By Malcolm T. (68.43.105.26) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 10:52 am:

Anyone heard of or seen Motor City Josh and the Big Three??They are a KILLER blues and soul group.

By Ralph (209.240.205.62) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 12:02 pm:

Malcolm,
I haven't. Are they still local or do they have anything going? I like the name. Tell me more about them.

By Malcolm T. (68.43.105.26) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 01:49 pm:

Hey Ralph,,I did see Motor City Josh in Mt. Clemens two summers ago ,,Amazing. I requested `Jesus just left Chicago` by ZZ Top and he played it,,too much. An internet search for Motor City Josh will return much info and audio,,too kool. BTW, I recorded at Terra Shirma years ago when it was called Gold Soul,the Lemmons brothers,,YIKES! If you speak to Joe Peraino,ask if he would call me at 1.586.771.2413. I knew Joe when he played bass with Gangrene and later with Power of Zeus for Motown.
He then became my booking agent for many fruitful years on the metro Detroit music scene. Thank You.

By Ralph (209.240.205.62) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 03:07 pm:

Hi Malcolm,
Oh, so you had a run in with the Lemons. Sorry to hear that pal. Wow, you knew Peraino huh? By the way, he played lead guitar. Bill Jones played bass in the group. you can reach Joe at his office at Sterling Diversion Entertainment. 248 398 9711

By NS Fan (217.234.117.91) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 03:27 pm:

Was one of these Lemons George Lemons who sung Fascinating Girl on Gold Soul, if so any info on him? I think Ron Murphy was involved, is that correct Ron? What is their history?

Cheers

By Malcolm T. (68.43.105.26) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 05:04 pm:

Hi Ralph,,Joe indeed played guitar,,a flying V if I recall,,and Bill Jones played a Precision down close to his knees and the drummer was Randy,,double bass drums.I played drums professionally for 25 years.

By Ralph (209.240.205.62) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 05:30 pm:

That was George Lemons alright. I'd like some info on the MF myself. They ripped off most of the equipment a TS when they couldn't make the note.

By Malcolm T. (68.43.105.26) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 05:34 pm:

Hey Ralph,,I believe the entire Lemons family is in prison for life for an evil deed done in Inkster years ago.

By LeoB (68.41.104.246) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 07:54 pm:

Ralph,

Re: The Lemons family.
This is a reprint from the Detroit 300 Almanac.
It might make a interesting new forum topic.
"From Gold Soul Records to Cold Steel Bars"


Inkster motel firefight
WARRANT TRIP TURNS DEADLY FOR POLICE .
They drifted from one fly-by-night scam to another and were living in an Inkster motel when Inkster police arrived July 9, 1987, to serve Alberta Easter, and her sons with a warrant for a $286 bad check.
Easter, 69, protested, insisting the warrant was improper. Officers Clay Hoover, 24, and Daniel Dubiel, 36, called their supervisor, Sgt. Ira Parker. He drove to the Bungalow Motel on Michigan Avenue. Seconds after Parker, 41, entered the motel room, gunfire began. The cops didn't have a chance. Twenty-nine slugs were pumped into the three officers, including rounds from their own weapons.
Then Easter and sons George, 45, Roy, 47, and William Lemons, 43, fired at random out the motel door at Michigan Avenue. A 10 hour standoff ended when the family surrendered. All were convicted of first-degree murder and are serving life terms.

By Ralph (209.240.205.62) on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 12:25 am:

LeoB,
WOW!! Thanks for posting that. I knew something was amiss with this crew but I had no idea how bad it really was. You have closed a chapter in my life that has caused me to wonder about this group of thieves for many years. Absolutely mind blowing Leo!

By Ralph (209.240.205.62) on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 12:34 am:

I had forgoten the name...Albeta Easter. Boy was she a piece of work. She was a big woman. Close to six feet tall if I remember. She had a loud, almost musical voice and referred to my attorney Ira Jaffe, as Attorney Jaffe. Besides her son George ( who kind of remimnded me of a black version of that big cartoon duck Baby Huey ) there was some guy named Mr. Tate and one other person who I can't remember, that were involved in the sale of Tera Shirma. I'm sure Mr. Tate and the other guy were being duped into investing in this project and got clipped. They seemed like straight- up guys. Wow...the memories are a-flowin' tonight.

By Ralph (209.240.205.62) on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 12:37 am:

All of this really causes me to reflect: Without Soulful Detroit I would have never learned what I have tonight and would have continued to wonder. Remarkable.

By David Meikle (81.130.211.124) on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 03:46 am:

I know one of the editors of the Almanac, Bill McGraw, and will ask his permission to leave the extract on the thread.

I have this book and never spotted the story.

Which page is it on Leo?

I love the Almanac BTW.

It is still available on Amazon.

By Jock OConnor (213.61.27.5) on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 05:36 am:

Interesting stuff, see the other thread where Ron hints at putting out the whole story at some point in print.
Did George record anymore, I personally think the record is horrible but it is very well regarded in NS circles in UK. Did he have talent, or did his family influence his recording chances.
Not trying to dig dirt here, just interested in the music side (altho have to admit am finding myself fascinated by the non music revelations, sorry) due to its place in NS History (altho as I said for some reason the record leaves me cold)
Also apologies to Ralph for reviving bad memories, I had heard there was some history but no idea just how much with G Lemmon!
As someone else said, you learn so much here.

Jock

PS Mel did get your email, in the middle of a house move will give you a full update when I have a minute in next few days.

Thanks for info

By Ralph (209.240.205.62) on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 10:17 am:

Jock,
No apologies necessary. This thread has been a revelation to me. To answer your question regarding the talents of George. when Gold Soul was a client of Tera Shirma and George was the artist they were recording it was pretty much agreed amongst the studio staff that the guy was terrible.

By Ralph (209.240.205.62) on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 10:23 am:

After the equipment was stolen from Tera Shirma by the Gold Soul people, I got word that it was suspected that it was being stored in some motel in Dearborn. Kind of fits the above scenario.

By Juicefree20 (68.161.20.172) on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 01:06 pm:

I never heard of this guy, did he make legitimate music? This guy sounds like quite a character.

Juice

By Leob (68.41.104.246) on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 02:49 pm:

David and Ralph:

The Article in the Detroit Almanac is on page 492 of the "Mayhem" section complete with a photo of Alberta Easter in handcuffs.
Oddly I had begun to read this thread on my old Friend Motor City Josh ( now living in Atlanta I've heard ) when Malcolm mentioned "an evil deed in Inkster" .. a bell went off in my head and I reached for my well worn Detroit Almanac.

Being a resident of Dearborn, I remember the event when it happened in '87 as it was just a couple miles down the road to that motel in Inkster.

It was wild to go back and read Ralph's great webisode to complete the picture. Ralph you may have to re-write the epilogue now !! I apologize for asking, but, were those guys indebted to you or the bank when they defaulted and ripped you off ?

It is sad to think of any human being wasting their life like that, but this appears to be a case of a lot of negative Karma reaching critical mass.

Here is the ISBN number for The Detroit Almanac
ISBN: 0937247340

By Ralph (209.240.205.62) on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 03:10 pm:

Leo,
They owed the Tera Shirma Corporation a hell of a lot of money. I can't remember what the cost of the sale of the studio was, but they only made a few payments before they defaulted. It was while all the legal wrangling was going on over this that they stole what equipment they could haul away.

You're so right Leo. The webisde looks a little different now. I'm still blown away by all of this news.

By Ralph (209.240.205.62) on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 03:13 pm:

Leo,
As I stated in the TS webisode, my attorney, Ira Jaffe, knew this deal wasn't going to fly very far. He was right.

By the way. I e-mailed this story to him last night. I'm sure it will be of interest to him also.