Interview  written by Jeff Reid of the Beat Magazine 

Radio Flyer Band ;  A Long Strange Trip

         Shorty Watkins, was born and raised in the Wilmington area.  He was introduced to the guitar by his father and uncle who were always playing guitars together at family gatherings and "white lightning" parties. "My dad bought me my first guitar for my 8th grade graduation" recalls Watkins. "It was a Stella and he got it from Finkelstein's Music."  Leslie Amen, who played with local favorites Hayseed and the Rhythm Range Riders, taught Shorty a few chords and how to tune and he was on his way. 

        Like most local musicians who wanted to perform, then and now, Shorty's career was fueled by the tourist trade. "In the early 60's I started playing in bands on the party boats at Carolina Beach for Carl and Skippy Winner," states Watkins. The atmosphere was infectious---huge crowds hung around the docks, girls chasing musicians, musicians chasing girls. During the summer, the boats were being filled several times a night, seven days a week with tourists taking a musical moonlight cruise.  Musicians that Shorty -played with at the time reads like a list of Wilmington's who's who; Buddy Skipper, Pug West, Charlie Daniels and Paul Peek. "Peek especially, was a legend at the time," explains Shorty.  "He had been a member of Gene Vincent's Blue Caps,  was in a movie with Jane Mansfield, appeared on the Ed Sullivan show twice and had recordings in the charts."

     It was this connection with Peek that helped jump Shorty's career from the party boats to the road circuit.  Shorty continues, "I was working at Wilson's grocery during the day and Pug West came by to ask if I wanted a job with Paul Peek.  I quit Wilson's that day and moved up to Jacksonville." Soon after, they formed Shorty and the Shays and hit the road playing the Whiskey A-Go-G0 circuit and made Atlanta, Georgia their home base.  "I was looking for the big time," states Shorty. "I was introduced to the Bill Lowery Talent Agency and started to do session work in Atlanta studios."
Working with the future Atlanta Rhythm Section producer Buddy Bui, sessions included work with the Classic's 4 and BJ Thomas  

 (click on photo thumbnails to enlarge)

then and now
(from left to right, Walter Morgan, Danny Milligan, Shorty Watkins (center) and Dennis Daniel)

PAMELA (Hurst) WATKINS       Ffar away from the salt air of Carolina Beach and the night lights of Atlanta, Pamela Hurst was growing up in a small Wisconsin community called Little Chute.  At 14 she began her music career by joining an all-girl band called THE SHE 5.  "I was the 5th child in a family of 10 kids, and no one played music.  I guess I was looking for attention," she smiles.  It was 1966 when I received a call from Audrey (Reffke), who wanted to start an all girl band.    Pam auditioned and got the job even though she had only been playing guitar a couple of months.  She continues "I Lied and told them I was 16,  soon after I  ended up being the lead singer and lead guitarist"  The highlight came in 1968 as The She 5 was selected for a three month tour playing for the troops in Vietnam, Korea and Thailand during the height of the Asian conflict.  Pam remembers, "That was a strange time.  Our parents were pressured into letting us go, like it was a USO tour, but it wasn't.  It was just us, and a strict German lady as a chaperone. I guess we were to young to be scared.  I mostly remember the climate being hot and nasty,  but the troop's reactions to us were incredible.  I don't think they could really hear us,  with the inadequate equipment they supplied us with and and all their whistling and hollering. "  
In 1970 the keyboardist quit and not finding a female willing to go on the road, hired a male keyboardist and they changed their name to 4 in the Attic and headed south for a small tour. that is when Pam and Shorty met. "Both of our bands  were playing in Charleston, S.C. and we kind of hit it off" states Pam. "Several months later, I quit my band,  moved to Atlanta and joined Shorty's band band Genesis, which soon after became "The Shorty Watkins Band" and they've been together ever since.. as of 1989, they became Radio Flyer.

then and Now Pam Watkins

( She 5 consisting of Darlene Ryba, Pat Yingling,  Cheryl Young, Audrey Reffke and Pam Hurst)  
4 in The Attic (Darlene Ryba, Roger Hendrickson, Debby Hastings, Audrey Reffke, and Pam Hurst)  

         Atlanta nightlife throughout the 70's until the early 80's was "tremendous" recalls Pam.  The Shorty Watkins Band, with the addition of Pam on Vocals and Maynard Portwood who was the original drummer for the Allman Joys,  was able to stay busy in the burgeoning club circuit,  augmented by an occasional road tour.  In the early 70's, the SWB signed with Mercury Records,  who later sold the contract to MCA records.  Finally settling in with Polydor Records,  The SWB began recording their album at Studio One in Atlanta,  the same time Lynryd Skynryd was finishing their Street Survivor's album there. As a member of the Polydor family, the SWB played concerts with popular artist of the day like the Atlanta Rhythm Section, Ike and Tina Turner, Bob Seger, Heart , Marshal Tucker Band, Molly Hatchet, 38 Special and many others.  "It was a very heady time for us" states Shorty. "but we were becoming disillusioned with the promotion of our album and the recording contract in general.  So we just decided to get out of the fast land--Atlanta's nightlife.   We took close to the next 5 years off and moved back to Wilmington." 

(Click on Photo to Enlarge     The Shorty Watkins Band
       left to right Maynard Portwood, Pam Watkins, Don Howard,  Shorty     Watkins, and Scott Bouche'

  SWB at Road Atlanta Concert, Atlanta Speedway,
                            with ARS(Atlanta Rythym Section, Mother's Finest
                         Sea Level,  and Molly Hatchet. (click on photo to enlarge)

Left to right (Maynard Portwood, Rick Konkin, Pam, Shorty,  & Dave Baird) SWB

       In June of 1987,  (when they moved to Wilmington) Shorty and Pam ran into Tommy Hutchinson, a former musician friend from Shorty's Carolina Beach days.  "Tommy took us to jam with a band called The Pony Express. Almost immediately we decided we had enough time off and wanted to get back into the music," states Pam.  Together with Tommy,  they started to assemble the players needed  and ultimately fored the band called Radio Flyer.  After a few gigs,  they were booked to play the Astor in Caroina Beach for a 5 week stint, which turned into 18 months  Back on the road again for the next two years,  Radio Flyer came home for good and settled in to performing back at the Astor in 1993. 

Shorty,  Stacy Hurst and Pam Watkins at the Ocean Plaza

       With the onslaught of the digital age and its effect upon the music industry,  Pam and Shorty revamped their show to include sequencing with the interfaced keyboards.  As a result, the band became a duo and showcased talents of Shorty's guitar playing and Pam's dynamic vocals. From 1997 to 2006, Radio Flyer was the "BAND" in resident at the famous Ocean Plaza Ballroom's Club Tropic's until its demise from the developer's wreaking ball.  In January 2007, guitarist Tommy Hutchinson rejoined his former band mates with his wife Rachel singing back up, playing keyboards  as well as  running the light system. 

Tommy Hutchinson, Rachel Hutchinson Shorty Watkins & Pam Watkins (center)
RADIO FLYER BAND

      Today,  Radio Flyer is still performing.  You can witness their brand of rock and roll in clubs throughout  coastal Carolinas.  With 4 CD's  to their credit and direct links to the early days of Southern rock,  Shorty and Pam's lives and music are a testament to an era in which bands brought their hearts, heritage and cultural sound to the national arena.

NOW FOR THE REST OF THE BAND

     Then in 1989 Tommy rejoined with Shorty along with Pam to form the original Radio Flyer Band.  Tommy left Radio Flyer prior to the nineties to pursue other musical projects,  including some duo work with his wife Rachel.  

     Rachel Hutchinson always wanted to be part of the music.  After operating lights and just enjoying music,  she took up the keyboard. She and  Tommy formed a duo and performed as the Trace Band.  Playing the area Moose clubs and more.  
RACHEL HUTCHINSON has been unable to make most of the gigs this past year for reasons.

     Both Tommy and Rachel have joined  up with Shorty & Pam Watkins  in Jan of 2007 to form the present day Radio Flyer Band.  Tommy is now playing guitar and Rachel is on keyboard and back-up vocals in addition to operating the light show.  

This photo is from an outdoor concert in Greenville SC. Where we had the pleasure of playing with Elvin Bishop and some of his band.  A storm was coming, so they jammed with us,  since they knew there was no way their show was going to happen.  Shortly after our 90 minutes we had to scramble to get the equipment before the storm.