About the 60's - Pick your "memory music" while reading this page.
The Marquis – Rockin’ Crickets
Floyd Cramer-Last Date
The Crests – Sixteen Candles
Santo & Johnny – Sleepwalk
Kaempfort – Wonderland by Night
The Rebels – Wild Weekdend
Left
Tommy Wells gets stuffed with cotton candy at the "old" Welland Fair by Margo Collins and Sylvia Porcarao.
Right
Eleven Brothers Give Blood (March, 1964). Pictured top to bottom: Jesse Berencsi, Bill Berencsi, Bob Dixon, Barry Wells, Butch Carry, and John Kuruziak. Not shown: Gary Wild, Al Labatt, Dennis Cuningham, Dennis Hughes, and Jim Potyok.
Ah...Dances, dances, and more dances. Before computers, video games, and modern social pressures, we had dances. Every week-end we would go to a Frat or Sorority dance at places like the Casa Dante and Knights of Columbus halls on Lincoln Street, or the Holy Ghost hall on Golden Boulevard, or any one of several others.
Left:
Frat Brother Guy Bisson and the future Mrs. Bisson - November 1963. I think this was at the Holy Ghost hall.
Right:
Frat Brother Ray Thibeault and the future Mrs. Sharon Thibeault - November 1963. I think this was at the Holy Ghost hall.
And when we weren't at a dance - we threw a house party. We may have been a little rowdy and not always well behaved, but we were always well dressed.
Left:
That's Frat Brother Barry Wells thinking about doing a pole dance.
Right:
That's Frat Bother John Kuruziak and the future Doris Kuruziak playing bongos.
Ron Murray and Rose Kuruziak dance for 24 hours to take top prize - a transistor radio!
Al Labatt and Phyllis Wilson take 2nd prize - a record album!
You gotta be very competitive to work that hard for that kind of a prize.
Who new that 55 years later the vinyl record album would be worth more than the radio - sorry Ron.
The MARQUIS, pictured here both left and right, continue to play today and over the years have employed five of our Brothers (Mike Addario, Chuck Lee, Paul Poulin, Wayne Labatt, and Larry Labatt)
Left
The MARQUIS playing a Frat dance at the Casa Dante circa 1962. Left to right: Steve Burnside, Frat Brother Mike Addario, and Dave Hall.
Right
The MARQUIS playing a Frat dance circa 1963. Left to right: Steve Burnside, Frat Brother Mike Addario, Dave Hall, and Bob Long.
Left
The Jazzman Trio (AKA: The Beatniks). Left to right: Frat Brothers Art Yacyshyn (bass), Barry Wells (bongos), and Wayne Labatt (guitar) at a Casa Dante dance. This was a memorable and rare public performance by three talented frat brothers.
Right
The fabulous and powerful Sting Rays (circa 1965) rocked many of our frat dances. Left to right: Al Shemko, Aden Smith, Dan Sibbald, George Racine, and Frat Brother Larry Labatt.
Stingrays Theme Song – “Fastback”
Stingrays “Run on Home”
Left
The very popular Spartans (circa 1964) were regulars at our frat dances. Pictured bottom row from left: Marcel Fontaine and Frat Brother Paul Poulin. Top row from left Gates Grenier, Tom Skinner, and Leon Prevost.
Right
A tribute celebration to honor Gates Grenier while he battled cancer was attended by over one hundred musicians, friends and frat brothers. Pictured here is Gates surrounded by former Spartan musicians including Frat Brother Gary Babin. That's Gary kneeling to Gates' left and again in the picture below on drums in the 60's.
Left
The smooth sounds of the Wayne Douglas Quintet (circa 1966) was made up completely of Frat Brothers: Front row L to R is Bob Thibodeau and Larry Labatt. Back row L to R is Wayne Labatt, Paul Poulin, and Tom Wells. This is called "The Gangsta Pose."
Right
The Shillings (circa 1968) Their official promo picture for The Bud Matton Agency. Pictured with Danny Sibbald seated in front is L to R frat brother Tommy Wells, Walter Sokil, and frat brother Wayne Labatt.
Left
The Marquis with frat brother Mike Addario left the Niagara Area to tour full time in 1964. There initial tour consisted of what was described as "The Star Route" which meant that if you survived this tour you had a chance at being a star. The route consisted of Northern Ontario and Quebec night clubs playing six night a week and a Saturday afternoon matinee - plus 3 or 4 hours a day of rehearsals. This tour was also referred to as "paying your dues." They survived and went on to bigger markets and recording contracts and also as studio musicians for Arc Records in Toronto playing on several records for other Canadian and US singers.
Right (top)
The Marquis official 1965 promo shot for The Billy O'Connor Agency. Top row L to R Ralph Lorenz, Lynda Michaels, and Dave Hall. Front row L to R: Steve Burnside and frat brother Mike Addario.
Mike and sax player Dave Hall would leave the group in 1967. Frat brother Paul Poulin would take over as the bass player, who would later leave the group and be replaced by frat brother Wayne Labatt, who would later leave the group and be replaced by frat brother Chuck Lee.
