History
Origins
The Chessmen were formed in early 1964 by students at North Texas State University (now University of North Texas), in the town of Denton, approximately twenty five miles from Dallas. The original lineup included Robert Patton from Midland in West Texas on rhythm guitar and vocals, Ron DiIulio on keyboards, Tommy Carrigan on drums, Tommy Carter on bass. Carter would be the only member to remain with the band throughout their whole tenure, playing with them until their breakup in 1968. They began playing at sports events such as basketball games and football pre-game rallies. In early 1965 they signed a contract with George Rickrich, owner of the Fine Arts Theatre in Denton, who became their manager. Rickrich had them play between movie screenings. He hired a photographer to take promotional shots and began booking them for shows outside of Denton.Recording
Rickrich immediately arranged a deal with Bismarck Records to record their first single, a version of the Drifters’ hit "Save The Last Dance For Me", backed by a female chorus. On the flip side was an atmospheric instrumental ballad, "Dreams And Wishes" composed by guitarist Robert Patton. Ron DiIulio left the Chessmen shortly thereafter, but remained at North Texas State, forming two short-lived bands, first the Rejects and then the New Sound in 1966. He later joined Noel Odom & the Group and the Bad Habits from his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana. After keyboardist Ron DiIulio left the band in May 1965, the band auditioned several musicians to replace him, but on guitars, not keyboards during the intervening months between May and July. At this time the group received several write-ups in the Denton Record-Chronicle that on listed three guitarists appearing with them on different occasions: Jimmy Herbert (mentioned as "Jimmy Kay"), Ricky Marshall, and Richard Dace. Jim Herbert won the spot and joined the band as lead guitarist. Drummer Tom Carrigan met Jim Herbert while seeing him play various gigs around the NTSU campus, and invited Herbert to a band rehearsal at his mother’s house, which was located just off the campus. The group's new lineup consisted of Herbert on guitar, Patton on guitar and vocals, Carter on bass and vocals, and Carrigan on drums. It was with this lineup that the Chessmen recorded their best known song "I Need You There", written by Norris Green, which appeared on their next single on Bismark's B.R.S. label, backed with the acoustic guitar-embellished ballad, "Sad" written by Patton and Carter. On "I Need You There", Patton sang the lead vocal and Herbert supplied the song's signature guitar licks. The night they recorded "I Need You There", Delbert McClinton and the Ron-Dels were in the next studio recording "If You Really Want Me To I’ll Go". On stage Patton, Herbert, and Carter alternated on lead vocals for most of the band's repertoire, and the three occasionally did harmonies. The group began appearing regularly at all-ages dances at the Spinning Wheels Skating Rink on North Elm St in Denton. In October 1965, they recorded a song that was never released, "You’re No Good". At the end of 1965 Jim Herbert left the band and became a member of the Pit Club’s house band, the Pitmen and later joined Galen Jeter’s Brass Blues Band. Johnny Peebles replaced Herbert on lead guitar. Drummer Tommy Carrigan also departed at this time, and was replaced by Doyle Bramhall. With this new lineup they made an appearance of the ''Sump’n Else'' TV show hosted by Ron Chapman. Their next single featured "You’re Gonna Be Lonely", on the A-side, which was written by Knox Henderson (who also co-wroteDeath of Robert Patton and entry of Jimmie Vaughan
The group's situation was dramatically altered by the loss of their leader Robert Patton, who in a late night incident on April 19, 1966, drowned at after falling off of a sailboat in White Rock Lake in Dallas. Patton had been sailing with fellow NTSU students in his school fraternity. Though some rumored it to be a hazing incident, one of the students on board the boat, John Hargiss maintains: :I was with Robert the night of the accident that took his life. There was no hazing. Robert had already been through pledgeship along with me and Mike McGrew. We were fully initiated brothers in Sigma Phi Epsilon as were the other two members of our party that night. Robert drowned when he fell out of the boat after our boat left a wind puff at 45 degrees. Three of us were all leaning over the elevated side of the boat to right it and thus avoid capsizing (called ‘hiking out’ in sailing terms). Exiting the wind puff at great speed, the boat then smacked down hard in the water. This sudden jar caused Robert to flip head over heels. I know this because he was right beside me and I almost went over too. We made all efforts possible, throwing out life preservers, reversing course, etc. However, we never saw him again. The Chessmen continued, in spite of the tragedy. The replacement for Patton was Jimmie Vaughan from Oak Cliff, brother ofLater developments and legacy
Jimmie Vaughan, Tommy Carter and Bill Etheridge formed a1964
*Robert Patton (guitar and vocals) *Ron DiIulio (keyboards) *Tommy Carter (bass) *Tommy Carrigan (drums)1965 (transition)
*Robert Patton (guitar and vocals) *Jimmy Kay (aka Jimmy Kay Herbert) (guitar) *Ricky Marshall (guitar) *Richard Dace (guitar) *Tommy Carter (bass and vocals) *Tom Carrigan (drums)1965
*Robert Patton (guitar and vocals) *Jim Herbert (guitar and vocals) *Tommy Carter (bass and vocals) *Tom Carrigan (drums)1966
*Robert Patton (guitar and vocals) *Johnny Peebles (guitar) *Tommy Carter (bass and vocals) *Doyle Bramhall (drums and vocals)1966-1967
* Jimmie Vaughan (lead guitar) *Johnny Peebles (guitar) *Tommy Carter (bass and vocals) *Doyle Bramhall (drums and vocals)1967-1968
*Jimmie Vaughan (lead guitar) *Bill Etheridge (rhythm guitar, keyboards, and vocals) *Tommy Carter (bass and vocals) *Doyle Bramhall (drums and vocals)Discography
*"I Need You There" b/w "Sad" (Bismark 1012, October 1965) *"You're Gonna Be Lonely" b/w "No More" (B.R.S. 1014, April 1966) *"No More" b/w "When You Lost Someone You Love" (Bismark 1015, September 1966)References
Bibliography
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chessmen, The Musical groups from Denton, Texas Garage rock groups from Texas Rock music groups from Texas Musical groups established in 1964 Musical groups disestablished in 1968