NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. (AP) — Marshall Lytle, the original bass player for  Bill Haley & His Comets, one of the first bands to take rock ‘n’ roll music  mainstream, has died. He was 79.

Lytle died at his home in New Port Richey, Fla., on May 25, said his niece,  Shayna Golda.

Lytle recorded hits like “Rock Around the Clock” and “Shake, Rattle and Roll”  with Haley in the 1950s. He was known for his percussive bass style, slapping  the strings as he played, and his lively performances. He would sometimes take  the bass over his head or ride it like a surfboard.

“He’s known as the father of rock bass by some people,” said Michael Jordan  Rush, who published a memoir by Lytle titled “Still Rockin’ Around the Clock” in  2011. “He certainly influenced rock bass more than any other individual.”

Bing: More on Marshall  Lytle

Lytle was born in Old Fort, N.C., in September 1933. A birth defect made it  nearly impossible for him to walk as a child. His older brother would carry him  to and from school on his back. It was then that Lytle developed a love of  music.

“He had been a musician from the time he was barely able to walk,” Golda  said.

While Lytle was still a young boy, he had surgery that gave him the use of  his legs, she said. In 1951, Lytle, then still a teen, joined Bill Haley’s  Saddlemen. At the time, Haley had a radio show in Chester, Pa., and the manager  commented that the group didn’t look like saddlemen, Rush said.

He suggested they call themselves “The Comets” instead.

“Marshall said, ‘That’s a great name, I think we should go with it,'” Rush  said.

Several of the band’s hits are now iconic rock ‘n’ roll songs: “Rock Around  the Clock,” recorded in 1954, is one of the highest selling singles of all time.  Lytle also played on hits like “See You Later, Alligator.”

But he and two other members of the band quit in 1955 over a money dispute  and formed a new group called The Jodimars. The group had limited commercial  success, and Lytle temporarily changed his name and later went into real  estate.

He returned to music in 1987, playing in a Comets reunion band, and performed  right up until the weeks before his death, Rush said. He was inducted into the  Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with other members of the Comets in 2012.

Golda said Lytle was diagnosed with lung cancer early this year.

“And he didn’t smoke,” she said. “But performing all those years in  nightclubs and bars and being on tour buses and all those things, you’re  exposed.”

She recalled receiving postcards from around the world from her uncle as a  child.

“He led a fulfilling, very interesting, very joyful life,” she said.

Lytle is survived by his longtime girlfriend, Cathy Smith, two siblings and  seven children

The Vintagent Press Release:
Lucky number 13 for the annual “Motorcycles as Art” exhibition at the legendary Buffalo Chip during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally this summer is titled “Ton Up! – Speed, Style and Cafe Racer Culture,” focusing on the origins and continued popularity of the Café Racer movement worldwide.
Co-curators Michael Lichter and Paul d’Orléans have assembled a comprehensive display of 32 machines from 12 makes and 6 decades, plus never-published photography – from the original café racing scene in 1960s England to the present, paintings by Triumph ‘resident artist’ Conrad Leach, images from the Ace Café Collection, vintage leather ‘Rocker’ jackets from the Lewis Leathers archive, the “One-Show” 21-helmets display of custom painted helmets, painting by Andrea Chiaravalli and photography by Erick Runyon with other artists to be announced.
The 30+ confirmed bikes for this exhibit include premium examples of 50s/60s Café Racers (Gold Star, Norvin, Triton, Dunstall, etc) from Herb Harris (Harris Vincent Gallery), Yoshi Kosaka (Garage Co), Mark Mederski (National Motorcycle Museum), Gordon McCall (Quail Motorsports Gathering), plus Willie G Davidson’s #0001 1977 XLCR, and machines from Alain Bernard, Arlen Ness, Bryan Fuller, Brian Klock, Dustin Kott, Giuseppe Carucci,  Greg Hageman, Jason Michaels, Jay Hart, Jay LaRossa, Kevin Dunworth, Ray Drea (Harley-Davidson design director), Roland Sands, Skeeter Todd, Steve “Brew Dude” Garn, Richard Varner (Champions Moto), David Zemla (Burly Brand), Steve “Carpy” Carpenter, Thor Drake, Vincent Prat (Southsiders MC) and Zach Ness. Included in the show are original or modified machines by BMW, BSA, Ducati, Honda, Harley Davidson, Moto Guzzi, Norton, Rickman, Triumph, Vincent and Yamaha.
Each year, the “Motorcycles as Art” exhibition garners tremendous media coverage from around the globe, and thousands of enthusiasts in person. This year’s exhibition will get even more recognition as it will live on in the coffee-table book “Ton Up – Speed, Style and Cafe Racer Culture,” published by Motorbooks International. Michael Lichter will photograph all the motorcycles in his Sturgis studio for the book, which will also include the jackets, artwork, and photographs from the exhibit. Paul d’Orléans’ is writing a comprehensive history of the Café Racer movement for the book; from its deep origins in speed-modified road bikes from the ‘Teens, to the ‘classic’ period in England in the 1950s/60s, through its various resurrections in the 1970s, 80s, and especially, with the advent of Internet motorcycle blogs, TV shows, and ‘Café Racer’ magazines, the explosive popularity of the style in the 21st Century.
“Ton Up! – Speed, Style and Cafe Racer Culture” sponsors include GEICO Motorcycle, Handy Industries, Hot Leathers, Keyboard Motorcycle Shipping, Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys and Spectro Performance Oils. The exhibition will be open August 3rd – 9th 2013 and is located next to the east gate of the Buffalo Chip and offers free admission to the public, and Buffalo Chip guests.
The ‘Motorcycles as Art’ exhibitions are hosted each year by the Legendary Buffalo Chip, this year celebrating its 32nd consecutive annual concert series, which attracts the music industry’s hottest stars to their famed camping resort every August during Sturgis Bike Week. The “Chip” is set on 580 acres 3-miles east of Sturgis.
For more information: www.buffalochip.com

2nd Annual Bikes and Bombers Event Lyon Air Museum

BOB’S BIG BOY

This is always a classic place to meet and has many cool shows and events going on in Toluca lake of which the cruise night on Fridays gets really packed.

I have been coming here since I first moved to these shores in 2000 and always have a great time at the restaurant.

Just wanted to share some of this place with you, in-case you had not been down this way.

The iconic figure in the Burbank area, this is one cool eatery,  that has been around for many many moons and is a great part of So Cal history.

A great sign that just screams Nostalgia.

OPENING

This Bob’s restaurant was built in 1949 by local residents Scott MacDonald and Ward Albert, and is the oldest remaining BOB’S BIG BOY in America. It was designed by renowned architect Wayne McAllister, incorporating the 1940’s transitional design of streamline modern style while anticipating the free-form 50’s coffee shop architecture. The towering Bob’s sign is an integral part of the building  design and its most prominent feature. The restaurant was honored in 1993, receiving the designation as a “STATE POINT OF HISTORICAL INTEREST” by the state of California. The current owner (the MacDonald Family) acquired control of the restaurant in 1993 and began to restore it to its past glory.

The Bob’s Big Boy and sign ensemble is significant to the history, culture, and architecture of Los Angeles and merits recognition and preservation.

——-Barbara A. Hoff, LA Conservancy

An exterior patio was added; the tower sign was rehabilitated; the dining room was remodeled; “Car Hop” service was re-introduced on Saturday and Sunday nights; and on Friday nights a classic car show reverberates in the parking lot. Many resources were spent to restore the quality of food, service and hospitality which made BOB’s a Southern California tradition. We, the owners, managers and employees of  Bob’s thank each and everyone of our guests for their patronage, and we pledge to continue to strive to provide you with the very best food, service and hospitality at a fair price. Our goal is to constantly improve and make your meal the very best value in Southern California..

CAR HOP SERVICE

Back to the 50’s style
Every Saturday & Sunday from 5-10pm

Greg Harvey had heard stories about the carhops at the Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank. His dad was a regular here in the 50’s, spending his weekends in a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. Greg’s wife, Jill, frequented the Burbank restaurant, too, but she was 10 years old and came with her parents. When Greg learned that the carhops were back, he took a trip down memory lane, Borrowing his dad’s 1969 Copo Camaro, he pulled into Stall 15 on a recent Saturday night. Greg ordered a Big Boy Combo with blue cheese dressing, his childhood favorite, while Jill chewed on a burger with fries. As music of the Beach Boys played in the background, the Harveys basked in nostalgia. “It’s the same as it was when I was a kid,” Jill says. “But back then it was more crowded. There were people and cars everywhere.”

Opened in 1949, Bob’s Burbank is the oldest restaurant in the nationwide chain. When the City of Burbank declaired the restaurant a historical landmark last year, the ’50’s diner underwent a face lift to re-create the ’50s style. Managers agreed that the restoration wouldn’t be complete without the revival of the carhop. “We wanted to bring the historical ’50s style back,” general manager Mike Lopez stated.

They have super car shows and cruise nights here and if you are ever in the area, its a must place to go and check out.

CLASSIC CAR SHOW

Fridays from 3-10pm

“It is the oldest Big Boy in the country and classic car lovers from all around Los Angeles gather there every Friday for a trip down nostalgia lane.” – The North Hollywood-Toluca Lake Patch

Well, here we are again, I am just setting up a New shop, with products and many other cool things for you lot to look forward to in the next few weeks, so stay tuned on the website etc.

Motorcycles have always been a huge part of my life and it takes all sorts in this and other industries, what we may not like, some one else may love, so here are just a few pictures I thought I would share with you on this Hot Tuesday morning here in California.

I am sure you will like some of these and others you will laugh at? As I am having a ball with these today that’s for sure.

Now you cannot go wrong with out and wild and crazy chopper build can you? This is nuts but would of loved to have seen this coming down the road, or attempting to get around the roundabout in Orange County.

Anyone need a Motorcycle stretch limo for a prom night?

Another head scratching Mono-cycle that is all balance I guess?

Well, at Big Bear in the winter this would be awesome to get about, if it had knobby tires on it.

Some rather clever people out there that can produce a motorcycle out of an old Zippo lighter and a Schwinn bicycle.

Here is one for all you John Deer Tractor lovers out there, a lot of work gone into this monster, see through fenders are unique.

This must of been designed and created by a Rolex Watch maker?

Ozzie Osbourne’s Brother or what?

I’m a little lost of this one but if it gets you about the place, then more power to you mate.

Yeah, we are all kids at heart I guess.

This bike lets you carry a spare.

3 wheels on my wagon, and I’m still rolling along !

This has to be the shortest motorcycle out there?

Now, this is very cool, great engineering, unbelievable amount of work and this is a stunning head turning machine.

Pretty clever photography, it had me fooled for a minute.

I wonder if this really does go like a Bomb?

Cave man Cafe Racer.

Somebody has way too much time on their hands here.

When I asked for a Seven Up, I meant a clear fizzy soda !!!!

Easier to change a boot than a tire!

Journeys end I suppose?

New shirt designs this month and more coming out, as things are about to change here at Carpy’s Cafe Racers and, to be honest, for the better.

I am going to be producing many more parts and apparel over the coming months, not only that, we shall be having a New website with more options and of course some cool stuff for you to be part of, for instance a readers rides section, so you can check out all thats being built around the globe these days.

I shall try hard to design more apparel, as many of you ask me about my shirts and of course, bring back some more of the old favorites if and when i think is a good time, but they will be all good and these ones you see on this page are my latest design thats i have completed and are now up on the website to purchase.

We enjoy what we do here at the shop and hopefully later in the year will get to some of the shows out in the lower 48 and beyond.

These shirts are long lasting, and you will get many comments on them as I have all the time, some of my shirts have washed well for over 4 years too.

So keep checking back on here as we shall have all sorts of cool goodies, more inventory and some bikes coming up shortly too.

I know this will be a fun time and getting back to basics is always more fun and, I get more time to meet and chat to you all.