Today my guest is Robert Smokey Miles...    

He knows Bob Dylan personally and even used to be his house sitter as a teenager

Around 1987 he began hosting open mics and acoustic music showcases at the Breakaway Gardens in Venice, CA, much like I did in the San Fernando Valley several years later. Although I had been to the Breakaway,  on many occasions before I left Venice, I don’t recall having ever met Smokey, although in retrospect, I must have. While editing this episode, I determined it would have been almost impossible for me not to have crossed paths wit this guy!

As Count Smokula, a quirky vampire sporting a fez and playing accordion,  he was a male counterpart to Elvira, MIstress of the Dark. Although Elvira had a more massive following, Smokula has a pretty fair cult following of his own. He continues to perform in the Annual Pasadena Doo Dah Parade with The Radioactive Chicken Heads.

He’s worked in some bizarre cult films such as “Magics”, about a very unique magician who entertains sick and injured Palestinian and Jewish kids thoughout Israel's pediatric hospitals. Original music performed by bob as Count Smokula on his accordion

Appears in several Troma Films from Troma Entertainment which is an independent film company that produces low-budget independent films. Mostly flicks that pay homage to the 1950’s horror films - lots of farcical parodies with gratuitous fake blood, guts and gore.

These include: Trasharella with Rena Riffel; and he even did a couple of songs with Ron Jeremy, the porn star for TromaDance Festival one year.

For links to my Smokey’s website and Youtube videos, go to www.talesoftheroadwarriors.com/smokey-miles where you’ll find them right under the show notes!

So yeah, Smokey’s done his fair share of hosting music showcases, playing his guitar and the accordion, doing sketch comedy in the persona of the immortal Count Smokula, and cameo appearances in movies and music videos with the likes of Bob Dylan, himself. So, ‘nuff said… Here he is to talk about it - Robert “Smokey” Miles!

Links to some of Smokey’s stuff (right under the Show Notes, where  I said they’d be):

Smokey Miles Official Website

The Social Distance Dance

Bob Dylan’s "Must Be Santa" Official Video
Smokey plays a smoking’ accordion solo in this vid!