September 29, 2025

I just edited again some  photos of The Byrds from April 30th 1972 that I have had on my website before but revisited with Lightroom.

I was 18 years old in 1972 working with the Bugle American newspaper and Columbia Records in Milwaukee.

Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, Skip Battin and Gene Clark were The Byrds in 1972 and they had a bunch of different lineups through the years.

This show was at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. John Hagar of Columbia Records and I went to say hi and get permission for me to do a review and take few photos.

We went backstage before the show and introduced ourselves and I asked Roger McGuinn if I may take a few photos during the show and he quickly said no.

The great Clarence White was sitting on a church table and looked at my surprised expresssion and said to Roger, "let the kid take a few shots".

I was then allowed to do that and witnessed one of the best guitarists play his custom B Bender guitar. It was just amazing to see it and hear it.  I had never seen such an awesome guitar.

Being a lover of the pedal steel guitar and to hear a guitar doing something similar was amazing!

Clarence was killed a year later by a drunk driver while he was loading equipment in California.

The B Bender is now owned and played by Marty Stuart. It's awesome to hear it again.

On October 24, 2025, my friend Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives are coming to the Wilson Center for the Arts here in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Come join us for some great music and we hopefully will see the B Bender in action again.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann