Randy Poole Obituary

Chris (tceng) English '70 said:

Bob and Ruby Poole's son Randy, named after Randy Lyn Scruggs, Earl Scruggs son, was raised from childhood to be a bluegrass musician. After graduating he headed east for the great festivals. Indeed, he ended up in BB King's apartment in New York City, investigsting King's unusual, arty interior decoration.

Dan Althof invited me to his Montalvo garage about 1969. We playef around with Blues. Fail.

Randy and Robert Poole plus Tim Duran gathered to play Bluegrass. I canmot remember Dad Poole's name. In his youth he'd been in a band, "Texas Nighthawks". He raised Randy to plsy banjo, Robert Bass.

Timmy was a phenom. Give him a stringed instrument, he'd play it. Mandolin. fiddle, dobro, guitar. His Dad said, "Tim, you're Mexican, play Mexican music. It was blurgrass for Tim 100%.

Danny Althof was a night shift short order ciok at Loop's, Victoria and the 101. Dan always knew what he wanted. A '64 Chevy Malibu and a Martin guitar. I don't know the Chevy cost. He paid $1,200 for a Martin D12-20 then plsyed the dtrings off that mighty guitar.

Randy worked at the Drive In Movie. With his hard earned cash he bought a Honda N600. Look that up!.

Robert dropped out, Dan recruited me on bass. Soon we had a giant repertoire of Roy Acuff, Flatt and Scruggs, Beatles, Martha White commercials snd various Mountain Blues songs. We even put a Robert Burns poem to our music.

We practiced all hours. all free days. We stayed WAYY out of trouble. We began playing Saturday night gigs at Dan's sister's house for sandwiches. We began playing more small gigs. Where do 15-17 year old kids play bluegrass for money. We didn't.

Randy connected with Dan Blocker in Oak View. Dan coached him on getting into the entertainment industry.

Randy began working up a gig at a church on The Avenue. It turned out to be an old man with a van looking for boys.

Searching for a name one night somebody jokingly tossed out""Bluegrassholes". Years later Dan played a Prescott, AZ gig with Blue Skies Bluegrass band. That would have been a better name in 1970.

My family liked off-color humor. Just before he died my dad told me how funny it was and how proud he wss I was in the Bluegrassholes at the Senior Breakfast. Bad Dad, bad. Real poor taste.

When I was 12 I vowed to be gone the day I got out of high school. Bill and Pris Pike took me to Alssks to watch the boys. I enlisted in the Coast Gusrd there hecause I knew I'd get picked in the draft lottery.

Danny A joined the Navy, following his electronics skills learned at Buena.

Randy (and Robert?) and Tim (?) headed east. Thete was a van someehrte in the mix with a full band. There's those festivals. ..

My first year in the Coast Guard I believed in returning to Ventura. I went to the Montalvo Duran home visiting Tim. He put in a reel to reel tape of a VERY tight and good bluegrsss band. "Who is THAT Tim?"
"That's us."
WOW.

Remnants of our group gigged around Ventura. I cinnected with Randy. He was living in s Church house near the Marina. Instead of spending the whole night, I msde s 1:30 am walj to my psrent's home, abandoning my frired Randy Poole. I regret that walk to this day.

Robert Poole and TimbDuran landed in Austin, TX. I heard Robert still works there, plsys gigs on the dide and is a luthier. Tim returned to Montalvo, caught in the worst mesh of the music industry. I don't know what happened after that.
.
If you're a striving Ventura County musician with a good band, din't get cute with the name. Master your genre, then write a local-based song or two. Have setiius menbers, have an act, have a plan. Follow it.

I have never seen an alligator lizard in the air - ever

Chris (tceng) English '70 said:

Randy was raised from childhood to be a bluegrass musician. After graduating he headed east for the great festivals. Indeed, he ended up in BB King's apartment in New York City, investigsting King's unusual, arty interior decoration.

Dan Althof invited me to his Montalvo garage about 1969. We playef around with Blues. Fail.

Randy and Robert Poole plus Tim Duran gathered to play Bluegrass. I canmot remember Dad Poole's name. In his youth he'd been in a band, "Texas Nighthawks". He raised Randy to plsy banjo, Robert Bass.

Timmy was a phenom. Give him a stringed instrument, he'd play it. Mandolin. fiddle, dobro, guitar. His Dad said, "Tim, you're Mexican, play Mexican music. It was blurgrass for Tim 100%.

Danny Althof was a night shift short order ciok at Loop's, Victoria and the 101. Dan always knew what he wanted. A '64 Chevy Malibu and a Martin guitar. I don't know the Chevy cost. He paid $1,200 for a Martin D12-20 then plsyed the dtrings off that mighty guitar.

Randy worked at the Drive In Movie. With his hard earned cash he bought a Honda N600. Look that up!.

Robert dropped out, Dan recruited me on bass. Soon we had a giant repertoire of Roy Acuff, Flatt and Scruggs, Beatles, Martha White commercials snd various Mountain Blues songs. We even put a Robert Burns poem to our music.

We practiced all hours. all free days. We stayed WAYY out of trouble. We began playing Saturday night gigs at Dan's sister's house for sandwiches. We began playing more small gigs. Where do 15-17 year old kids play bluegrass for money. We didn't.

Randy connected with Dan Blocker in Oak View. Dan coached him on getting into the entertainment industry.

Randy began working up a gig at a church on The Avenue. It turned out to be an old man with a van looking for boys.

Searching for a name one night somebody jokingly tossed out""Bluegrassholes". Years later Dan played a Prescott, AZ gig with Blue Skies Bluegrass band. That would have been a better name in 1970.

My family liked off-color humor. Just before he died my dad told me how funny it was and how proud he wss I was in the Bluegrassholes at the Senior Breakfast. Bad Dad, bad. Real poor taste.

When I was 12 I vowed to be gone the day I got out of high school. Bill and Pris Pike took me to Alssks to watch the boys. I enlisted in the Coast Gusrd there hecause I knew I'd get picked in the draft lottery.

Danny A joined the Navy, following his electronics skills learned at Buena.

Randy (and Robert?) and Tim (?) headed east. Thete was a van someehrte in the mix with a full band. There's those festivals. ..

My first year in the Coast Guard I believed in returning to Ventura. I went to the Montalvo Duran home visiting Tim. He put in a reel to reel tape of a VERY tight and good bluegrsss band. "Who is THAT Tim?"
"That's us."
WOW.

Remnants of our group gigged around Ventura. I cinnected with Randy. He was living in s Church house near the Marina. Instead of spending the whole night, I msde s 1:30 am walj to my psrent's home, abandoning my frired Randy Poole. I regret that walk to this day.

Robert Poole and TimbDuran landed in Austin, TX. I heard Robert still works there, plsys gigs on the dide and is a luthier. Tim returned to Montalvo, caught in the worst mesh of the music industry. I don't know what happened after that.
.
If you're a striving Ventura County musician with a good band, din't get cute with the name. Master your genre, then write a local-based song or two. Have setiius menbers, have an act, have a plan. Follow it.

I have never seen an alligator lizard in the air - ever