Larry Kiefer ?

Subject: RE: Larry Kiefer ?
From: GUEST,Danny Hitchcock, Wichita, Kansas
Date: 08 Dec 19 - 02:22 PM

I had Larry Kiefer for seventh grade music. A friend of mine, Jerome Garfield, advised me—something to the fact—that Larry has suffered some severe injury in California which left him somewhat impaired, and that he became profoundly depressed and ended his life by walking into the ocean to drown. I cannot verify this, but this is what I understand. With regard to the "refrain" mentioned below, I recall that he sang a folksong which had the refrain: "Hey lee lee, luh lie ee oh..." which came from "The Leatherwing Bat."

Hi said the little leatherwing bat,
I'll tell you the reason that,
The reason that I fly by night,
Is because I've lost my heart's delight.

Hey lee lee, luh lie ee oh
Hey lee lee, luh lie ee oh, etc.

Subject: RE: Larry Kiefer ?
From: Deckman
Date: 23 Jan 12 - 10:43 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: LARRY KIEFER ?
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 03:50 PM

You're welcome, Bob.... it is a treat to hear Larry again after all these years.

Subject: RE: LARRY KIEFER ?
From: Deckman
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 03:08 PM

Bill ... thank you for posting Larry's song. How this recording survived is an amazing tale. I found it in an outdoor pile of debris destined for the garbage dump, in California, many years ago. The audio quality speaks well to the survivability of R/R tape recordings. Quite amazing. bob(deckman)nelson

Subject: RE: LARRY KIEFER ?
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 02:59 PM

By the way... for converting the .CDA file to MP3, I used Exact Audio Copy for the 1st time.
It is an excellent program, and will cope with errors in encoding...etc. It is not 'fast', but it is accurate... and free.

Subject: RE: LARRY KIEFER ?
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 01:26 PM

Ok... it seems to work. It asks you is you want to just open it or play it. (at least it did for me.)

Subject: RE: LARRY KIEFER ?
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 01:22 PM

Well... maybe I got that working. Online file sharing is becoming more & more complicated. Let's see if this works.

Working Hands

Subject: RE: LARRY KIEFER ?
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 11:43 AM

I lived in Wichita at that time, and met Larry a few times. (I have been in contact with Deckman and we are trying to compare notes).

Larry sang in opera at some Univ. of Wichita productions, but discovered folk music quite early. He had possibly the only subscription to "Sing Out" in town, and brought songs we had never heard of to the area. He also knew a bunch of Child ballads. (I have a clear memory of him singing Matty Groves....and of him teaching "The Lass of Roch Royal" to a lady.) He was fine guitar player and sang at several venues....including one of the very early Pizza Huts. It was right across the street from the university and was on the 2nd floor of an office building, taking over from a restaurant which went out of business. Larry mixed 'performing' with a lot of audience participation...including having the audience make up verses to 'Hey Li,Le,Li,Le,Lo' (the refrain between rhyming verses).

He was quite a guy, and a good musician, but he left town for, I assume 'better things' after several years, and I 'heard', as Deckman notes, that he had passed away in California. That was almost 50 years ago, so memories are fading.

Subject: RE: LARRY KIEFER ?
From: Deckman
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 08:40 AM

Thank you Mick ... I'll check it out. bob

Subject: RE: LARRY KIEFER ?
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 08:19 AM

Bob

Have you seen Joan O'Bryant Kansas Folklore Collection - Wichita State University Libraries. They have one track (as far as I can see) recorded from Larry Kiefer (Box 41). Maybe someone connected with the collection can give you some help.

Mick

Subject: LARRY KIEFER ?
From: Deckman
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 06:56 AM

In my archiving project, I have come across some very fine home recordings of "Larry Kiefer." These were made in the Wichita, Kansas area, some where around 1957 - 1961. I have talked with "Patti", the person who recorded these tapes, and we are trying to get more information about Larry.

We have heard that he passed away, but we're not certain. If anyone out there remembers Larry, could you post to this thread please. Who knows, perhaps Larry himself will answer. Thanks, bob(deckman)nelson