As the legend goes, passed around in conversations at the Hightone Cafe & Garage, it all started when a group of youngsters decided to start a "garage band" in the back of the cafe. That was 1965 and the Beatles were hot on the radio. But, radio reception around Doss was poor back in those days, so the boys were forced to learn songs from the LPs that their parents owned; records that had been bought during car trips to San Angelo and other big cities.

Over the years, the band had several name changes. In the 70's they decided to call themselves "The Electric Tractors" in order to keep up with the times. This name change got them great notoriety and a one gig at the Ozona Area County Fair. It also brought on a lawsuit from some Japanese guy who had actually invented some kind of electric tractor, so, the band changed their name again. They wanted to call themselves "The Free Range Roosters" but some of the wives didn't think too highly of that. So, after many pots of coffee in the booth at the Hightone Cafe and hundreds of napkins written on and then scratched through with band names, some of which didn't make any sense at all, the boys finally struck on the perfect name for the band.
Actually the boys didn't think of it. It was Luther Samuel Dozier who thought of it. Luther, the cafe dishwasher looked up from all the napkins and said,

It was brilliant.

Over the years the name got shortened to "The Hightone Band" and then just "The Hightones". The name stayed that way until the summer of 2003 when a shady sort of fellow show up on one of the two streets in Doss. That one street happened to be where the Hightones practiced and played. He heard the band playing and came by, saying that he had just retired to Doss and was stopping by to say hello. He introduced himself as Harry Marlowe.

Come to find out, this Harry fellow turned out to be one of the best and most versatile musicians the boys ever met. He could play any instrument you put in his hands. Harry started coming to practice and eventually the Hightones asked him to be the leader of the band. Harry made some big changes in the band soon afterward. First, he said the Hightones needed to do something with their music, namely, go out and play for other people.

Harry never showed up for the gig. The Hightones found out later that Harry had apparently received a very mysterious phone call and had immediately driven to the airport where he boarded an airplane for some distant destination that the Hightones had never heard of before. When he reappeared at the next band rehearsal, he explained that although he was retired, "the company" , referring to his former employer, apparently needed his expertise and would be calling him out of retirement to employ him on a "contract basis" from time to time.

So, as the story goes, the Hightones have had to live with having to tell audiences, "Harry didn't make it tonight."

But, every once in a while, Harry does make it to the gigs. In fact, he played with the Hightones at the Texas Arts & Crafts Fair in May. The Hightones were thrilled, to say the least.

So, if you get lucky, you may, in fact, get a glimpse of Harry Marlowe in action at one of the Hightones' performances. Be sure to check the calendar for the next show.

The End...maybe

www.hightones.com