Kenny and the Kasuals was one of the most popular rock bands in Dallas in the 1960s. PHOTO COURTESY OF RICHARD PARKER
Kenny and the Kasuals still perform together occasionally. PHOTO COURTESY OF RICHARD PARKER
Kenny and the Kasuals had coolness and stage presence beyond that of other local bands. That’s how 1966 Bryan Adams High School graduate Richard Parker remembers his favorite ’60s teen band. Parker and Kenny Daniel — Kenny and the Kasuals front man and a fellow ’66 B.A. grad — have teamed up to bring the story of this unparalleled era to life in their new book, “Stomp and Shout: The All-Too-Real Story of Kenny and the Kasuals and the Garage Band Revolution of the Sixties”. Along with Kasuals organist Paul Roach and Dallas guitarist Rollie Anderson, Parker and Daniel follow the adventure of raw rock-n-roll in Dallas, taking readers back to teen clubs of the day such as LouAnn’s and The Studio Club and weekend dances such as DreamAires and Teen Timers. The book offers nostalgic details about Casa Linda, White Rock Lake, and Woodrow Wilson and Bryan Adams high schools. “So little really remains from our era,” Parker says. “Our theaters are gone, or at least no longer show movies. Our hangouts are misty memories … so many of our generation’s memories are gone like a cool breeze.” The lighthearted tone and addictive storytelling recall the days when Don Henley, the future members of ZZ Top, Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Steve Miller, Boz Scaggs, and more were all in local bands. “I hope a reader’s main takeaway will be a warm nostalgic glow for an era that was a truly magical time in which to come of age,” Parker says.
“Stomp and Shout” is widely available, including at Dave Anderson’s Zoo Music at 11224 Garland and on amazon.com.
