Roaches Photo 05 American Legion

The Roaches “Someone With a Heart” on Springfield

Roaches Springfield PS
Picture sleeve for the Roaches 1964 single on Springfield. Scan courtesy of Beat Behind the Dykes.

Roaches Springfield 45 Someone With A HeartThe Roaches came from Springfield, Virginia in Fairfax County. The band’s members were:

Leon Norton, Jr. – vocals
Tony Taylor – vocals
Craig Mossman – lead guitar
Johnny Holiday – rhythm guitar
Tom Kelly – bass guitar
Perry Hoisington – drums

The Roaches made one single in 1964 with the fine vocal “Someone With a Heart” backed with an instrumental, “Night Life”.

Roaches Springfield 45 Night LifeBassist Tom Kelly wrote “Night Life”.

Oru Braymer is on the label as writing “Someone With a Heart”, but he was not a band member. The picture sleeve for the single has the credit “Produced by Braymer Music”. The Library of Congress shows an April, 1964 copyright registration for “Someone With a Heart” by Orville S. Braymer. From what I could find, he lived in Alexandria and was a piano technician, born 1928 and died 1993.

Released on Springfield Records RI 1664, the RI indicates this was pressed by Recordings Incoporated in Baltimore. George Graves took the photo on the picture sleeve.

In 1965, photographer Charles Parry documented the Roaches and other groups at an American Legion hall in Springfield, VA. From the notations on the 3.5″ x 3.5″ color prints, there were 28 photos of the Roaches in his files, but I am missing six of them.

American Legion and Pi Alpha Gamma banners appear behind the group. Photos of the Londoners and Beau Havens also have the Pi Alpha Gamma banner, so those bands may have shared the billing that night.

One photo from possibly a different show has a Sigma Tau Delta honor society banner behind drummer Perry Hoisington Holiday, along with the American Legion banner.

The order of the photos suggests WPGC DJ “Tiger” Bob Raleigh (real name Paul Carmen) was at this show. Two other photos show WEAM DJ Terry Knight at the American Legion, possibly at this show. However, I don’t believe this is the Michigan DJ and singer Terry Knight. For one thing, it doesn’t look like him. For another, WROV DJ Jack Fisher wrote about how he was asked to call himself Terry Knight when he was at WEAM. Like WPGC, WEAM seems to have had house DJ names that could be impersonated by any jockey.

Several other DJs from WPGC and Arlington’s WEAM appear in photos with bands from other evenings.

I would like to post other group photos from this collection of Charles Parry but have not yet been able to locate him or his family.

Thank you to Craig Mossman for noting the location of the American Legion hall in his comment below.

Roaches Photo 01 Johnny Holiday and Craig Mossman
Johnny Holiday and Craig Mossman
Roaches Photo 02 Leon Norton and Tom Kelly
Vocalist Leon Norton with Tom Kelly on bass
Roaches Photo 03 Tom Kelly and Tony Taylor American Legion
Tom Kelly on bass with vocalist Tony Taylor
Roaches Photo 04 Perry Holiday at the American Legion
Perry Hoisington Holiday of the Roaches
Roaches Photo 05 American Legion
The Roaches: Johnny Holiday, Craig Mossman, Leon Norton, Tom Kelly and Tony Taylor
Roaches Photo 06 Leon Norton American Legion
Leon Norton at the American Legion

Roaches Photo 08 American Legion

Roaches Photo 09 both vocalists American Legion
Leon Norton, Jr. and Tony Taylor
Roaches Photo 10 Perry Holiday at the American Legion
Perry Hoisington Holiday with Sigma Tau Delta banner
Roaches Photo 11 Leon Norton at the American Legion
Leon Norton with tambourine at the American Legion
Roaches Photo 12 Tony Taylor and Leon Norton
Tony Taylor (left) and Leon Norton (foreground)
Roaches Photo 19 Craig Mossman and Johnny Holiday
Craig Mossman (center) and Johnny Holiday
Roaches Photo 20 Johnny Holiday American Legion
Rhythm guitarist Johnny Holiday
Roaches Photo 21 Leon Norton and Tom Kelly
Leon Norton with tambourine and Tom Kelly on bass
Roaches Photo 22 Tom Kelly Bass
Tom Kelly of the Roaches

"Roaches

Roaches Photo 28 American Legion
Leon Norton and Tom Kelly of the Roaches

Roaches Photo 24 American Legion

Roaches Photo 26 American Legion

WEAM DJ Terry Knight at the American Legion
WEAM DJ Terry Knight at the American Legion
WEAM DJ Terry Knight at the American Legion
WEAM DJ Terry Knight at the American Legion
WPGC DJ Tiger Bob Raleigh aka Paul Carmen at the American Legion
WPGC DJ Tiger Bob Raleigh aka Paul Carmen at the American Legion
Bob Parkinson WEAM Roaches Londoners American Legion
Bob Parkinson of WEAM at the American Legion

3 thoughts on “The Roaches “Someone With a Heart” on Springfield”

  1. Leon Norton is my uncle. I actually still have a copy of this record. They used to practice in my grandparents basement I was only 5 or so. Thanks for the info

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