Johnny Jones and the King Casuals were a premier Nashville, Tennessee, rhythm and blues group active in the 1960s. They were regular performers at the North Nashville club district, Printer's Alley clubs, as well as often serving as the house band for a legendary local TV show of the period. The beloved "Night Train" aired weekly at the Friday midnight time slot.

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  • Johnny Jones and the King Casuals were a premier Nashville, Tennessee, rhythm and blues group active in the 1960s. They were regular performers at the North Nashville club district, Printer's Alley clubs, as well as often serving as the house band for a legendary local TV show of the period. The beloved "Night Train" aired weekly at the Friday midnight time slot. The band, which was originally named "The King Kasuals", was founded in 1962 by Jimi Hendrix and bassist Billy Cox in Clarksville, Tennessee, after the two were discharged from the adjacent Fort Campbell Army post, and eventually relocated to Nashville. Johnny Jones, born in Nashville in 1936, moved to Chicago where he honed chops with Jr. Wells and others. He moved back to Nashville in the early '60's to become a session player, and eventually assumed leadership of the King Casuals, ca. 1964, replacing Hendrix. The band recorded a portfolio of singles in later years. The most recent recording featuring Mr. Jones is the 2001 solo release "Blues Is In the House". He remains active on the Nashville blues scene. At least one video of Jimi Hendrix from the "Night Train" shows has survived. It shows Jimi playing with Little Richard's revue "The Royal Company", backing the dance & vocal duo "Buddy and Stacy" (who were also part of Richard's "Royal Company" at this time) on a cover of Jr. Walker's "Shotgun". This B&W video is generally considered to be the earliest ever (ca. 1965) of a Hendrix performance still in existence. According to Billy Cox, this appearance was during one of Hendrix's return visits to Nashville, as he had previously relocated to New York. "Night Train" was hosted by Noble Blackwell and would open with him calling "all aboard the night train" as footage of a steam locomotive rushing at the viewer kicked off the proceedings to the tune of (as one would expect) "Night Train".
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  • Johnny Jones and the King Casuals were a premier Nashville, Tennessee, rhythm and blues group active in the 1960s. They were regular performers at the North Nashville club district, Printer's Alley clubs, as well as often serving as the house band for a legendary local TV show of the period. The beloved "Night Train" aired weekly at the Friday midnight time slot.
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  • Johnny Jones and the King Casuals
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