Bill Deal & the Rhondels were formed in 1959 in Portsmouth, Virginia, crossing blue-eyed soul and beach music. They had three hit singles in 1969, "May I", "I've Been Hurt", "What Kind of Fool ". Their single, "Swingin' Tight" reached in December 1969. "Nothing Succeeds Like Success" reached on the charts in the spring of 1970. The band disbanded in 1975, but reformed and still carries on the tradition even after the passing of Bill Deal.
Members
Bill Deal - vocals, organ, electric piano, bass pedals
Ammon Tharp - vocals, drums
George Bell - saxophone
Ronnie Hallman - trumpet
Jackie Shelton - bass
Joel Smith - guitar
Bill Weaver - saxophone
J.T. Anderson - guitar
Jimmy Alsbrook - drums
David Williams - trumpet
Ken Dawson - trumpet
Don Quisenberry - bass
Rollie Ligart - trumpet
Mike Kerwin - guitar, trumpet
Tom Pittman - saxophone
Ronny Rosenbaum - trombone
Bob Fisher - saxophone, guitar
Jeff Pollard - trumpet
Gary Hardy - trumpet
Freddy Owens - saxophone, vocals
Alan Porter - bass
Tom Cole - drums
And many others
Freddy Owens murder
On March 4, 1979, band member Ernest Frederick "Freddy" Owens, who joined after 1970 and played sax and bass, was robbed and shot to death by Jeremiah Carr at a Holiday Inn motel in Richmond, Virginia, where the band had a show. He had attempted to stop Carr from escaping after Carr raped his wife; two shots wounded a third man in the room. While Bill Deal kept going on with the Rhondels for another four years, he never really got over this incident and quit the music business in 1983.
Discography
Albums
Bill Deal and the Rhondels, Vintage Rock, Heritage HTS 35,003, 1969
The material for this album was recorded in New York City between July 25, 1968 and March 10, 1969, with the most tracks recorded at Bell Sound Studio on March 10, 1969. The "Swingin' Tight" track, first recorded March 10, 1969, is distinct from the similarly-named track on the second album, below and is a slow version of the song.
The Best of Bill Deal & The Rhondels, Heritage HTS 35,006, 1970
The material for this album, which substantially overlaps the Vintage Rock album, was recorded in New York City between July 25, 1968 and October 30, 1969, with the most tracks recorded at Bell Sound Studio on March 10, 1969. The "Swingin' Tight" track, recorded on October 3, 1969, is distinct from the similarly named track on the first album, above and is a faster single edit version.
"May I" b/w "Day By Day My Love Grows Stronger" "I've Been Hurt" b/w "I've Got My Needs" "What Kind of Fool Do You Think I am" b/w "Swingin' Tight" "Swingin' Tight" b/w "Tuck's Theme" "Hey Bulldog" b/w "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"
