Port Alberni Rock 'n' Roll History
Author: George McKnight, Jim Rutherford
Published by: Jim Rutherford
Port Alberni Rock ‘n’ Roll – a history
In the mid 1950s a musical revolution swept the world…Rock ‘n’ Roll. Born out of Rockabilly, Swing, Blues,
Rhythm & Blues, Country Music and other influences, Rock ‘n’ Roll music was compelling, catchy and fun.
Initial reaction of parents and the ‘establishment’ was negative…and we all heard about the “devils music” …
“music to lead our youth astray” … “a breakdown of our morals” etc. We usually heard these predictions
after watching Elvis do his hip-shaking routine on Television. Most of this negative attitude was ignored by
the teenagers and may have created an even stronger desire to get even more Rock ‘n’ Roll music.
Port Alberni was ready to boogie when Rock ‘n’ Roll came on the scene in the mid ‘50s. The baby boomers
were in their teens and it was party time. The economy was hot and many teens had high paying, part-time
jobs. Extra spending money enabled many teens to purchase records and attend dances featuring Rock ‘n’
Roll music. Most parents in the area were not too worried about the ‘nay-sayers’ doom and gloom
predictions of the negative effects of Rock ‘n’ Roll on their kids.
When Rock ‘n’ Roll first hit the airwaves on radio in the mid ‘50s, it was an immediate hit with the teens of
Port Alberni. CJAV Radio carried a one-hour program of Rock ‘n’ music every weekday afternoon at
4:00pm. Bill Gibson and George McKnight (Jr.) were among the main announcers of this feature
program…and were often told by station management to keep the tone of the program ‘low key’ (whatever
that meant). Most teenagers in the Valley hooked up efficient radio aerials to bring in the stronger stations
from Vancouver and elsewhere to get a larger dose of their favorite music.
Teen Town dances in those days mostly featured record hops and sometimes featured live band music.
Norm Carter remembers small groups getting together to provide popular swing music of the day, but when
Rock ‘n’’ Roll arrived most of the music was played from records. The Teen Town Hut 201 on 9th Ave in the
old Army Camp area was equipped with a record player, several speakers hung on the walls around the hall
and it was party time. Teen Town members would bring their own 45’s and someone would spin the records
for 3 hours at the dances. It was a happy time, and usually the hall was jam-packed with dancers. In those
early years the music featured Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis, Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, Buddy Knox
and numerous instrumental groups like Duane Eddy. Rock ‘n’ Roll Music was the glue that held the dances
and events together…rightly so; this was the teenager’s own music. Most parents couldn’t figure out what to
do on the dance floor and stayed away…besides it sure was loud.
In the late ‘50s Teen Town wanted to get their own live Rock ‘n’’ Roll band. The Four Tunes band was
formed and its members were Ken Hackwell, sax; Bill Neville, guitar and vocals; Roy MacArthur, piano and
Norm Carter, drums. This group was short lived but did play the September 18, 1959 Teen Town dance at
the Elks Hall, which had become the clubs regular home after Teen Town lost the use of the old Teen Hut
on 9th Ave.
In the spring of 1959, hand-made posters were hung around town advertising a live band at a dance. This
was not a Teen Town dance, but a dance put on by the band. I recall driving up to the Eric Graf Hall on 2nd
Ave in Port Alberni on a warm, late spring evening. As I got out of the car, I heard the music and was
impressed. The admission fee was 75 cents. The only people in the hall were the band, “Tat and The
Chancers” and their girlfriends who were dancing in front of the stage. Eddie Tatoosh better known as “Tat”
had put together a rock band of his friends and as I entered the hall, they were driving out “Jelly Jelly”. The
first lyrics I heard were, “It must be jelly, cause jam don’t shake like that – Jelly Jelly”. I was hooked. This
was live Rock ‘n’ Roll and the effect was powerful. (Maybe there was something in what the doom and
gloom folks were saying?) The first Rock ‘n’ Roll dance in Port Alberni had little support from the teenagers
of the day…safe to say Tat and the band were just a little ahead of their time. That was soon to change.
This first Rock band in Port Alberni was made up of Eddie “Tat” Tatoosh, lead singer and guitar; Tony
Studwig, drums; Wayne Price, guitar; Andy Levasseur, bass; Gerald Lajeunesse, rhythm guitar and Dennis
Lajeunesse, manager and later on Ken Hackwell, sax and piano. The sound was raw and driving, with none
of the hightech equipment of today. This groundbreaking group soon changed as Tat left the band. The
band imported Clint Mason from Powell River as a singer/guitar player and found a new name, “The
Heartbeats”. Tat moved to Nanaimo and joined and the “Blue Angels”. That group was short lived and Tat
came back to Port to create “Tat and the Tornadoes” with George Price, Wayne’s brother.
Later that year the High School held a dance and playing at the dance was a group of young High School kids
who knew each other from Sea Cadets. Dave Thompson, guitar; Gord Mosby, guitar; Pete Bouver, drums
were the mainstays of the band. I was impressed with what I heard and offered my services to help promote
the band. In those days people in that position were known as the “Band Manager”. It was hardly a
manager’s job, mostly trying to get jobs for the band. With my work as an announcer at the Radio station
and my involvement on the executive of the Teen Town club, I was reasonably successful as a “Manager”.
The band was hired to play Teen Town dances and the group took off. After trying out various names,
including The Teen-aires, the group settled on the name of The Drifters. Soon the band added Howie
Anderson on sax and the music broadened. The members of the Drifters were (and still are) very talented
and enjoyed some degree of ‘star’ status with the local teenagers.
Changes occurred when Gord Mosby moved with his family to Castlegar. It was decided to recruit additional
members and fatten up the sound. Romeo St Jacques played with the group for a short time on Lap Steel
guitar. Jim Rutherford was asked to join as the bass player. Next came Don McCreight on piano/keyboards
and finally Stan Cayer, lead singer and guitar. The name was changed to the Renegades, the band bought
loud plaid jackets and the sound of the sixties was unleashed on Port Alberni. As time went by, Stan Cayer
was injured in a serious car accident and had to leave the band. George McKnight (Jr.), aka “Big Daddy G”
became the lead singer.
In 1960, Howie enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air force and Dave Thompson left the band. Gerry
Romaniuk, the youngest member ever, joined as a guitar player. After Gord Mosby graduated from high
school, he came back to Port Alberni to rejoin the group. The band offered up a sound, which was a
combination of guitar rock, some organ based rhythm & blues, twist music etc., all delivered with a driving,
solid sound.
As Teen Town grew and expanded, (sister clubs in Cherry Creek and Sproat Lake) other bands were formed
in the area. The next band on the scene was “The Commanders” who later became “The Shants”. The
Shants were made up of: Denny Prior, guitar; Kieth Rogers, piano; Gerry Borgen, guitar, Alvin Jones, sax;
Don Parker, drums; John Trembley, bass. After Stan Cayer recovered from his car accident he joined up with
the Shants. Stan eventually left town around 1963 to further his music career…Gerry Walerius joined the
group as their singer/rhythm guitar and Carol LaFleur became their female vocalist.
Soon to follow was the “Belaires” Doug Marks, drums; Doug Sherreitt, bass; Gary Cornish, sax; Curt
Ayoutte, guitar; Greg Marks, guitar; Gordon Brand, keyboards; Eugene Touchie and Gloria Gagne, vocals.
Gloria was discovered after entering a broadcasted BCTV talent show at A.D.H.S. singing ‘Angel Baby’
where she was backed by the Renegades.
The bands could count on steady work for the Teen Town clubs on the Island. The bands traveled as far as
Victoria, Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Cowichan and Parksville etc. The bands also put on their own dances from
time to time, which was usually much more profitable. Teen clubs paid a whopping $10.00 per band
member, per dance through most of the early years of Teen Town.
In the summer of 1962 the Renegades organized the first BC wide Rock ‘n’ Roll band tour. The band played
dances in every town of any size; starting in Prince Rupert July 3rd, traveling and playing in small towns all
the way to Osoyoos, back to Prince George, and finally back home to Vancouver Island. Pete Bouver did
not make the tour, as he was getting married in September and was replaced by Don Parker on drums. Clive
Brown traveled with the band as Road Manager. The band was on the road for two months and played 6
nights a week. The tour was a roaring success, as many of the communities had never heard a live Rock ‘n’
Roll band prior to the Renegades rolling into town. Teen Town clubs in the various communities not only
hired the band but also opened up their homes to the group members.
As time passed the band members of these groups developed other interests such as marriage, careers etc.
Some just got tired of the road and playing every weekend, however some still continue to play their favorite
music part time. The memories of this great time remain strong and so do the friendships between the band
members and the many teenagers who came to the dances and events. It was a wonderful time to grow up
and Rock ‘n’ Roll music was a key part of many of the teenager’s lives.
Four of the original rock bands of the Alberni Valley, which are described in this story, reuniting for the 2001
Teen Town reunion. Members of the Four Tunes and the Drifters were also there.
George McKnight (Jr.) - [email protected]
Jim Rutherford – [email protected] Posted: Sep 28, 2025
In the mid 1950s a musical revolution swept the world…Rock ‘n’ Roll. Born out of Rockabilly, Swing, Blues,
Rhythm & Blues, Country Music and other influences, Rock ‘n’ Roll music was compelling, catchy and fun.
Initial reaction of parents and the ‘establishment’ was negative…and we all heard about the “devils music” …
“music to lead our youth astray” … “a breakdown of our morals” etc. We usually heard these predictions
after watching Elvis do his hip-shaking routine on Television. Most of this negative attitude was ignored by
the teenagers and may have created an even stronger desire to get even more Rock ‘n’ Roll music.
Port Alberni was ready to boogie when Rock ‘n’ Roll came on the scene in the mid ‘50s. The baby boomers
were in their teens and it was party time. The economy was hot and many teens had high paying, part-time
jobs. Extra spending money enabled many teens to purchase records and attend dances featuring Rock ‘n’
Roll music. Most parents in the area were not too worried about the ‘nay-sayers’ doom and gloom
predictions of the negative effects of Rock ‘n’ Roll on their kids.
When Rock ‘n’ Roll first hit the airwaves on radio in the mid ‘50s, it was an immediate hit with the teens of
Port Alberni. CJAV Radio carried a one-hour program of Rock ‘n’ music every weekday afternoon at
4:00pm. Bill Gibson and George McKnight (Jr.) were among the main announcers of this feature
program…and were often told by station management to keep the tone of the program ‘low key’ (whatever
that meant). Most teenagers in the Valley hooked up efficient radio aerials to bring in the stronger stations
from Vancouver and elsewhere to get a larger dose of their favorite music.
Teen Town dances in those days mostly featured record hops and sometimes featured live band music.
Norm Carter remembers small groups getting together to provide popular swing music of the day, but when
Rock ‘n’’ Roll arrived most of the music was played from records. The Teen Town Hut 201 on 9th Ave in the
old Army Camp area was equipped with a record player, several speakers hung on the walls around the hall
and it was party time. Teen Town members would bring their own 45’s and someone would spin the records
for 3 hours at the dances. It was a happy time, and usually the hall was jam-packed with dancers. In those
early years the music featured Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis, Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, Buddy Knox
and numerous instrumental groups like Duane Eddy. Rock ‘n’ Roll Music was the glue that held the dances
and events together…rightly so; this was the teenager’s own music. Most parents couldn’t figure out what to
do on the dance floor and stayed away…besides it sure was loud.
In the late ‘50s Teen Town wanted to get their own live Rock ‘n’’ Roll band. The Four Tunes band was
formed and its members were Ken Hackwell, sax; Bill Neville, guitar and vocals; Roy MacArthur, piano and
Norm Carter, drums. This group was short lived but did play the September 18, 1959 Teen Town dance at
the Elks Hall, which had become the clubs regular home after Teen Town lost the use of the old Teen Hut
on 9th Ave.
In the spring of 1959, hand-made posters were hung around town advertising a live band at a dance. This
was not a Teen Town dance, but a dance put on by the band. I recall driving up to the Eric Graf Hall on 2nd
Ave in Port Alberni on a warm, late spring evening. As I got out of the car, I heard the music and was
impressed. The admission fee was 75 cents. The only people in the hall were the band, “Tat and The
Chancers” and their girlfriends who were dancing in front of the stage. Eddie Tatoosh better known as “Tat”
had put together a rock band of his friends and as I entered the hall, they were driving out “Jelly Jelly”. The
first lyrics I heard were, “It must be jelly, cause jam don’t shake like that – Jelly Jelly”. I was hooked. This
was live Rock ‘n’ Roll and the effect was powerful. (Maybe there was something in what the doom and
gloom folks were saying?) The first Rock ‘n’ Roll dance in Port Alberni had little support from the teenagers
of the day…safe to say Tat and the band were just a little ahead of their time. That was soon to change.
This first Rock band in Port Alberni was made up of Eddie “Tat” Tatoosh, lead singer and guitar; Tony
Studwig, drums; Wayne Price, guitar; Andy Levasseur, bass; Gerald Lajeunesse, rhythm guitar and Dennis
Lajeunesse, manager and later on Ken Hackwell, sax and piano. The sound was raw and driving, with none
of the hightech equipment of today. This groundbreaking group soon changed as Tat left the band. The
band imported Clint Mason from Powell River as a singer/guitar player and found a new name, “The
Heartbeats”. Tat moved to Nanaimo and joined and the “Blue Angels”. That group was short lived and Tat
came back to Port to create “Tat and the Tornadoes” with George Price, Wayne’s brother.
Later that year the High School held a dance and playing at the dance was a group of young High School kids
who knew each other from Sea Cadets. Dave Thompson, guitar; Gord Mosby, guitar; Pete Bouver, drums
were the mainstays of the band. I was impressed with what I heard and offered my services to help promote
the band. In those days people in that position were known as the “Band Manager”. It was hardly a
manager’s job, mostly trying to get jobs for the band. With my work as an announcer at the Radio station
and my involvement on the executive of the Teen Town club, I was reasonably successful as a “Manager”.
The band was hired to play Teen Town dances and the group took off. After trying out various names,
including The Teen-aires, the group settled on the name of The Drifters. Soon the band added Howie
Anderson on sax and the music broadened. The members of the Drifters were (and still are) very talented
and enjoyed some degree of ‘star’ status with the local teenagers.
Changes occurred when Gord Mosby moved with his family to Castlegar. It was decided to recruit additional
members and fatten up the sound. Romeo St Jacques played with the group for a short time on Lap Steel
guitar. Jim Rutherford was asked to join as the bass player. Next came Don McCreight on piano/keyboards
and finally Stan Cayer, lead singer and guitar. The name was changed to the Renegades, the band bought
loud plaid jackets and the sound of the sixties was unleashed on Port Alberni. As time went by, Stan Cayer
was injured in a serious car accident and had to leave the band. George McKnight (Jr.), aka “Big Daddy G”
became the lead singer.
In 1960, Howie enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air force and Dave Thompson left the band. Gerry
Romaniuk, the youngest member ever, joined as a guitar player. After Gord Mosby graduated from high
school, he came back to Port Alberni to rejoin the group. The band offered up a sound, which was a
combination of guitar rock, some organ based rhythm & blues, twist music etc., all delivered with a driving,
solid sound.
As Teen Town grew and expanded, (sister clubs in Cherry Creek and Sproat Lake) other bands were formed
in the area. The next band on the scene was “The Commanders” who later became “The Shants”. The
Shants were made up of: Denny Prior, guitar; Kieth Rogers, piano; Gerry Borgen, guitar, Alvin Jones, sax;
Don Parker, drums; John Trembley, bass. After Stan Cayer recovered from his car accident he joined up with
the Shants. Stan eventually left town around 1963 to further his music career…Gerry Walerius joined the
group as their singer/rhythm guitar and Carol LaFleur became their female vocalist.
Soon to follow was the “Belaires” Doug Marks, drums; Doug Sherreitt, bass; Gary Cornish, sax; Curt
Ayoutte, guitar; Greg Marks, guitar; Gordon Brand, keyboards; Eugene Touchie and Gloria Gagne, vocals.
Gloria was discovered after entering a broadcasted BCTV talent show at A.D.H.S. singing ‘Angel Baby’
where she was backed by the Renegades.
The bands could count on steady work for the Teen Town clubs on the Island. The bands traveled as far as
Victoria, Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Cowichan and Parksville etc. The bands also put on their own dances from
time to time, which was usually much more profitable. Teen clubs paid a whopping $10.00 per band
member, per dance through most of the early years of Teen Town.
In the summer of 1962 the Renegades organized the first BC wide Rock ‘n’ Roll band tour. The band played
dances in every town of any size; starting in Prince Rupert July 3rd, traveling and playing in small towns all
the way to Osoyoos, back to Prince George, and finally back home to Vancouver Island. Pete Bouver did
not make the tour, as he was getting married in September and was replaced by Don Parker on drums. Clive
Brown traveled with the band as Road Manager. The band was on the road for two months and played 6
nights a week. The tour was a roaring success, as many of the communities had never heard a live Rock ‘n’
Roll band prior to the Renegades rolling into town. Teen Town clubs in the various communities not only
hired the band but also opened up their homes to the group members.
As time passed the band members of these groups developed other interests such as marriage, careers etc.
Some just got tired of the road and playing every weekend, however some still continue to play their favorite
music part time. The memories of this great time remain strong and so do the friendships between the band
members and the many teenagers who came to the dances and events. It was a wonderful time to grow up
and Rock ‘n’ Roll music was a key part of many of the teenager’s lives.
Four of the original rock bands of the Alberni Valley, which are described in this story, reuniting for the 2001
Teen Town reunion. Members of the Four Tunes and the Drifters were also there.
George McKnight (Jr.) - [email protected]
Jim Rutherford – [email protected] Posted: Sep 28, 2025
