From OP: You may have heard the story. Lynn Vrooman was to audition for the Amazing Aztecs, Neil Rush's band. There was tough competition -- both Nancy Claire and Gail Harris were invited. Lynn decided to ask her friend Merrilee Gunst to accompany her on the piano. Somehow Neil chose the less experienced Merrilee to be his new singer. Lots of bands had female singers, but Merrilee would certainly be one of the first ladies to be both a singer and musician with a rock 'n roll band. Soon, Neil would form Merrilee and Her Men to take advantage of her popularity, and they would eventually merge with the Statics and Tiny Tony to form one of the most exciting teen r&b groups anywhere. Lynn would do a great cover of the Shirley & Lee hit, "Let The Good Times Roll" from 1956. She was backed up by the Royals from Richland, Larry Coryell's first band. "Charlena", a hit by the Sevilles in early 1961 would be one of Merrilee's first recordings. I don't know if the backing band was "Her Men" or the Statics.
From OP:
ReplyDeleteYou may have heard the story. Lynn Vrooman was to audition for the Amazing Aztecs, Neil Rush's band. There was tough competition -- both Nancy Claire and Gail Harris were invited. Lynn decided to ask her friend Merrilee Gunst to accompany her on the piano. Somehow Neil chose the less experienced Merrilee to be his new singer. Lots of bands had female singers, but Merrilee would certainly be one of the first ladies to be both a singer and musician with a rock 'n roll band. Soon, Neil would form Merrilee and Her Men to take advantage of her popularity, and they would eventually merge with the Statics and Tiny Tony to form one of the most exciting teen r&b groups anywhere. Lynn would do a great cover of the Shirley & Lee hit, "Let The Good Times Roll" from 1956. She was backed up by the Royals from Richland, Larry Coryell's first band. "Charlena", a hit by the Sevilles in early 1961 would be one of Merrilee's first recordings. I don't know if the backing band was "Her Men" or the Statics.