Arts & Entertainment
Rock and Roll Roots Started in Lakewood
A couple famous bands played at St. Mary's Episcopal Church during the early 1960s. The Sonics discovered their name after a plane from the McChord Air Force base flew overhead.
While the Pacific Northwest played a key role in the birth of rock and roll more than half a century ago, few people know that Lakewood was the manger.
Teenagers rocked out in basements and garages in the late 1950s and early 1960s, much like they did all around the nation. Three bands popular bands from the area played in Lakewood, honing their talents before scaling the music mountaintops.
The Fabulous Wailers played the rock classic “Louie Louie” in Lakewood before it reached national radio charts, later becoming a classic. Its founding members attended Stadium High School, but the band booked one of its first gigs at in 1960. The band’s "Tall Cool One" earned the No. 36 spot on the national charts in 1959.
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It was no teen jam session. The church was a rock and roll dance venue Fridays and Saturdays. Religious services were held on Sundays.
While Richard Berry had first recorded “Louie Louie” in 1957, it was the Wailers' single that first became a radio hit. Other bands would cover them. The Kingsmen and Paul Revere & the Raiders took on rival versions of the song in 1963.
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Another interesting story that relates back to Lakewood are The Sonics who drew its name from the military base and hometown. Rock lore has it that a group of area teens were forming a band some 60 years ago. They needed a name. During the naming discussion, a jet from McChord Air Force Base flew overhead. The windows rattled. The group drew its name from the sonic boom they experienced. They played at St. Mary's venue as well.
The Wailers and the Sonics are credited as inspiring many bands to this day. The Ventures, which also recorded a version of “Louie Louie,” went on to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, adding yet another local link to the history of music. All three bands have displays at the Experience Music Project museum in Seattle.
Washington lawmakers officially designated Aug. 24 as “Louie Louie Day” in 2003. It has often been referred to as the unofficial rock song of the state. It is also played during the seventh-inning stretch during each Seattle Mariners home game.
The Wailers and the Ventures cut a joint CD, “Two Car Garage,” in 2009 to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of rock and roll groups.
