Tracing how the Deja Boomers came together is a story that could easily provide at least five season's worth of material for a situation comedy…. actually one situation comedy and four spin-offs entitled:
And it all boils down to a lot of synchronicity!!! Barry grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey and was inspired to play tenor sax after watching King Curtis and Little Richard appear at an Alan Freed Rock and Roll show at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater. Barry had some success in the music business, but decided to pursue a career in advertising where he thought he could use his talents to create jingles for commercials. After being on his first advertising job for about two months, a colleague named Tony Cadman invited him out for dinner. On the way to the restaurant on Manhattan's upper Eastside, they decided to stop for a drink at a club called Jimmy Byrne's. It was so crowed that they decided not to go in, but upon hearing the groove of the drummer, Barry couldn't walk away. He told Tony, "despite the crowd, I've got to go in and say hello to the drummer." Barry was sure, by the distinctive funky beat, that it was his former drummer, Frank Cherubino. So Barry and Tony fought their way through the crowd and up to the stage only to discover that the drummer wasn't Frank, but Bobbie. It was love at first sight for Barry. Barry said to Tony, "I'm in love with the drummer." To which Tony replied, "oh, that's Bobbie and she's a good friend of one of my employees, Sandy Schroeck." Sounds like all Barry had to do was speak to Sandy and his "dream drummer" would be his… Not a chance. "I've been in sales for over 30 years," says Barry. "Winning Bobbie's hand was by far the most difficult sale I ever made. It took over 6 months just for the first date!" It was 1961, almost 10 years before Barry met Bobbie, that he first saw Dean Scott. Dean was performing with Joey Dee and the Starlighters at the once famous Peppermint Lounge, home of the "twist" in New York City. Barry went there on a break. He as performing with "The Royal Teens" at the Camelot Club, New York's other famous "Twist" club. Coincidentally, Dean would go to the Camelot Club during his breaks. The two never spoke and never met. About twenty years later, Barry and Bobbie were new to Houston and decided to go to a club called "At The Hop." They saw Dean Scott perform and thought he was fabulous, but didn't get an opportunity to speak with him. It took another ten years for Barry and Dean to meet. Both Barry and Dean were avid tennis players. Barry played a tennis tournament sponsored by Dean at Quail Valley. Barry spotted Dean in the dining room, remembered him from "At The Hop," introduced himself and they had lunch together. It was then that they discovered how they had worked in competing bands in New York during the "Twist" era. They vowed to stay in touch….They didn't. It took another ten years for them to finally "hook up." Barry and Bobbie saw Dean perform at The Sands in Houston on her birthday in 2005 and, after a nice conversation, vowed to stay in touch. The Sands closed, and Dean seemed to disappear along with his website. After performing at the weddings of their daughters, Debbie Psifidis and Niki Warren, Barry and Bobbie came up with the idea to do a parody album based on the hits of the '50's and '60's." They planned to do the vocals themselves. One Saturday night they were looking for something to do. Barry went to the web to see what was happening. He tried Dean's website again and this time it was live. Dean was appearing at Mike Duffy's brother's restaurant, The Farm to Market Grill near Spring, Texas. When they heard Dean go into his "schtick," Barry and Bobbie simultaneously decided that "Introducing Deja Boom" had to include Dean. How Barry and Bobbie met Kool Hand Luke and Brother Michael:Barry was throwing a surprise birthday party for Bobbie in 1998. He hired Duane Belton's band. Duane had performed on Barry's music video for The Houston Police Department, "Make a Difference on your Block, Become a Houston Cop," featuring George Foreman. Duane brought along a new bass player that night, Luke Wayne Richards (a.k.a. Kool Hand Luke). When Barry and Bobbie sat in, they agreed that Luke was the best bass player they ever worked with. They took his phone number and a few years later tried to book Luke for their daughter Debbie's wedding. By this time, Luke had become part of Grady Gaines' band... which Debbie had tried to book on her own, not knowing Luke was a band member. The booking agent said Grady was booked that night, but with Luke's help Barry finally got in touch with Grady. When Grady and Barry met, Barry found out that Grady had been Little Richard's lead tenor sax player and bandleader at Alan Freed's Rock and Roll show at the Brooklyn Paramount in 1956—Barry's inspiration for taking up the sax. Needless to say, Grady's band found a way to play for Debbie's wedding, and later at the wedding of their daughter, Niki as well. Grady's guitar player was Brother Michael Spencer. Barry and Bobbie had a great time sitting in on both occasions. In addition to Kool Hand Luke, they really hit it off with Brother Michael. About 6 months after Niki's wedding, they went to see Grady Gaines' band appear at the Lounge on Montrose. Brother Michael told Barry he had some original Christian/Gospel material he wanted him to hear. Barry said he'd love to hear it, but he'd been out of the music business for 30 years and knew next to nothing about the Christian/Gospel market. Obviously, Barry was blown away by both the music and lyrics Brother Michael presented, and "Judeo Christian Soul" was born. How Kool Hand Luke met Brother Michael:Michael Spencer was 14 years old when he used to travel to a tough neighborhood next to Texas Southern University known as the Cuney Homes project to visit a friend named Eugene. Eugene happened to live right next door to 11-year-old Luke Wayne Richards. We now have a conflicting story concerning Luke's older sister, Linda. Michael says Linda became interested in him. Luke says that it was Michael who was first interested in meeting Linda. Either way, Michael and Linda started seeing each other. Luke's uncle played a little guitar. One day he showed Michael and Luke how to play the introduction to Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" on guitar. They were both hooked. They became friends, bought guitars and have been playing together, off and on, ever since. They used to walk over to Texas Southern University and catch band practices being held by Archie Bell and the Drells, and the Texas Toronados. They got friendly with these older musicians, learned from them and eventually started working with them. In 1981, Mike Duffy, accompanied by his brothers and sisters, went to the old "Village Inn" in Houston. His family just loved Dean Scott and insisted that Mike see the show. Mike was just floored by the great sound, great presence, great songs and funny bits presented by Dean. But it wasn't until twenty years later that a mutual friend asked Dean if Mike could sit in. Dean's comment was, "why in the world are you a fireman with a voice like that?" Dean and Mike have been setting audiences on fire ever since. |