A SAD TIME FOR ME
THIS TIME OF YEAR ALWAYS FINDS ME IS A DOWN MOOD. THIS MARCH 16TH WILL MARK THE 5TH YEAR OF KENNY'S PASSING. WHILE LIFE GOES ON, I THINK OF HIM CONSTANTLY.
THIS TIME OF THE YEAR IS ESPECIALLY HARD FOR ME.
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THE OLYMPICS
WHILE I WAS REFLECTING ON KENNY AND HIS CAREER, I REALIZED THAT THE OLYMPICS HAVE A LONG AND TRAGIC HISTORY.......
THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS WERE WALTER WARD, CHARLES FIZER, EDDIE LEWIS AND MELVIN KING...
IN 1965, CHARLES FIZER WAS KILLED DURING THE WATTS RIOTS. MELVIN KING'S SISTER WAS ALSO KILLED DURING THE RIOTS. MELVIN LEFT THE GROUP SHORTLY AFTER. THE GROUP SIGNED JULIUS McMICHAELS...AKA MAC STARR OF THE PARAGONS. THE GROUP, WALTER, EDDIE AND MAC, SANG AS A TRIO FOR SEVERAL YEARS. DURING THIS TIME, KENNY'S BROTHER, GERALD, WAS MARRIED TO WALTER'S SISTER, BESSIE. THAT'S HOW KENNY WAS INTRODUCED TO THE OLYMPICS . HE BECAMES A MEMBER IN 1971. THE GROUP WAS HOT!! SEVERAL TV APPEARANCES..INDLUDING SHINDIG, AMERICAN BANDSTAND AND SEVERAL OTHERS. THEY TRAVELED ALL OVER!! ... THEN TRAGEDY STRUCK AGAIN... IN 1981 AFTER REHEARSING AT OUR HOUSE, MAC WAS TRUCK AND KILLED WHILE RIDING HIS MOTORCYCL HOME....THAT IS WHEN KENNY BROUGHT HIS CHILDHOOD FRIEND, WILLIAM DeVASE INTO THE GROUP... THEY CONTINUED ON.... WITH APPEARENCES IN NEY YORK, ATLANTA, ENGLAND AND OTHER VENUES TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION.... THE GROUP CONTINUED WITH WALTER, EDDIE, KENNY AND WILLIAM UNTIL ANOTHER LOSS.. IN MARCH OF 2003, KENNY PASSED AWAY AFTER A LONG AND COURAGEOUS FIGHT WITH CANCER. AFTER KENNY'S PASSING, CHARLES EVERIDIGE OF THE YOUNGSTERS SANG WITH THE OLYMPICS FOR A SHORT TIME. BUT, DUE TO CHARLES' BUSY SCHEDULE HE WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTINUE WITH THE GROUP AND DECIDED TO LEAVE AFTER A FEW PERFORMANCES...THEN A STROKE OF LUCK FOR THE GROUP!! I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BOOKING THE OLYMOPICS FOR AN EVENT IN GRASS VALLEY. THE SHOW WAS TO INCLUDE THE OLYMPICS, THE ELGINS,ROSIE OF THE ORIGINALS AND VEL OMARR WAS DOING HIS TRIBUTE TO SAM COOKE. WHILE REHEARSING AT MY HOUSE, THE OLYMPICS ASKED VEL TO SING KENNY'S PART. WELL, HE WAS SO GOOD THAT THE OLYMPICS ASKED HIM TO JOIN THE GROUP.HE WAS THE SHOT IN THE ARM THAT THE OLYMPICS NEEDED!! SO, THE FOUR OLYMPICS, WALTER, EDDIE, WILLIAM AND VEL CONTINUED ON THE CIRCUIT. SINGING ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY. HOWEVER THAT WAS NOT TO LAST FOR VERY LONG. ON DECEMBER 11, 2006, I RECEIVED THE DEVASTATING NEWS THAT WALTER WARD, ORIGINAL MEMBER AND LEAD SINGER HAD PASSED AWAY...
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THEN THERE WAS 1
THAT LEFT ONE REMAINING ORIGINAL OLYMPIC.... EDDIE LEWIS.
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THE OLYMPICS 2007 TIL NOW
AFTER WALTER'S PASSING, THE GROUP DECIDED TO REMAIN A TRIO...FOR THE TIME BEING.
SO THEY REHEARSED AND REHEARSED AND PRACTICED AND REHEARSED SOME MORE.. UNTIL THEY FINE TUNED THE 3 VOICES AND WERE READY TO HIT THE ROAD. AND AT LAST ON NOVEMBER 17, 2007 THEY MADE THEIR DEBUT IN LAS VEGAS!!... EDDIE HAS STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE AND IS SINGING LEAD ON SEVERAL SONGS. WILLIAM AND VEL ALSO SING LEAD ON SOME TUNES.
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A BRIGHT FUTURE
2008 HAS THE OLYMPICS SCHEDULE FOR SEVERAL APPEARENCES. THEY HAVE ALREADY APPEARED IN PALM DESERT AND DALLAS. FUTURE ENGAGEMENTS INCLUDE ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, THOUSAND OAKS AND SAN DIEGO...WITH MANY OTHER THINGS IN THE WORKS
SO IT GOES TO SHOW YOU... YOU JUST CAN'T KEEP A GOOD GROUP DOWN!!!
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