Category Archives: Fredericksburg

Categories: Colgems, Fredericksburg, Texas, Tower

The Crossfires (aka the Fountain of Youth) early photo and feature

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Crossfires and Green Men Surfers A Go Go Fredericksburg Standard July 7, 1965

The Fredericksburg Standard of July 7, 1965 published a photo and profile of the Crossfires, a band that would go on to become the Fountain of Youth.

The Crossfires won seventh place among 78 groups at a battle of the bands at the Surfers A Go Go club in Dallas. They were all students at St. Mary’s School in Fredericksburg.

Gary Itri – bass guitar
Gary Jenschke – lead guitar
Jimmy Panza – drummer and vocalist
Kenneth Molberg – rhythm guitar

Crossfires Soul Rockers Briks LaVelles Surfers A Go Go Fredericksburg Standard July 7, 1965Two bands from Dallas won the top prizes: the Green Men, (I believe that would be Johnny and the Green Men) won first place and the Soul Rockers second. The Briks from Denton came in third.

The article notes that the Crossfires were the youngest group in the contest, and placed ahead of the LaVelles. The Crossfires started in March 1964 as the Fugitives, and had guidance from KNAF DJ Johnny Almon.

Although the article states that the Soul Rockers “have cut several best selling records”, I am unaware of any by that group name.

The Crossfires cut a version of Robb London and the Rogue‘s “Who’ll Be the One” / “Making Love Is Fun” on Tower 278 in 1966. I’ve seen a copy with a stamp from the Itri Record Shop in Fredericksburg!

The band relocated to California and with a name change to the Fountain of Youth, had four singles on Colgems. Billboard ran a full-page ad titled “Fountain of Youth has been discovered in Texas” to promote their first Colgems single, “Livin’ Too Fast”.

I’m a big fan of the B-side of their second Colgems single, “Don’t Blame Me (for Trying)” from June of 1968, by a somewhat obscure song writer, Ken Walker. “Day Don’t Come”, the B-side of “Sunshine on a Cold Morning” is also a standout.

Ken Molberg had left the group by the time of their last single. “Witness People” is the only recorded song that the band wrote themselves, by Itri, Panza and Jenschke. It’s one of their best, with a heavier sound than the earlier singles.

The group had a Kickstarter campaign to remaster & reissue their singles on CDR and vinyl, which has some additional info about the group.

Gary Itri passed away in January, 2014.

If anyone has photos or info on any of these groups please contact me. This photo from the Fredericksburg Standard is not bad by microfilm standards, but better quality photos must be out there.

Categories: Fredericksburg, Texas

The Jolly Rogers of Fredericksburg, TX

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Jolly Rogers Kerrville Daily Times, January 26, 1967
Jolly Rogers, Kerrville Daily Times, January 26, 1967
The Jolly Rogers came from Fredericksburg, Texas, its members were:

Byron Freeman – organ
Danny Kunz – lead guitar
Robert Miller – bass guitar
D.L. Chase – drums

An article in the Kerrville Daily Times from January 25, 1967 announces their upcoming show at the J.M. Auld Youth Center, and notes the band had been together for about six months with Byron Freeman as manager. Also that they had “played at the San Angelo Air Base and Service Club, the Commanche Club in Burnet, The Char Door in Comfort, Legioin Hall in Fredericksburg, and the teen Club in Kennedy and New Braunfels.”

The article also mentions another dance with a band called The Gates of Creation.

I don’t believe this group ever recorded. There was a group called Jolly Roger and the Poppiteers, from the Waco area, with a couple singles on White Deer. From the label credits, that band included Roy Irby, Dave Carr, Ray Colin, Jim Muile and Roger Simmons.