Biography
The Montereys
1970s soul group from Tampa, Florida.
Four young boys (Windell Roberson, Lonnie Jones, Ervin & Hary Hart) of a junior high school of Tampa, FL, are noticed by a teacher (Nelson Griffith), passionate about music and looking for new talents. Soon are recruited three girl singers (the Star Dolls) and they choose to call themselves The Astros. However, due to a homonymy with another local group, they eventually renamed themselves The Montereys, after Monterey in California. Soon after the band met a talented and charismatic youngster called Whitman Able, which joined them definitively completing the ensemble. In 1971 was recorded at the newly opened Tampa 70 Studios a single that was released through Griffith's NGC imprint. Following the single's issue they went on tour throughout the US, Canada and Mexico, opening for acts such us Al Green, James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone and Joe Tex. Despite some important contacts with Berry Gordy at Motown and Norman Whitfield for their inclusion in the soundtrack of the film "Car Wash", the major deal never materialized and soon The Montereys disbanded.
Four young boys (Windell Roberson, Lonnie Jones, Ervin & Hary Hart) of a junior high school of Tampa, FL, are noticed by a teacher (Nelson Griffith), passionate about music and looking for new talents. Soon are recruited three girl singers (the Star Dolls) and they choose to call themselves The Astros. However, due to a homonymy with another local group, they eventually renamed themselves The Montereys, after Monterey in California. Soon after the band met a talented and charismatic youngster called Whitman Able, which joined them definitively completing the ensemble. In 1971 was recorded at the newly opened Tampa 70 Studios a single that was released through Griffith's NGC imprint. Following the single's issue they went on tour throughout the US, Canada and Mexico, opening for acts such us Al Green, James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone and Joe Tex. Despite some important contacts with Berry Gordy at Motown and Norman Whitfield for their inclusion in the soundtrack of the film "Car Wash", the major deal never materialized and soon The Montereys disbanded.