David Lee (guitarist, dimpled heartthrob, and "illustrated man" par excellence) began as a mere fan of the Legendary Shack*Shakers. But when a slot opened up for a new guitarist, David Lee pounced on the opportunity, kicking the doors of Rock 'n' Roll history wide open.

"I started playing guitar around nine or ten. After being forced to listen to my parents' record collection (of all the greats thank god!) I decided to try my hand at playing. Growing up in the south, all we listened to was honky tonk and country. Tons of Sun stuff— Sonny Burgess, Scotty Moore, Cash, and Hank Sr. We also listened to Johnny Horton, Les Paul, Chet Atkins, Jimmy Bryant, Elvis, Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry. My earliest playing was trying to figure out what the heck these guys were doing! I remember being fascinated by all the huge hollowbodied guitars and still think from a design standpoint, you can't get any more beautiful than a single cut 6120."

Fast forward to the ripe age of 13 when David saw the Dead Kennedy's with the Circle Jerks and felt the full impact of Punk Rock. "East Bay Ray guitarist for the Dead Kennedy's changed my life!"

David has played in numerous punk and rockabilly bands over the years. Most recently before Th' Legendary Shack*Shakers was Go Baby Go— a full psychobilly/rockabilly punk band out of Charleston, SC. and was his medium to meet L.S.S. "Like JD said... I was a fan, we did some shows together, and when the guitar spot opened up, I was all over it."

David Lee on his 1958 Gretsch 6120:

"I've owned probably half a dozen or so Gretsches. Most notably, my beloved '55 Caddy Green Country Club 6196 that I had for 7 years. I really wanted a '58 6120 but I wanted a player's guitar and most that I found were way to nice to do the live shows that we are known for. I finally tracked down a '58 through Michael Guthrie out of Athens Ga, who described this particular example as 'ridden hard and put up wet one too many nights.' He said it was still the best damn sounding 6120 he'd ever heard and regrets the day he let it go.

Mike had owned this "Luckie Ward' Gretsch for many years and bought it from the original owner, Luckie, who was from Augusta, GA and was a well known country picker who recorded some with Chet Atkins.

Unfortunately the guitar now resided in Milan, Italy with very little to go on about finding her. With the help of the Internet and patience I tracked it down and not only was the owner interested in letting her go but also looking for a Country Club! So I packed the Club and traded her for a guitar I had never seen but heard amazing things about. Two weeks later the 'Luckie Ward' Gretsch was back in the south. The metal plate over one of the toggle switches was put on by Luckie himself... one night he cracked the top by hitting the toggle too hard and instead of having a luthier properly repair it... proudly took an aluminum plate, had 'Luckie Ward' engraved on it and bolted it on!"

Note: David just got a brand new 6120SSL to use as a backup to his treasured '58 for their U.S. winter tour (see pic at right). "This guitar is absolutely amazing. I think Luckie is a bit worried that she's going into retirement..." - DL

"Ladies and gentlemen! In this turbulent world few things are certain, but we are inching ever closer toward certainty by announcing that this is music for both sects of blue hairs – the punk rock, Kool-Aid-dyed kids looking for their next great musical fix and the kindly old ladies down the street who have lived long enough to know what good music is. Ladies and gentlemen! "Believe" is a new full-length release traveling directly from the seclusion of the Yep Roc Records warehouse to your soon-to-be-ecstatic ears. But this is not just any ordinary record – this is a triumph of Vaudevillian exuberance melding the rural, agri-dustrial rhythms of Appalachian hoedowns, the intensity of gutbucket blues, and even the madcap oompah of Polka. Ladies and gentlemen! It is with great pleasure that we introduce to you – the one – the only – Th' Legendary Shack*Shakers!" - Yep Rock Records

Check out this review of Believe by Zeth Lundy from Popmatters.com.

For more photos, downloadable music, videos, tour information, links, art, and reviews of Th' Legendary Shack*Shakers, visit their website at:

www.cockadoodledont.com.