Catch a tune: Evening of music for SACA

By Dixon Bledsoe

What do Johnny Carson, Buffy Sainte Marie, Hoyt Axton, Dolly Parton, the great comedian Jonathan Winters, and legendary musician Taj Mahal have in common?

They have all been friends at some time or another with Silverton’s Stephanie August and Michael Husser, also known as the A.H. Factor band.

Husser, 66, worked on the late Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show from 1976 to 1992, worked with the Gong Show, and was known to make the late comedic genius Jonathan Winters crack up.  August, 52 , worked with social activist and folk legend Buffy Sainte Marie and was an upstate New York Jewish girl who ran away to start a career after her mother told her, “No country music.” That trip, at 15, didn’t quite land the budding young singer a Nashville career as the truck driver only carried she and her boyfriend (at the time) to Graceland’s front gate (Elvis wasn’t in at the time). An all points bulletin brought her back home where the music bug just grew stronger.

She met Husser at Club Alameda in California when he walked in to the club where she was playing, sat down and asked, “Would you like to see my bass?” She was working on a Cole Porter song at the time. He was to play with his Big Fish Band. It was pure harmony at first sight.

The AH Factor Band will be one of  the groups playing Wednesday, June 5, 6 to 9 p.m. at Mac’s Place as a fundraiser for Silverton Area Community Aid (SACA), the area’s emergency food non-profit.

“We just love the idea of helping those in need get good food, and especially using our music to do it,” said August. The theme of the night, “Fish – N – Blues” serves a dual purpose. It is one of Taj Mahal’s big hits, and the event will focus on getting fish into SACA’s freezers, refrigerators, and on the shelves. The cover is $10, patrons are asked to bring fish. Canned tuna, salmon, fresh fish, frozen fish. It’s all about fish.

“We seldom ever get fish into the food bank,” says Teresa Warriner, SACA assistant director. “It is such a good source of nutrients for people to eat, but we just get mostly canned tuna. We will have a barrel for canned fish products, and ice chests for fresh or frozen fish that will go right to SACA after the show, but it has to be commercially purchased. We aren’t able to accept home-packed products. But this will be a great event – lots of fun, great music, and a wonderful cause.”

All proceeds will go directly to SACA, as the bands are donating their time and talents to help. Still Water Vibes, singing acoustic blues, will be on hand. The band consists of Nick Wixon, Jarred Venti and Brandon Logan. Ron Burghard will be offering classic Country and Western Swing, and the A.H. Factor band proclaims, “Old School Rules.”

The A.H. Factor band, with Husser playing his 1964 Fender electric bass he calls “the old man” and August playing the piano features them both on lead and harmony. Between them, they have written more than 40 songs in Oregon in the last year. They recently recorded an album at Wavelength Studio in Salem called Life Is a Flower.

In their musical travels, they have accumulated many stories including the trip that put Stephanie at the gates of Graceland. Husser has his own, too. He has backed up the Chevelle’s at Hamilton AFB because he was standing on the corner waiting for a ride to a gig. A man drove up, rolled down his window, and asked him if he was a bass player. When he replied in the affirmative, the man asked him if he and a few band members wanted to play at a concert with the Chevelles. He and his buddies had about 15 minutes to learn the show, and did a 14 song set they had to read by sight. The set included the Chevelle’s big hit, Soldier Boy.

He also tells of his tour with The Midnight Special music show and one episode that featured country icon Dolly Parton. She was in her curlers and he was showing her where to block during her performance. He asked her, apologetically, to do the blocking 4-5 times. Afterward, he apologized again and said, “Ms. Parton, I feel bad we had to do that so many times.”  The legend patted his hand, smiled that sweet smile of hers, and said, “Call me Dolly, darlin’. And when I play it now, it’s all on you.”

CDs will be available  at the show.