Choker Campbell / Edward McFarland Jnr -- Car Crash Florida 1962

[jsmith]

I looked on the net for any info on this Motown Revue musician who was killed in Florida in late 1962; Edward McFarland Jnr ... but couldn't find a thing.
Anyone here know anything at all about him ?
I'm guessing he was just a 'Motown touring musician' who played in Choker Campbell's Motown Review Big Orchestra back then, and that he wasn't involved in any Hitsville recording sessions. In the attached mag piece he is described as Beans Bowle's assistant, so I guess his role was more important than that of just a musician in the band.
In 1961, it had been Popcorn & the Mohawks that had been the Motown Review tour band but Choker & his band had taken over those duties sometime early in 1962.

[reese]

In her book, Raynoma Singleton says that McFarland was their driver, who had apparently fallen asleep at the wheel. She mentioned that he was a distant relative of Berry's, and described him as a happy-go-lucky guy.

[jsmith]

Thanks, I didn't think to check in Raynoma's book.

[soulwally]

I looked on the net for any info on this Motown Revue musician who was killed in Florida in late 1962; Edward McFarland Jnr ... but couldn't find a thing.
Anyone here know anything at all about him ?
I'm guessing he was just a 'Motown touring musician' who played in Choker Campbell's Motown Review Big Orchestra back then, and that he wasn't involved in any Hitsville recording sessions. In the attached mag piece he is described as Choker's assistant, so I guess his role was more important than that of just a musician in the band.
In 1961, it had been Popcorn & the Mohawks that had been the Motown Review tour band but Choker & his band had taken over those duties sometime early in 1962.

John, if you read the cutting again it says McFarland was road manager Beans’ assistant, not Choker’s

[jsmith]

It also says the guy killed was a musician [[in the band). The band at that time was Choker Campbell's Big Orchestra, so was he or was he not a musician [[Edward McFarland that is) in the Motortown Special Revue band ? I assume he was, which is why the Motown Revue Shows scheduled to take place at the Apollo were then cancelled. I'm assuming Beans Bowles was also a musician in Choker's band as well as being the Revue's road manager [[which is why he was carrying the receipts from the Florida shows).
Unless Motown had a 2nd band out on the road that week & Beans was leading that outfit [[I doubt that was the case).
The Revue had undertaken a week stint in DC [[@ the Howard) in late Oct / early Nov 62 when the bill had been :- Miracles, Marvelettes, Mary Wells, Marv Johnson Martha & Vandellas, Marvin Gaye, Supremes, Sammy Ward, Bill Murray & Choker Campbells Band.
However a year earlier a similar line-up but minus Marvin, the Vandellas & the Supremes [[in their place were Henry Lumpkin & Pete Hartfield) had been touring with Popcorn & the Mohawks supporting the package.
In spring 63 another very similar line-up [[but with no Sammy Ward or the Supremes from Nov 62 but with the Contours & Stevie Wonder) was out touring again -- once more with Choker's Band providing the back-up.

[jsmith]

The Florida shows that Beans Bowles & Edward McFarland must have been returning from ... these ones were staged in Miami, they might have played a 2nd venue elsewhere in Florida after these ...
Mary Wells & Marv Johnson got top billing here, whereas in DC just 3 weeks earlier, the Miracles, Marvelettes, Mary & Marv all seemed to get equal top billing.
Choker's band was titled his Show of Stars band here.
In DC it had just been Choker Campbell & Orchestra.
Attachment 21092

[Roger Polhill]

According to the book "Fingertips" Beans was road manager, chaperone and diplomat and not a musician. The were travelling from Tampa Florida to Greenville South Carolina and driver Eddie McFarland had been on bootleg whisky and no-doz prior to the trip.Some of the artists wished to travel with them but were refused. Eddie McFarland died nine days later.

[mysterysinger]

From Adam White's West Grand Blog December 7 2018

"The more familiar tale from ’62 is that of the fatal car accident involving Bowles and assistant Eddie McFarland. In To Be Loved, Berry Gordy notes that it took place after the Revue’s November 21 playdate in Greenville, South Carolina, as the two men were en route to the next show, in Florida. Their vehicle collided with a truck, seriously injuring both. Bowles was in good spirits when Gordy visited him in hospital; McFarland subsequently died."

[Roger Polhill]

Sorry I gave the wrong directions, thanks Mystery.

[jsmith]

As they were in Miami on Nov 25th, the phasing of the gigs was obviously a bit screwed up [[Tampa, Florida to South Carolina & then back to southern Florida).
The date [[Nov 21st) quoted though doesn't tally as the Revues Miami show was on Sunday Nov 25th [[see attachment above) -- unless it was South Carolina Show on 21st, then Tampa show & finally the Miami show on 25th.
It also seems that JET got it wrong & Eddie McFarland wasn't actually a musician on these trips, just a driver.

[motony]

Sunday afternoon, Nov. 25th, 1962 is when I met the whole Revue in Mary Wells hotel room at Sir Johns Hotel in Miami.I was 11 yrs old.

[woodward]

In Martha Reeve's book, she called him Eddie Edwards. That is the only place I saw a name other than McFarland. Also it was buried in the Fingertips book about Beans Bowles that Eddie McFarland had been a driver before the fatal accident down south for the Marvelettes. Nowhere have I read that he was a musician. I was looking in the Memories of the 1962 Motown Revue by Curtis Woodson and no mention was made of the incident whatsoever. Unrelated in all books is the amount of money that was in the car at the time of the accident. It was revealed that back in those days the actual currency was mailed back to Detroit headquarters. Unbelievable method of transmitting actual currency.

[jsmith]

Motony, it would be great to learn more about your experience that afternoon ...
The hotel was where all the black stars had to stay when in Miami. Even if they were performing at the big plush hotels on Miami Beach, they weren't allowed to stay / eat in those establishments back in the 60's.

[motony]

I called the hotel & they put me through to Mary Wells room!!I knew it was Mary when she answered the phone & I hastily told her how I loved her & had all her records[[Two Lovers was her new one) & she told me I could come over to see her.My Mom drove me & my younger brother & she waited in the car in the parking lot & said 30 min. Martha Reeves answered the door[[she & Mary were room mates).She couldn't beleive we knew who she was from the Marvin Gaye records.Mary had a kerchief over her hair & cool looking pant suit on.I heard a voice down the hall laughing & it was Gladys Horton. They couldn't beleive we knew who they all were. We also met Claudette & Bobby Rogers. The Supremes were all real nice.Thats when my brother fell in love with Diana Ross, LOL. It was a fast 30 minutes.But Mary remembered me 4 years later when I actually got to see her in concert on the Joe Tex Show in Orlando, where we had moved to. Simpler times for sure.Sir Johns Hotel had a club, the Knight Beat, which was much smaller then the Harlem Square Club.

[jsmith]

Yes, and they booked live acts every week [[till the hotel was demolished).
On their way from Detroit to a series of gigs in Jamaica, this lot stopped off in Miami en route ...

[danman869]

I can't remember in which Motown book I read it many years ago, but I recall that it said Beans was sitting in the backseat playing his flute when the head-on crash happened. Eddie was killed instantly and Beans was impaled on his flute. Sorry if this is graphic... but I thought it said that the flute entered into his body through his armpit and came out of his neck. CLEARLY he recovered, but that sounds pretty bad--especially for the early 60s.

[reese]

I can't remember in which Motown book I read it many years ago, but I recall that it said Beans was sitting in the backseat playing his flute when the head-on crash happened. Eddie was killed instantly and Beans was impaled on his flute. Sorry if this is graphic... but I thought it said that the flute entered into his body through his armpit and came out of his neck. CLEARLY he recovered, but that sounds pretty bad--especially for the early 60s.

This is basically how Mary Wilson described the accident in her book DREAMGIRL.

[Roger Polhill]

In Beans Bowles biography it states that he woke up with his foot in his face and suffered a broken leg, broken hand and contusions.

[jsmith]

Earlier in 62 ... Raynoma & Claudette were happy; Gladys & the Pips not as much so ...
Gladys & the Pips also having been involved in an auto accident travelling between gigs.

[motony]

I wonder what car Smokey bought Claudette for that much, wow, 1962 , and what must that mink stole look like?No wonder very few people had one.

[snakepit]

I wonder what Berry bought Margaret Norton?

[jsmith]

Choker Campbell and his band were obviously recruited by Motown in late 61 or early 62.
Choker was leading his big band as far back as the early 50's when they would get bookings in their own right. By the late 50's, the band was mainly acting as the backing outfit on Chitlin Circuit touring revues. So he & his musicians had obviously learnt to adapt to changing styles, live show wise. They must have been quite versatile as they had to back up every sort of artist on the circuit; blues, doo-wop, R&B, soul, etc.
They'd provide support behind the likes of Ruth Brown, the Dells, Little Richard, Joe Tex, Little Willie John, the Moonglows and more. As such, they'd have been seen by Harvey Fuqua and later on by the likes of Smokey Robinson and Marv Johnson.
IS IT KNOWN who actually approached Choker and brought him into the Motown family ?