Mini Profiles on Mid-60s Artists

Barry Allen

Hailing from Edmonton, Barry Allen started his recording career in 1965 playing guitar and singing background vocals with Wes Dakus and the Rebels. He continued with this band while releasing his own albums Goin’ Places and Lovedrops with Capitol Records. From 1965 to 1967, Allen scored five Top 40 hits, the most successful of which was “Lovedrops”, a Top 10 hit. His success did not meet Capitol’s expectations and he was dropped from the label. He released his third and final album through MCA in 1970. In the past while, Allen has run his own Edmonton recording studio called Homestead Recorders.

Terry Black

Vancouver’s Terry Black was a teen idol in the 1960’s scoring six Top 40 hits from 1964 to 1966. In 1964, when he was 15, he hit the American airwaves with the single, “Unless You Care”. The song was a major hit in Canada (#2, RPM) and made the US Billboard Hot 100. His appearance on American Bandstand performing the song can be seen on YouTube. In 1969, Black joined the cast for the Toronto production of the musical Hair!, met his wife to be Laurel Ward, and together they released several singles in the 1970’s. “Backup (Against Your Persuasion)” made the Top 30 in 1975. He also performed alongside Dr. Music producing a couple of hits in 1972. In the 2000s, he hosted an oldies radio show in British Columbia, and, suffering from multiple sclerosis, passed away in 2009 at the age of 60.

Little Caesar and the Consuls

The core of Toronto’s Little Caesar and the Consuls consisted of Bruce Morshead, guitarist Ken Pernokis, bassist Tom Wilson, drummer Gary Wright, and saxophonist Norm Sherrat. They recorded four Top 40 Canadian hits, including Top Tens “You Laugh Too Much”, “My Girl Sloopy” and “You Really Got a Hold On Me“. The latter reached #1 on the RPM charts in 1965, making them only the second Canadian group to do so. Early members also featured future The Band guitarist Robbie Robertson and “Snowbird”/”Put Your Hand In The Hand” songwriter Gene MacLellan.