In the band’s earliest days, Paul Revere and the Raiders headlined a concert at Vancouver’s Trapedero Club. It was March 30, 1963, and the band was in its infancy. The band’s manager, Salmon Creek’s Roger Hart, remembers barely breaking even after the band’s lone concert at the Trapedero Club. “I have a vague recollection of holding up a quarter and saying, ‘Here’s gas money to Portland,’” he said.
Two months later, the band would record its version of “Louie, Louie,” which caught the ear of executives at Columbia Records and earned the band a record deal.
Hit singles and television appearances would follow. In 1965, Paul Revere and the Raiders appeared on the television series “Where the Action Is,” cementing the band’s place in popular culture. “Because of television, the hits came,” he said.
The band’s career will be remembered later this month with the release of “Complete Columbia Singles,” a three-disc set featuring the band’s biggest hits and rarities.
Hart, 72, sees the release as an acknowledgment of the group’s influence and success. “It’s nice to be remembered all these years later,” he said. “It’s nice today that all of these players can be acknowledged.”
Hart will celebrate the album’s release with a party at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Music Millennium in Portland. He will be on hand to discuss the band’s career and talk to fans. “It’s nice to celebrate in a small way,” he said. “It was a most interesting trip.”
‘Fortune’ smiles on Camas resident
Filming a half-hour episode of “Wheel of Fortune” back in November changed Barry Williams’ life. Now that the episode has aired, he can finally talk about it.
The Camas phlebotomist won $111,250 on the game show, making him the biggest winner so far this season. His episode aired Thursday, and he and about 100 family members, co-workers and friends gathered for a viewing party at Big Al’s in Vancouver.
“We had an absolute blast,” said Williams, 35.
Watching the episode brought back the feelings of elation he had when he solved the final puzzle during taping. The category was phrase, and the answer was school of thought.
“When Pat Sajak opened that envelope (for the $100,000 prize), I literally took off running,” he said. “I did a lap around the studio.”
Williams is a Clark College student, and the winnings will help him pay for school and pay off debt. He plans to splurge a little, as well. He’ll take his wife on the Hawaiian honeymoon they never had and buy a camper for his family. His mother-in-law is battling cancer, so he’ll also donate $1,000 to the American Cancer Society.
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