"Early Club Scenes" with John Toad Andrews

Forming The Wigs with Boz Scaggs, The Chelsea with George Kinney, and joining Tracy Nelson & Mother Earth, to his unlikely second career restoring and selling antique ceiling fans, John "Toad" Andrews' story weaves through some of the most important threads in American rock, blues, and country history.

In this episode of Austin Roots, hosts Eddie Wilson and Dr. Jason Mellard sat down with guitarist John "Toad" Andrews for a sprawling conversation about Austin's early music scene. John recounts his arrival at UT Austin in 1964, the formation of the influential blues-rock band The Wigs alongside Boz Skaggs, and the rhythm-and-blues circuit that shaped him, from fraternity parties to Houston's legendary Black clubs. He traces his path through London, back to Houston playing with bandleader Grady Gaines, a stint in LA rehearsing with the Mike Nesmith-backed Armadillos, and finally joining Tracy Nelson and Mother Earth in San Francisco. The band's journey took them to Nashville, where they recorded with country legends. Along the way, John crossed paths with Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Buffett, and the Doobie Brothers. He closes with the unlikely story of how he traded his guitar for a second career restoring antique ceiling fans, ultimately bringing the business back to Austin.

Content Warning: adult themes
Content created during the global pandemic, in the room, and on Zoom.

Chapters:
01:02 — Arriving at UT Austin in 1964 - Enrolling at UT after two years at University of Virginia
01:18 - Meeting Bob Arthur at Villa Capri; forming The Wigs
02:05 - Finding Boz Scaggs via UT bulletin board
02:29 - Angus Wynne, social connections & early gigs
06:36 - The fraternity party circuit in '64; party barns like Soap Creek
07:24 - Eastwood Country Club in San Antonio; Gatemouth Brown & Curly Mays
08:39 - The Wigs' repertoire: Freddie King, Bobby Bland, Jimmy Reed
09:13 - The Wigs wind down; plan to go to London
10:56 - London, the draft, and escaping to Majorca
12:37 - Back in Austin '65; meeting George Kinney & Roky Erickson
13:17 - Forming The Chelsea with George Kinney & Daryl Rutherford
22:17 - Houston R&B With Grady Gaines
22:49 - Mike Nesmith recruits a Texas band (The Armadillos) to LA
23:36 - The Armadillo name — early precursor to AWHQ
24:07 - Connecting with Roy Gaines; auditioning for Little Richard
25:57 - Joining Tracy Nelson & Mother Earth in San Francisco
26:59 - Recording Living with the Animals; Dick Clark's American Bandstand (playing live)
27:34 - The Armadillo World Headquarters opening night (setting the record straight)
29:06 - Mother Earth heads to Nashville; recording with country legends
37:01 - Bring Me Home on Warner Brothers; Tim Drummond joins
38:16 - Newport Pop Festival 1969 — 200,000 people
39:05 - Bob Arthur fills in for Billy Cox with Jimi Hendrix
39:53 - Crossing paths with Jerry Jeff Walker & Jimmy Buffett
40:06 - The Pan American train ride; the origin of Railroad Lady
42:57 - Playing the Armadillo World Headquarters
50:38 - Second career: discovering antique ceiling fans in Nashville
52:02 - First big ceiling fan sale; road trip to Evansville, Indiana
54:53 - Opening a fan store in Austin
54:56 - Hunter Fan Co.

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Guest: John "Toad" Andrews, guitarist and Austin music veteran

Production Team:
Host, Eddie Wilson - Armadillo World Headquarters founder @Threadgills
Host, Dr. Jason Mellard - Cultural historian @jasondeanmellard
Editor, Renee O'Connor
Music Mixing, Matt Carlson @axemanguitar
Producer, Renee O'Connor @realreneeoconnor
Producer, Sandra Wilson @sandrawilson709
Executive Producer, TSSI
Music by Jake Andrews Music @jakeandrewsmusic
Production assistant, Miles Muir @miles_muir
Production consultant, Katey Psencik