Aubrey Cagle (reprint from Derek Glenister’s article in « New Kommotion » # 19, 1978)

He was born on September 17, 1934, in the town of Lexington, Tennessee, the early years of his life being spent on his parents’ farm. He purchased his first guitar at the age of eleven years, doing odd job around the town, to get the money together to buy the instrument.

He got a regular band six years later, one of his first engagements being a radio show spot in Jackson, Tennessee. Later on, he secured his own radio show on WDXL, in his home town.

During 1955, due to lack of work, Aubrey moved to Indiana, where he still resides today. Four years later he cut his first record for the House of Sound label, owned by Mr. Chesney Sherod, and based in Memphis. The titles made up Aubrey’s best-known recordings, Real Cool b/w Want To Be Wanted Blues. He was accompaned by local Memphis session musicians, who included Chips Moman on lead guitar.

In 1960, Aubrey decided to form his own record label, Glee – which he co-owned with his brother-in-law, Johnnie James. Johnnie died early in 1968, so Aubrey became sole owner. His initial release on the label was Be-Bop Blues b/w Just For You, he followed it up the same year with Come Along little Girl b/w Blue Lonely World, and leased to Esquire Records in the U.K. who issued it on their Starlite subsidiary label.

The following year Aubrey decided to use the stage-name of ‘Billy Love’, as he thought it would be more readily remembered by D.J.’s. Two records were issued on Glee under this name, Oh What A Memory b/w Sweet Talkin’and I’ll Find My Way b/w My Empty Arms.The Glee material was recorded at RCA-Victor’s studio in Nashville, all the back-up musicians being members of Aubrey’s regular band.

Towards the end of 1977, Aubrey found the masters on two previously unissued titles, Rock-a-Billy Boy and Bop And Stroll. Both were cut in a garage in Indianapolis, owned by a friend of Aubrey’s, named Jan Eden. The recordings were made in 1959, sometime after the House of Sound disc. These two tracks have now been coupled, and issued on Glee and distributed worldwide by Record Mart. Both are above average rockers, each containing powerful guitar and piano breaks.

Now for some personal facts on Aubrey ; he has been married nearly twenty-five years, his wife’s name is Sue and they have one son Ricky, who is a talented drummer. When he is not playing, Aubrey enjoys fishing and ten-pin bowling. He still does club work in his home town, and hopes to record some new country songs in the near future.

Discography

Aubrey Cagle                                                                        340 Beale St., Memphis, 1959

 (vo/g) with Chips Moman (ld g), unk. p, b, d.

45-1005-A            Want to be Wanted Blues                                    House of Sound 504

45-1006-B            Real Cool                                                                                         –

Aubrey Cagle                                                             Jan Eden studio, Indianapolis, 1959

(vo/g) with Don Rivers (ld g), Mike Freeman (d), prob. Bill Williams (b), James Smith (p)

LO 9593            Bop & Stroll                                                            Glee (issued 1978) 10013

LO 9594            Rock-a-Billy Boy                                                                                10012

Aubrey Cagle                                                            RCA-Victor studio, Nashville, 1960

(vo/g) with same personnel. Add st-g *

1582-1                        Just For You *                                                Glee 100

1582-2                        Be-Bop Blues                                                                        –

Aubrey Cagle                                                            RCA-Victor studio, Nashville, 1960

(vo/g) with Freddy Vest (ld g), Bill Williams (b), George Abel (p), Buddy Crawford (s), Morgan Shuamker (d), unk. chorus

L7OW-0182            Blue Lonely World                                                Glee 1001

L7OW-0183            Come Along Little Girl                                                –

Aubrey Cagle (as Billy Love)                                    RCA-Victor studio, Nashville, 1961

(vo/g) with same personnel. Omit sax and chorus.

M7OW-9495            Oh What A Memory                                                Glee 1005

M7OW-9496            I’ll Find My Way                                                         10010

M7OW-9497            My Empty Arms                                                              –

M7OW-9498            Cindy Lou                                                            Glee unissued, Solid Gold CD 102

M7OW-9499            Sweet Talkin’                                                            Glee 1005

Late addition : Aubrey Cagle died in 2004.