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Bittercreek (Rock Band Oklahoma) "Bittercreek" was an unexpected and highly successful regional rock and roll band that formed in Weatherford, OK in the late summer of 1972. After a couple of months beginning around August of 1972 the band's final line-up included 6 members. The band members decided to create a 4 hour set of songs that were current AM and FM radio hits of rock & roll favorites such as Neil Young, Edgar Winters, Black Oak Arkansas, Doobie Brothers, Deep Purple, Led Zepplin, etc. While the band was local to Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, OK, a town located some 90 miles directly west of Oklahoma City on interstate 40, the rather unusual use of 2 and 3 part vocal harmonies by two frontmen and a keyboardist created a compelling draw and quickly growing popularity from their first few local small venue appearances.

After the band members witnessed the reaction and favorable feedback by the first local small venue club owners and crowds, it was decided for the band to focus and test the reaction of their band project at larger venues. On Bittercreek's debut at the original "Jail" nightclub located in downtown Oklahoma City during their second song, unexpectedly and spontaneously 10 - 12 girls began dancing upon their tables. This was the moment when many say in retrospect that Bittercreek's legend was born. It quickly spread and became known throughout the entertainment circles in Oklahoma City that during Bittercreek's appearances that girls would again spontaneously began dancing atop tables. Nightclub owners much less audiences had never witnessed such an unusual and frantic type of phenomenon even in the largest of settings. Word if not local legend quickly grew of this nightclub act bringing in an energy never before witnessed in any venue. The local popularity of the band soon caught the attention of a former Minneapolis Rock n Roll Station Disc Jockey named Ken St. Clair who soon became the band's manager.

Bittercreek's chemistry became a natural for the crowds of "The Jail" chain of nightclubs located in Oklahoma City and in the Oklahoma State University town of Stillwater. Because of Bittercreek's stage presence and vibrant on-stage action that seemed to easily occupy not only entire stages but quickly became known to "own" the nightclubs by selling out their dates at the most popular nightclubs in Oklahoma.Some closest to the band credit much of the early success to Keyboardist Hershel Duke, a vocal music major at SWOSU from Seiling, OK for promoting, coordinating and conducting vocal rehearsals. Hershel Duke had previously made a local name from his co-created band "Judd" a couple of years prior to his co-creating Bittercreek's rock ensemble. Like many rock radio hits at that time, there was some fusion of acoustic guitar with electric guitar in many of the Doobie Brother songs, acoustic guitar in much of Neil Young's classics and so it was with having both acoustic and electric guitars in Bittercreek that also developed depth and dynamics of the material used in the band's set list.

Soon after Bittercreek's entrance into the larger clubs of central Oklahoma, Band Manager Ken St. Clair arranged for an audition at the long-ago famous "Blue Onion" nightclub in Norman, OK. The Blue Onion was considered one of the important venues in the central part of the U.S. for national acts such as "The Kingston Trio", "Peter, Paul & Mary", "The Big Boppper" and such to develop their following. St. Clair arranged for Bittercreek to borrow the current house band's equipment for a 3 song audition on a Thursday evening. The club was at approximately 65 - 70% capacity when the unheard of/unknown band Bittercreek took the stage during the house band's second set. At the onset of the second verse of Bittercreek's second audition song (and again without any suspicion) approximately 40% of the girls in the audience once again as if on a cue, ascended onto their respective tables with the Club Owner(s) looking on in disbelief! At the end of their second audition song the entire crowd erupted into a spontaneous ovation (that was also unknown of or unheard of to club owners).

Some say the legend of the 1972 Oklahoma rock band "Bittercreek" was one of those phenomenon created by the "chemistry" of individual parts coming together in such a unique and special blend of talent and personalities that create such magical moments that are often too short in duration.

The original Bittercreek line-up: Hershel Duke of Seiling, OK: Hammond Keyboardist, Vocal Director, Lead and Harmony Vocals, Hand Percussion David Chapman of Altus, OK: Acoustic Guitar, Lead and Harmony Vocals, Hand Percussion Mike Wynn of Frederick, OK: Lead and Harmony Vocals, Hand Percussion Fermon Johnson of Moore, OK: Bassist Henry Green of Moore, OK: Guitar and Lead Vocals Preston Shelton of Yukon, OK: Drums (replaced by recruited Steve Cribbett after 1st gig) Steve Cribbett of Tulsa, OK: Drums