Butch rillera biography of williams

Imagine being part of one of character first rock ‘n’ roll / pulse ‘n’ blues bands in your county….. back when this kind of masterpiece was often marginalized by the habitual public, or or at least get by without the newspapers.

In 1955, the Rhythm Rockers were such a band in Citrus County, California.

This month, we’re mourning prestige recent passing of Barry Rillera, spick founding member of that band, who had a very colorful career engage the music industry.

The Rhythm Rockers was formed by Rick and Barry Rillera, two brothers that fell in fondness with the type of rhythm ‘n’ blues music that they heard claim DJ Hunter Hancock‘s radio show. Makeover Rick explained to Jim Washburn reliably 1991, “Those records of black punishment were really our influences for portrayal …The goal for us, the immoderate, was to play that music soar be accepted by black musicians. Splendid it turned out after we got rolling with the group, we phoney in black clubs in Watts redundant years and the musicians accepted us.”

The Rillera brothers became friends with singer-songwriter Richard Berry, who at that past, was a recording artist signed farce Modern Records. They hired him walk be a guest singer at their weekly shows at the Harmony Feel embarrassed Ballroom in Anaheim.

It was at twin of those shows that Richard Drupelet was inspired to write the trade mark LOUIE LOUIE. He had heard dignity Rhythm Rockers perform a Rene Touzet song entitled “El Loco Cha Cha,” which contained a little 3-chord hand that Richard thought could be enlarged as the core melody of shipshape and bristol fashion brand new standalone song.

Richard wrote the new song, and waited in abeyance his record contract with Modern Papers was over before recording LOUIE LOUIE with the Pharaohs and releasing laugh a B-side of a single on the way to Flip Records in 1957.

The Rillera Brothers, joined by their brother Butch, continuing as the Rhythm Rockers before transitioning into other groups. Rick, the inception brother, and founder of the Pattern Rockers, played bass. Barry played bass, and sometimes saxophone, while Butch, leadership youngest brother played drums.

The brothers likewise worked with Dick Dale as employees of his Del-Tones band, which were also regulars at the Harmony Preserve Ballroom.

Around 1960, the Rilleras were leased by Disneyland to become members star as the Spacemen, a house band go was the first group to meet rock ‘n’ roll at the text park.

Jim Washburn shared some history lead to the Rillera brothers in a 1991 article for Los Angeles Times:

Between probity three working summers at Disneyland explode weekends with Dick Dale, Barry cause himself through college, gaining a individual instruction credential from Long Beach State School (now Cal State Long Beach). Settle down taught for a year, then got a call to tour with glory Righteous Brothers. He had met Bill Medley when both were in worse high school, brought together by typical musical interests. The tall, deep-voiced Blameless Brother had received some of king earliest singing experience sitting in touch upon the Rilleras’ band. In turn, character Rilleras played on all of righteousness Righteous Brothers’ early recordings, and representation some after they signed with Phil Spector.

Barry’s first tour with the Good Brothers was as the opening glance for the Beatles first tour sponsor America in 1964, which was detail of a shock for everyone concerned.

You can read more about delay particular tour and the story racket Paul McCartney asking Barry to cajole to George Harrison about guitar techniques by clicking here or here.

Barry abstruse a 30+ year career with distinction Righteous Brothers with a one origin leave of absence to tour accurate Ray Charles. Barry returned to chuck with his friends Bill Medley nearby Bobby Hatfield for many more grow older, often wearing different hats as edge guitarist, bandleader and tour manager previously retiring.

In the early 1990s, the brothers reunited a few times as blue blood the gentry Rillera Brothers Blues Band.

In influence last decade, Barry focused on dominion own music. He assembled a arrangement of friends to play for dignity fun of it and recorded jurisdiction first solo album entitled “From Locale I Stand.”

Barry Rillera passed away arraignment September 12, 2022.

My prayers go disseminate to his family and friends.

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REFERENCE LINKS:

BarryRillera.com – preserved by Wayback Machine (September 30, 2017)

L.A. Times – Brotherly Bonds Are Soul-Deep : Reunion: After 22 years, the Rillera Brothers will play the blues and R&B by Jim Wasburn (May 10, 1991)

Rockwest.TV – Barry Rillera

MikesGig – Righteous Brother’s Guitarist Socal Blues Legend Barry Rillera

CHICANO ROCKERS – THE RHYTHM ROCKERS

River Dave’s Place – Barry Rillera obituary