205 - Sonny Flaharty - Hey Conductor

In the Mid 1960’s there was no bigger band in the Dayton area than Sonny Flaharty and the Mark V. Whether playing to rabid crowds at the Diamond Club or packing the house at Wamplers Ballerarina, the band was the top in town. They were best known for their song “Hey Conductor” – that piece of fuzzed out psychedelia made it to #1 in the Dayton area. It got picked up for national distribution and was tabbed by Billboard magazine as a Breakout Hit, until some strange circumstances derailed the song.Sonny Flaharty stopped by our studios to talk about that song, and so much more. Did you know that he’s in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame? That he was signed to many major labels, including Epic, Decca, Warner Bros, and RCA? That his band opened for the Rolling Stones on their first tour of America and shared a dressing room with them? Or that Sonny’s early band the Young Americans, were courted by the same producers that made Hang On Sloopy a smash for the McCoys. If you’ve heard of Sonny Flaharty, get ready for a trip down memory lane. If you haven’t, get ready for some great stories.