Kenny & The Be Bops
Kenny & The Be Bops
My first band
My Past
In 1960, after playing together for a few years, the Be Bops released their first 45 called LINDY LOU.
Playing in northern Ontario & Quebec, The Be Bops were a great fifties band, but short lived. I had tons of
fun in the fifties, but I wasn't seriously thinking about music then. But who cared? I was sixteen. Band
members were: Jim Sasyniuk, Jimmy Kripotos, Bill Ledster, Myself, and Kenny Roy. Also Ray Quinn our
first drummer.
This recording of Lindy Lou and My Life, is the original 45 (untouched) sounds just like it did on my old
Sparton record player in 1958. Hey man just put a nickel in this juke box and listen to the Be Bops!! Opps
sorry now a days it's 10 bucks :) Cool Man!
Recorded @ Newberry Studios
Al & The Crescendos
The Flaming Stars
The Jades
Next came Al & The
Crescendos. This was a great
band in the sixties and were very
popular at the Gardens were we
played often. Memmbers were.
Al Falconi, Bill Ledster, Pete
Bramah, Ray Boucher, Felix
Truchon, Tom Arens, and me.
The Flaming Stars where
very short lived and became
The Jades within a few
months Rene Hamelin, Don
Carpentier, Jimmy Kripotis,
Kenny Roy, & Myself.
We got our feet wet in the bizz
playing in this band. We moved in
and out of Ontario and Quebec as
well as the U.S. We stuck it out
together for almost nine years.
We learned alot playing with some
great artists, especially at the Esquire
Show Bar in Montreal which was the
number one night club at the time.
We played with such names as The
Isley Brothers( original writers of twist
& Shout that the Beatles later
recorded) Sam & Dave, Bill Dogget,
Don Gardener & Dee Dee Ford, Bo
Diddly, Frog man Henry, King Curtis,
The Miller Sisters, and countless
others.
The Jades were great and a big part
of my career. Members were : Leader
and drummer, Don Carpentier, guitar,
Rene Hamelin, vocals and bass, Bill
Ledster, and myself on the B3. Other
musicians that have played with the
Jades are Claude Roy, Ray Roy, Ray
Boucher, Big Joe Brazil
Jades Recordings
Click on records
New York Times
Inside cover: Rehearsing for the Illustration
album in a New Jersey rehearsal hall.
Members: Bill Ledster, Claude Roy, Richard Terry, Garry
Beattie, Leo Harinen, Ben Perreault, Glen Higgins, Norm
Burgess, Roger Homefield, Donald Sanders, Cheri St.
James.
This great band was formed at the Fontain Bleu in St. Jean, Quebec
in 1969. It was a struggle to get this big band off the ground.Our
leader, Richard (Hawk) Terry, had the insight and the connection to
get us into the U.S.A. We were fortunate enough to hook up with my
friend, Alan Lorber. We recorded our first album at A&M Studios, New
York.
We toured all over the U.S. and shared the stage with names like
Rod Stewart, Leon Russel, The Rascals, BB King, Seals & Croft,
Nitty Grity Dirt Band, Joe Cocker,Wilson Pickett, Rufus Thomas,Tina
Turner and Miles Davis.Unfortunately, because of poor management,
we split up.I still scratch my head thinking about how close we came
to super stardom.
Other great musicians that played but did not record with Illustration,
Glen Higgins, Jerry Labelle,
Roger Walls, Don Carpentier, Paul Perkins , Billy Shields.
Life tasters Our loves a chain
Home Distant
Was it I I don't want to cry
Box of glass The road
Thelicia Upon The Earth
This band was way before its time. I had the pleasure of writing a suite for this album, what I consider to be one
of my best compositions. I cant take all the credit on this one though I had some great helpers. Bill Ledster wrote
some great tunes on this album that always blended in with my stuff. We were always a good team. The
members of man made are: Bill Ledster, Michel Como, Denis Como, Gille Beland, Rejean Benjamin, Richard
Terry, Roger Walls, Bob Baines, Claude Roy, Jerry Mercer, Glen Higgins, Gerry Bribosia, and Garry Beattie, all of
these musicians played in this band.
Man Made Country Company
Carnival Reflections
Evolution Keep On Moving
Recorded at Andre Perry Studios Montreal
We where asked to do the sound track for a movie out of Montreal. We
did.Here is the soundtrack from the movie Apres Ski. Some great solo
work by allthe boys in the horn section and a short but very sweet drum
solo by Claude Roy.
We where playing this stuff in clubs and concerts as well.I had the
pleasure of writing these tunes,but with a lot of help. This recording was
done with no overdubs
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