In the summer of 1962, when I was 9 years old, my family moved from Hayward, California to Decoto (now Union City), California. There was this skinny little boy who lived across the street from our new home. His name was Jesse. He soon became my best friend (as well as my brother's)... it wasn't long before his family and our's became very close. Jesse had become like one of the family. We all loved music, especially rock and roll. We would pretend we were the Beatles using brooms for guitars and boxes for drums. I was Paul, my brother David was John, my youngest brother Jaime was George and Jesse was Ringo.

My parents encouraged our love for music by buying us guitars, amplifiers, and even a drum set that we all knew was for Jesse even though it was at our house. Eventually we weren't half bad... so we became a band... our first band name was The Static Soundwaves . Our first paying gig (if you consider passing the hat around as a payment) was at a bar called Okie's Round-up. Yep, I know, we were junior high kids playing music in a bar, but things were different back then (I guess...) You see, my dad had a beer drinking buddy named Ruben who decided he would manage us, so naturally he got us our first gig at one of his favorite watering holes. He didn't manage us for long, thank goodness!

Jesse and I were best friends from the 4th. grade up to the 8th. grade. In high school we had different interests and different friends. In 1972 I joined the army for 3 years and during that time Jesse and I had lost touch. After the army I moved to San Jose, Ca. and went to college then started a new job. We had gone our separate ways and it had been years since I had last seen Jesse. My brothers, who still lived in Decoto we're still in touch with Jesse. Then one evening, in 1979, my brother David called and told me he had some bad news... Jesse had been stabbed and had passed away. I never really knew the details of what happened that night, only that apparently one of his friends had done it.


Several of Jesse's musician friends joined together to do a benefit concert and dance to raise money to help the family. These are some of the pictures of us rehearsing for that show. The black and white pictures we're taken the night of the benefit. I think about Jesse often and miss him, but I know we'll be together as pals again someday.

(L-R) David Perez (lead guitar),
Me (bass guitar/vocals), Mike Chavez (rhythym guitar), and Frank Delgado (vocals). [not pictured... Tony Zamora (harmonica) and Ruben Orozco (drums)].

  

I played the bass guitar for the benefit show which was a first for me, at least to play it in public. I can't recall all of the songs we did that night but, I do remember singing 'Runaround Sue' and a soul song called 'We Got More Soul'. And I remember Frank Delgado doing a great Mick Jagger when he sang the Rolling Stone's Rip This Joint.

  

My brother David was always a better guitarist than I was. He was more dedicated to practicing and getting every lick just right. Carlos Santana influenced him quite a lot. David and Jesse we're great friends. David played his heart out that night.
His guitar was rockin'!!!

  

Here I am singing who knows what... probably 'Runaround Sue'. Even then it was an oldie... but it's a great song and always a crowd pleaser!

David may outplay me on the guitar, but I'm sure he'll admit that I was the singer of the family. I really enjoyed singing for Jesse's memorial show... it was a great evening I'm sure Jesse would have appreciated.

  


This photo was taken during the show. I'm not sure why I wore the cowboy hat, maybe I was going through a country music phase. I do like country music but we sure didn't do any that evening. The show was at 'Our Lady of the Rosary' (catholic church hall) in the heart of the barrio of Decoto. Not country music territory!

There was another local band that performed that evening. The music was all rock'n'roll or soul. The place was jumpin'!!! And that's just the way Jesse would have wanted it to be. He loved music and playing the drums to good old rock'n'roll music.





  

This photo was taken right after the show. This band never had a name. We came together for Jesse, to honor his memory and help raise money for his family.

(L-R) Frank Perez (me), David Perez, Tony Zamora, Mike Chavez, Frank Delgado, and Jesse Orozco.

In memory of our friend Jesse, gone but not forgotten...
Until we meet again!