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During their heyday, the Lexington band The Trendells were known for their soul- and Motown-infused style of rock ‘n’ roll, as well as for their theatrical performances, which featured coordinated choregraphy and matching suits. Photo furnished
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During their heyday, the Lexington band The Trendells were known for their soul- and Motown-infused style of rock ‘n’ roll, as well as for their theatrical performances, which featured coordinated choregraphy and matching suits. Photo furnished
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Charlie Shuck’s performances with The Night Crawlers in the early 1960s earned him a following around Kentucky, as well as the attention of The Trendells, whom he joined permanently in the spring of 1964. Photo furnished
In his new book “It’s Only Rock ’n Roll With a Little Bit of Soul,” Lexington musician Charlie Shuck recounts his extensive history as a member of various well-known Lexington and Louisville music acts. Perhaps most notably, he was part of the long-running band The Trendells, which played hundreds of gigs over the past 50 years, with a robust history in the Chevy Chase area in particular. First urged to write the book more than a decade ago by Ralph Hacker – the longtime voice of University of Kentucky Athletics – Shuck has filled the book with insight about his successes, adventures and misadventures as a musician and bandleader, and stories and anecdotes that include raucous “Animal House”-style frat parties, bar fights and police run-ins, as well as memorable gigs that include nearly every Kentucky governor’s inauguration party since 1979, as well as performing alongside groups that included The Beach Boys and The Four Seasons.
Longtime Chevy Chasers might remember The Trendells from their long-standing gig as house band at the former neighborhood bar The Fireplace in the 1980s. Another significant Chevy Chase area tie can be found in the group’s many performances at the popular Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital fundraiser “The Bash.” First booked for The Bash in 1975 by Mary Ann Davis — the wife of J.W. Davis, the Lexington real estate developer responsible for building much of the Lansdowne neighborhood — The Trendells played the event for 27 consecutive years. Historically held after the first home football game every fall, The Bash continually drew massive crowds at its original venue, the Lansdowne Country Club, for many years, though it eventually moved to other much larger venues, from Red Mile to Heritage Hall. (In his book, Shuck recounts tales of intoxicated adults jumping in the Signature Club’s swimming pool, fully clothed, as a possible reason for the event’s relocation.)
Shuck’s early musical aspirations manifested like many do: singing in the shower. His first glimpse into the world of live rock ’n’ roll came during a 1960 show of Louisville band The Sultans, whom he refers to in the book as the “Kings of St. Matthews.” Only 12 years old at the time, Shuck relied on a friend who knew the band’s manager to help sneak them into the gig, which took place at an American Legion post. From their slicked back hair and their snazzy continental suits to the smooth vibes they spread through the crowd, the band blew Shuck away.
“These guys are cool, the chicks are digging on them – and they are getting paid, to boot,” he recalls thinking. The experience stirred something in Shuck, setting a high standard of class, showmanship and professionalism he has continued to strive for throughout his career.
Shuck’s first opportunity to perform on stage came soon after his first rock concert, when a friend of his asked Hardy Martin, co-leader and guitarist for a group that was at the time called The Carnations and The Trendells, if Shuck could sing with them during a show at the Louisville Country Club. Martin agreed, and Shuck performed one of his favorite songs, “One Summer Night,” by The Danleers. Despite his nervousness and inexperience, Shuck’s performance earned a round of applause – and kickstarted a 55-year musical career.
Within two years, Shuck found himself lead singer for a band called The Night Crawlers, which he was originally invited to join just for a performance at a sock hop at Westport High School. Impressing the crowd (as well as the band) throughout the night during the impromptu show, he was offered a permanent spot in the band at the night’s conclusion. After earning a following around Kentucky and parts of Indiana performing with The Night Crawlers, Shuck got a phone call from the aforementioned Hardy Martin in the spring of 1964, asking him to sit in that night with The Trendells at Club 68 in Lebanon, Kentucky. Shuck, who had studied the band’s music and choreography extensively, fit in like a glove – much to the surprise of the band, which hadn’t realized that Shuck had been studying for this moment for a long time. Within a couple of nights, he was invited to join the band as a permanent fixture.
Though he took a break from The Trendells for a number of years in the late ’60s/early ’70s, Shuck reunited many original members of the group in 1973, under the auspice of the The Trendells Reunion Band. That group eventually became known once again as, simply, The Trendells and has operated consistently since then. (The group continues to perform semi-regularly, with annual appearances at Thursday Night Live, regular appearances at Kentucky governor’s inaugurations and other gigs at events of various scales.)
Even though the group saw its share of rowdy gigs over the years – including regular gigs at Club 68, a venue that was known in its day for regularly hosting 20-plus person bar fights, complete with broken beer bottles and a chicken-wire-screen that would lower in front to the stage to protect the performers – The Trendells continually maintained a high level of class, Shuck recalls, with early leaders Hardy Martin and Ray Allen running the band like a national act. Members turned in their uniforms after every weekend of shows to be taken to the dry cleaners, and rode to shows in snazzy Mercury Park Lane automobiles. The band’s style was augmented with choreography and other performance attributes that continued to stick with and define Shuck throughout his career.
“We were pretty polished – I’ve been saying for many years that people often hear with their eyes as well,” Shuck said. “We did the choreography like The Temptations, like The Four Tops, like The Spinners. We did some advanced stuff, and I think that’s what separated us from a lot of other regional bands.”
“We’ve been very blessed and fortunate to have an incredibly rich history for a regional band,” Shuck said.
And now, that history is out in the world for others to enjoy as well.
“It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll With A Little Bit of Soul” is available locally at Joseph-Book Booksellers and online at Amazon.com.
A Book signing with author Charlie Shuck will be held March 17, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at My Favorite Things located at 2721 Old Rosebud Road.