"The Red Ant" is a nickname given to keyboardist Bill Wence by Tom T. Hall. In this podcast, we hear stories of Bill's music career told by Bill himself. We hear about his start in Salinas in the late 50s, through his years performing in Alaska in the 60s, to his sideman days in Nashville in the 70s and 80s – playing with such country music notables as Tom T. Hall, Bobby Bare, Slim Whitman, Jeannie C. Riley, Wanda Jackson, and many others. Join Bill as he spins tales of adventure from his decadeslong career.
In episode 3, Bill has moved to Nashville, and the entire segment highlights his time with Tom T. Hall. There are road stories that'll take us on the tour bus from Los Angeles to Virginia, along with bluegrass festivals, TV appearances, club dates, and commercials. Cameos include Andy Kaufman, Floyd Cramer, Les Paul, Eddie Rabbitt, Wolfman Jack, Bill Monroe, and even a marauding snowman.
In this new segment, we'll follow Bill north to Alaska, see his gigs and wild times at the Penguin Club in Anchorage, the Yukon's notorious Kopper King, and a host of other clubs in Juneau, Fairbanks, and Portland Oregon. We'll once again meet Bobby Bare, along with Charlie Rich and even Ernest Tubb. We witness the sad demise of the 8-door Chrysler limousine, and we'll hear Bill's foray into radio and television broadcasting.
In Episode 1 of the Red Ant, we follow the adventures of Bill Wence as he witnesses performances by Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee Lewis, Duane Eddy, and sits in with Bobby Bare. These and many other musicians inspire Bill to put together a band and tour California throughout the early 1960s.
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