Michigan Music History Podcast -- MMHP989 · Scott Baker, Gary Johnson, Fred Reif, Mike Beattie

Michigan Music History Podcast--Ross Helco--The Beat Behind The Sunday Funnies Part 2 of 2

·45 min·3 clips

Ross Helco backs the Coasters, Del Shannon, and Bo Diddley in Las Vegas after a same-day flight.

1. Michigan Music History Podcast -- MMHP989 centers on Ross Helco and his work around the Sunday Funnies, recorded live at the Rock Legends Hall of Fame in Bay City, Michigan. 2. Scott Baker hosts with Dr. J., Sir Fred, and Mr. Mike, while Ross Helco is the guest because he played with the Sunday Funnies and later other Michigan bands. 3. The episode uses Ross’s memories to trace where the Sunday Funnies went after the breakup, what he played next, and how those jobs connected to Michigan rock history. 4. Ross says the Sunday Funnies broke up in 1975 after a call from Seeger and that Kaz, Finn, and Quackenbush went to California while Ron went to Florida and he stayed in Detroit. 5. He describes Seeger asking Fizz to get the band back together so the Sunday Funnies could open for the Silver Bullet deal, but Ross says that reunion was not going to happen because the members were spread out. 6. Ross says Gary Quackenbush joined the Sunday Funnies for the last year and a half and that the band had to fight to keep his signature guitar style under control. 7. He recalls playing with Chuck Berry at a park in Ohio and says the band had to sober Berry up before he went on stage. 8. Ross tells a Ted Nugent story from the Michigan State Fair shell, where Nugent fired a guitar player during sound check after seeing a joint. 9. He talks about the Debutantes, Jan McClellan, and the Quattro family, using them as examples of the Ann Arbor and Detroit family networks around Michigan bands. 10. Ross says Paul James, nicknamed Jammo, moved from being a Sunday Funnies roadie to drum shops, instrument rentals, Jeff Porcaro, Charlie Watts, and other touring work. 11. One of the strongest moments is Ross’s Vegas story, where he says he and Ron got a same-day call, packed a small suitcase, and flew out not knowing the act they were backing. 12. The reveal on the plane was that they would back the Coasters, Del Shannon, and Bo Diddley at the Las Vegas convention center with four shows a day. 13. Ross says the first show was shaky, the 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. shows improved, and Bo Diddley later told him to settle down because he had too much energy. 14. He says he recorded the performances on a boom box cassette, then years later turned the tape into MP3s and a short YouTube video. 15. Ross also says a camera operator was stopped by Bo Diddley during the show, which led Ross to explain why he kept his own cassette recording. 16. He compares that Vegas tape restoration to what AI could now do for old recordings, especially when vocals or guitars need to be pulled forward. 17. The interview style is loose and conversational, with Scott Baker prompting Ross through dates, names, and band changes while Ross answers with long stories. 18. The tone shifts between local history, tour-bus memory, and practical musicianship, especially when Ross talks about playing quietly in country bands and loudly in rock bands. 19. Listeners who like Michigan band history, backstage stories, and old touring circuits would likely enjoy this episode. 20. Listeners wanting a tight, topic-specific interview with no detours may skip it.

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