JOHNNY AMELIO & Downbeats BLUE MOON RECORD I'll Forever Love You & Jo Ann Jo Ann

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ROCK-A-BILLY BAY AREA LOCALS BLUE MOON RECORDS JOHNNY AMELIO AND Bill Paradis and his Downbeats JO ANN JO ANN # 408A-58 AND I'LL FOREVER LOVE YOU  Writing on only one side of record label.

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The Downbeats formed in 1957 while the members were still in high school. Johnny Amelio, Delbert Contival and Joe Serrano played sax in the high school band where Bill Paradis played trumpet and Bill Lanning played drums. Inspired by the sounds of the still new rock and roll music of the day, they decided to form their own band. They recuited guitarist Grover York and Johnny beacame the lead singer and Bill Paradis switched to piano. Bill Paradis became the leader of the band and they were an instant local success with the help of Johnny's stage presence and the band's tight musicianship. The band would do a half hour set without Johnny then bring him onstage to the cheers and screams of the local girls. The group played at many local venues and traveled all around Monterey and Santa Cruz counties performing to large audiences. They recorded their first songs at Pat Patterson's studio in Santa Clara. Johnny had met Patterson a couple of years earlier when he and a friend heard some music coming from the American Legion hall in Hollister. Patterson had booked one of his Country bands there and 16 year old Johnny told them he knew some Hank Williams songs and the band let him up to sing a few numbers. Patterson liked Johnny and his singing and offered to record him sometime. Johnny took him up on his offer when The Downbeats got together. Patterson's "studio" was set up in his garage at his house and lacked the quality sound of more professional studios. He often would use other studios to get a better sound for his records. The first two songs recorded, "Grab Me" and "I'll Forever Love You", weren't released at the time but the band went back to the studio and cut "Jugue" and "Downbeats" which Patterson released on his Blue Moon label. "Jugue" is a rockabilly monster with Johnny's snarling vocals and Grover York's mean guitar over a solid rocking rhythm section. The Downbeats wrote the song but Patterson took the songwriting credit on the record. "Downbeats" features Johnny introducing the band members and promised the listeners they are going to hear some "real tuff sounds" from the Downbeats, and he wasn't kidding. Even though Patterson wasn't a member, Johnny introduced him in the song as well. The next record also released on the Blue Moon label was "Jo Ann - Jo Ann", written for Johnny's girlfriend. "Jo Ann - Jo Ann" is another rockabilly monster, again with growling vocals by Johnny and some killer guitar work from Grover. The band as always held down the solid groove. The flip side was a newly recorded version of the Tony Harris song "I'll Forever Love You". Johnny sang it like he was going to breakdown crying at any moment because he finally found his perfect girl. After a couple of years together Bill Paradis had to decide if he wanted to continue playing music or going to school. He was attending school at UC Berkeley and it was getting harder to play music and make it to class. He finally left the band to concentrate on school. Soon after Johnny left The Downbeats when he got married to Jo Ann in 1959. He continued singing with local bands The Deacons and Pat and Lolly Vegas (of Redbone fame) in a band called The Hi-Tensions in Salinas,CA. He still sings today with his church group every Sunday in the small Church where he is Pastor.