Kenny, Frank & Ray

Kenny Chandler

 Kenny, Frank & Ray (Harrisburg, Pa)
ref: Kenny & The Beaus

Personnel :

Kenneth Bolognese "Kenny C

handler" (Lead)

Dick Donmoyer

Bob. Napotonia

Frank Desendi

Ralph Stevens

Discography :

Kenny, Frank & Ray
1958 - Everybody Loves Saturday Night / I'm Going Away (Cameo 144)
1959 - If You Love Me / Why Was I Born (PL 13)

Kenny & The Beaus
(Credited to Kenny Beau & The Whirlwinds)
Single:
1959 - You're The Right One / Gift Of Love (PL 1015)
Unreleased :
1959 - What Is Love
1959 - Cindy Lou

 
Biography :

Kenny Chandler, born Kenneth Bolognese, was originally from. “The Hill” section of Harrisburg,Pa. and was a member of John Harris High School Class of 1959. Interested in music at an early age, Kenny got together with four classmates 1n senior high school to form a group called  the Montclaires (later changed to the Clairmonts). This first group consisted of Micky Liddick. (drums), Junie Brown ( congas),Nathanial Edmonds (piano), with. Lee Bradshaw, Ray Carlisle, George Campbell, and Kenny doing vocals.  They split up after only a short time but Ken stayed together with Ray Carlisle, in hopes of forming another group. it was after football practice, while singing in the showers, that. Ray got word that teammate Frankie Cacapardo was interested in joining the group. Thus, the trio  was formed, calling them- selves Kenny, Frank, and Ray.

Kenny remembers that, at the time they were singing a lot of street-corner harmony, and became practiced enough to win second place in a talent show at the Senate Theater, Harrisburg. This little bit of notoriety brought the trio to the attention of WHGB disc-jockey Paul Landersman,who was, at the time, doing a live radio show from the Colonial. The boys came down to the theater during one of these live broadcasts and actually auditioned for him on the fire escape during a break. Paul had already established good connections in the music business as manager of the Quintones. (York, Pa), and was impressed enough with the trio's talents that he asked to manage them on the spot. The first big local show that Kenny, Frank, and Ray performed at was at the Zembo Mosque, Harrisburg, featuring Danny and the Juniors and Connie Francis .

During rehearsals, one of the members of Danny & The Juniors became very impressed with the trio's vocal stylings, and inquired whether they had a record out. This connection soon got them to an office in Philadelphia where they auditioned for Bernie Lowe. They presented 4 orignal songs at the audition, but Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe were more impressed with the talent than the songs and arranged a recording session at Reco-Arts Studios which produced 2 sides: “Everybody Loves Saturday" and "I'm Going Away." Bernie Lowe was the piano player on the session, and Paul played the folding slat chairs (a low-budget version of the drums). Lowe issued it on his own label as Cameo #144. ”Everybody” was written by Cameo staffer Tony Mamerella under the pseudonym. Anthony September. Cameo was one of the new ”hot” labels when the song was released in the summer of 1958. Unfortunately, although “Everybody Loves Saturday" received good local play, it never went national.

Reco-Arts was again used to record “If You Love Me” and “Why Was I Born”  (a Ray Carlisle original). Issued as PL #13 in late 1958, the record received only limited regional exposure. By 1959,. Ray had become disillusioned and dropped out of the group, ending their string of near-hits at two. Kenny, however, had been writing some original material, and formed a new group in 1959 called The Beaus. This group consisted of Dick Donmoyer, Bob Napotonia, Frank Desendi, and Ralph Stevens. Kenny took on the stage name “ Kenny Beau,” and returned to Reco-Arts to cut “You're the Right One” and “Gift of Love". The Session produced a solid 2-sides doo-wop records, released as PL 1015. The Whirlwinds, which is the group credited on the label, were really the studio musicians used on the session, as the name of the group was officially “Kenny and The Beaus".

The good looking Harrisburg resident hijacked the surname of movie star Jeff Chandler, finally attracting some notice in 1961 with 'Drums', written and produced by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, then creative geniuses in residence at United Artists. Chandler subsequently signed with Laurie about the time Dion was leaving the label for Columbia.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

Kenny, Frank & Ray

  
If You Love Me                         Why Was I Born


Everybody Loves Saturday Night / I'm Going Away

Kenny & The Beaus

  
You're The Right One                            Gift Of Love