Wednesday 13 March 2013

Who was Chris Montez?

During the month of March 1963 The Beatles appeared on stage with Chris Montez. But who was he, and what is his link with The Beatles?

Chris Montez was born Ezekiel Christopher Montanez on January 17, 1943 in California. When Ritchie Valens had his first successes with latino-flavered music (La Bamba, Donna,...), Montez decided to try a similar carreer.

In 1962 he had a big hit with "Let's Dance" and he came over to England to perform together with Tommy Roe and The Beatles. Initially he did not have a high opinion of the Beatles, as can be deducted from the following quote: "Who are these guys The Beatles? I try to keep up with the British scene, but I don't know their work"

Later he would work with Herb Alpert, the same producer who worked with Tony Sheridan and The Beatles in 1961 in Hamburg.

At the Fest for Beatles Fans in 2010 (Secaucus, New Jersey) Chris Montez previewed his documentary "El Viaje Musical de Ezekiel Montanez: The Chris Montez Story"

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