Topic starter
27/02/2014 11:57 pm
With the uncertain fate of the GOLDENROD SHOWBOAT much in the news, many were also saddened to learn of the passing last Saturday of Trebor Tichenor, 74, well-known pianist for the St. Louis Ragtimers, which performed for many years aboard the GOLDENROD. Trebor (Robert spelled backwards) was one of the founding members of the Ragtimers in 1961.
Tichenor was an authority on Scott Joplin, wrote many articles on the subject of ragtime, taught classes on the subject and had a collection which included some 10,000 piano rolls and pieces of sheet music, some of which he exhibited on the texas deck of the Str. BECKY THATCHER at the St. Louis levee in the 1960's.
The St. Louis Ragtimers are known world-wide and have made quite a number of compact discs and videos, available from their website at The St Louis Ragtimers, as well as on eBay. I enjoyed hearing them play numerous times and I'm sure that many who visit this forum undoubtedly have heard the Ragtimers aboard the GOLDENROD and in the Boiler Room Bar of the BECKY THATCHER, their rollicking music reverberating over the cobblestones from the brightly lighted riverboats. For several decades, beginning in 1965, there was an annual ragtime festival held aboard the showboat each summer.
My sympathy to Don Franz and the remaining members of the St. Louis Ragtimers.
IMAGE: The St. Louis Ragtimers aboard the GOLDENROD SHOWBOAT. Left to right, Eric Sager, Bill Mason, Don Franz, Al Stricker and Trebor Tichenor.
28/02/2014 7:50 am
Kieth,
His passing was also mentioned on the Mechanical Music Digest. We have lost a real treasure!
David
28/02/2014 4:27 pm
Trebor and the Ragtimers
I think I own every CD the Ragtimers made. They were/are a unique group, playing songs you'd probably never hear elsewhere. I enjoyed their sessions on the second deck of the GOLDENROD on the St. Louis levee (both of which are in danger of extinction now). Don Franz subbed on the DQ in the mid 1970s. In fact, in one of Betty Blake's few PR blunders, she let our DQ trip start with the regular band, and then plucked the musicians off one by one to go play for one of the MQ's maiden voyages. For a day we were left with only our new banjo player, Fred Dodd, and the tuba player Don Franz. It was 'interesting' and we let our feelings of being the little abandoned sister known. Later when I took friends to the GOLDENROD for the Ragtimers session, Don gave us the complete behind the scenes tour during one of their breaks. I didn't know Trebor, he seemed to be quieter than the rest of the group, but he wasn't shy about tickling the ivories. He is going to be missed.