Recollections and Connections Transcript

[Transcript of interview with John Evangelista, recorded as part of the Springfield-Greene County Library District's 2010 Big Read. For more information contact the Library at 417-883-5366 or visit us on the web.]

My name is John Rutherford and I am the host for the Recollections & Connections Project and today we are talking to John Evangelista. John, what would you like to talk about today?

John Evangelista: I went to a church convention in Indiana with my nephew who is an officer of the convention that we are having and I play an accordion. He asked me to bring my accordion and play some solos for the convention which I did. While we were having a general singing we converted from the singing to the dinner part. So at the table where we had the main dinner we had our church man a big officer of the Assembly of God settin next to us (I don’t want to give you his name) and he was sittin right next to me and then the song leader after he got done leadin the congregation he says we are goin to have you sing a solo so he asked if I played the accordion while I was singin. So he turns to me and says, “play Roll Out The Barrel”. Well, you don’t Roll Out the Barrel at a church convention or you don’t play Three O’clock in the Morning either. So the head of the man says, “you ain’t gonna play it ” he says it has Christian words well that startled me too to think they put Christian words to Roll Out The Barrel. That’s, I consider an instrument of the devil not of God. (chuckle) So, that would be – so we had a convention. They sang it but I never played it again; Roll Out the Barrel or Three O’clock in the Morning. I got converted 2 years before that and I stopped playin those saloon songs. I played in many many bar rooms but once I got converted I gave that all up.

John Rutherford: How long did you play the accordion?

John Evangelist: Oh, I was 17 years old. I used to play the accordion when I was 17 with a Medicine Show and the Medicine Show they would huckster medication from the back of a trailer and today boy they couldn’t get away with that. Today they have you know the FDA takes care of a situation like that – and we sold a lot of salves; we sold salves; medication I don’t know what all but I was only 17-18 years old. I was 7 and 8 years old (I don’t know when it was) I played a two base accordion. Then I graduated to regular full size, 41 bass, 41 treble accordion. And, I met a Lawrence Welk’s accordion player Myron Floren and I know a good friend of Myron’s I took lessons from. From in New Jersey when I was in New Jersey. He was a good friend of Myron Floren and Lawrence Welk both. So, he knew em but I didn’t know em that well. So we ended up at the Convention. I didn’t get much applause when I wouldn’t play “Roll Out the Barrel” I tell you I did not get an applause. I was very aware of it. I don’t blame em for not applaudin me (chuckle) on account of you know certain restrictions as to what I wanted to play.

John Rutherford: How long did you play the accordion?

John Evangelista: Oh, I started foolin around when I was 8-9 years old, uh, 7, 8, 9. Up until 2 years ago I had an eight thousand dollar accordion the same style accordion as Myron Florin had on Lawrence Welk. Same make and I had a minor stroke and I gave it up. I sold the accordion; got rid of it. In fact, I practically gave it away. It was an $8,000 accordion; I got $400 for it. Huh, huh. And a music teacher, the professor of accordion said to me “you gave it away”! Which I did but I didn’t – I wasn’t interested in making money at that time. So that was it!

John Rutherford: That's a wonderful story. Thank you, John. I appreciate that.

John Evangelista: Yeah, but I should have rehearsed it I was a little stubbly. I stumbled, you know, I stumbled along.

John Rutherford: Hey, don’t let that slow you down man. You did a wonderful job. Thank you ever so much.