Growing up, my father had a bookshelf occupied by a variety of Memphis-related ephemera, including a Mr. Peanut figurine from The Peanut Shoppe, various Grizzlies bobbleheads and an encased playing card of Penny Hardaway.

The item that most piqued my interest, though, was a grainy, framed photo depicting a vampire with the words “Sivad WHBQ-TV Fantastic Features” across the bottom. 

Singing, dancing and dying: ‘Evil Dead: The Musical’

Sivad was the popular character created and played by movie promoter Watson Davis, who hosted the local TV program “Fantastic Features” between 1962 and 1972. Much like other horror-based programs sprinkled across the nation at the time, “Fantastic Features” specialized in screening cheaply produced horror and sci-fi films, with Sivad acting as the “monster of ceremonies.”

For many Memphians of my father’s generation, Sivad was a beloved figure who was instrumental in introducing them to the delightful world of B-movie schlock (and even worse puns). 

One of these dedicated fans is artist and filmmaker Mike McCarthy, who has been instrumental in keeping the legend of Sivad alive over the past several decades.

“I grew up on a gravel road in Mississippi, so it was only on occasion that the bad reception from Channel 13 would be able to permeate my way,” McCarthy said. “I was only 9 when Sivad went off the air, but I was able to see some really strange and wonderful things on occasion.” 

Memphis Record Pressing to double workforce by next year

As “Fantastic Features” grew into a local phenomenon, Davis decided to follow the lead of fellow horror aficionado Bobby Pickett, who scored a major hit in 1962 with the Halloween-themed novelty hit “Monster Mash.”

The following year, Davis released his own single, “Sivad Buries Rock and Roll,” with “Dickey Drakeller” on the flipside.

Davis was backed by an impressive assemblage of respected Memphis musicians for the project, which gives the single an unexpectedly solid and infectious groove. “Sivad Buries Rock and Roll” failed to reach the heights of “Monster Mash,” but it sold well locally. Reportedly, upwards of 2,000 fans attended a promotional record-signing event at the old Goldsmith’s department store. 

McCarthy said that the song was inspired by a local controversy centered around “Fantastic Features.”

“Back in the early ’60s, there was a teenage-focused music show called ‘Hootenanny’ on WHBQ. The ratings weren’t great, but it was popular among college students,” McCarthy said. “The show was eventually replaced by Sivad, which p----- off the college kids. They actually picketed Channel 13 and hung Sivad in effigy. ‘Sivad Buries Rock and Roll’ is basically a direct statement to them saying, ‘Hey, I beat your rock-and-roll show!’” 

Although the song has been accessible via YouTube and other streaming platforms, physical copies of the 1963 single were hard to come by in recent years and they had become a coveted item among DJs and nostalgic fans

However, that all changed this weekend as the single was officially reissued for the first time in nearly 60 years on Memphis’ Black & Wyatt Records. 

According to McCarthy, who helped to spearhead the project, the 7-inch “Transylvanian translucent blood red” vinyl comes with new front cover artwork by McCarthy, a two-sided insert with essays by Susan Swain and Memphis music critic Ron Hall as well as several never-before-seen photos of Sivad. 

To mark the occasion, DJ Amy Dobbins, up-and-coming singer Andy V, rapper Senpapi Red Moon and Black & Wyatt recording artists Tyler Keith & The Apostles performed at Bar DKDC Saturday, Oct. 22. Unsurprisingly, black capes and white face paint were ubiquitous throughout the crowd.

And to end the night, there was a raffle for a dead body, which thankfully proved to be a raw chicken. 

Watson Davis passed away in 2005 at the age of 92 but like any good vampire, it seems that his character Sivad is immortal. His legion of dedicated fans are making sure of it. 

The re-issued album is available for $15 on Black & Wyatt’s website and at local record shops throughout Memphis.