DAMON LEE and the DIABLOS
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Rockabilly and Rock 'n' Roll
February 1959 - January 1963
Top photo, left to right:
Tom Weiss (drums), Tom Green (drums),
Ken Sands (guitar) and
Damon "Sonny Boy" Lee (guitar, vocals)
in red suede shoes.
Damon Lee and the Diablos backed Fabian, Dion,
Little Eva, Del Shannon and Gene Vincent, among other headliners, at venues that included
the Prom Ballroom in St. Paul, Minnesota and the Minneapolis Armory. They recorded
and released "Say Mama," a Gene Vincent cover, on a 45 in March 1962. It
was a regional success.
More than a few lifetimes after recording
"Say Mama" for Minneapolis based SOMA Records, Sonny discovered his Gene Vincent
cover marketed on CD by the apparently defunct Netherland label Collector Records on
Minnesota Rockers Vol. I. A
mention of the song has also surfaced in Tom Tourville's "Minnesota Rocked!"
discography: "If I had to choose my top 10 favorite Minnesota rockers, this
one's on the list. One smokin' version of 'Say Mama.'"
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