>> Huell: WELL HELLO EVERYBODY I'M HUELL HOWSER.

AND HERE WE ARE IN EL PASEO DRIVE IN BEAUTIFUL PALM DESERT.

WE'RE HERE TO DO A STORY ABOUT AN AMAZING MAN.

HIS NAME IS HERB JEFFRIES AND WE MET HIM OVER FIVE YEARS IN LOS ANGELES DID A PROGRAM WITH HIM, ABOUT HIS AMAZING CAREER.

BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS HE A WELL-KNOWN JAZZ MUSICIAN WHO FOR YEARS WAS WITH THE DUKE ORCHESTRA.

HE ALSO HAS A VERY WELL-KNOWN CAREER IN THE MOVIES.

WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS FLASH BACK AND LOOK AT THAT ORIGINAL INTERVIEW AND THEN COMING BACK HERE TO PALM DESERT FOR A HERB JEFFRIES UPDATE.

ENJOY!

♪ ♪ FLYING OVER THE ISLAND, TO MY LOVER NEAR BY.

♪ ♪ FLAMINGO♪ ♪ .

>> A BIG HIT SONG IN 1941 FLAMINGO SUNG WITH HERB JEFFRIES AND BECAUSE OF THIS HIT SONG, HERB BECAME WELL-KNOWN ALMOST OVERNIGHT AND WENT ONTO A LONG SUCCESSFUL CAREER.

BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER PART OF HIS CAREER THAT IS NOT AS FAMILIAR TO MOST PEOPLE.

♪ ♪ MY SADDLE AND MY GUN, I'M A HAPPY COWBOY.

♪ ♪ WHEN THE DAY--.

>> Huell: MEET HERB JEFFRIES THE HAPPY COWBOY.

ACTUALLY HE'S THE SINGING COWBOY AND A MOVIE STAR ON TOP OF THAT.

IN 1938 AND 1937 THEY DECIDE TODAY DO SOME WESTERNS WITH ALL BLACK AND WHITE CAST.

IT WAS DISTRIBUTED TO SMALL BLACK MOVIE THEATERS.

>> HOW IS THE AMMUNITION HOLDING UP?

>> THERE IS ONLY TWO LEFT.

>> WELCOME.

>> TODAY HERB LIVES IN LOS ANGELES.

BUT TRAVELS AROUND THE WORLD SINGING WITH BIG BANGS.

HIS ACTING CAREER ENDING WITH THOSE MOVIES IN THE 1930s MOVIES THAT ARE OBSCURE BUT PART OF HISTORY.

THEY BRING FOND MEMORIES FOR HERB.

>> WHEN WE MADE THIS FILM, IT HAD WILL BE BEEN DONE MAYBE THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO.

THE SAME SCRIPT BY CAUCASIAN ACTORS.

SO WHEN MR. CAN, MADE THIS, HE DIDN'T WRITE THIS, IT WAS AN OLD SCRIPT HE FOUND, MAYBE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.

AND MY CHANGING THE THE CHARACTERS.

TO MY WESTERN FILM.

>> I'LL SHOW YOU THAT GUN.

>>[GUNSHOT].

>> Huell: NOW DID YOU HAVE EXTRAS DOING THE WRITING AND THE ROEPG AND THE FIGHTING FOR YOU?

>> NO, NO, WE COULDN'T AFFORD THOSE THINGS.

YOU WENT OUT THERE AND DID ALL YOUR STUNTS AND ALL YOUR FIGHT SCENES.

THESE PICTURES WERE CALLED QUICKIES, SO WE DID THEM IN ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE DAYS.

WE WOULD CHASE THE SUN OVER THE HILL WE WOULD GET UP IN THE MORNING AND STILL WATCH THAT MORNING FOG AND DO THE CHASE SHOTS.

SO IT WAS A STUFF GRIND, BUT IT WAS A LOT OF STUFF AND I WAS YOUNG ENOUGH TO HANDLE THAT ABUSE.

>> Huell: OH, OH, LOOK, THERE IS ALWAYS THE PRETTY GIRL.

>> THAT'S MY LEADING LADY, ARTY YOUNG HER NAME IS.

>> Huell: THE MOST COWBOY MOVIES--YOU NEVER SEE THEM KISSING THE LEADING LADY, YOU NEVER HAVE ANYTHING ROMANTIC.

>> NO, THE SAME THING.

YOU WOULD SPOIL THINGS WITH KIDS.

KIDS THINK THAT'S SMUSH.

WE WERE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO SMOKE AND VERY CAREFUL THAT, WHEN WE SHOT A GUY, HE WAS ALWAYS A VILLAIN AND WE WERE CAREFUL ABOUT HOW WE DID THAT TOO.

WE DIDN'T DO IT ROUGHLY.

AND THAT WAS THE FORMULA FOR MOST WESTERN PICTURES.

>> DID YOU ALWAYS GET THE GIRL?

>> ALWAYS, ALWAYS.

♪ ♪ NOW I'M IN JEANS, I CAN FIGHT PORK AND BEANS.

NOW I KNOW WHAT MYSTERY IS.

♪ ♪ DA DA DA DA DA DA DA.

♪ ♪ .

>> I'M DANCING IN THERE TOO.

>> Huell: NOW THAT WOULDN'T OF HAPPENED IN A WHITE MOVIE AS MUCH?

WOULD IT?

>> NO, NOT REALLY.

I DON'T THINK I EVER SAW A TOUGH TAP DANCER.

>> Huell: EXACTLY.

>> BUT TAP DANCERS WERE POPULAR IN HARLEM AND IN THE NEEG DNEGRO NEIGHBORHOODS.

>> Huell: SO THAT WAS A CONCESSION MADE TO THE AUDIENCE THAT WAS GOING TO BE SEEING IT?

>> RIGHT.

>> WELL, ARE YOU LOOKING FOR SOMEONE?

>> WELL TO BE TRUTHFUL, I WAS LOOKING FOR YOU.

>> WELL, LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING I WENT TOUP A RANCH AND SPENT THREE MONTHS UP THERE WITH SOME VERY VERY ROUGH WRANGLERS.

>> Huell: THEY MADE A COWBOY OUT OF YOU.

>> YEAH, THEY WERE GOING TO MAKE A COWBOY OUT OF ME OR KILL ME.

I WAS ABLE TO GET SOME COWBOY JARGON.

YOU'VE GOT TO TALK LIKE A COWBOY IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE A COWBOY.

YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THAT TWANG, OTHERWISE YOU'RE NOT A COWBOY.

♪ ♪ DO DO DA DA DO DO DA.

>> MOTION PICTURES WHAT MAKES THEM SUCCESSFUL IS GOOD ENTERTAINMENT.

AND WE HAVE GOOD ENTERTAINMENT.

WE HAVE DANCING IN IT.

AND SINGING IN IT.

AND NICE STORY LINE.

PRETTY GIRLS AND LOTS OF ACTION.

RIDING RIDING, YOU KNOW.

AND BOYS SHOOTING OFF THE BLANKS.

>> Huell: DID YOU SEE YOURSELF AS LIKE THE BLACK ROY ROGERS?

>> YES, EXACTLY.

OUR FARM LA--FORMULA WAS THE SAME ONE THEY USED.

WE USE THE SAME FORMULA, AND MORAL PRINCIPLES THAT THEY USE.

AND WE WANT TODAY HAVE OUR CHILDREN FEEL THE SAME WAY.

WE WANTED THEM TO LOOK UP TO THESE MEN, AS GOOD CITIZENS, WHO WERE OUTDOING THE RIGHT THING.

>>♪ ROPE THEN MY SADDLE AND MY HORSE AND MY GUN, I'M A HAPPY COWBOY.

♪ ♪ THOUGH I TRAVEL WITH MY CATTLE AND I'M ALWAYS ON THE RUN, I'M A HAPPY COWBOY.

♪ ♪ A WINDY DAY IN LONDON, WITH A PLACE.

♪ ♪ HAPPY COWBOYS WERE FAST.

♪ ♪ .

>> Huell: WELL, TIME MARCHES ON ITS BEEN ABOUT FIVE YEARS HERB, SINCE WE LAST VISITED.

WE'RE NOW IN PALM DESERT MANY MILES AWAY FROM WHERE WE LAST.

WE ARE NOW IN HIS OFFICE, I GUESS THIS IS YOUR OFFICE.

>> THIS IS MY OFFICE, LET ME TURN THIS OFF SO WE CAN TALK SOME.

>> Huell: THIS IS YOUR NEW CD.

>> WE PRODUCED THIS HERE IN OUR COTTAGE COMPANY.

>> Huell: IN THE DESERT.

>> IN WONDERFUL WONDERFUL PALM DESERT.

>> Huell: HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO COME OUT TO THE DESERT.

>> I TELL YOU SOMETHING, AS YOU VINTAGE IN THIS EARTH, THERE IS TWO THINGS WE LOOK FOR.

THE GUY BY THE NAME OF ARTHUR RIDERS AND WE COME OUT TO THE DESERT TO AVOID HIM AND BECAUSE IT'S DRY AND I'M IN MY 90th YEAR.

>> Huell: NO?

>> COME SEPTEMBER THE 24th, I'LL BE 90.

>> Huell: YOU'VE BEEN COMING TO THE DESERT FOR YEARS.

>> I FOUND THE DESERT FOR MYSELF WAY WAY BACK IN THE LATE 30s.

THERE WAS A PLACE I CAME TO WORK HERE, A PLACE BY A MAN CALLED KNEW MAN, A PLACE CALLED CHICHI CLUB.

>> OH THAT WAS A FAMOUS PLACE.

>> AND HOWARD WAS A BIG AUTOMOBILE DEALER, AND HE BOUGHT THIS HOTEL AND OPENED IT UP AND CALLED IT THE HOWARD MANNER.

AND IN THOSE DAYS IT WAS A SMALL PLACE.

I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE DESERTS IN THOSE DAYS, AND I SAID ONE OF THESE DAYS I'M GOING TO BE THERE PERMANENTLY.

>> Huell: WELL, YOU'RE HERE AND YOU'RE LEVEL NOT RETIRED FROM THE LOOKS AROUND YOU.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH YOUR CAREER SINCE WE LAST TALKED OVER YEARS AGO?

>> WELL THERE WAS A GUY NAMED HUELL HUSBAND, AND--HUELL HOWSE AND I KNOW YOU'RE MODEST.

OUR BUSINESS HAS ALWAYS BEEN UP AND DOWN.

IT'S FEAST OR FAMEN AND AT THE TIME THAT YOU DECIDED TO DO YOUR STORY, ALTHOUGH I'M ALWAYS BEEN A COWBOY.

IF YOU LOOK IN MY CLOSET, THERE IS COWBOY BOOTS.

I LOVE BOOTS BECAUSE THEY ARE GOOD FOR YOUR BACK, BUT WE'LL GET INTO THAT ANOTHER TIME.

ANYWAY, WHEN WE DID YOUR SHOW, YOU WERE SO BEAUTIFUL, I WAS CALLED BY THE MUSEUM AND THEY SAID THERE IS A GUY OVER HERE, THAT IS LOOK AT YOUR MATERIAL ON THE WALL.

AND HE NO IDEA THAT THERE WAS A BLACK COWBOY FEATURE PICTURES.

AND HE SAID THE GUY FROM TENNESSEE.

>> AND I SAID WOW, THOSE ARE THE GUYS DOING EVERYTHING FOR COWBOY PEOPLE, THAT'S THE COWBOY PLACE, NASHVILLE.

THEN YOU CAME OUT AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU STARTED.

FROM THAT, CALIFORNIA, GOLD WITH GENE AUDRY WITH ROY ROGERS AND MYSELF ALL OF A SUDDEN THINGS STARTED TO POP LOSE FOR ME.

I WAS LIVING IN WOOD LAND HILLS, A SMALL APARTMENT, AND YOU CAME TO SEE ME AND YOU CREATED THIS WHOLE MERLIN'S MAGIC WAND.

ALL OF A SUDDEN PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED.

I'VE BEEN IN JAZZ ALL MY LIFE, NOT PRIOR TO THE WESTERN, THE WESTERNS WERE MY LOVE.

BUT JAZZ WAS WHEN I GOT A SMALL BANK BALANCE.

BUT WHEN I GOT INTO THE WESTERN MY BANK BALANCE WAS STABLE.

WHEN WE DID SHOWS, I STARTED DOING WEST FEST.

WHEN WE DO A TWO OR THREE FESTIVAL, WE DO 70 OR 80,000 PEOPLE.

AND IF YOU JUST TAKE OUR ALBUM, OUT THERE, AS FAR AS YOUR EYE CAN SEE, THERE IS A LINE.

>> Huell: SO YOU'RE MUSIC CAREER IS BACK IN SPEED.

>> OH, YES, OH YEAH.

YOU KNOW I'M BREAKING MY BRAINS.

>> Huell: ARE THESE REISSUES--.

>> NO.

>> Huell: NEW SONGS?

>> CREATED HERE IN MY TIME MACHINE.

>> Huell: SHOW US WHAT YOU'VE GOT HERE.

>> WELL LET ME SEE, THAT'S THE COMPUTER WHICH EVERYBODY KNOWS.

BUT MY COMPUTER IS SET UP SO I CAN ACTUALLY DO JUST ABOUT THE SAME THING THAT YOU CAN DO AT A MAJOR STUDIO.

IT'S ALL OF THE MORE MOD TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT.

AND HERE, I HAVE WHAT IS CALLED--THIS IS MY AM MRIK FICK- MRIK--AMPLIFIER.

AND YOU CAN DO MOST OF MY UNDERLINER WORK.

>> Huell: SO YOU RECORD IN THIS ROOM?

>> YEAH.

>> Huell: WOW!

YOU STILL HAVE A PICTURE OF THE DUKE HERE.

>> HE'S HI INSPIRATION.

THIS GUY WILL DOWN IN HISTORY AS OUR MOZART OF OUR TIMES.

HE'S ONE OF THE GREAT WRITERS OF OUR TIMES AND COMPOSERS AND OF COURSE, GOD WAS KIND ENOUGH TO HAVE ME HAVE AN ASSOCIATION WITH HIM.

>> Huell: NOW BEING OUT HERE IN PALM DESERT, DOES THE DESERT PEP INSPIRE YOU TO WRITE.

OR DO YOU STAY DOWN HERE.

>> THE BEAUTY OF THE DESERT, STLS--THERE IS A TRANQUILITY OUT HERE.

YOU HERE NO AUTOMOBILES GOING BY, YOU DON'T EVEN HEAR YOUR NEIGHBORS.

IT'S PRETTY INSULATED.

BUT IT'S ALWAYS QUIET HERE AND IT'S A GREAT PLACE FOR ME TO WORK.

SAVANNAH AND I DO MOST OF OUR PRODUCTION HERE.

THEN WE'LL LAY IT OUT INTO A STUDIO IN HEMET, WE HAVE A WONDER, FOUR OR FIVE CITY COMMUNITY.

FIVE CITIES ALL STACKED RIGHT UP AGAINST EACH OTHER.

AND WE'RE PRETTY MUCH INTERESTED IN HELPING EACH OTHER AND OUR COMMUNITY.

WE HAVE THE STROKE CENTER HERE.

MY GOODNESS, NOBODY IN THE WORLD, I DON'T CARE WHAT AGE YOU ARE, YOU ARE TEN MINUTES AWAY.

WE ALL WORK TOGETHER WITH THE STROKE CENTER.

WE HAVE THE CHILDREN PROGRAM--.

>> Huell: BOY, YOU'RE INVOLVED IN A LOT OF STUFF.

>> THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO GO OUT AND GIVE ME A CHANCE TO MAKE A LIVING.

IF I DIDN'T LOVE THEM, I WOULD NOT BE IN THIS BUSINESS.

AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE WHO IS IN THIS BUSINESS, JUST AS YOURSELF, YOU HAVE TO LOVE THE PUBLIC TO BRING THIS IN-HOUSE INFORMATION FOR THEM.

YOU HAVE TO LOVE THOSE PEOPLE.

AND THE GOOD BOOK SAYS, LOVE THIGH THY NEIGHBOR AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF.

EVEN LOVE THY ENEMY.

LAST WEEK, I WAS DOWN, I HAD CAUGHT A BUG OVER A WEEK AGO AND I WAS DOWN.

SOMEBODY CALLED ME AND SAID, HOW CAN A MAN LIKE YOU BE SICK.

THEY SAID AREN'T YOU YOGI.

>> I TOLD THEM, YOGIS HAVE TO GET SICK ONCE IN A WHILE, TO PREVENT A DISEASE CALLED EGO, WHICH REMINDS YOU OF THINGS.

THAT YOU'RE NOT IMMUNE THAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS TO.

WHEN I WAS IN A THEATER A LITTLE BRITISH MAN CAME UP TO ME.

EDDIE WAS OUT THERE AND WE WERE FRIGHTENED, AND SAID I DON'T WANT TO SING IN FRONT OF HIM.

AND THIS IRISH MAN SAID, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HEARD OF THE EQUAL IZER.

I'M GOING TO GIVE IT TO YOU SO YOU WHEN YOU GET OUT THERE, YOU WON'T BE FRIGHTENED ANYMORE.

HE SAID WHEN YOU SEE ALL THOSE PEOPLE OUT TL, GET A MENTAL PICTURE OF THEM SITTING ON THE POTTY.

>> I NEVER FORGOT IT.

>> Huell: SO YOU'RE SAYING NOW, WHEN YOU'RE IN CONCERT AND YOU LOOK AT 80,000 PEOPLE YOU VISUALIZE THEM SITTING ON THE POT SEE.

>> THAT'S AN EQUALIZER.

>> Huell: COME HERE, SAVANNAH, HERE IS YOUR ASSISTANT.

TELL US WHAT YOU HELP HIM WITH?

>> EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY FROM PR, TO INTERNET, TO ON THE ROAD.

AND I DRIVE HIM EVERYWHERE.

AND I JUST TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING FOR HIM.

WHAT HE NEEDS.

>> Huell: WHAT ABOUT THE TECHNICAL STUFF HERE.

>> WELL, THIS GUY, HE FAR SURPASSES ME IN THAT AREA.

>> YOU'RE PRETTY GOOD TOO.

SHE'S GOT HER OWN LITTLE OFFICE IN THE COMPUTER.

SHE DOES A LOT OF WORK.

AS A MATTER OF FACT SHE REALLY SORES UP AS AN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER.

I'M NOT IN THE CREATIVE DEPARTMENT, SHE REALLY TAKES CARE OF THE BUSINESS.

MONEY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT 6¢ IS OR 7 MILLION DOLLARS.

>> Huell: ARTIST DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THAT.

>> I'M VERY BAD ABOUT IT TOO.

>>.

>> >> Huell: CAN WE END UP WITH TO DOING SOMETHING YOU DO.

>> THIS THING IS CONNECTED TO THE COMPUTER AND WE CAN TAKE THIS KEYBOARD AND BY SIMPLY DOING SOMETHING OVER HERE, WE CAN SOET THIS THING UP SO IT BECOMES THE STRINGS.

YOU HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO MEMORIZE BUTTONS.

BUTTONS IS WHAT THIS THING IS ALL ABOUT.

♪ ♪ .

WE CAN GET STRINGS OUT HERE.

>> Huell: THAT'S WONDERFUL.

>> ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL.

THEN IF YOU WANT TO GET A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SOUND.

>> Huell: WHAT DO YOU DO?

YOU RECORD THIS?

>> YOU PUT THIS IN THE BACKGROUND MUSIC.

SO YOU DO THIS WORK, I'VE GOT A WONDERFUL STUDIO HERE IN HEMET, PARK HILLS STUDIO, WE DO ALL OUR LAYOUT WORK AND WE GO THERE AND RECORD.

THEN WE COME IN HERE AND LAY ALL THE BACKGROUND MUSIC IF WE WANT.

THIS IS MY TIME MACHINE.

>> Huell: THIS IS AMAZING--THIS ALL STARTED BACK--HOWHOW MANY YEARS HAVE YO BEEN IN THE BUSINESS.

>> I WAS SINGING IN CARNIVALS SINCE I WAS 16.

>> SO 84 YEARS.

>> I AM NO COMPUTER GENIUS, EVERY TEN MINUTES SOMETHING NEW IS COMING OUT.

>> Huell: ISN'T THIS AMAZING, HERE YOU ARE ATu!

90 YEARS OF AGE, DOING ALL OF TH, WORKING MORE THAN YOU'VE EVER WORKED.

>> I LOVE IT.

>> Huell: AND LIVING IN THE DESERT.

I THINK THE DESERT HAS A PART IN THIS.

>> OH YES, WE ARE VICTIMS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT AND THIS IS MY ENVIRONMENT AND I LOVE THIS ENVIRONMENT.

IT HAS ALL THE NECESSARY NEEDS.

IF I NEED CONVENIENCES IT'S ONLY BLOCKS AWAY.

THERE IS NO STORE ON THE FACE OF THIS EARTH, THAT I CAN NOT GET TO.

IT'S ALL HERE AND IN A FEW MOMENTS.

THEN I'M BACK HERE IN A VERY QUIET PLACE.

AND I HAVE THIS WONDERFUL CLIMATE ALL YEAR LONG.

THERE IS AIN MORNING THAT I DON'T WAKE UP AND LOOK AT THE PALM TREES AND THAT MOUNTAIN, THAT I DON'T SAY, THANK YOU FATHER, I SEE LIGHT TODAY, AND YOU'VE GIVEN ME ONE MORE DAY OF ADVENTURE.

♪ ♪ FLAMINGO LIKE A FLAME IN THE SKY.

FLYING OVER THE ISLAND TO MY LOVER NEAR BY.

♪ ♪ FLAMINGO--.

♪ ♪ WHAT A DAY, WITH A SETTING SUN.

♪ ♪ HAPPY COWBOY WERE IN FALLS.