Welcome to the official Johnny
and the Hurricanes® website.
Even though Johnny Paris® (pictures above
in a blue jacket) started out with a baritone saxophone at
Rossford High, his first instrument of choice was always
the tenor sax, with preference for Selmer
products.
We
are happy to report that six albums (4 studio albums
including the never before released song Sax Man (studio
version), and 2 live packages of the Star Club time
including Sax Man live) that we have compiled in 2008 in
connection with Ace Music, are now available for download
on itunes:
http://www.apple.com/itunes/
Johnny Paris® was
founder and leader of Johnny and the Hurricanes® and the
only constant member of this American Rock band from the
beginning until to his death on the first of May 2006.
Sadly also any live performances of this famous
instrumental group died with him. But let's face it, Johnny
would have been irreplaceable anyhow.
The group had their last appearance live on stage in
November 2005 during a Sweden Tour. Yet Johnny and the
Hurricanes®, their songs and last but not least Johnny
Paris®, will never be forgotten as they were setting a mile
stone in the history of Rock 'n Roll.
Bill Thomson in an email to Sonja Paris on December
19th, 2008:
"Here is
a little bit of obscure trivia that you may or may not be
interested in.
I took the photograph that you use at the top of your home
page. The band was playing at a place called "White City
Amusement Park" in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. At the time I
worked at a local radio station, WORC in Worcester, MA. The
band had come up to the station to be interviewed on the
air, and on the way back to White City, as we crossed the
bridge, Johnny pulled over, handed me a camera, and told me
to get a picture of them on their van. So that picture was
taken on the Lake Quinsigamond Bridge, which connects
Shrewsbury and Worcester. I sure was surprised when the
picture appeared on their next album.
Yours
Bill Thomson
(PS, it's hard to believe, but that was about 50 years
ago)."