The Crackerjacks were a 1960s

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

group. Band members included organist-bassist

Bobby Sowell Robert G. Lee Sowell (born July 8, 1947) is an American musician, pianist and composer. He spent much of his early years playing rockabilly piano in the late 1950s, playing organ in rock-and-roll bands in the 1960s and playing piano in numero ...

, lead guitarist David Preola, lead singer Jerry Stamson, and drummer

Roy Yeager Roy Yeager (born February 4, 1949) is an American musician and record producer. His musical career started off when he moved to Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 14. Yeager met Bobby Sowell in high school in 1964 and soon they were playing gig ...

. They gained popularity in 1966–67, regularly appearing on Memphis WHBQ TV Talent Party with George Klien (also a popular radio DJ and friend of

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

). They won the

Mid-South Fair The Mid-South Fair is a fair that was held for many years in Memphis, Tennessee, every year in late September and early October. It is now held in neighboring northwest Mississippi. It hosts many shows and attractions, as well as different type ...

in 1966 for best group. The Crackerjacks had no bass player; Bobby Sowell played bass and organ at the same time. The group was short lived due to several reasons. Sowell was drafted in 1968, Preola also was drafted into the Army, Stampson went into the restaurant business and Yeager went with the group Lobo and the southern rock band

Atlanta Rhythm Section Atlanta Rhythm Section (or ARS) is an American Southern rock band formed in 1970 by Rodney Justo (singer), Barry Bailey (guitar), Paul Goddard (bass), Dean Daughtry (keyboards), Robert Nix (drums) and J. R. Cobb (guitar). The band's current l ...

. Sowell was inducted into the

Rockabilly Hall of Fame The Rockabilly Hall of Fame is an organization and website launched on March 21, 1997, to present early rock and roll history and information relating to the artists and personalities involved in rockabilly. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennesse ...

in 2002. The Crackerjacks are featured in a rock book, ''History of Memphis Bands, 1960-72'' by Ron Hall, available at bookstores.

Early band history

The Crackerjacks were formed out of another popular 1960s Memphis garage band, ''The Out Of Its'', in 1965–66. Besides

, David Preola and

, other members included brothers Ricky and Micky Caughron and bass player Murphy Odom. They were a popular band with area colleges and universities, traveling the Mid-South in Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee. They won several Memphis area battles of the bands. Personal conflicts and other factors lead to their breakup. Micky Caughron, Ricky Caughron and Murphy went with other bands while Sowell, Preola and Yeager formed The Crackerjacks, adding Jerry Stampson to the mix. Eventually, Fred Prouty replaced Yearger on drums and occasionally,

Bobby Whitlock Robert Stanley Whitlock (born March 18, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as a member of the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos, with Eric Clapton, in 1970–71. Whitlock's musical career began with Memph ...

also sang with them. They also performed regularly at the club The Roaring 60's. Whitlock went on to play keyboards with Derek and the Dominoes,

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

and the

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

.Bobby Whitlock Official Website
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References

Selected reading

* ''History of Memphis Bands: 1960 - 1975'' by Ron Hall (2003) Memphis, TN. * ''Bobby Sowell Rockabilly Biography:'' Bob Timmers (2002 )

External links

Bobby Sowell Official Website
* Roy Yeager - Credits & Achievements
History of Memphis Bands 1960-75
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crackerjacks, The American rhythm and blues musical groups Musical groups from Memphis, Tennessee