Bobby Wayne's Rockabilly Prison Songs Collected on THE WAY TO SAN QUENTIN
Sundazed Music releases the largely unissued reel-to-reel recordings from the Pacific Northwest pioneer.
Sundazed Music is set to release THE WAY TO SAN QUENTIN, a career-spanning collection of prison songs recorded by Pacific Northwest rockabilly artist Bobby Wayne, on September 11 on LP and CD. Born Robert Wayne Snyder in Spokane, Washington, in 1936, Wayne built a reputation in the region for a deep bass-baritone voice frequently compared to Johnny Cash and a style that blended hard-driving rock and roll with country storytelling. The collection draws largely from unissued recordings preserved on reel-to-reel tape and spans outlaw narratives, murder ballads, and prison laments, including the title track, 'Yuma Prison,' 'Public Enemy No. 1,' and 'Kill All The Lawyers.' Wayne formed his first band, the Rocky Mountain Playboys, at 16 and made an early trip to Los Angeles at 17 in pursuit of a recording career before returning to the Pacific Northwest to continue performing and recording.
Though widespread stardom eluded him, Wayne never lost the spark that first drew him to the music. Preserved on reel-to-reel tape, the recordings collected on THE WAY TO SAN QUENTIN capture an artist with a natural affinity for rockabilly's most dangerous characters and darkest stories. From the title track and 'Yuma Prison' to 'Kill All The Lawyers,' 'Public Enemy No. 1' and 'Pistol Packin' Mama,' Wayne inhabits a world of crime, punishment and hard luck with a voice built to tell the tale.
Born Robert Wayne Snyder in Spokane, Washington, in 1936, Wayne was an early force in bringing rockabilly to the Pacific Northwest, armed with a deep, resonant voice often compared to Johnny Cash and a sound that fused hard-driving rock 'n roll with country storytelling. On THE WAY TO SAN QUENTIN, that combination comes into sharp focus through a collection of murder ballads, prison laments and outlaw tales steeped in the darker corners of the American songbook.
Wayne was just 15 when he first picked up a guitar and 16 when he formed the Rocky Mountain Playboys. By 17, he had already ventured to Los Angeles in pursuit of a music career, only to be told by local clubs to head back home. Undeterred, he continued performing and recording, working with producers and country musicians while chasing the breakthrough that always seemed just beyond reach.
Even Wayne's name may have worked against him. Throughout his career, multiple performers recorded and appeared under the Bobby Wayne moniker, including another 'Bobby Wayne' marketed to rockabilly audiences. The confusion helped obscure the story of the Spokane-born artist whose recordings captured the raw electricity of rockabilly as it spread beyond its Southern birthplace and took hold in the Pacific Northwest.
THE WAY TO SAN QUENTIN Track Listing
1. San Quentin (intro)
2. The Way To San Quentin
3. Thirteen Miles To Birmingham
4. Kill All The Lawyers
5. Public Enemy No. 1
6. Uncle Sam's Got My Number
7. Queen Of Hearts
8. Make Believe World
9. Together (intro)
10. Together We Stand
11. Yuma Prison
12. Pistol Packin' Mama
13. Forever More
14. Prisoner Song
15. The Twelfth of May
THE WAY TO SAN QUENTIN is available for pre-order ahead of its September 11 release through Sundazed Music. The 15-track collection represents one of the more complete looks at Wayne's recorded output, much of which went unissued during his lifetime despite his early role in spreading rockabilly beyond its Southern origins into the Pacific Northwest.
