Post by Rob Durkee on Aug 19, 2010 18:54:09 GMT -5
By ROCKIN' ROBIN
Richard "Scar" Lopez, a founding member of the group Cannibal and the Headhunters of "Land of 1000 Dances" fame, died on July 30, 2010, in a convalescent hospital in Garden Grove, a Los Angeles suburb. According to Gene Aguilera, who managed the group to a comeback about a decade ago, Lopez was 65 and was suffering from lung cancer.
Lopez joined with three fellow East L.A. high schoolers to form Cannibal and the Headhunters, according to Dennis McLellan of the Los Angeles Times. The other members were Frankie "Cannibal" Garcia, Robert "Rabbit" Jaramillo and his brother, Joe "Yo Yo" Jaramillo. Robert Jaramillo is believed to be the only group member still alive. His brother died in 2000 and Garcia passed away in 1996.
"Land Of 1000 Dances" became a #30 hit on the Cash Box pop chart in the spring of 1965. Wilson Pickett remade the song and took it to #9 in the summer of 1966.
Cannibal And The Headhunters rank among the successful groups to hail from East L.A. The list includes Thee Midnighters, who also had a version of "Land Of 1000 Dances," the Premieres, El Chicano, Tierra and Los Lobos.
Lopez was born on May 18, 1945 in Los Angeles. He got his nickname of "Scar" when he had to get stitches in his head at the age of 13 due to a gymnastics accident. The group was first known as Bobby And The Classics but when Garcia joined to become lead singer, the group's name was changed to Cannibal And the Headhunters.
"Land Of 1000 Dances" became a hit on the Rampart label, which is still around. Hector A. Gonzalez, the label's current owner, said the late Eddie Davis founded the label, discovered Cannibal And The Headhunters and recorded their only Top 40 hit. Gonzalez recalled, "They gave pride and dignity to the Mexican American community because of their contribution not only to rock and roll, but to the success they achieved. They were basically a one-hit-wonder group, but that record left an indelible mark on the history of rock and roll."
In a 2005 interview with the L.A. Weekly, Lopez recalled, "I remember we were cruising Whittier Blvd. in Bobby's '49 Chevy when (DJ) Huggy Boy played our song. We were going crazy, going ballistic, going down Whittier Blvd. telling everyone to turn their radios on."
On the strength of that one hit song, Cannibal And The Headhunters toured with the Beatles, Righteous Brothers and Rolling Stones, plus appeared on TV shows like "American Bandstand," "Shebang" and "Hullabaloo."
Lopez didn't participate in the Beatles' California concerts, however, because of a feud with Davis over an incident during a plane ride with the Beatles. Davis had insisted that the Cannibal And the Headhunters' members not gamble with the Beatles or anyone else in the back of the plane. When Davis dozed off, Lopez went against Davis' wishes.
In the L.A. Weekly interview, Lopez recalled, "I was determined to get into that game. When Eddie woke up, he stormed to the back of the plane and yelled 'I'm from East L.A., and I don't take that from nobody.' We never spoke again. I was so mad at him for embarrassing me in front of the Beatles that I made up my mind that I wouldn't continue on that tour."
After Lopez left in 1965, Cannibal And the Headhunters became a trio for about two years before disbanding in 1967. In 1996 after Garcia died, the Jaramillo brothers and Lopez reunited for a performance during the Chicano Music Awards, where they were inducted into the Chicano Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Richard "Scar" Lopez, a founding member of the group Cannibal and the Headhunters of "Land of 1000 Dances" fame, died on July 30, 2010, in a convalescent hospital in Garden Grove, a Los Angeles suburb. According to Gene Aguilera, who managed the group to a comeback about a decade ago, Lopez was 65 and was suffering from lung cancer.
Lopez joined with three fellow East L.A. high schoolers to form Cannibal and the Headhunters, according to Dennis McLellan of the Los Angeles Times. The other members were Frankie "Cannibal" Garcia, Robert "Rabbit" Jaramillo and his brother, Joe "Yo Yo" Jaramillo. Robert Jaramillo is believed to be the only group member still alive. His brother died in 2000 and Garcia passed away in 1996.
"Land Of 1000 Dances" became a #30 hit on the Cash Box pop chart in the spring of 1965. Wilson Pickett remade the song and took it to #9 in the summer of 1966.
Cannibal And The Headhunters rank among the successful groups to hail from East L.A. The list includes Thee Midnighters, who also had a version of "Land Of 1000 Dances," the Premieres, El Chicano, Tierra and Los Lobos.
Lopez was born on May 18, 1945 in Los Angeles. He got his nickname of "Scar" when he had to get stitches in his head at the age of 13 due to a gymnastics accident. The group was first known as Bobby And The Classics but when Garcia joined to become lead singer, the group's name was changed to Cannibal And the Headhunters.
"Land Of 1000 Dances" became a hit on the Rampart label, which is still around. Hector A. Gonzalez, the label's current owner, said the late Eddie Davis founded the label, discovered Cannibal And The Headhunters and recorded their only Top 40 hit. Gonzalez recalled, "They gave pride and dignity to the Mexican American community because of their contribution not only to rock and roll, but to the success they achieved. They were basically a one-hit-wonder group, but that record left an indelible mark on the history of rock and roll."
In a 2005 interview with the L.A. Weekly, Lopez recalled, "I remember we were cruising Whittier Blvd. in Bobby's '49 Chevy when (DJ) Huggy Boy played our song. We were going crazy, going ballistic, going down Whittier Blvd. telling everyone to turn their radios on."
On the strength of that one hit song, Cannibal And The Headhunters toured with the Beatles, Righteous Brothers and Rolling Stones, plus appeared on TV shows like "American Bandstand," "Shebang" and "Hullabaloo."
Lopez didn't participate in the Beatles' California concerts, however, because of a feud with Davis over an incident during a plane ride with the Beatles. Davis had insisted that the Cannibal And the Headhunters' members not gamble with the Beatles or anyone else in the back of the plane. When Davis dozed off, Lopez went against Davis' wishes.
In the L.A. Weekly interview, Lopez recalled, "I was determined to get into that game. When Eddie woke up, he stormed to the back of the plane and yelled 'I'm from East L.A., and I don't take that from nobody.' We never spoke again. I was so mad at him for embarrassing me in front of the Beatles that I made up my mind that I wouldn't continue on that tour."
After Lopez left in 1965, Cannibal And the Headhunters became a trio for about two years before disbanding in 1967. In 1996 after Garcia died, the Jaramillo brothers and Lopez reunited for a performance during the Chicano Music Awards, where they were inducted into the Chicano Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.