A
Amos Moses
Hey y'all, what it is!
I'm sure you all have heard this story, but if you haven't:
http://www.soul-patrol.com/
TRUE STORY OF EL KABONG:
We all know that "El Kabong" was a big TV star/Guitar God back in the early 1960's, but what has happened since he mysteriously disappeared? For a long time I figured that he, like many of our heroes from the 1960's probably just OD'ed after over indulging in the success that his career had brought to him.
Recently I learned the true story!
Few people know the real story, I got these details from a former self described "Hanna-Barbera Groupie" who wishes to maintain her anonymity as she is now the wife of a respected US Senator
We all remember "El Kabong" best as the alter ego of Quick Draw McGraw, what we didn't know was that he was also a "freedom fighter" for his people!
El Kabong first became famous when after the tragic death of Ritchie Valens, it was revealed that El Kabong had written and sang most of Valens tunes and that Ritchie Valens was used merely just a front man for El Kabong. Seems the record company executives thought that because of the mask, that El was "too Latin" and would turn off, the parents of pre-pubescent 1950's white record buyers, who weren't quite ready for their daughters to "cream in their pants", over a "dark complexioned Latino". So therefore the "whiter looking" Valens was used to lip synch the songs in concert.
Disgruntled but armed with a pocket full of loot from songwriting royalties, El Kabong headed south to Columbia for an "extended vacation". It is during this period of time when he met a young businessman who was trying desperately to export his "farm product" into the United States. El Kabong was so impressed with the quality of this "farm product", that he decided to help the young man out, and in the process, invented a device, used for the enhancement of using this "farm product", which today bears his name (THE "BONG")
During the late 1950's a Hollywood casting call went out, for a "Zorro Type", who could also play guitar!
When friends in the Los Angeles area informed "El Kabong", he couldn't resist and drove his car (after what happened to Valens, El Kabong never flew in an airplane again) from Columbia to Los Angeles to try out for the part. He was disappointed when he discovered that the role was a secondary one, telling friends:
"Why should I have to play second fiddle to some "no talent white boy?"
Nevertheless he accepted the role, figuring that any TV role at that point represented advancement for Latinos. Once production started it became obvious to everyone involved that "El Kabong" was the REAL star of the show, as he sometimes even did Quick Draw McGraw's part when the drunken Irishman and faded 1940's western film star was unable to emerge from his trailer.
El Kabong helped Quick Draw McGraw get into rehab several times but it never took. Today Quick Draw McGraw lives as a bitter old man on welfare in a small apartment in Chicago where he only emerges from his tiny apartment for his daily trips to the liquor store (but I digress).
Soon "El Kabong" started demanding script changes, saying "I'm a Puerto Rican from the Bronx, I shouldn't be portraying a Chicano Uncle Tom, plus I should be playing some salsa on the show". Naturally he was fired from the show, when these demands were made; the producers of the show weren't interested in a "realistic" portrayal of a Puerto Rican. Not surprisingly, the show was cancelled soon after the departure of "El Kabong" when it became obvious that the always drunk Quick Draw McGraw just wasn't up to the role.
After the demise of the show, "El Kabong" headed north to San Francisco where he heard that there was a burgeoning music and cultural scene beginning to blossom. It was there that he first encountered a young man named Carlos Santana, who was interested in learning how to play the guitar. El Kabong and young Carlos soon formed a fast friendship and Carlos proved to be a quick study. They formed a band and El Kabong decided that he would get his revenge on the music industry thru Carlos Santana.
At this point El Kabong was now approaching his mid 50's and was too old to be a "rock star', so they decided that Carlos should be the front man and El Kabong would just write the songs and play in the studio. This is the reason why the music of Mexican born Carlos Santana has such an "African feel" to it, that's the influence of the Puerto Rican born El Kabong. At first Carlos was unsure of this, as he was unfamiliar with the sound. El Kabong told him, "trust me on this one kid, we will make your music sound so good that even Black people will like it, even though it's called Rock and played on white radio stations"
The rest is musical history!
El Kabong is now a wealthy man, and refuses to do interviews.
I'm sure you all have heard this story, but if you haven't:
http://www.soul-patrol.com/
TRUE STORY OF EL KABONG:
We all know that "El Kabong" was a big TV star/Guitar God back in the early 1960's, but what has happened since he mysteriously disappeared? For a long time I figured that he, like many of our heroes from the 1960's probably just OD'ed after over indulging in the success that his career had brought to him.
Recently I learned the true story!
Few people know the real story, I got these details from a former self described "Hanna-Barbera Groupie" who wishes to maintain her anonymity as she is now the wife of a respected US Senator
We all remember "El Kabong" best as the alter ego of Quick Draw McGraw, what we didn't know was that he was also a "freedom fighter" for his people!
El Kabong first became famous when after the tragic death of Ritchie Valens, it was revealed that El Kabong had written and sang most of Valens tunes and that Ritchie Valens was used merely just a front man for El Kabong. Seems the record company executives thought that because of the mask, that El was "too Latin" and would turn off, the parents of pre-pubescent 1950's white record buyers, who weren't quite ready for their daughters to "cream in their pants", over a "dark complexioned Latino". So therefore the "whiter looking" Valens was used to lip synch the songs in concert.
Disgruntled but armed with a pocket full of loot from songwriting royalties, El Kabong headed south to Columbia for an "extended vacation". It is during this period of time when he met a young businessman who was trying desperately to export his "farm product" into the United States. El Kabong was so impressed with the quality of this "farm product", that he decided to help the young man out, and in the process, invented a device, used for the enhancement of using this "farm product", which today bears his name (THE "BONG")
During the late 1950's a Hollywood casting call went out, for a "Zorro Type", who could also play guitar!
When friends in the Los Angeles area informed "El Kabong", he couldn't resist and drove his car (after what happened to Valens, El Kabong never flew in an airplane again) from Columbia to Los Angeles to try out for the part. He was disappointed when he discovered that the role was a secondary one, telling friends:
"Why should I have to play second fiddle to some "no talent white boy?"
Nevertheless he accepted the role, figuring that any TV role at that point represented advancement for Latinos. Once production started it became obvious to everyone involved that "El Kabong" was the REAL star of the show, as he sometimes even did Quick Draw McGraw's part when the drunken Irishman and faded 1940's western film star was unable to emerge from his trailer.
El Kabong helped Quick Draw McGraw get into rehab several times but it never took. Today Quick Draw McGraw lives as a bitter old man on welfare in a small apartment in Chicago where he only emerges from his tiny apartment for his daily trips to the liquor store (but I digress).
Soon "El Kabong" started demanding script changes, saying "I'm a Puerto Rican from the Bronx, I shouldn't be portraying a Chicano Uncle Tom, plus I should be playing some salsa on the show". Naturally he was fired from the show, when these demands were made; the producers of the show weren't interested in a "realistic" portrayal of a Puerto Rican. Not surprisingly, the show was cancelled soon after the departure of "El Kabong" when it became obvious that the always drunk Quick Draw McGraw just wasn't up to the role.
After the demise of the show, "El Kabong" headed north to San Francisco where he heard that there was a burgeoning music and cultural scene beginning to blossom. It was there that he first encountered a young man named Carlos Santana, who was interested in learning how to play the guitar. El Kabong and young Carlos soon formed a fast friendship and Carlos proved to be a quick study. They formed a band and El Kabong decided that he would get his revenge on the music industry thru Carlos Santana.
At this point El Kabong was now approaching his mid 50's and was too old to be a "rock star', so they decided that Carlos should be the front man and El Kabong would just write the songs and play in the studio. This is the reason why the music of Mexican born Carlos Santana has such an "African feel" to it, that's the influence of the Puerto Rican born El Kabong. At first Carlos was unsure of this, as he was unfamiliar with the sound. El Kabong told him, "trust me on this one kid, we will make your music sound so good that even Black people will like it, even though it's called Rock and played on white radio stations"
The rest is musical history!
El Kabong is now a wealthy man, and refuses to do interviews.
