JPickers Corner-On the Air

            Live On The Air With
                  The Hat Band
                                               by Shirley Register

Sad to say, the The Hat Band is no longer in existence, but for many years it was a SWBA Member Band and a mainstay on the main stage, as well one of the small stages at Huck Finn's Jubilee every year, where old and young alike were entertained. Shirley was a member of the band, and this is a story she had posted on the SWBA web site several years ago, when the band with still together and performing.

An Embarrassing Moment for Shirley Register of The Hat Band

Two weeks ago [several years ago, now] The Hat Band was asked to appear on "GOOD MORNING ARIZONA" on Channel 3 in Phoenix to do a song and promote The First Annual Rawhide Bluegrass Festival. We drove to the station in Dave and Eve's little blue truck, had coffee, and relaxed till our time to go on the air. We did a relatively good performance of "How Mountain Girls Can Love," Dave did a nice PR talk for the Festival, and that was it! Fun? Exciting? Thrilling?........YES!!!!!

On the way back to The Rawhide Festival, we were reminiscing about the time we appeared at the 25th Annual Fiddle Contest in Payson, Arizona where the Arizona State Champion is chosen. It is quite an event! In addition to the Fiddle Contest, they have Cowboy Poets, Bluegrass Bands, Cloggers, etc. to entertain between the contests. In 1996 The Hat Band and The Hat Band Kids were part of the venue and we were asked to go to the local Radio Station (KMOG) and do a live performance and promote the Fiddle Contest.

It seemed to me we were whisked to the Radio Station, and everything seemed to go so fast. I think they thought we were all pro's so very little briefing was done. I couldn't get it out of my mind that there would be NO retakes, and it HAD TO BE DONE CORRECTLY the first time! I wondered why I was a member of a band, instead of sitting around a campfire jamming with my friends. I was the newest member of The Hat band, and it was my first time on a live broadcast. I was scared to death! We chose two songs we felt the most comfortable with. The first one was in the key of F and I was to kick it off on the guitar. Dave was playing banjo, and Eve the upright bass.....Dave was doing a fine job of promoting the Festival, and I had my capo on waiting for the signal to kick off the song. Somewhere in my state of confusion, I heard Dave "plunk" on his banjo mildly, and it was not "in tune" to where I was on the guitar. I panicked and said, "Psssssst Dave, it is in the key of F." He nodded, smiled, and again quietly "plunked" his banjo....(all the while promoting the Festival) I whispered, "It's in the key of F." He nodded accordingly and we got the signal to start the song. I did my kick off......... Dave and Eve joined me and it was AWFUL!! ON THE AIR I said, "It's in the key of F!" Dave said, "I AM in the key of F!" HE WAS and I WASN'T!!! What a mess! I had to move my capo and start over.

The only consolation I have is that we also did "Out Behind The Barn", and the Station was to give away 2 tickets to the Festival to the first person who called and correctly identified the song. It took a good 5 minutes for them to get a call! So.........there couldn't be a whole lot of people that heard my flub up, could there? We will never know!

This is probably my most embarrassing moment with The Hat Band, and one Dave NEVER let me forget! Today our fans know we truly enjoy what we do for them, but we also truly enjoy each other as band members. It is a very good feeling.