This page has photos and images of Eastside bands of
the 1960s. Photos of Cannibal & the Headhunters, the
Premiers, the Blendells, Ronnie & the Casuals, the Sisters,
and my 60s bands, Mark & the Escorts and the Men from S.O.U.N.D. can be found on the "Main Photo Gallery" and
after the articles on the above bands in "My Chicano & East
L.A. Music Articles" pages.
Bands
Represented In the Photos Below
Thee Midniters /
The Blendells / The Vaqueros / The Premiers / Romancers / The Jaguars /
Salas Brothers / The Sisters / The Blue Satins / Thee
Emeralds / Mickey & the
Invaders
/ Dyna-Might / Thee Ambertones / Thee Celestials / Thee Enchanters
/ The Royal Checkmates
/ The Mixtures / Armenta Brothers / The Progressions / The Royal Jesters
/ The Enchantments / The Little Heartbreakers / The Counts /
The Velvetones / The Vesuvians / The Etalons / The Exotics /
The Desires / Art & the Niteliters / Art & the Fabulons /
The Impalas / Ace / The Village Callers / The Delgado
Brothers / The Vesuvians / The Prophets
Thee Midniters
Thee Midniters (c.
1966)
(left
to right- Jimmy Espinoza, Willie G, Romeo Prado,
Danny Lamonte, George Dominguez, Roy Marquez, and
Larry Rendon)
Thee Midniters
(left
to right- Larry Rendon, Little Willie G., George Salazar
(behind cymbal), Roy Marquez, George Dominguez, Benny
Lopez, Ronnie Figueroa- behind amp)
Benny & the Midniters (early 60s)
(left
to right- Little Willie G., Richard Ceballos, unknown,
Raul Ceballos, Benny Ceballos, and Joe Farfan)
(photo courtesy of Raul Ceballos)
The Blendells
The Blendells c. 1964
(left
to right top- Tommy Esparza, Sal Murillo & Ron
Chipris)
(left to right bottom- Don Cardenas, Mike Rincon &
Rudy Valona)
The Blendells (c. 1964)
left
to right- Don Cardenas, Sal Murrilo, Mike Rincon,
and Tommy Esparza
(Rudy Valona and Ron Chipres out of frame)
Sal & Marge
(Sal
Murrilo before he was in the Blendells)
The Vaqueros
The Vaqueros (1965)
(Rudy
Valona, Tommy Esparza, and Sal Murillo of the
Blendells later formed the Vaqueros)
The Vaqueros "live" (1965)
The Premiers
The Premiers c. 1964
(left
to right-
Tony Duran, John Perez, Lawrence Perez, Frank Zuniga
& George Delgado)
The Romancers
The Romancers (1964)
(top row,
left to right-
Ralph Ventura, Manuel Rodriguez, and Albert "Bobby"
Hernandez
bottom row, left to right-
Cesar (last name ?), Max Uballez, and Manuel Mosqueda)
The Romancers with DJ Dave Hull "The Hullabalooer"
The Romancers (c. 1962)
The Jaguars
The Jaguars
(left
to right- Frank Chavez, Anthony "Beaver"
Carroll, Mario Panagua, Adrian Sansone)
The Salas
Brothers
The Salas Brothers (c. 1963)
(clockwise
from top- Ersi, Rosella, and Mary Arvizu)
The Sisters
The Sisters (1964)
(clockwise
from top- Ersi, Rosella, and Mary Arvizu)
The Sisters "live"
backed by The Premiers (1964)
The Blue Satins
The Blue Satins
(left
to right- Robert Perez, Johnny Betencourt, Bobby Loya,
Charles Lueras,
Pete Ventura, Louie Lopez, Frank Mezquita, Frank "Pinky"
Estrada, and Ray Suarez)
Thee Emeralds
The Emeralds
(left
to right- back row- Ray Rosa, Anthony Baray, Jacob
Padilla, ? and Fred Gonzalez
front row- Sammy "Bones" Ramos, Jesse Perez and Ray Ballesteros)
The Emeralds (at Pacific Ocean Park)
(left
to right-
Ray Rosa, Jacob Padilla, Ray Ballesteros, Mike Mercado,
Anthony Baray, and Fred Gonzalez)
(left to right, front
row- Anthony Baray, Sammy "Bones" Ramos & Ray Rosa
middle row- Mike Mercado, Ray Ballesteros & Jesse
Perez
top row- Jacob Padilla, Fred Gonzalez & Andy ?)
Mickey & the Invaders
/
Dyna-Might
Mickey & the Invaders
(top
row, left to right- John Ortiz, Bobby Espinoza,
and brother and sister, Denny and Linda Robinson)
(kneeling in front, left- Mickey Aversa, right- Simon
Casas)
Dyna-Might with The Blossoms
(The
Blossoms backed up artists such as Elvis Presley and
The Righteous Brothers.)
Thee Ambertones
Thee Ambertones
top center-
Henry Hernandez (guitar)
middle row, left to right- Jimmy Alvarez (drums),
Eddie Delgado (bass),
Ray Areole(sax), and Mike Sandoval (guitar)
bottom row, left to right- Charlie Muñoz (vocals)
and Danny Medina (keyboards)
Thee Ambertones
(left
to right- Jimmy Alvarez (on drums), Eddie Delgado
(behind drummer),
Mike Sandoval, Frankie Olvera, Danny Medina, Tony
Duran,
and Henry Hernandez)
(photo courtesy of Joey Delgado)
3 photos below courtesy of Gene Valdez
Thee Ambertones
Thee Ambertones "Live"
Thee Celestials
2 photos below courtesy of Gene Valdez
Thee Celestials
(left
to right- Richard Ramirez, Bob Zurko, Bernie Leal,
Chuck Muela, Ray Headrick, and Mike Valdez)
(hidden- Mike Montez, rhythm guitar and Mike Aceves,
drums)
Thee Celestials "Live" at Rosewood Park
Hall
(left
to right- hidden behind cymbal, Mike Aceves,
Richard Ramirez, Bob Zurko, Mike Valdez, and Bernie
Leal)
Thee Enchanters
Thee Enchanters
Thee Royal Checkmates
Thee Royal Checkmates (1964)
(left
to right- Joe Herrera (keys), Albert Alaman (bass),
Eddie Jones (vocals/guitar)
Richard Saenz (rhythm guitar), Ray Rodriguez
(drums), Freddy Saenz (vocals)
(c. 1972 Ray Rodriguez would become the drummer for
Yaqui.)
Thee Royal Checkmates (c. 1966)
(front
center- Debbie Thomas)
(left to right- Bobby Gonzales, Richard Saenz, Steve
Ramirez, Aaron Ballesteros,
Joe Herrera, Ralph Gandara, Eddie Jones, David Segura,
and Eddie Herron) (Aaron Ballesteros would later become Tierra's
longtime drummer.)
(photo courtesy of Ralph
Gandara)
The Mixtures
The Mixtures (1961)
(standing
left to right- Del Franklin, Johnny Wells, Jess Porras,
Leroy "Zag" Soto, and Eddie De Robles)
(seated- Steve Mendoza and Dan Pollock)
The Mixtures at Rainbow Gardens (March 1962)
(left
to right- Del Franklin, Leroy "Zag" Soto,
Jess Porras,
Dan Pollock,
Eddie De Robles, and Johnny Wells)
Steve Mendoza (far left hidden, piano)
The Mixtures (March 1962)
(standing
left to right- Steve Mendoza, Del Franklin, Leroy
"Zag" Soto,
Dan Pollock, Jess Porras, and Johnny Wells) (Eddie
De Robles on drums)
The Mixtures and The Standells at Rainbow Gardens (March 1962)
(At the
rear of the stage: The Standells, with Larry Tamblyn
on guitar
Dan Pollock {bending down in front of Larry} and Eddie
De Robles on front set of drums. Front of the stage
from left to right are Leroy "Zag" Soto
(standing),
Corkie Wilkie (back to camera with sax),
and Jess Porras)
The Mixtures at
Rainbow Gardens (February 12, 1962) (taken during the live "Stompin' At the Rainbow"
album)
left
to right- Del Franklin, Leroy "Zag" Soto, and Dan
Pollock
The Mixtures at
Rainbow Gardens (February 12, 1962) (taken
during the live "Stompin' At the Rainbow" album)
left to right- Eddie
Robles (drums), Del Franklin, Leroy "Zag" Soto, and
Dan Pollack
The Mixtures (1960)
(left
to right- Phil & Harv, Dan Pollock, Johnny Wells
(hidden), Del Franklin,
Leroy "Zag" Soto (hidden),Jess Porras, Steve Mendoza, and
Dick Halstead)
The Mixtures (1959)
left to right- Del Franklin, Jess Porras, Dick
Halstead, Steve Mendoza, Johnny Trueblood (Mixtures'
first drummer), Dan Pollock, and Autrey Joe Johnson
Armenta Brothers
Armenta Brothers at
Our Lady of Lourdes (1948)
Thee Progressions
Thee Progressions
(from
left- Rick DeLeon, Clarence Playa, far right- Sammy
"Bones" Ramos)
Thee Royal Jesters
Thee Royal Jesters
(front
row, left to right- Frankie "Cannibal" Garcia
{pre-Cannibal & the Headhunters}, Joe Urzua, Jimmy
Horvath, and Robert Martinez)
(back row, left to right- Freddie Ayala, Raul Ceballos,
Johnny Diaz, and Fred Gallegos)
(photo courtesy of Raul Ceballos)
Thee Royal Jesters
(center-
Frankie "Cannibal" Garcia, pre-Cannibal
& the Headhunters)
Thee Enchantments
Thee Enchantments
(lead
singer- Eddie Serrano,
later of Cannibal & the
Headhunters, Olde Tyme Religion, and Yaqui)
The Little Heartbreakers
The Little Heartbreakers
Thee Counts
Thee Counts
left
to right- (front row-
Larry Torres, bass; Richard Mitsunaga, lead guitar; Bobby
Garola, guitar)
(back row- Ralph "Harpo" Viramontes, vocalist; Ronnie Wheat,
drummer
Art Duardo, sax; Tommy Cavanaugh, trombone; and Charlie Montijo,
lead singer)
Four photos below courtesy of Don Viray of Thee Counts
Thee Counts
(Left to right- Johnny
Joe Ramos, bass; Bobby Gurrola, guitar; Bobby
Rodriguez, trumpet; Don Viray, guitar; Charlie
Montijo, lead singer; Albert Barron, sax;
Ronnie Wheat, drums; Arnold Serafin, keyboards; and
Joe Vasquez, sax)
Thee Counts
( Left to right and
around- Bobby
Gurrola, Arnold Serafin, Tommy Cavanaugh, Don Viray,
Johnny Joe Ramos, Charlie Montijo, Joe Vasquez,
Albert Barron, and Ronnie Wheat)
Thee Counts c. 1965
(left
to right- Bobby Rodriguez, Albert Barron, Ronnie
Wheat, Arnold Serafin, Charlie Montijo, Don Viray,
Johnny Joe Ramos, and Bobby Gurrola)
(Salesian
Rock & Roll Show)
Don Viray of Thee
Counts
The Velvetones
The Velvetones
The
Vesuvians
The Vesuvians
(Bobby
Hernandez on sax)
The Etalons
The Etalons
(back
row- Bobby Rodriguez, Danny Felix, Mike Mercado,
Frank Gonzalez, Pete Reyes?)
(front row- Albert Lugo, Joe Vasquez, and Richard
Armeda)
The Exotics
The Exotics
(standing
left to right- Danny Delgado, guitar; George
Marchello; vocals; Marty Caling, guitar)
(seated left to right- Bobby Delgado; bass, and Henry
Brumfield; drums)
The Desires
2
photos below courtesy of Albert Martinez of The Desires
The Desires
(left
to right- Albert Martinez, Tony Velasquez, Rebecca
Salcedo,
Ricky Sanchez, and Ben Velasquez)
The Desires
(left
to right- Ben Velasquez, Tony Velasquez, Rebecca Salcedo,
Frank Soliz, Albert Martinez, and Ricky Sanchez)
Albert Martinez of the Desires & Mark Guerrero
(2007) (Photo by Christina Rose)
Art & the Niteliters
Art & the Niteliters
Art & the Niteliters
Art & the Fabulons
Art & the Fabulons
(top
row, left to right- Ernest Martinez, Joey Valenzuela,
Ernie Valenzuela, and Art Valenzuela)
(front row, left to right- Cesar Reta, Willie Estrada,
and Efrain Farias)
The Impalas
Ace
Ace
The Village Callers
The Delgado Brothers
The Delgado Brothers
(Bobby
and Danny Delgado, 2nd and far right, had been
members of The Exotics
and Eddie Delgado, 2nd from right, had been a member
of Thee Ambertones)
The
Prophets
The
Prophets
(back
row, left to right- Bill Reyes,
Bobby Hernandez (Romancers), Tom
Fuentes, Gil Mendiaz) (front
row, left to right- Dave Parsley,
John Deluna (later of El Chicano),
unidentified)
(Photo
courtesy of William "Bill" Reyes)
