Ronnie Williams introduced Frank Zappa to Paul Buff in 1960. His contributions can be found on a couple of Cucamonga-era, Mothers- & Zappa recordings.
Here's some additional info from Ron Cote:
I knew Ronnie and Kenny in 74' & 75'.
Ronnie and Joyce and all the kids lived in the green farm house between the railroad tracks in the grape fields of Cucamonga.
Joyce worked for the telephone company in Pomona. I used to give her rides to work.
It was a strange time, everyone was into things they should not have been.
Kenny got out of jail and stayed with me for a while in Ontario.
Ronnie was a great guitar player and I was just learning. He would show me things and explain them.
I had no clue what he was talking about for another 5 years.
It was the spring of 75' that Ronnie went on stage with Frank in Pomona. He did not sing he played guitar. He told me he shouldn't have been up there, he was so out of practice, but Frank didn't care. There was a review in the local paper that talked about it, the critic did not like what was going on.
Ronnie's guitar and equipment got stolen around this time. His telecaster had a design carved on the back. It was the nickname Frank gave him, Snail saw, Frank said it was because Ronnie was slow as a snail but he could buzz like a saw.
I never really knew him or Kenny to be singers. Ronnie played guitar and Kenny was a piano player.
In 75' Kenny got violated on his probation and went back to jail. I left California in the fall of 75 and came back on July 4, 1976.
I tried to locate them but they were gone from Cucamonga.
Thank you for the update, my father snailsaw still plays from time to time👍.
ReplyDeleteI'm his youngest son Steve and he tells me stories of that shack and how it shook when the train went by.
Beds would move about the shack as they roared by lol