Artist page

**The Kingsmen Bio** The Kingsmen are recognized as the most successful and influential rock and roll band to emerge from Oregon. Formed in Portland in 1959 by drummer Lynn Easton and guitarist Jack Ely, the band quickly expanded to include lead guitarist Mike Mitchell and bassist Bob Nordby by 1960. They became the house band at Ken Chase's teen dance club in Milwaukie, OR, in 1961, and welcomed keyboardist Don Gallucci in 1962. Their iconic recording of "Louie Louie," originally written by Richard Berry in 1956, was cut in April 1963 and released as their first single. Despite a slow start, the song gained popularity after being featured as the "Worst Record of the Week" by Boston disc jockey Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsberg. It climbed to number two on the Billboard charts by December 1963, although it sparked controversy over its unintelligible lyrics, prompting an FBI investigation. After disbanding in August 1963, the Kingsmen reformed with new members, including Dick Peterson on drums and Norm Sundholm on bass. They continued to tour and made national television appearances, achieving another top-ten hit with "The Jolly Green Giant" in 1965. However, their popularity waned by the end of 1967, leading to another disbandment. Since the 1970s, original member Mike Mitchell, along with Dick Peterson and Barry Curtis

For any edit requests, please reach out to info@rovr.live