There were three big hit singles in 1969.
- May I,
- I’ve Been Hurt,
- What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am –
all from this phenomenal band, Bill Deal and the Rhondels.
Amazingly, they also had a single called Swinging Tight in December of that year.
What happened to Bill Deal and The Rhondels?
The band broke up in 1975 giving rise to Fat Ammons Band, then they got back together and still carry on the tradition today playing Carolina Beach Music songs even after the death of Bill Deal.
Some of the members of the Rondel‘s included Bill Deal himself born in 1944 and died in 2003.
He sang, played organ and electric piano, and used bass pedals to fill in bass lines from time to time.
Who was the lead singer of Bill Deal and The Rhondels?
Ammon Tharp born in 1942 in Norfolk Virginia. Tharpe died in September 2017. Amman started the Fat Ammons band, sang and played drums.
Performing classic soul throughout Virginia, North and South Carolina, and parts of Georgia, this group is a well known party band playing Carolina Beach Music songs at weddings, clubs, and corporate events
Who were the original members of Bill Deal and the Rhondels ?
George Bell, Ronnie Hallman, Jackie Shelton, Joel Smith on guitar, Bill Weaver on saxophone, JT Anderson guitar, Ammon Tharp drums, David Williams trumpet.
Theses well versed musicians know the standard Carolina Beach Music songs and perform them easily with a sense of fun that lightens the mood where ever they are played.
Well known as classic soul bands these musicians contributed to what is widely known as Beach Music.
The areas along the coast have been the predominant venues for these bands as Beach Music is a main form of entertainment for summertime vacationers and revelers.
These bands like Fat Ammons, and Bill Deal and The Rhondels play a hybrid classic soul music starting from the mid 1950s and reaching a peak in the mid 1970s.
Influences include Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, Temptations, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.
Carolina Beach Music songs like Miss Grace, Thank You John, When She Was My Girl, Far Away Places, and Never Found A Girl To Love Me Like You Do are still popular today!
