296 THE RAGING TEENS VOL. 4 LP (296)

Bob Vidone and The Rhythm Rockers became Robby and The Troubadours. A little background first. Bob Vidone was our local Elvis, every hamlet town had one; this is the 60's and Bobby lives in Byrum Conn. a small burb of Greenwich Conn. a small costal town of the Atlantic Sound neighboring towns would be Port Chester, N.Y. and other cities of West Chester County NY. As kids we were all fans of Bobby and every Thurs night we would assemble at the Country House in Banksvile Ny in a converted barn made into a Night Club quite sheik for the times. Well Bobby would hold court there with his big mop of hair and Jackie Wilson and James Brown gyrations. from splits to jumping off tables we were all spell bound. with his unique gravel voice (a golden boy a white kid from a blue collar family sounding black) And believe it or not Elvis at the time was as new as Justin Bieber not discovered yet just breaking. Alright Alright Alright !!!! you got it we really had the first Elvis he was great! Ok moving on I'm a nerdy guy working at Arnolds Bakery in Port Chester and I'm on my lunch hour at a bucket of blood bar called the Blue Rail on Main Street when who walks in but Bobby his local hit on the Juke Box Untrue on Sentry Records backed with Frankie and Johnny he's mobbed to do a song and he gets up does all shook up and starts moving like Elvis but better (no one moved like Bobby) He was well received to say the least this was a Sat. nite I go up to him and say Bobby why aint you gigging some where he goes sisssh I don't want everybody to know I don't have a gig. Nurdy me says to him can I try to get you work he says sure. I was floored at the opportunity I could barely finish my shift. I changed the name of the group to Robby and The Troubadours and we got gigs at the Pepermint Lounge opposite Joey Dee and the Starliters then from there to Hallandale Fla where we had a hit record on Block Records called the lemon twist named after the club there. In all fairness we didn't have a hit Stan Kenton had the hit (wink wink ) but the mob in Chicago thought we did. We were asked to be second on the bill at the club in Hallandale after ruling for two months, who would be our headliner Bill Haley and the Comets of rock around the clock fame, but we were cocky stars now and we rejected the clubs offer. So are we dead ? We get an offer to play on Rush st actually Walton Street at the rumpus Room the mob thought the Kenton hit was ours well by the time they found out it wasn't our hit it didn't matter we tore the city up for two years then our downfall when we played the lounge at the thunderbird in vegas all that separated the lounge from the gamblers was a latus wall with our tumill we distracted the bettors. though we got great reviews (even Elvis failed first time in vegas for the same reasons as us) Well we came back to Chicago as concurred heroes and the group broke up though all members of this great band found homes in famed bands. Robby was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame for his record of Untrue under Sentry. Well that's it for now if u want more contact me kal fagan 954 990 6794