The first printed notice I’ve found in the Fort Worth Star Telegram was from January 17, 1958, an ad for the group’s appearance at the Red Devil Lounge at 2541 N.E. 28th.
The ad also notes “The Straightjackets are appearing on Teenage Downbeat – WBAP-TV, Channel 5, Tuesday, Jan. 21.”
Another one on February 28, 1958 calls the group “recording stars” though I don’t believe they had made any records yet. Early ads through 1960 give a different spelling for the group, the Straightjackets, and sometimes list Delbert as featured vocalist. He had turned seventeen years old a few months before.
On February 25, 1960, the Straightjackets played a battle-of-the-bands with the Twisters at Crystal Springs Ballroom. They regularly played at Jack’s Place on Mansfield Road.
The Star Telegram ran items on March 26 and April 10, 1960 with the first lineup I can find for the group in print:
Talent Hunt Ends in Tie for 2 Combos
Two five-man combos, one from Fort Worth and the other from Victoria, finished in a tie for first in the area finals of the Talentsville, U.S.A. contest Saturday afternoon at Casa Manana.
The Fort Worth entry, “The Straitjackets,” was composed of Billy Cox, Delbert McClinton and Ronnie Kelly, Technical High School Students, Jim Dinsmore [Jimmy Densmore] of Arlington Heights and Bob Jones of Paschal.
The Victoria entry, billed as “Dads of Dixie” …
The two groups won trophies and the right to compete in the division finals in Houston May 7.
The Dads of Dixie would win the regionals in Houston along with the Blue Notes of Witchita, KS, winning spots for the finals in New York.
A short profile in the Star Telegram from February 10, 1961 announced their first record and included a photo of the band. Jim Densmore was no longer with the group, while Ray Clark and Ralph Dixon had joined. It also listed Delbert as “Mac Clinton”, a pseudonym that would appear on their first single, “Wake Up Baby” / “That Cat” on Le Cam Records 714.
Six graduates of Fort Worth high schools who work together as a band – The Straitjackets – this week have released their first record.
The disk presents a Straitjacket arrangement of “Wake Up, Baby,” a 1955 tune by Sonny Boy Williams.
On the reverse side, also arranged by the group, is “That Cat.” The release is on the Le Cam label.
“We think ‘Wake Up, Baby’ will sell readily,” said Mac Clinton, leader of the group and former Arlington Heights High School student.
The band was last year’s city competition winner in the Talentsville U.S.A. contest. However, the group was defeated in state competition.
Band members include Ronnie Kelley, Bob Jones and Ray Clark, who were graduated from Paschal High School; Ralph Dixon from Polytechnic, and Billy Cox from Heights.
On the Le Cam label, “That Cat” shows owner Major Bill Smith as writer. In 1962, “That Cat” would appear again on the flip side to versions of “Gigolo” / “I Ain’t Got Nobody” on United Artists UA 453, with the Straitjackets listed as the artist this time.
The Straitjackets kept busy in 1962 with shows at the Skyliner Ballroom with Ray Sharpe and the Trebles, and a June 3 show at the Stork Club following the John Griffin, Jr. Band.
In June 1962, Del McClinton toured the UK with Bruce Channel, to reprise his harmonica playing on Channel’s smash “Hey! Baby”. There he famously met the Beatles.
While in London, Delbert cut four songs. “Dunkirk” / “Angel Eyes” came out only in the U.S. on London 45-LON 9544 with Del McClinton listed as the artist. “Hully Gully” / “Baby Heartbreak” came out in the UK on Decca F.11541, using his full name Delbert McClinton, with later issues in Italy and Greece. Earl Guest was music director, and Mike Smith did production.
By 1963, Delbert had formed the Ron-Dels with Ronnie Kelley, and would go on to cut a number of singles on Bill Smith’s labels like Shalimar, Brownfield, Le Cam and Shah, as well as a couple on Smash. Members of the Rondels would include Dahrell Norris on drums, Jimmie Rodgers on guitar and bass, and Billy Wade Sanders on guitar, piano and vocals.
The Straitjackets continued, possibly without Delbert. Ray Torres was drummer on “Hey! Baby” and mentioned being a drummer with the Straitjackets, but other than him, I don’t know who was in later lineups. They had shows at the Skyliner Ballroom in December 1962, and New Year’s Eve with the Capris at the Ridglea Palladium Ballroom.
I find two later notices, one for Sonny and the Straightjackets at the Stork Club in August 1966, and another for the Straight-Jackets at the Tropicana Club in January 1967, but these may be different groups altogether.
In the ’80s, Le Cam released two LPs released titled Very Early Delbert McClinton with the Ron-Dels that may contain some recordings done with the Straitjackets as early as 1960. (I would like to hear these records if anyone has them for a reasonable price.)
Further reading: Lee Cotten’s interviews with Delbert and Major Bill Smith in Discoveries October 1996 issue.