Born in South Carolina, James Jamerson moved to Detroit where learned to play the bass in high school. He soon started playing in the local jazz and blues clubs and by the early ’60s, he was working at Berry Gordy’s studio. He, along with some of popular music’s greatest musicians were called the Funk Brothers and they can be heard on nearly every Motown record throughout the ’60s. Jamerson played on literally hundreds of Motown songs including such hits as “My Girl” (the Temptations), “You Can’t Hurry Love (the Supremes), “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (Gladys Knight), and “What’s Goin’ On” (Marvin Gaye). It has been said that Jamerson played on more #1 pop hits than the Beatles, who own that actual record. Many of the world’s greatest bass players have pointed to Jamerson as their main influence. That list includes John Entwistle, John Paul Jones, Paul McCartney, and Jack Bruce. Jamerson and Motown parted company in 1973 after which, he found work playing on such disco hits as “Boogie Fever” and “Don’t Rock The Boat.” A longtime drinker, James Jamerson died of cirrhosis of the liver, heart failure and pneumonia at the age of 47.
Richard “Scar” Lopezwas an original member of Cannibal & The Headhunters, a group of singers from East Los Angeles who are considered to the first Mexican American group to have a national hit record with “Land Of A Thousand Dances.” The odds of making a record that would become one of the most famous songs in rock history have got to be at least a million to one. And even less likely, is to find yourself sharing the bill with the Beatles on their legendary 1965 US tour. Cannibal & the Headhunters did just that. Lopez was just a high school kid living in East L.A. when he and brothers, Joe “Yo Yo” Jaramilloand Bobby “Rabbit” Jaramillodiscovered they could create a special harmony when singing together. Within a short time, they teamed up with another local singer by the name of Frankie “Cannibal” Garcia to form the group that would soon be called Cannibal & The Headhunters, with Garcia as front man. After passing an audition for local record executive Eddie Davis, Cannibal & The Headhunters signed to his Rampart Records. They were soon in the studio recording “Land Of A Thousand Dances,” a song co-written by Fats Domino which was already a local hit by another artist. But it was their version of the song that shot to Billboard’s top 30 in April of 1965, and they were fast becoming the pride of East L.A. Before long, the group found themselves on the road sharing the stage with such superstars as the Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Ben E. King, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett and Tom Jones. They were also invited to perform on “Hullabaloo,” a national rock ‘n roll variety show that counted Paul McCartney as one of its fans. The story goes that McCartney saw the boys on “Hullabaloo” and requested that manager Brian Epstein bring them on tour with the Beatles. The group was soon flying around the country playing before tens of thousands of screaming Beatles fans at each stop. That tour included the Beatles’ legendary Shea Stadium and Hollywood Bowl shows. Legend has it that the Headhunters were exciting the crowds so much, that Epstein asked their manager to have them ease up a bit on stage. Back home after the tour, the guys started to make more records, but were never able to recapture the hysteria that sparked from that first huge hit. By 1967, Cannibal & The Headhunters had broken up and Lopez went on to become a landscaper, but the group occasionally reunited for special events. Richard “Scar” Lopez was 65 when he died of lung cancer on July 30, 2010.
Harvey Fuqua was a much respected R&B performer, songwriter and producer who is mostly remembered for his longtime association with Motown Records. In 1951, Fuqua formed the Moonglows, a popular doo wop group who recorded such hits as “Sincerely,” “Don’t Be Afraid of Love,” and “Ten Commandments of Love.” In 1958, Fuqua recruited a young singer, Marvin Gaye, whom he helped build his early career. The Moonglows were eventually elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After leaving the group, Fuqua formed his own label, the one-time home to the likes of the Spinners, Shorty Long, and Junior Walker. By the end of the ’60s, he was working as an A&R man and producer at Motown, where he made significant contributions to the success of the label. In later years, he produced hits for the like os Sylvester, the Weather Girls and again, Marvin Gaye. Harvey Fuqua was 80 when he died of a heart attack on July 6, 2010.
Richard “Pistol” Allen
August 12, 1932 – June 30, 2002
Richard “Pistol” Allen was a drummer for Motown’s Funk Brothers, the acclaimed session band the provided the sound for many of the greatest songs in American history. His shuffle style drumming could be heard on such classics as the Supremes’ “Baby Love,” Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” and the Four Tops’ “I Can’t Help Myself.” During the ’50s, Allen began playing in clubs throughout Detroit, and it was there that he befriended Motown’s legendary drummer, Benny Benjamin who ultimately helped him get into the Motown family in 1961. In 2002, Allen was a key figure in the critically acclaimed documentary on the Funk Brothers, “Standing In The Shadows Of Motown.” He died of cancer a short time later.
Joe “Yo Yo” Jaramillo
October 15, 1948 – March 24, 2000
Photo courtesy of Joe Jaramillo Jr.
Joe Jaramillo was an original member of Cannibal & The Headhunters, a group of singers from East Los Angeles who are considered to the first Mexican American group to have a national hit record with “Land Of A Thousand Dances.” The odds of making a record that would become one of the most famous songs in rock history have got to be at least a million to one. And even less likely, is to find yourself sharing the bill with the Beatles on their legendary 1965 US tour. Joe Jaramillo did just that. He was just a 15-year-old kid living in a notorious Los Angeles housing project when “Yo Yo,” his brother Bobby “Rabbit” Jaramillo, and friend Richard “Scar” Lopez discovered they could create a special harmony when singing together. Within a short time, they teamed up with another local singer by the name of Frankie “Cannibal” Garcia to form the group that would soon be called Cannibal & The Headhunters, with Garcia as front man. After passing an audition for local record executive Eddie Davis, Cannibal & The Headhunters signed to his Rampart Records. They were soon in the studio recording “Land Of A Thousand Dances,” a song co-written by Fats Domino which was already a local hit by another artist. But it was their version of the song that shot to Billboard’s top 30 in April of 1965, and they were fast becoming the pride of East LA. Before long, the group found themselves on the road sharing the stage with such superstars as the Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Ben E. King, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett and Tom Jones. They were also invited to perform on “Hullabaloo,” a national rock ‘n roll variety show that counted Paul McCartney as one of its fans. The story goes that McCartney saw the boys on “Hullabaloo” and requested that manager Brian Epstein bring them on tour with the Beatles. Jaramillo and the group were soon flying around the country playing before tens of thousands of screaming Beatles fans at each stop. That tour included the Beatles’ legendary Shea Stadium and Hollywood Bowl shows. Legend has it that the Headhunters were exciting the crowds so much, that Epstein asked their manager to have them ease up a bit on stage. Back home after the tour, the guys started to make more records, but were never able to recapture the hysteria that sparked from that first huge hit. By 1967, the group had broken up, with the guys going their separate ways only to reunite on rare occasions. For “Yo Yo” that meant raising a family. Joe Jaramillo passed away as a result of liver disease on May 24, 2000 at the age of 52.
Born in South Carolina, James Jamerson moved to Detroit where learned to play the bass in high school. He soon started playing in the local jazz and blues clubs and by the early ’60s, he was working at Berry Gordy’s studio. He, along with some of popular music’s greatest musicians were called the Funk Brothers and they can be heard on nearly every Motown record throughout the ’60s. Jamerson played on literally hundreds of Motown songs including such hits as “My Girl” (the Temptations), “You Can’t Hurry Love (the Supremes), “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (Gladys Knight), and “What’s Goin’ On” (Marvin Gaye). It has been said that Jamerson played on more #1 pop hits than the Beatles, who own that actual record. Many of the world’s greatest bass players have pointed to Jamerson as their main influence. That list includes John Entwistle, John Paul Jones, Paul McCartney, and Jack Bruce. Jamerson and Motown parted company in 1973 after which, he found work playing on such disco hits as “Boogie Fever” and “Don’t Rock The Boat.” A longtime drinker, James Jamerson died of cirrhosis of the liver, heart failure and pneumonia at the age of 47.
Harvey Fuqua was a much respected R&B performer, songwriter and producer who is mostly remembered for his longtime association with Motown Records. In 1951, Fuqua formed the Moonglows, a popular doo wop group who recorded such hits as “Sincerely,” “Don’t Be Afraid of Love,” and “Ten Commandments of Love.” In 1958, Fuqua recruited a young singer, 
Richard “Pistol” Allen was a drummer for Motown’s Funk Brothers, the acclaimed session band the provided the sound for many of the greatest songs in American history. His shuffle style drumming could be heard on such classics as the Supremes’ “Baby Love,” 
