBQ Cuties? Here's a picture of them I found on the internet.

Dora: Weren't they on Dance Party too?

Jan: Well I just have one question -- why weren't WE in that picture!

Sula: No problem -- give me a minute and you will be with the magic of PhotoShop. Etta's Little Rock friends call people from F.C. the "Pod People" cause we all seem to have some kind of strange bond like in that movie, the "Bodysnatchers." So I'll just make us the Pod Girls instead of the WHBQ Cuties. The only pictures of I have of you all is the one from last November.

Dora: Sula, Ellen and Nancii look the best!! How do you do that? Linda's head looks little with all that hair for her face and my head is big for the hair but ...Jan's looks like a real pic and so does Ellen. I mean looks like it was made like that. So does Nancii. Damn, that is good!

Sula: Well, I had to use 55 year old heads to put on the 16 year old bodies...

Dora: You know we are in our mid-50's and Linda is so pretty and Jan is still so beautiful.

Linda: O.K. so I haven't checked my email in a few days. I saw this picture & thought--OMG, I don't remember this and then looked at what is supposed to be my legs and thought damn, I didn't know I looked that good. I guess the picture made me look 20 pounds bigger. Then I scrolled down. I wish I could have looked that good. I would have even lived with that hair. Then Tally Turk would have like me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND, DORA, you said I am pretty & Jan is beautiful. Excuse me, Jan is NOT beautiful. She is only a little cute---tiny tiny little bit cute. AND, it is WAY TOO MUCH fun being around high school friends. It's like we never left. When I first looked at that picture with George Cline I thought Dora was Sallie Bridgforth.

Sula: I got too loose with the smudge tool... Nancy looks like BJ now and Dora looks like Sallie! Hell, all you white girls look alike anyway. Or maybe something was in those peaches...Pod Girls.

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