Man with a mystery or two

Country and blues singer and guitarist Rex T. Sherry recorded four songs with Sonobeat producer Bill Josey Sr. sometime in spring 1973 at Sonobeat’s studios in the KVET Building on North Lamar in Austin, Texas. There are no session notes in the Sonobeat archives to pin down the exact dates of Rex’s sessions, but one way we’ve been able to bracket the time frame is that the sessions were recorded on Ampex 681 tape stock, which Sonobeat used until it relocated its studio to Liberty Hill, Texas, in August ’73. At that time it switched to TDK and Sony tape stock. We also note that Rex’s tape box is labelled in a manner and in handwriting similar to other tape boxes in the archives that we know hold recordings made between January and June 1973. A fifth song, titled Apple Tree, is stored on a reel that also holds tracks by Nasty Habit, who we know recorded with Sonobeat in August and September 1975. Bill Sr. noted on the 1975 tape box (Sony tape stock) that Apple Tree was at the head of the tape and that Nasty Habit’s material followed after, so we conclude that Rex, whose voice we recognize on the 1975 tape, returned to Sonobeat two years after his first sessions. But precisely when Rex recorded with Sonobeat, both in ’73 and ’75, is just another minor mystery surrounding his sessions. Gary York, who recorded with Sonobeat in January 1973, at one point told us that his recordings (also poorly documented in the Sonobeat archives) were backed by a band he recalled as Rocking Horse, featuring a band member named “Rex” playing organ, but Rex Sherry played guitar, so we don’t believe he was the Rex in Rocking Horse. Nor can we find any online mention on a Central Texas band called Rocking Horse or Rockin’ Horse in the 1970s.

Rex Sherry 1973 mix-down master tape

Rex Sherry 1975 recording of Apple Tree

But back to Rex Sherry, who’s vocal delivery was reminiscent of Johnny Cash. In his 1973 sessions, Rex recorded four songs, all of which we believe are his originals, but the titles aren’t documented in the Sonobeat archives. Rex’s tracks were recorded with voice, standard guitar – that Rex played – and electric bass that was likely played by Bill Howland, who was part of the Rex Sherry Band that performed in the mid- to late-’70s. The 1975 recording of Apple Tree has a different sonic quality than the 1973 recordings and appears to be just Rex self-accompanied on standard guitar.

Rex Sherry publicity photo

Now we’re cookin’

Although born in Gonzales, Texas, Rex grew up in Junction, about 140 miles west of Austin. At the time of his Sonobeat sessions, Rex worked for the Texas Department of Health in Austin as a food and drug inspector, later taking a managerial position in the Department. He began recording at other studios in Central Texas as early as 1967. Over time he performed not only as a solo act but also as the Rex Sherry Combo, Rex Sherry Band, and, in the ’80s The Thoroughbreds (sometimes billed as Thoroughbred, Inc.). In May 1974, Rex performed at the Kerrville [Texas] Folk Festival’s New Folk mini-festival, held at the Texas State Arts & Crafts Fair, and in September 1977 at the Kerrville Bluegrass Festival. He also founded his own label, Thoroughbred Records, and publishing company, Stable Music, to self-release occasional country singles, sometimes recording under his own name and sometimes under the name Ol’ Thoroughbred. In 1970, before recording with Sonobeat, Rex placed an ad in the music industry trade journal Billboard advertising his self-released single Guitar Picker’s Epitaph. In fact, Rex was known for his humorous and often bawdy country songs, which included Bed Slat Kate, Boneyard Blues, Mean Mouthin’ Mama, Bourbon Backlash, and Mighty Menudo, which we’re about to get to.

Rex had another hobby besides music: cooking. He presented his secret recipe – which he called “Toddy for the Body” – for a unique take on a traditional south-of-the-border stew in the menudoIn Mexican cuisine, a red chili pepper-based soup made from cow tripe. cook-off at the 1975 San Marcos [Texas] Cinco de Mayo Festival. He revealed that two of its five secret ingredients were tequila and Gatorade, which may also have been ingredients responsible for the lyrics of many of his songs. Of course, his song Mighty Menudo eulogized his concoction.

Rex retired from the Texas Department of Health in 1993 and in 1996 opened a private fraud investigation firm in Austin, which he operated until his death on August 24, 2011.