Sunny & the Sunglows (formed by songwriters Jimmie Lewing and Sunny Ozuna in Palacios, Texas) was an American musical group started 1959, and later known as Sunny & the Sunliners in 1963 after moving to San Antonio, Texas.
Career
editThe group's members were all Chicano-born with the exception of Amos Johnson Jr., and their style was a blend of rhythm and blues, tejano, blues, and mariachi.[1] They first recorded in 1962 for their own label, Sunglow. Okeh Records picked up their single "Golly Gee" for national distribution that year, and in 1963, Huey P Meaux, a producer from Louisiana and owner of Tear Drop Records, had them record a remake of Little Willie John's 1958 hit, "Talk to Me, Talk to Me".[2] The single "Talk to Me" (b/w "Every Week, Every Month, Every Year"), released on Tear Drop Records, went to No. 4 on the Adult Contemporary chart, No. 12 on the US Billboard R&B chart, and No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1963.[3][4]
Members
edit- Sunny Ozuna – lead vocals
- Vincent Chente Montez – vocals (Bass)
- Manuel Guerra – leader
- Rudy Guerra – tenor sax
- Gregg Ramirez – bass
- Henry Nanez – guitar
- Manuel Martinez – guitar
- Tommy Luna – tenor sax
- Andy Ortiz – piano (Sunglows era)
- Arthur Gonzalez – electric piano
- Martin Liñan – alto sax
- Gilbert Fernandez – tenor sax
- Amos Johnson Jr. – trumpet
- Bobby Solis – drums
- Joel Dilley – bass
- Joe Cortez III – keyboards, vocals (1977–78)
- Johnny Guerra – guitar, vocals
- Carlos Hernandez – alto sax, vocals
- Jimmy Solis – tenor sax, vocals
- Bobby Gutierrez – tenor and bari sax
- David Silva – trumpet
- Roger Rivera – trombone
- David DeLaGarza – keyboards
- Frank Ardila – guitar
- Arturo Alderete - bass (1973-75)
- Charlie Sandoval - percussion
Discography
edit- Talk to Me (Tear Drop Records, LP2000 1964)
- All Night Worker (Tear Drop, LP2019 1964)
- Las Vegas Welcomes (Tear Drop, 1964)
- Adelante (Key-Loc, 1964)
- The Original Peanuts (Sunglow Records, LP103 1965)
- Smile Now Cry Later (Key-Loc 3001 1966)
- Live in Hollywood (Key-Loc 3003 1966)
- Little Brown Eyed Soul (Key-Loc, 1968)
- The Versatile (Key-Loc, 1969)
- Young, Gifted and Brown (Key-Loc, 1971)
- El Orgullo de Texas (Key-Loc, 1974)
- El Preferido (Key-Loc, 1974)
- Yesterday...& Sunny (Teardrop Records, 1976)
- Siempre (Key-Loc, 1976)
- Palabritas (Key-Loc, 1976)
- Andale Mi Amor (Key-Loc, 1977)
- This Is My Band (Key-Loc 3006 1977)
- Live in Las Vegas (Key-Loc, 1978)
- Yesterday and Sunny Vol. II (Key-Loc, 1978)
- Grande Grande Grande (Key-Loc, 1978)
- Vengo a Verte (Key-Loc, 1979)
- Cry (Key-Loc, 1980)
- El Amante: Sunny & The Sunliners (Freddie Records – LP-026 1981)
References
edit- ^ Hogan, Ed. "Sunny & the Sunglows Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
- ^ Larkin, Colin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 5 (2nd ed.). Middlesex, England: Guinness Publishing. p. 4032. ISBN 9781561591763. OCLC 1037434657.
- ^ Martinez, Norma (September 29, 2017). "Sunny Ozuna: San Antonio's Tejano Music Legend". Texas Public Radio. San Antonio. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
- ^ Cano, Jr., Ray (May 27, 2015). "Sunny and the Sunliners". Texas State Historical Association. Austin, TX. Retrieved 2022-10-27.