Walt Benton
	&
	The Diplomats

Back in the 1950's, rock 'n roll was just a baby.  Breaking ground with the new sound was exciting and was catching on everywhere.  In Atlanta, a young and promising group had emerged featuring a tall dashing front man, Chet Atkin's nephew on rythym guitar, and my dad on lead guitar. I figured I would start out with this at the beginning of how all this got going in the first place.  So, here it goes... There was a slang term used back at the time by the black teens that stood for "f#*ker", that word was "grabber".  At this time local radio WAKA's Bob McKee was promoting a live show at a huge warehouse in Atlanta that was known as McKee's Beat.  Many a band were featured there.  The show was broadcast live on the radio too.  My dad's band was slated to play the event but they didn't have a name for their band yet.  So Bob McKee gave them the name "The Grabbers".  It stuck... The Grabbers - That's my dad on the far left.... The Grabbers at McKee's Beat

          Walt Benton & The Diplomats enjoyed the sweet smell of success until things fell apart in 1960.  The Diplomats were nolonger, and without a backing band, Walt was a front man with no band to front.  Later attempts to put something together with other musicians and calling it Walt Benton & The Snappers just didn't appeal to the fans of the original band.  Walt Benton and The "Fill In The Blank's" was over.......  Or was it?    Here's some guitar did-you-knows:

1.  Far left - Jimmy Atkins (Chet's nephew) is holding a Gretch Country Gentlemen that was owned by Jerry Reed.

2.  Far right - Bill Leys is holding his custom made 1959 Gretch Country Gentlemen.  This had the original PAF's and a Zero-Neck inlay. 

3.  Both Jimmy and Bill worked at Dekalb Music Supply in Atlanta, Ga.  A frequent visitor was Jerry Reed, who always had some new lick to show everybody.  When Jerry traded his Gretch, Jimmy got word and rushed down to buy it quick. 

4.  My dad kicks his own ass everyday for selling his '59 Gretch....

Later my dad joined a more situated group called "Walt Benton & The Diplomats".  This band was gaining a lot of popularity and was signed with 20th Century Fox.  It wasn't long before Walt Benton & The Diplomats took to a recording studio at the late Bill Lowry's NRC and started recording.  What followed were several singles and then a southeast tour.
The Original Walt Benton &  The Diplomats Jimmy Atkins - Walt Benton - Bill Leys Bob McKee is in this photo (far right) introducing Walt Benton & The Diplomats to the crowd gathered at the warehouse in Atlanta that became known as the famous McKee's Beat. WB & The Diplomats at McKee's Beat Far right is pianist Coleman Moore.  He was blind and had a great sense of humor about everything, including his blindness.

Above: Dad & his dream axe...

Below: Dad & Jimmy relishing...

         My dad sold that guitar to a man in Atlanta, Ga. in 1960.  My dad was going into the military and was not going to be using it.  The man promised he would take great care of it.  We are still looking for the info on that man to this day.  The plan is to somehow get it back to my dad before it is sold to some collector.  That guitar has part of my dad's soul in it.  Nobody could ever know the value of this but him.

In the mid-1970's parts of Europe were enjoying the exciting sounds of the 50's rock sound.  Benton took it upon himself to sell the rights to all "his" music to a German Recording company.  They put together all of the music on one album and produced it under their "Bison Bop" label.  None of the other musicians were consulted about this, especially where royalties from sales and air play were concerned.		As stated earlier, The original Walt Benton & The Diplomats was by far the best band Walt sang with.  They were the most popular and most successful.  Well, apparently the German Recording Co. new of this as well and implemented this knowledge into the marketing of the album.  1.  You know what the line-up of the Diplomats are and where they set up on stage.  This album cover shows Walt singing, and an unknown drummer and another guy clapping his hands.  This is where Jimmy would be set up at.
My dad was graced with a courtesy phone call by Benton to inform him of what he had done.  He sent my dad a "complementory" copy of the album.  How much were the songs sold for, and what royalties from sales and air play are pending and due?  Nobody knows.  Benton went into the real estate business and years later passed away.  Some former band members are still playing today.		2.  The bass drum head that is visible between Walt's legs was "worked on" too.  The Diplomats had a solid white bass drum head.  Someone in the art dept. thought it would be wise to push this photo off as the Diplomats by writing "The Diplomats" on the bass drum head.  If Walt was out of the picture, the drum head would be left with almost half the drum head clear, making "The Diplomats" label so off center, that it would look rediculous. 3.  Even the photo on the back album cover is of another band.  Except for Coleman and Walt, this is entirely another band.

Several years ago WUGA's Rob  Holmes took interest in Walt Benton & The Diplomats and was trying to put something of a reunion type concert together. Actually, some of the information he was able to obtain was through my dad.		Learning of Benton's passing, that idea was soon abandoned.  Instead, Rob went another direction and began the planning of a type of compilation album.  He sent us the cd and insert.  Our thanks to Rob for getting this all together, and getting it right...
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