RHYTHM ACE LOOKS FOR PAL.Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
The last time Bill saw Vince was at Chuck's funeral. It was just the two of them now - the last original members of the Rhythm Aces, a singing group formed in 1948 on stormy seas in the hull of a military ship bound for Germany and for service at a checkpoint on the Berlin Wall. ``I had heard Vince had been sick, but when he walked by me at Chuck's funeral I didn't recognize him,'' Bill Steward said Monday in his Sherman Oaks condo as he looked through some old newspaper clippings featuring the Rhythm Aces. ``I didn't realize what I had done until I heard someone say, `Hey, Bo.' That was his nickname for me. I turned around and was never so embarrassed in my life. He had cancer and had lost all his hair from chemotherapy. He just looked totally different. ``I felt like 2 cents,'' said Bill, 74. ``We promised to stay in touch, but didn't. The last time I tried his number it was disconnected. I'm just hoping some of his old friends will get in touch with me so I can find out what's up with Vince. ``We were like family - Chuck Rowan, Clyde Rhymes, Vincent House and me,'' Bill said. ``These guys were my brothers.'' They were all in their mid-20s in 1948 - good looking, brash and ready for whatever Uncle Sam Uncle Sam, name used to designate the U.S. government. The term arose in the War of 1812 and seems at first to have been used derisively by those opposed to the war. Possibly it was an expansion of the letters "U.S. wanted to throw at them. They never figured it would be a talent show on stormy seas. ``The officers on board decided to have an amateur talent show to pass the time,'' Bill said. ``Chuck, who sang and played piano, asked for three guys who could hold a tune to join him in forming a singing group. That was the first time we all met. ``We won the talent show, and all of us agreed that we would like to continue singing together,'' he said. ``That's how the Rhythm Aces were born.'' By day, they drove trucks and kept the Berlin checkpoint open. By night, they sang in officers' clubs, churches and military installations all over Germany, even backing up singer Eddie Fisher Eddie Fisher may refer to:
(UNIX Software Operation) AT&T's Unix division before it turned into USL. See Unix. . ``We decided to re-enlist for another three years in 1951,'' Bill said. ``When we got out in early 1955, we came home just about the time rock `n' roll was hitting big stateside state·side adj. 1. Of or in the continental United States. 2. Alaska Of or in the 48 contiguous states of the United States. adv. Informal 1. . ``Overseas we mostly heard pop groups, like the Four Aces and Ink Spots, so when we got back stateside and started singing at clubs where people were dancing to other groups, they stood and listened to us.'' Pretty music, Bill calls it. The country still appreciated it and gave the Rhythm Aces a few more good years, playing big rooms like the 125 Club and Apollo Theater
New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of . By 1957, the work was drying up, and they headed for California. Clyde stayed behind in New York. Out in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , the record companies were looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. new names, new sounds. The Rhythm Aces transformed themselves into the Rockets, the Rocketeers and then the Saxons. ``When we cut our biggest record for ERA Records, `Stand There Mountain,' we were the Flames,'' Bill said. ``We really thought that was going to go, but it never happened. Then Chuck left to go back into the service. ``We picked up another good singer, Elwood `Woody' Ramsey, and did OK for a while, but jobs were getting hard to come by. Before long, everyone went their own way.'' Bill got a job with the Department of Water and Power, then worked 32 years for the state Employment Development Department - until he retired. Vince House found some TV work, as Vince Howard Vince Howard is an American actor who has made many guest appearances on television. Television Appearances
Chuck came out of the service again and started playing in small clubs all over L.A., inviting his old buddies from Rhythm Aces to join him whenever they could. ``He was living out in Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, when cancer finally got him in 1999,'' Bill said. ``They had the funeral in San Fernando. That's where I saw Vince for the last time.'' Woody Ramsey, who finally left a singing career to go into sales and furniture building, is helping Bill try to find the missing Rhythm Ace. If anyone knows Vince House's whereabouts, give me a call, and I'll pass it on to Bill. ``Vince was a happy-go-lucky, great guy with a good sense of humor Noun 1. sense of humor - the trait of appreciating (and being able to express) the humorous; "she didn't appreciate my humor"; "you can't survive in the army without a sense of humor" sense of humour, humor, humour ,'' Woody said, remembering the last few years the group was together. ``These guys were close and went though a lot together,'' he said. ``I really hope Vince is OK and Bill has a chance to see him again.'' To relive the old days one more time. When they were young, good-looking and brash. Ready for anything Uncle Sam threw at them - even a talent show headed for Germany on stormy seas. Dennis McCarthy, (818) 713-3749 dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Bill Steward shows off an old photo of the Rhythm Aces. He is looking for another member who may still be alive. John McCoy/Staff Photographer |
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