Cape Gay Trio

A folk group of Vanderbilt students active in the early 1960s.

History[edit | edit source]

Originally known as The Harpeth Singers, this folk group made a big impression over a period from early '63 through winter of '65. The group was "Discovery of the Week" for the summer concert series run by The Tennessean in partnership with the Nashville Parks Department. Chip Hutchison, who played guitar and banjo, was a senior at Vanderbilt as "Mr. Commodore" for the football season in Fall '63. Jimmy Hunt who played guitar and sang graduated from Vanderbilt in August of 1963 to join the Navy. The vocalist, Dianne Lackey, was a student at Peabody, and the only member of the group to have formal voice training. In the write-up for the Park Concert Series in July 1963, Jimmy said he and Chip had been playing together for over a year: "We all like folk music. We do general folk music but we like all types." For that Sunday performance, they sang "Twelve Days with Khrushchev," "Sing Hallelujah," and "Whoa Back Buck." At a hootenanny a few months later with Roger Miller, Fred Carter and Bobby Watral (later to join The Cavaliers combo from Madison) the group performed the songs "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" and "River."

The group continued to play concerts in the park, social events, other hootenannies, the Italian Street Fair, and private fundraisers.

A write-up in December of 1963 by Frank Sutherland in The Tennessean referenced their busy schedule and their literal beginnings: "We were in the library looking at some folk songs when we saw one with the name of a ship, Cape Gay, so that's what we named our trio." When Jimmy Hunt graduated from Vanderbilt he left the group to join the Navy and was replaced by Tommy Wells.

While playing from Chicago to Florida, the group opened up for Roger Miller, Peter Paul & Mary, as well as Nashville neighbors Flatt & Scruggs. The album they recorded for the Nashville-based Roi Recording label was sold to the Oklahoma City based Boyd label in 1963.

Tom Wells returned to Atlanta after college and founded Doppler Studios, which also included a record label Doppler that released local bands, including many for whom Tom Wells wrote the songs. His success in the music business also included extensive jingle work.

Jim Hunt would later become mayor of Belle Meade from 2012-2018.