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Allen Hill, Houston's High Priest of the Oldies, never thought of himself as an American Idol kind of guy. Like a lot of hip people, he deemed the show cheesy, an example of everything that is wrong with music in America.

Until now. This season he's riveted to the show, going so far as to organize a weekly Idol-watching party at Sig's Lagoon, the Midtown record and gift shop. That's because one of his buddies has gone to Hollywood and is seen by many seasoned observers of the show as the unofficial front-runner to win the whole thing. "You always support the home team," Hill says. "Especially when it's a friend of yours."

The friend and occasional music-making companion in question is Sundance Head, the son of pioneering Gulf Coast rocker and blue-eyed country-soul man Roy Head. (The Heads all live in Porter out by Humble.) "Only Roy Head could have generated any interest in me to watch this series," Hill says.

I catch up with Hill at the first of the weekly Idol-watching parties at Sig's, which Hill has renamed Sundance HeadQuarters for the duration of Sundance's Idol run. Thus far, the turnout has been light. Very light: At the first gathering the attendance consists of Hill, an obsessive record collector guy whose name we never catch, Sig's proprietor Thomas Escalante and Racket, gathered around a borrowed TV with rabbit ears and no remote. (Hill and Escalante are hoping that the people will come as Sundance's run continues.)

"Sundance has sung at the Continental at least three times," Hill says, as we catch the tail end of the Simpsons episode leading into Idol. "Roy's such an awesome dude. And it's such a cool story -- the son makes good. And he auditions with a Bobby 'Blue' Bland song? That's awesome."

Idol is Sundance's time to shine. Thus far, he has had a hard time escaping his father's shadow. Most of his public appearances have come when he has acted as a sort of relief pitcher for his father, stepping in and ripping through a few tunes with whatever band is backing his dad.

"He's just a singer -- he's not really a band guy," says Hill. "So he works with bands that know songs like 'Mustang Sally' and 'Stormy Monday,' and he sings like crazy. But he hasn't been in a working band where he's at it night after night."

Living up to a legacy as large as Roy Head's is no small feat. The word "legend" gets thrown around a lot in music journalism circles, but if anybody truly qualifies, it is Roy Head. One of the only white artists on Houston's black-owned Back Beat label (an imprint of Don Robey's Duke-Peacock empire), Head was, along with the Righteous Brothers, one of the true pioneers of what came to be called "blue-eyed soul."

"People didn't know Roy was white back then, and in some ways it kind of backfired on both sides," Hill says. "He told me about the time he played the Apollo in Harlem, and he said he was in the wings thinking, 'I'm not going out there,' and when he hit the stage he said you could hear a pin drop. But then he started dancing and doing his deal and he had them in 15 seconds." (Like father, like son: A couple of years ago, Roy insisted that Sundance be allowed to sing with the Calvin Owens-led all-star band at the Duke-Peacock reunion show at the Eldorado Ballroom in Third Ward. Some of the older guys resented the imposition, until Sundance's performance quieted the grousing.)

"On the flip side, Roy was quite the ladies' man and he had all these guys who wanted to kick his ass," Hill continues. "He would be going out with their sisters and these guys would hear the record, and let's just say these people didn't think they were hearing blue-eyed soul."

He may have had only one major pop hit -- "Treat Her Right," which charted number two in 1965, right behind the Beatles' "Help!" -- but he has racked up a host of lesser hits in both country and pop, and few people who ever saw him perform have ever felt cheated.

You can see why on YouTube, where several clips show Head in his prime. Watch the first one that pops up when you search his name -- not only did the man have James Brown-fast legs, but he pulls some double- and triple-jointed moves that would do an Indian fakir proud. Quite simply, legs aren't supposed to do those things. (Head once toured with James Brown, and legend has it that Brown threw Head off his bus for copping his dance moves.)

My father, John Lomax III, used to see the elder Head perform at battles of the bands at small clubs on South Main. "Him and B.J. Thomas used to duke it out on stage," he says. "These teen clubs had these cheesy little applause meters. But Roy and B.J. both took these things very seriously. They had these big eight- and nine-piece bands and they really wanted to win. B.J. had some moves, but Roy, man, I remember watching him and just thinking 'That sumbitch is somethin else.'"

Still is, according to Hill, who has backed him at several shows. "Even today, in 2007, Roy Head is a better front man than the majority of today's 20-year-old shoegazers," he says. "Roy goes out there and puts on a show. Nobody knows what's gonna happen. He jumps off the Continental Club stage, does a flip, dives into a mass of people, dances, humps the ground...And then just runs off. And nobody ever forgets they were ever in the room with Roy Head."

Write Your Comment show comments (12)

  1. The "record collector guy whose name you never catch" is me, Henry Weissborn, a longtime record collector. I saw Roy Head in concert a few weeks ago at the Janis Joplin Birthday Bash in Port Arthur. My first time to see Roy Head was about 10 years ago at a Toys for Tots concert in Rosenberg. B.J. Thomas was the headliner. Roy Head opened the show. Allen Hill and I were in attendance at Sig's Lagoon again last night. Allen and I are rooting for the home team. "Sundance Head all the way!", Henry "Wild Dog" Weissborn, weisshh@yahoo.com

    Comment by Henry Weissborn — February 23, 2007 @ 10:58AM

  2. I saw the Allen Oldies Band in concert yesterday at the H.E.B. Central Market. Allen Hill sang Roy Head's classic "Treat Her Right" during their second set. He introduced the song by saying, "I'm gonna talk about a good friend of mine and his son". He said, "Roy had a giant hit in 1965". He mentioned the ongoing Sundance Head fan club parties at Sig's Lagoon, and then broke into the song.

    Comment by Henry Weissborn — February 25, 2007 @ 08:50AM

  3. Attendance keeps growing at the weekly Sundance Head fan club parties at Sig's Lagoon. Last night Allen Hill, Larry, Ann, Liz, Andrea, Nick, Annette, and me were in attendance. Sundance Head closed the show with "Mustang Sally". They saved the best for last. He dedicated the song to his son. They showed a picture of him. The judges loved his performance. "Wow! What a difference a week makes. That's the guy we fell in love with". Another judge, Simon, said, "I'm glad we got the Sundance back who we really, really liked". Allen Hill said, "Awesome. Sundance was rockin'. That's what they wanted, that bluesy style". Roy Head is aware of our fan club down here in Houston. Allen has invited him to visit us at the viewing party next week at Sig's. Hopefully, he will join us.

    Comment by Henry Weissborn — February 28, 2007 @ 09:22AM

  4. Attendance keeps growing at our weekly Sundance Head fan club parties at Sig's Lagoon. Last night Allen Hill, Larry, Ann, Liz, Andrea, Nick, Annette and me were in attendance. Sundance Head closed the show with "Mustang Sally". They saved the best for last. He dedicated the song to his son. They showed a picture of him. The judges loved his performance. "Wow! What a difference a week makes. That's the guy we fell in love with". Another judge, Simon, said, "I'm glad we got the Sundance back who we really, really liked". Allen Hill said, "Awesome. Sundance was rockin'. That's what they wanted, that bluesy style". Roy Head is aware of our fan club parties down here in Houston. Allen has invited him to visit us at the viewing party next week at Sig's Lagoon. Hopefully, he will join us.

    Comment by Henry Weissborn — February 28, 2007 @ 09:52AM

  5. There were 5 of us in attendance- Ron, Nick, Jay, Jim Henkel, and me. Sundance sang a Pearl Jam song at the beginning of the program. Jim Henkel said, "It was ok. He's a good singer". Allen Hill said, "it could have been worse". The program lasted only an hour. Roy Head didn't show up in person. Ron had displayed an 8 X 10 photo of him. He said we had Roy in spirit, if not in the flesh. We'll check in again next week.

    Comment by Henry Weissborn — March 7, 2007 @ 11:24AM

  6. Unfortunately, Sundance was voted off of 'Idol' last week. Therefore, the viewing parties at Sig's Lagoon have been discontinued. Sundance purportedly will perform soon at a club in our area. Stay tuned.

    Comment by Henry Weissborn — March 12, 2007 @ 12:40PM

  7. Henry W,
    I would like to know where Sundance intends to performs when he comes home. I love him. He is so talented and it is a shame AI did not realize, however there are abunch of his fans on texas music forum who are getting together to try and do everything possible to help the kid out. He not only is a talented young man, but such a very caring compassionate man for his fellow competitors. He's a big teddy bear with a tremendous heart. He will go far if we can get him out there, He has a huge fan base that is not watching AI anymore since he is no longer part of it. If he has a copy of a cd he has made there are a bunch of us who would like to try and help him out. Until, sing your heart out Sundance. Hoping to hear get to hear you again sooon!

    Comment by Pat Tracey — March 13, 2007 @ 11:27PM

  8. Pat, it is all just rumor at this point. I have seen his father, Roy, only twice in the past decade, once in Rosenberg, and once in Port Arthur. I've learned from Allen Hill, of the Allen Oldies Band, and Tom Escalante, the owner of Sig's Lagoon, that Roy has performed at various times in recent years at the Continental Club on Main. Chances are best that Sundance will perform there whenever Roy comes back to play again.

    Comment by Henry Weissborn — March 14, 2007 @ 10:04AM

  9. We're all rooting for Sundance, and share in our dismay. I visited Sig's Lagoon the other day. Tom Escalante assured that it wasn't the judges' decision. That was the American public voting. The judges are as disappointed as us. He is certain that Sundance will perform soon in our area at a gig with his father. The Continental Club is our best bet.

    Comment by Henry Weissborn — March 14, 2007 @ 02:58PM

  10. The judges were stunned when Sundance got voted off last week. Paula Abdul said, "I'm speechless". It was not the judges' fault. He clearly deserved to stay. The Sundance fan club is alive and well in Houston.

    Comment by Henry Weissborn — March 15, 2007 @ 04:33AM

  11. Soul superstars Roy Head, Archie Bell, Barbara Lynn, and Barbara Mason will perform at the Continental Club in Houston on August 31.

    Comment by Henry Weissborn — June 29, 2007 @ 12:26PM

  12. Sundance got up on stage and performed 3 songs during fis father's set at the "Superstars of Soul" show at the Continental Club on Friday night, August 31.

    Comment by Henry Weissborn — September 2, 2007 @ 08:14AM

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