Williams & Ree

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Williams & Ree" on On the Bus with Troy Vollhoffer

Episode Information

• Podcast Title: On the Bus with Troy Vollhoffer
• Episode Title: Williams & Ree
• Release Date: April 14, 2023
• Host: Troy Vollhoffer
• Guests: Terry and Bruce Williams of Williams & Ree

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Introduction

In the April 14, 2023 episode of On the Bus with Troy Vollhoffer, host Troy Vollhoffer welcomes country music legends Terry and Bruce Williams, the dynamic duo behind the acclaimed act Williams & Ree. With a career spanning over four decades, Williams & Ree share their journey from humble beginnings to becoming beloved figures in the country music and comedy scenes.

Early Beginnings and Formation of Williams & Ree

Troy opens the conversation by acknowledging the long-standing friendship and professional partnership between Terry and Bruce. He states, “Williams and Re have been together for now over 40 years and making people laugh throughout North America” (01:26).

Origin Stories:

• Hometowns:

  • Terry: “I'm from Pierce, South Dakota” (01:59)
  • Bruce: “I'm from Mountain Home, Idaho” (01:59)

• Meeting in College: Terry and Bruce recount meeting in August 1968 at Spearfish, South Dakota, sharing a dormitory in Pangburn Hall. Terry humorously adds, “What actually happened is I removed a thorn from the Indian's paw” (02:15), hinting at their bond.

Transition from Music to Comedy

Initially, Williams & Ree started as a music act, performing in co-ed dorms before moving to broader venues. Bruce explains, “We started out just playing at the girls dormitory” (03:18), highlighting the era’s social dynamics.

Incorporation of Comedy: Inspired by opening for the comedy-music duo Dennis and Cree, Williams & Ree shifted to include comedy in their performances to enhance audience engagement and financial success. Terry notes, “We copied their show…we did it better than they did” (08:25), emphasizing their strategic adaptation.

Road to Professional Success

Leaving college in the fall of 1971, the duo embarked on the road with their four-piece band, securing gigs through agent Augie Morin. Terry reflects, “We started the road in the fall of '71… extended from Fall Breeze” (06:20), marking the beginning of their touring career.

Association with Halsey Agency: Choosing to partner with the Halsey Agency, known for managing prominent country acts like Roy Clark and The Oak Ridge Boys, provided Williams & Ree with valuable industry connections. Troy comments on the agency's prominence: “Halsey Agency ended up selling to William Morris… [they managed] Roy Clark… The Oak Ridge Boys” (09:54).

Achievements and Notable Performances

The duo's breakthrough moment came when they opened for The Oak Ridge Boys in Wilmer, Minnesota, on March 25, 1981. Terry describes the experience: “We did three six-minute bits… the crowd...laughed and laughed and laughed” (20:26). Impressed by their performance, Duane Allen facilitated their regular touring alongside The Oak Ridge Boys for two years (21:49).

Television Ventures: Williams & Ree transitioned to television by auditioning for the Ralph Emery Show. They recount Terry’s pivotal moment: “I asked Willie to do the show and he did it for me” (26:57), leading to their eight-year stint on the Country Kitchen show with Florence Henderson.

Comedy Store and Hollywood Experiences

During their time at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles, Williams & Ree aimed to break into mainstream television. Terry recounts their struggle and eventual success: “We went in at 9 o’clock and… we killed him” (17:07), after which Mitzi Shore offered them regular spots.

Interactions with Comedy Icons: The pair shared encounters with legendary comedians like Robin Williams and Richard Pryor. Terry reminisces, “Robin Williams wasn’t Robin Williams. He was just funny” (17:07), illustrating the early environment that shaped their comedic style.

Memorable Moments and Industry Anecdotes

One standout story involves an unexpected interaction with Willie Nelson during the Wrangler Showdown lineup. Terry narrates, “Willie was up in the catwalk watching the Axe… he said, I thought you guys were dead” (27:55). This led to a spontaneous collaboration where Willie Nelson joined them on stage, showcasing their genuine connection within the industry.

Contribution to "Rocky": Williams & Ree also contributed to the iconic film Rocky by acting as warm-up entertainers during filming. Bruce recalls, “We were the perennial warm-up act” (31:38), highlighting their diverse involvement in entertainment beyond music.

Reflections and Legacy

Terry reflects on their journey with humility and gratitude: “We're not superstars… we've made a great living” (37:16). Despite not reaching superstardom, Williams & Ree celebrate their enduring passion for performing and their ability to connect with audiences across generations.

Host’s Appreciation: Troy expresses deep admiration for their work, stating, “These guys are the funniest guys I've ever met. You are two of the greatest showmen I've ever met” (37:05), underscoring their impact on both the industry and listeners.

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with heartfelt thanks to Terry and Bruce Williams for sharing their rich history and experiences. Troy emphasizes the duo’s significance in the country music and comedy landscapes, encouraging listeners to appreciate their longstanding contributions.

Final Words:

• Terry: “Thank you.”
• Bruce: “Thank you.”
• Outro Music: They conclude with shared sentiments of love for Country Thunder, reinforcing their ongoing connection to their roots and fans (38:31).

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Troy Vollhoffer: “Williams and Re have been together for now over 40 years and making people laugh throughout North America.” (01:26)
• Terry Williams: “We copied their show…we did it better than they did.” (08:25)
• Terry Williams: “We have to go, we gotta go to Nashville. TNN needs us.” (22:15)
• Terry Williams: “Willie was up in the catwalk watching the Axe… he said, I thought you guys were dead.” (27:55)
• Troy Vollhoffer: “These guys are the funniest guys I've ever met. You are two of the greatest showmen I've ever met.” (37:05)

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Key Takeaways

• Adaptability: Williams & Ree successfully transitioned from a traditional music act to incorporating comedy, enhancing their appeal and financial viability.
• Persistence: Their relentless pursuit of success, from touring in the early '70s to breaking into television, showcases their dedication and resilience.
• Industry Relationships: Building strong connections with prominent figures like The Oak Ridge Boys and Willie Nelson was pivotal in their sustained success.
• Legacy: While they may not be household superstars, Williams & Ree's enduring presence and influence in the country music and comedy scenes affirm their significant contributions.

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For fans of country music and comedic performance, On the Bus with Troy Vollhoffer's episode featuring Williams & Ree offers an insightful and entertaining deep dive into the lives of two cherished entertainers. Their stories of perseverance, adaptability, and genuine connection with audiences provide both inspiration and a testament to their lasting legacy in the industry.

Transcript

[Stormy Warren]

Odysee celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month by giving you tips for a healthy mindset in the workplace. As a part of I'm Listening Odyssey's commitment to more mental health conversations this.

[Troy Volhofer]

Upcoming week, commit to limit your intake.

[Bruce]

Of media substances or other consumption that.

[Troy Volhofer]

Leave you feeling more drained than empowered.

[Stormy Warren]

For more mental health tips from the American foundation for Suicide Prevention, go to I'mlistening.org or download the free Odyssey Apply. I want a long road that just won't stop winding. Well, hey there, everyone. It's Stormy Warren welcoming you on the bus at Country Thunder, with executive producer Troy Volhofer coming to you from Music City. We can't wait to chat with all of our friends in country music. Get ready for real talk about the state of the music industry, thoughts and insights from some of its biggest stars, and more than a few backstage stories from the six annual Country Thunder events held all across North America. I know I'll be sharing some great stories in a future episode, so buckle up and get ready for your new favorite podcast. Here's Troy.

[Troy Volhofer]

I'm your host, Troy Volhofer with our very special guest today, Williams and Re. Terry and Bruce, you've been doing this a long time. I'm so happy to have you on the show finally. Let me give you a little background. Williams and Re have been together for now over 40 years and making people laugh throughout North America. We're going to way, way back now. We're going to go way back. We're going back to the beginning. Now let's start out from where.

[Bruce]

Where are you guys from originally?

[Terry]

I'm from Pierce, South Dakota.

[Bruce]

I'm from Mountain Home, Idaho.

[Troy Volhofer]

And how did you guys get together?

[Bruce]

You know, that's a common question a.

[Terry]

Lot of people ask. How did we get together?

[Bruce]

Did we get together? Will we get together? Are there any.

[Terry]

We're not really sure ourselves how it actually happened.

[Bruce]

What actually happened is I removed a thorn from the Indian's paw.

[Terry]

It's. It's one of those things. We actually met in college. 1968, August, the end of August 1968, we met Spearfish, South Dakota. We were in the same dorm, Pangburn Hall.

[Bruce]

Right.

[Terry]

And they have since destroyed Pangburn Hall. Rather than making it a memorial to us. To us. They just knocked the damn thing down.

[Troy Volhofer]

Well, I think there are better memorials than that necessarily, like Mount Rushmore. I think you both should have your head sculpted into the, into the mountain now that you are iconic.

[Bruce]

Yes, we tried that. We tried suggesting that. And they looked at Terry's head and they said we just don't have enough rock.

[Terry]

Well, we didn't actually try that. He just, he just ran his head into a rock wall one time. That's what happens.

[Bruce]

So.

[Troy Volhofer]

So you start out as an actual music act. You are an actual band, right?

[Bruce]

Yeah. We started out just playing at the girls dormitory. We'd go over to the girls dormitories. And this was before co ed dorms, you know.

[Terry]

Yes.

[Bruce]

And we'd go outside because you couldn't go in the dorm. You'd get expelled from school if you went in the girls dorm.

[Terry]

Yes.

[Bruce]

So we'd sit out on the lawn and we'd play our guitars and the girls would come down and we'd have a little hootenanny out in front.

[Terry]

We actually, we did, we met in college. But what Bruce didn't know at that time, nor did I know about him, our upbringings were the same. I had a band in high school. He had a band in high school, actually junior high. Won that contest in junior high and won it in high school. And then played in back of pickup trucks on Main street for crazy days. And then I had established working three nights a week in lounges. And so I was already a famous guy in South Dakota. Terry Re Combo. Yes. Trc.

[Troy Volhofer]

Beautiful.

[Bruce]

Beautiful.

[Terry]

Yes. That was me. And then I met him and, and.

[Bruce]

We started jamming in his room. We just started doing, you know, he taught me all these old country songs and I would just chime in on the harmonies and stuff and.

[Terry]

Yeah. And I found as soon as I, I heard him sing with me, I thought, boy, do I sound better. And that's, that's, that's why I've kept him around this long. Yeah, he's made me sound better.

[Troy Volhofer]

I just, you know, I'm, I'm so proud to be. Which I would call first of all, your friend. And I'm so proud of your career in the sense that, you know, you never had to work a day job in your life and you, you know, even in show business, virtually your whole, your whole adult life. I mean, that's hard to be said. I mean, there's a lot of people who can have that. That's an accolade that no one can take away from you.

[Terry]

Yeah, actually I did work a couple of day jobs when I was in 8th and 9th grade. I would wash dishes in Liberty Cafe for 50 cents an hour after school till 9:00. And then three nights a week I would scrub the floors for 75 cents an hour.

[Bruce]

Wow.

[Terry]

And the first, I work every Day after school and weekends, and I would take home about $19. Wow. So the first time I got to play in a club, made $20 for two nights, my brother and I, and. And from there I said, I'll never work again.

[Troy Volhofer]

So coming out of South Dakota, you get your act going. Obviously there's some interest. Who, how and when did it start to happen for you that you started to get booked on bigger dates? When did you get your agent, your manager? How did that all come to be?

[Terry]

We left college in the fall of 70. Between 71, 72. We were 68. 69. 69, 70. 70. 71. Okay. So the. The fall of 71, we went on the road. We took our little band, our little four piece band and went on the road. We had an agent out of Minneapolis named Augie Morin, and he booked us a couple places and we had about three, Three. Three gigs booked when we left town. And then we got a fourth one and we were there for several weeks into the fall breeze.

[Bruce]

They held us over.

[Terry]

Yeah, they held us over for every week. Gave us. It was a resort in Minnesota and we. We would. We stayed there for several weeks and then went in to take that. No, I'm gonna shut.

[Bruce]

You're a winner. Could be a day or a winner.

[Terry]

There we go. All right.

[Bruce]

So anyway, warranty.

[Terry]

That's how we. That's how we started.

[Bruce]

And before that, we were in. We were in school and we had. We had a little combo and we called it Terry Ree and the Crossroads. And we got a chance to open for this comedy and music duo named Dennis and Cree. It was Marv Dennis and Ed Cree. And we opened at philtown in Sturgis, South Dakota, opened the show for them, and we made $300. They made $3,000. And we watched their show and it was a combination of comedy and music, and we just went bananas. It was like, this is what we need to do. We need to have more of a show and we need to incorporate comedy into the show.

[Terry]

We weren't really after the show. We were after the money. I mean, we could. I mean, they were making way more than we were. And we thought we need to do that because we can be just as good as they.

[Bruce]

So we. We actually did their show.

[Terry]

We copied their show.

[Bruce]

Yeah, we copied it. We did it better than they did.

[Terry]

Yeah, actually, so. So we started. We were three years in college, and then we. We go on the road and from 71 till 81, we were working lounges, show little showrooms, work Canada, Winnipeg Inn, was the top of the room for us. I mean, the Winnipeg Inn was fabulous acts, you know, every night. And it was just like Las Vegas to us, coming out of South Dakota bars and every other bar that we worked. And so we started, we started getting a little more money, A little more money. And we were actually booked for like two years. Booked ahead for two years. And we decided, well, we need to get to the next level. And so we told our agent at that time, if you can get us with a bigger agent, we'll keep you on as manager. So he pitched us to a couple. Jim Halsey was one. The other was Rod Essick, who was with Variety at that time. And they both wanted us, but we selected Halsey because of all the big acts that he had, country acts that he had.

[Troy Volhofer]

Yeah. Just to give you an idea, Halsey Agency ended up selling to William Morris, but their roster included Roy Clark, who was probably one of the biggest males in that at that time period. The Oak Ridge Boys, who Halsey also managed.

[Terry]

Mel Tillis, Merle Haggard, list goes on every. They had everyone in the country. So we got to work with all those people. And so that was our first 13, 14 years of working. And then I remember the date we actually had open for the Oak Ridge Boys In Wilmer, Minnesota, March 25, 1981. 81, yeah. And they had just had Elvira and Elvira was a big hit and they were drawing 10,000 people. You know, couldn't. The places that they played couldn't hold the crowd.

[Troy Volhofer]

So big act, the biggest act up until Alabama hit as, as an actual band.

[Terry]

Right? Yeah. So. So in between that, in between that, we had, we had gone to Los Angeles to work the Comedy Store, tried to do the Tonight Show. That was our goal, was to do the Tonight Show.

[Bruce]

And we recently been watching the five part documentary on the Comedy Store that Mike Binder did on Showtime. And we found out something revelation from the first episode concerning what we decided to do when we were at the Comedy Store. We went there in 1977 and we started working out as regulars there. And our goal, as Terry said, was to do the Tonight Show. And after being there for two years and getting good response and we thought we were on our way. He confronted the booker for the tonight show, Jim McCauley, about whether or not we would do the Tonight Show. And you take it from there, Terry.

[Terry]

Yeah, I called him and asked him if we would when we were. If we were going to do the Tonight Show. He said, no, you'll not do the Tonight Show. You're not funny. He told us we were not funny. There's two of you, you don't do joke jokes. You do music and comedy and you'll just never do the Tonight Show. So I hung up the phone. The reason we had gone to, to California, to the Comedy Store and what we would, what we would do, we wanted to get to that next level, get some tv. And, and so we did get tv. We did Don Kirschner's Rock Concert. We did was it Midnight Special. That was a make me laugh. We did make me laugh.

[Bruce]

Dinah Shore Show, Comedy, Comedy Shop.

[Terry]

Comedy Shop. There were several. We did some television. But our goal was to do the Tonight Show. And what we would do is we'd go out there and we'd work for free for two weeks. Then we'd come back to the Midwest and work for two weeks and we'd go out there and live in paying two households, one in LA and one in South Dakota. And it was just, we were struggling to get there. And when I called the guy in the Tonight show and he said we won't do the Tonight Show, I used some abusive language on him and hung up the phone and picked up phone and called Bruce and said, I'm going home, I'm done with this. This guy said, we're not going to do the Tonight Show. And I thinking that we were the only guys that he ever told, you'll never do the Tonight Show.

[Bruce]

Well then from seeing that first episode on Showtime of the Comedy Store documentary.

[Terry]

Yeah, I'm watching Tim Allen, Howie Mandel and Louie Anderson and they're all talking and they say, Jim McCully told us we'll never do the Tonight Show.

[Troy Volhofer]

So that was his answer to anyone who asked him the question.

[Terry]

Anyone he didn't want to, want to, you know, school to do the Tonight Show. Because he would actually take the ax the comedians and say, okay, you can't use this line, you can't use that line. Let's write this in there and let's put that in there. And he would guide them into a six minute routine and then they would go do that. The reason we went to LA anyway, the first for not only to do the tv, but we wanted to get out of the bars because the bars that we were playing, they wouldn't let us do our show. You know, we'd have to do two, two dance sets and two shows, you know, and when we'd get out there and try to do our show, they people would come out and dance to Running Bear and Kalija so when, when.

[Troy Volhofer]

You did your audition with, with Mitzi Shore at the comedy club in, in Los Angeles, who was, who was with her to, to actually give you the nod that you made? You actually made it because it's hard, it's hard to even make it at the comedy club to be regular. I mean, that's a feat in itself.

[Terry]

Yeah. Watching that, that Comedy Store documentary, I find out that these people, the people that we talked to, Mike Binder was one of them. Argus Hamilton was another one. These were up and coming comedians at that time. And they were door people. They were at the door, they were seating people, selling tickets and that sort of thing. And I find out from that, that documentary that you started that way, Mitzi would hire you as a doorman, sell tickets, bartender, this and that, and then eventually put you on stage and eventually you would become a regular. Well, they told us, call Mitzi tomorrow, which was a Monday or whenever it was, and ask her if you could do a showcase and maybe she'll let you showcase, you know. So I called her and she said, yeah, showcase at 9:00. I'll get you a spot at 9:00. You'll be on at 9:00. So we go there Monday night with. It's a free for all. It's called open mic. Open mic night. The crowd, I mean, the people who were on lined up down the street, standing for five minutes, you know, and it like 6, 7 o'clock they started and we were on at 9 o'clock. So we go in at 9 o'clock and sure enough, we go up and we do our. And compared to these other people, we, we ran away with it. We, we killed him, you know, and lucky for us, seated with Mitzi Shore at that time was Robin Williams and Richard Pryor. Richard Pryor. And they laughed. And so the next day I called her and she said, you guys are great. I can put you on as regulars. I can put you on tonight. You'll start tonight. You'll be on every night. I'll give you a slot every night. Whoa, whoa, whoa. No. We have to go home to South Dakota and straighten things out. And then we'll come back out here, we'll come back in a couple weeks and we'll start. Okay, Just call me when you're, when you're ready. So she put us, you know, to graduated us from comedy college with an audition compared to the others who worked their way and just give our listeners.

[Troy Volhofer]

Who were the people you're performing with each night.

[Terry]

Oh, when we, when we were there, Robin Williams wasn't Robin Williams. He was just funny.

[Bruce]

Well, he was.

[Terry]

David Letterman wasn't David Letterman. He wasn't even funny.

[Bruce]

He was funny. He was funny.

[Terry]

Jay Leno was the top of the rung, and he wasn't Jay Leno, but he worked a lot. And the big dog was, was Jimmy Walker. And. Yeah, Jimmy Walker. And he would, he, he, he was a comedian, you know, I mean, he was. And he hired all these acts and he'd. He'd sign people to his company and he signed us to his company thinking that we were going to write some jokes for him. We didn't have any idea what he wanted, nor did we have any idea how to write jokes. So we, that never happened.

[Bruce]

But most of, most of our material was routines that we developed from ad libs and asides during conversation on stage. Yeah, we didn't really formulate joke jokes. It was, it was always him talking and me throwing in a non sequitur or talking.

[Troy Volhofer]

A lot of common. I mean, a lot of current affairs. Yeah, the newspaper in the morning, that'd be part of your material.

[Terry]

Yeah, and local towns where we were in local businesses and, and we, and.

[Bruce]

We, we took that from Leno too, because Leno would, would do current, current stuff, you know, so that became part of our.

[Troy Volhofer]

Well, fans embrace you at that point when you talk about something that is from their home down and, and they feel like, oh, my. Like you actually, you know, really know about the city you're playing in.

[Bruce]

Yeah, like, we did our homework, you know. Yeah.

[Terry]

Yeah.

[Troy Volhofer]

No, that's super neat.

[Terry]

And we, and we didn't, we didn't really take that from Leno. We had done that from the beginning of.

[Bruce]

Well, that's true.

[Terry]

Working in Spearfish and Belle Fourche and Deadwood and Rapid City.

[Bruce]

And we sucked up to just about.

[Terry]

Everybody that, you know, you. You on your way into town, you see signs for sex our granary or something, you know, and then you talk about sex our granary.

[Bruce]

Yeah. You know, because that was just funny. A funny name. Sex Hour.

[Terry]

And, and they have all, all the place. Every little town has a funny name, you know, something that you just relate to. And then people have been in the town, have been laughing about it for years, and then we become one of them.

[Troy Volhofer]

How did you. What. So what stage in your career did you make the move to Nashville and how'd that come about?

[Terry]

Well, 1981, when we opened for the Oak Ridge Boys. Duane Allen watched us and they. And here's the deal. They Wanted us to do 20 minutes. Said, you do 20 minutes. And their road manager, Raymond Hicks, kept coming in saying, you guys do 20 minutes, don't you do any more than 20 minutes? And the reason was the night before, they were somewhere in Illinois and they had David, David Frizzell and Shelley West. Shelley West. And they were supposed to do 30 minutes and they did hour, you know. And so the Oaks were very upset about that because they, they wanted to go on at their time.

[Troy Volhofer]

Yeah, they had to put the union into overtime on the loadout. And it cost a band a lot of money.

[Terry]

And so when they told us to do 20 minutes, we had 20 minutes. We had put together three six minute routines in LA at the Comedy Store, preparing to do television shows with three six minute bits. So we just went on stage in Wilmer, Minnesota and did three six minute bits, probably faster than normal because we were nervous. 10,000 people there, you know, and they laughed and they laughed and they laughed and we left. And just as a second hand hit 20 minutes, we said, thank you and we're off stage. And Dwayne Allen was so impressed with that. He's standing there and he says, man, your boat's in. Where you been? Said, well, we've been doing this for about 14 years. And he said, well, we can use you, we can use you on. We're doing a tour across Canada and we can use you in Reno and Tahoe and Vegas and I'm going to see that you're on those shows. And I thought, yeah, yeah, because everybody's told us that, you know. And so nobody did anything. But Duane picked up the phone the next day, called Jim Halsey Company and said, put these guys on these shows with us. We want them on our show.

[Troy Volhofer]

This is our support.

[Terry]

Yeah. So we ended up touring quite regularly with them for about two years.

[Troy Volhofer]

So how did the TV show Country Kitchen come to fruition and how. Cause that, that was an eight year span of your career doing the Country Kitchen as the comedic part of the TV show. And probably made your greatest fame and notoriety from that TV show.

[Terry]

Oh, yeah, we lucked out there. Yeah, yeah. And when we were still in South Dakota, living in South Dakota in 1983, Bruce lived in Sioux Falls, I lived in Pierre, and he had cable in Sioux Falls, but I didn't have all the cable channels in Pierre. And when I finally got all the cable channels in Pier, TNN was one of them. And so I watched TNN for a couple of days and I called him and I said, we gotta go, we gotta Go to Nashville. TNN needs us. And so we actually flew down here. Ralph Emory had the Tonight Show. You know, it was Ralph Nashville now show. And I said, we need to go do that show. And so we called. Called them and found out how they. Well, you do an audition. So we flew down here and did an audition for the Ralph Show. What was her name? We called her the Ice Queen.

[Bruce]

Deborah Brauner.

[Terry]

Deborah Brauner was the house booker, and she made us do a show for her. I mean, for just her and somebody else. And we did, like, five minutes, which was the only. Only audition we ever did that we actually got.

[Troy Volhofer]

Wow.

[Terry]

Yeah, because up. Up until then, we auditioned several different places, different TV shows, different casinos. Casinos things. And never. And never got one of them. But when we did the audition for Deborah Bronner, we got the Ralph Emery Show.

[Troy Volhofer]

And that lasted eight years?

[Terry]

Well, no, that lasted the whole time till the. Till the network went off. But so we moved down here in 84 and.

[Bruce]

But the cooking show was on for eight years.

[Terry]

Yeah, yeah. And we would do the. We would do the Nashville now show.

[Bruce]

Okay.

[Terry]

So for, like, two years, we did Nashville now every month or two, you know, we did it quite a bit with Ralph. Yeah, yeah.

[Bruce]

And Ralph would.

[Troy Volhofer]

Shotgun Red. Yeah, yeah.

[Bruce]

Ralph would say at the end of the show, he'd lean into Terry's ear and he'd say, why don't you guys get your own show and stay off of mine?

[Terry]

Yeah.

[Troy Volhofer]

And then your TV career continued on.

[Terry]

Yeah. Well, a couple years of Hee Haw after two years. Yeah. And Hee Haw after two years of here, we got offered the Country Kitchen show, which was with Florence Henderson.

[Bruce]

And that was because the. The Hager twins, who. Who were the original dessert chefs on the show. The first season, it was such a popular show. They thought it was because of them that the show was a success. And they came in after that and asked the producer for a raise, and he fired them on the spot. And we had just done one of his other shows, which was you Can Be a Star, which was a talent show, and we had just done that, and we were fresh in his minds. And he called Terry and said, can you guys come back and do, you know, see if you can try out for this Country Kitchen show as the desserts chefs?

[Terry]

Yeah. So we were in California, actually, at Haggard's Club up in Lake Shasta. Lake Shasta. And. Yeah. You ever been up there, Merle Haggard? Well, Lake Shasta is up in a big Shasta mountain, and it's a windy, windy road, and and we did the show, got done, you know, 1:00 in the morning. It was a bar, Merle Haggard's bar. And so we got down in there and drove back to San Francisco, took an early flight all day, you know, had to be back Sunday afternoon to do this thing. We get in like 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon, go right to the studio and did a little audition for Alan Reed. And he said, okay, tomorrow morning we're start. We're gang shooting. Gang shooting. Thirteen shows in five days.

[Troy Volhofer]

Really? So whole season in five days?

[Terry]

Yeah, yeah. So that's how, that's how quick that developed and how we got that.

[Troy Volhofer]

And there were some serious guests on there, I mean, at the height of their career. You had Willie on that show?

[Bruce]

Yeah, Garth. Yeah, Ed Garth.

[Terry]

I asked. I asked Willie, I asked Willie to do the show and he did it for me. But if you read Florence's book, she did it. You called Will, but I know I asked Willie. We toe to toe, we. We were doing the Wrangler Showdown, filling in between each Wrangler Showdown contestant, and it was Willie Nelson's Wrangler Showdown. So we're in Austin, Austin, Texas, and they're having these bands come out and it's set change. You know, every set change, we'd come out and we'd play a couple songs. We had a little stage over the side and we'd play and sing. And they told us, if you hear some noise up on the catwalk, it's probably Willie. He'll be up there watching the show. So we're doing our little shtick in between, and I hear rumbling moving around up there. And. And I said, I said, you know, if this was our show, if this was my show, if, if I was Willie Nelson, I would come down here and sing a couple of songs for you people. And. And the place just roared, you know. And I kept saying that because I knew there were. I knew he was up there. And finally, about the third time, Willie.

[Troy Volhofer]

Was creeping in the rafters.

[Terry]

Yeah, Willie was up in the catwalk watching the. The Axe, you know. And so finally, after about the third time, he said, hold on, I'm coming down there and here he comes. So I take off my guitar and give it to him. And Bruce played and they played for 40 minutes. I mean, just, you know. Well, Willie did. Bruce just kind of followed it.

[Bruce]

I was playing every note I could and laying out most of the time, you know, but man, it was such a thrill. Real. What a guy.

[Terry]

So. So the next day we Were, we were in makeup to tape some things there. And Willie came in and, and sat down. He said, man, you guys are great. We'll. We'll tape tomorrow's the Regular Day. We're taping a show. I said, well, we're not on it. Oh, yeah? I said, no, we're not doing anything. Oh, no, you'll be on it. He said, I'm you. You'll have to change your plans because you're on the TV show. So I said, okay. I said, did you like my 12 string? I played Ovation. 12 string, you know. And he said, oh, was, Was that a 12 string? He had no clue. It was no clue. It was a 12 string. He just played it, you know. Oh, that's brilliant. And so then, so then when, when? Soon after that, I said, hey, we, we'd like you to come do Country Kitchen, the TV show with us. She said, oh, yeah, I can do that. Said, just have him call me, you know, his agent who lived in New York. So I told Alan Reed, call him. And sure enough, he did. And the day we were taping, he did Saturday Night Live. Saturday night. And we were taping Sunday on a Sunday. And he didn't show and didn't show. Nobody called, nobody called. And Alan thought, for sure he's not going to be here. As soon as the plane landed, they called and said, pick us up. And so that, yeah, it was right down to the wire, but he came over and did it, you know.

[Troy Volhofer]

And so this is going to lead me to another, another little opening act scenario that you did. Tell me about your involvement in Rocky. In the movie Rocky.

[Bruce]

That was while we were at the Comedy Store.

[Terry]

I actually fought Rocky in the first movie, which, which didn't do well, but.

[Bruce]

He wound up on the cutting room floor. Yeah, because. Because they actually, when they, when they widened out the shot and stuff, it was just a shot of Terry's gut.

[Terry]

Yeah, well, when we at the Comedy Store, they had the, the movie people would call and say, we need some people over here to entertain, warm up.

[Bruce]

Yeah.

[Terry]

Between set changes and things, you know, camera.

[Troy Volhofer]

Like when they're shooting the, the actual live shots of them fighting in the ring and they have the arena full of extras or fans or whatever.

[Terry]

And this was for Rocky 1. Rocky, you know, they, they ask all these people to come in and be. Crowd scene. They didn't have enough people to shoot all four sides, so they had people sitting on this side of the ring and they'd shoot that and then they break and they'd ask Everybody to move to this side of the ring and then they break and then, and then they'd cheer and do all that. Then they moved the rest of the people to the backside of the ring. I mean, four times. You had to shoot the same thing over and over. And what we did in Rocky too was everybody had numbers, so we drew numbers and would give prizes away. That was our contribution to Rocky.

[Troy Volhofer]

You were the entertainment in between the changes.

[Terry]

We were the. What did they call us?

[Bruce]

Warm up.

[Terry]

Yeah, Warm impact. And then we draw prices and give them away and.

[Troy Volhofer]

Yeah, and so there's another industry that uses warm up, I believe.

[Stormy Warren]

Right?

[Bruce]

Yeah, we were the. We're the perennial warm up act. That's who we are.

[Troy Volhofer]

Oh, it's such a great history, you know. And you know, that TV show was something that was really, really an interesting show. And I mean, I urge our viewers to go YouTube it. It's called Country Kitchen with Florence Henderson and Williams and Marie. It's a, it's a great watch. And also, please check out the Hee Haw episodes. We're gonna fast forward to when you and I, when we all met. And that would have been in the mid-80s, I believe.

[Bruce]

Early 80s, would have been in 1983.

[Troy Volhofer]

But we go back a long ways and I just. We've had some amazing evenings. Let's go to a memory that I have. I think one of the Greatest Williams and re shows that I saw was Tim McGraw was the headliner in Edmonton. In the round at the Edmonton Rexall Coliseum. In the round sold out 18,000 people. And you absolutely hit the biggest home run I'd ever seen an artist hit.

[Terry]

We had been drinking. We had gone to dinner at Ruth Chris in Edmonton with friends of ours, you know who they are. And there was probably eight girls with him. Eight gorgeous young girls worked for the guy. And he took us all to dinner and we had some nice wine and time we got to the venue.

[Bruce]

I was so overloaded with testosterone and.

[Terry]

Alcohol when we did that, when we hit that stage and it started moving, you know, I mean, we, yeah, we just, it, it was just magic. It was just one of those nights that was magic.

[Troy Volhofer]

I'd never seen response. There was one other time I saw a response to your show that had the same. I mean, it wasn't cheering, it wasn't clapping. It was like mayhem.

[Terry]

Yeah.

[Troy Volhofer]

McGraw came up to me, goes, these guys are on fire tonight. I'm gonna have a hard time following.

[Terry]

Yeah.

[Troy Volhofer]

And he did. I mean, they really exerted their.

[Terry]

I mean, McGraw was out of shape then he was two or three pounds overweight.

[Troy Volhofer]

Yeah.

[Bruce]

You could really tell.

[Terry]

But, yeah, it just happened that that was one of those nights and. And we.

[Bruce]

And the people were so. I mean, the people have always been wonderful to us in Edmonton. That area is magical for us.

[Terry]

Yeah. I believe, though, that it was Canada, and not only were we half in the bag, the crowd was in the bag.

[Troy Volhofer]

And our Canadian fans, they do like to drink beer, and rightfully so.

[Terry]

That's right.

[Troy Volhofer]

That's a sport in Canada. And I mean, I'm telling you, it's a great sport.

[Terry]

Yeah. And you come out and you open. I remember the first thing I said was such an honor to be in the house that Gretzky built.

[Troy Volhofer]

I think that's how you won him over.

[Terry]

I know that's how we won.

[Troy Volhofer]

I mean, an Oilers fan is an Oilers fan till death. I mean, they don't change. They loyalty is loyal.

[Terry]

Yeah.

[Troy Volhofer]

Tell us. Tell us about the night that Tim McGraw was walking on the stage and he looked at you, both of you guys.

[Terry]

Yeah. Tim was on one side of the stage. And of course, you can't go on that side of stage because it's.

[Troy Volhofer]

It's sealed.

[Terry]

It's sealed, you know.

[Bruce]

Yeah.

[Terry]

So we were on the other side waiting to go on to introduce him, or we had just introduced him. And then, of course, you wait. As they set the stage, it was between.

[Bruce]

And whatever it was, we were waiting.

[Terry]

Backstage, but Tim McGaugh was on the other side of the stage, warming up, stretching. Stretching. Like taking.

[Bruce]

Taking his back. His leg and bending it back up to the back of his head.

[Terry]

Yeah. You know, standing on one leg, taking the other leg and putting it straight above his head.

[Bruce]

Yeah.

[Terry]

Now, I couldn't do that at birth.

[Bruce]

Ballet dancers can't do that.

[Terry]

Yeah. And he was. He was doing that.

[Bruce]

Just a specimen.

[Terry]

And then he looked over in there. We were just. Both of us just looking at him, you know, and he says, I thought you guys were dead.

[Bruce]

He said, come on over here. And so we went in and we got the hug and everything. And he hugs Terry. And you barely get his arms, you know, he's not that big a guy. He can barely get his arms around Terry. And then he grabs Terry's arm and gives it a pat. And then I go in for the hug, and then he squeezes my arm. And you hear this, you know.

[Troy Volhofer]

Did you ever try one of those.

[Bruce]

In a rap kind of thing like I was doing just now?

[Terry]

An Indian chant in rap form, maybe the.

[Troy Volhofer]

A rap.

[Bruce]

A hole.

[Troy Volhofer]

You know, I. I just want to make sure that the people understand where you guys came from and.

[Bruce]

And.

[Troy Volhofer]

And the history and, you know, the artists that you worked with are. The list of. Of what you've done is such an impressive list. There's not many people that have a list of accomplishments that you guys have as artists.

[Terry]

Yeah, it's. It's been. It's been wonderful. I mean, we're grateful.

[Bruce]

Yeah.

[Terry]

Having gotten where we are, you know, we're not superstars. We were never superstars, but we've made a great living. And. And that's all you can hope for, you know, is to do something you want to do every day. And I would like to do this every day, get up in the morning, and I'm ready to do it.

[Troy Volhofer]

Ready to go do a show.

[Terry]

Yeah.

[Troy Volhofer]

It's funny because, you know, I've. I've known you since I was probably 14 or 13 years old, and it just amazes me when I'm standing beside somebody, an agent, or watching your show, and they're like, these guys are the funniest guys I've ever, ever, ever heard. And, I mean, I gotta tell you, I'm a victim of it, too, because every time I watch your show, I laugh and I laugh. I laugh, I laugh. You are two of the funniest guys I've ever met. You're two of the greatest showmen I've ever met. Thank you so much for being on our show today. Williams and Re. To Williams and Reed. To ever.

[Terry]

Thank you.

[Bruce]

Thank you.

[Stormy Warren]

Well, the bus is rolling to a stop. Thank you so much to our guests this week. And don't forget to, like, subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen. We'll see you next week.

[Bruce]

Country thunder.

[Terry]

Country thunder I want to look at this whole world with wonder I want to feel that country thunder.