Photo CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 by KarenRod Dibble (November 24, 1932 – December 19, 2017) played the piano at The Alley on Grand Avenue in the Lakeshore neighborhood beginning in the 1960s. With over 6,000 songs (American Standards … no rock ‘n roll) in his repertoire, Dibble played for years, five nights a week, for five hours at a time. After his heart attack in late 2012, he cut back to 2–3 nights a week.

A table/bar built over the piano has 4 microphones for patrons to sing along. Under the piano is a box full of binders containing lyrics to many of the most popular songs in Rod’s repertoire, so guest singers needn’t memorize them (though few seem to need any reminders). Dibble rewarded guest singers who did an especially good job with a blast of cowbell, and first time singers with a smaller "virgin cowbell." Dibble wore out multiple pianos during his decades-long career.

Rod Dibble sign at The Alley
photo from Our Oakland

Family

Twin brothers Rodney Merritt Dibble and Ronald Bliss Dibble were born November 24, 1932 in Pasadena, California to Clark L. Dibble and Genevieve R. Davis (Dibble). By the 1940 census, the family had moved to Berkeley. Their older brother Jack Dibble and his entire family died in a car crash in 1950.

Rod and Ronald graduated from Berkeley High School in 1951.

Dibble was married 5 times and had two children:

  • In 1957, he married Jane E. McGregor. (?)
  • In 1962, he married Patti Shock, whose family ran the Bella Napoli Restaurant.
  • In March 1978, he married Shirley Mae Grimmer.
  • In September 1978, he married Marjorie Louise Prentice.
  • At the time of his death in 2017, he was married to Linda McCormick.

Early Career

The first newspaper references about Dibble playing clubs were in 1954, when local entertainment columnists took note of him while he was playing at the Tin Angel in San Francisco. 1,2

19541954195419541954

After he started playing at the mink piano bar at the Orinda Willows in May 1954, Tribune entertainment columnist Don Steele was duly impressed:

An exciting newcomer has hit the entertainment world. If you were one of the hundreds grouped about Milt Nelson's mink piano bar at Willows listening to the hoarse-voiced foot-beating keyboard mutilating Rod Dibble Saturday night, you know what I mean. Dibble can't be a day over 21 but he has the attitude of a veteran trouper. 3

At the time, retired boxer Max Baer, Sr. was doing live broadcasts from Orinda Willows. Some were calling Dibble "The Velvet Frog" (probably a play on Mel Tormé's nickname, "The Velvet Fog"). Don Steele nicknamed him "Hot Rod" Dibble. Orinda Willows owner Milt Nelson signed Dibble to a 6-month contract, and then another. Business must have been good, because the Nelsons purchased El Curtola Restaurant in Oakland, and opened it as the Oakland Willows. 5 Dibble was scheduled to make a TV appearance, and to appear in a Warner Brothers musical film. 4

When Dibble's contract was up in 1955, the Nelsons had a farewell party.

After that, Dibble played various clubs around California, including the Bamboo Room in Modesto, London House in Oakland, the Rumpus Room in San Francisco, and more.

1955195519551956

Dibble played at Larry Blake's in Berkeley in 1961; he had apparently played there early in his career. He played at Bali Hai, a club on 20th Street in Oakland, in 1962, and the Sky Room in Redding in 1963.

196119621963

The first reference to Dibble playing at The Alley is from 1961. It's unknown when he became exclusive there, but it may have been 1964.

1964

Links and References

  1. It's News To Me... San Francisco Chronicle February 5, 1954
  2. Bay Area Midnighter Berkeley Daily Gazette April 23, 1954
  3. Going Places Oakland Tribune June 2, 1954
  4. Startime Alameda Times-Star September 25, 1954
  5. El Curtola Sold To Milt Nelson Oakland Tribune August 2, 1954
  6. Rod Dibble, bar pianist at the Alley in Oakland, dies SFGate December 23, 2017
Edit tags