Wailers and Playboys with Ron Holden, at Tacoma Armory, Tacoma, WA, December 23, 1959

This poster advertises a dance at the Tacoma Armory with live music by The Wailers and The Playboys.

The Wailers, aka the Boys from Tacoma, aka The Fabulous Wailers, are credited as one of the first garage bands in America, and helped define the Northwest Rock sound, influencing other groups including Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Kingsmen, and the Sonics. The band formed in 1958 around high school friends John Greek (1940-2006), Richard Dangel (1942-2002), Kent Morrill (1941-2011), Mark Marush (1940-2007) and Mike Burk (b. 1942), but it would experience a series of personnel changes before ultimately disbanding in 1969. In 1959, The Wailers recorded the single “Tall Cool One” which ranked #36 on Billboard’s Hot 100, followed by an LP, The Fabulous Wailers. After these recordings, The Wailers added “Rockin’ Robin” Roberts (1940-1967) to the band as their singer, and in 1960 they recorded their version of “Louie Louie,” which they had transformed into the archetypal Garage Rock song. A year later, in 1961, The Wailers would form their own record label, Etiquette Records, which not only released the Wailers' own music but also released records from groups such as The Sonics and The Bootmen.

The Playboys formed in 1957 around a group of schoolmates, including Ron Holden (1940-1997). Their first performance was at a University Presbyterian Church dance, but as they improved, and learned to play more songs, they were able to perform at better venues. The Playboys was one of the most significant young bands in Seattle in the late 1950s, alongside The Frantics, an all-white rock band, which they often competed with for recognition and venues. However, The Playboys are probably best known for being one of the first Pacific Northwest bands to play “Louie Louie,” even before the canonical versions performed by the Wailers, the Kingsmen or Paul Revere and the Raiders.

Born and raised in Seattle, Holden grew up with numerous musical influences. His parents, Oscar Holden (1886-1969) and Leala Holden (1906-1951), were both professional musicians, and Oscar is credited as the “Patriarch of Seattle Jazz.” His siblings all played instruments, and Holden learned trombone and sang in his church choir. In addition to his family, Holden was greatly inspired by the Dave Lewis Combo, which he was able to see by sneaking into clubs like Birdland, and, in particular, the band’s saxophone duo. Holden’s song “Love You So” became a national hit, coming in at #7 on the US pop charts and ranking #48 on Billboard’s Top 100 singles of 1960.