Johnny and the Hurricanes were an American instrumentalrock and roll band from Toledo, Ohio, United States. They specialized in adapting popular traditional melodies into the rock idiom, using organ and saxophone as their featured instruments. Between 1958 and 1963, the group had a number of hits in both the US and the UK, and the band developed a following in Europe. In 1962, they played at the Star-Club in Hamburg, where the Beatles, then a little-known band, served as an opening act. The band continued as a live act through 2005; leader Johnny Paris died in 2006.
Career
They began as the Orbits in Toledo in 1957. Led by saxophonist Johnny Paris, they were school friends who played on a few recordings behind Mack Vickery, a local rockabilly singer. They signed with Harry Balk and Irving Micahnik of Twirl Records, which led to national engagements in 1958. The same year, they recorded "Crossfire", in a vacant cinema to provide echo. It became a nationwide U.S. hit, and reached No. 23 on the US chartin the summer of 1959. Renamed as Johnny and the Hurricanes, they followed with "Red River Rock", an instrumental version of "Red River Valley", on Warwick Records. It became a top tenhit on both sides of the Atlantic, and sold over a million copies. The musicians in the band then were Paris on saxophone, Paul Tesluk on a Hammond Chord organ, Dave Yorko on guitar, Lionel "Butch" Mattice on bass, and Bill "Little Bo" Savich on drums. They specialised in versions of old tunes with a rock and roll beat. They chose these songs because they were well recognized and easier to accept with the beat. Tunes were credited to 'King, Mack' and usually one other name: King and Mack were in fact pseudonyms for Harry Balk and Irving Micahnik, the band's managers. In 1960, they recorded the United States Armybugle call, "Reveille", as "Reveille Rock", and turned "Blue Tail Fly" into "Beatnik Fly". Both tunes made the Top 40 achieving number 25 and 15 respectively. The band also recorded "Down Yonder" for Big Top Records. In the same year, they recorded "When The SaintsGo Marching In" as "Revival", but it ranked in the charts for just one week, peaking at No. 97. The record was flipped over in the UK, where "Rocking Goose" reached No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart. The band developed a following in Europe. In 1962, they played at the Star-Club in Hamburg, where the Beatles, then a little-known band, served as an opening act. Johnny and the Hurricanes cut records until 1987, with "Old Smokie", and an original tune, "Traffic Jam", both on Big Top Records, being their last releases to chart in America. Johnny Paris, the only constant member of the band, continued to tour with his Hurricanes in Europe and the United States until his death. He had an uncle, a realtor, in Rossford, Ohio, Johnny's home town, who owned a building on the main street and offered Johnny's first wife, Sharon Venier-Pocisk, space for an antique shop. When not on the road he helped out with the antique shop and vending machine business as payment for the store front for his first wife. Johnny Paris and his band toured Europe occasionally until the end of 2005. He died on May 1, 2006 at the University Clinic of Ann Arbor, Michigan, of hospital-borne infections after an operation. Paris's second wife and widow, the German journalist, novelist, and vocalist Sonja Verena Paris, took over his business and the rights to his songs and trademarks. Paris said that over 300 musicians played in the band in its fifty-year existence. The band inspired the song "Johnny and the Hurricanes" on the albumHow I Learned to Love the Bootboys, by the band the Auteurs. They were also namechecked in the Kinks' 1973 song "One of the Survivors", and in "Bridge in Time" on the 1990 Burton Cummings album Plus Signs. Johnny Paris died on May 1, 2006, Age 65. Drummer Bill "Little Bo" Savich died on January 4, 2002, Age 61. Bassist Lionel "Butch" Mattice died on October 16, 2006, Age 67. Guitarist David Yorko died on February 17, 2017 at the age of 73.
