Rock Doc

Tacoma VideoWorks is producing The History of NorthWest Rock and Roll Documentary

Don and The Goodtimes, The Fleetwoods, Jimi Hendrix, The Kingsmen, Larry Coryell, Merrillee and the Turnabouts, The Bards, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Ray Charles, The Sonics, The Ventures and The Wailers...these are just a few of the local artists that have helped to develop what was the first legendary "Northwest Sound," and achieved various degrees of national success throughout the 1950's and 1960's.

From Portland and Boise, to Tacoma and Seattle, these groups and countless others, helped shape the face of rock and roll and put the Northwest on the musical map.

The years from 1958 through the mid sixties were an incredible time in Northwest Rock and Roll history, and the bands that all the kids were listening and dancing to at the time had a documented, major influence on quite a few super-stars that were to come later.

This is a story that has never been told in a television documentary form... Until now.

With interviews with over thirty of the key players in this story already captured on tape, the soundtrack developed, b-roll shot and countless of original, never publically seen before film footage from the 1950's and 1960's, the producers have all the elements for a major PBS documentary to roll in a network quality, broadcast production.

In addition to the footage mentioned above, there is hundreds of interview transcripts ready for publication as a companion book.

How is this history weaved into the fabric of the Northwest? That's our story. And we're ready to tell it.

Partial Interview List

Paul Revere Paul Revere and the Raiders
Mark Lindsay Paul Revere and the Raiders
Marrillee Rush Merrillee and the Turnabouts
Don Wilson The Ventures
Josie Wilson The Ventures
Kearney Barton Legendary recording engineer
Pat O'Day KJR Radio
Kent Morrill The Wailers
Buck Ormsby The Wailers
Mike Burk The Wailers
Sam Carlson North West Rock historian
Dick Peterson The Kingsmen
Larry/Andy Parypa The Sonics
Jerry Dennon Louie, Louie producer
Mardig Sheridan The Bards

The Story

Utilizing a combination of interviews, recordings, memorabilia, radio air-checks and old performance footage (including some never seen or heard publicly) we have the right tools to make a dynamic presentation that will tell this story.

We have also put together a television production team that comprises some of the best personnel and facilities available in the country. With over thirty years in the broadcast industry, Gary Crowe and Craig Kelly each have industry experience and relationships with the best that the market has to offer and we utilize these resources at every stage of production.

Host / Producer Crow is an established Northwest music scene veteran. His affiliation with the local entertainment industry is well documented through his involvement in radio and rock and roll since the 1960's. Gary is currently a DJ at Seattle's Classic Rock station, KZOK and has conducted hundreds of interviews, and is personal friends with some of the biggest names in the international show business scene. He is also a big fan and something of a historian on the Northwest music front.

Producer / Director Kelly has been involved in television production since 1977, and the Northwest music scene dating back to the 1960's. As a free-lance television producer, director and director of photography, he has shot projects in over twenty-five countries, as well as most of the U.S. Kelly has directed projects in entertainment, broadcast and corporate worlds and has worked with some of the biggest names in music, and is a personal friend to many Northwest rock and roll veterans.

With a production budget of under $150,000.00, it is our goal to secure underwriting from established music and media related businesses for this high quality, broadcast television documentary. Our aim is to establish this underwriting by July 1, 2009 and begin the editing August 1, 2009.

By partnering with us on this project, you have the opportunity to be part of a great Northwest story that has been waiting a long time to be told. Not to mention the established financial and credibility benefits of sponsoring a program on PBS.

If you are interested in this project as a sponsor please feel free to contact us: