1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:02,759 Speaker 1: The True Story of the Fake Zombies is a production 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: of iHeart Podcasts, Talk House and never Mind Media. Back 3 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty nine, when the real Zombies were at 4 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 1: their lowest point, two guys in rural Michigan dreamed up 5 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: the Fake Zombies. It's a strange business to get into. 6 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: Jim Atherton and Bill Keho, the bosses at Delta Promotions, 7 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: thought they'd found a loophole. They caught win that the 8 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,559 Speaker 1: Zombies had broken up, and bought the rights to the 9 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,560 Speaker 1: name the Zombies, or at least they claimed they did, 10 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:51,239 Speaker 1: and assembled their own version of the group. Then they 11 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: assembled another one. Delta Promotions invested time, money, and a 12 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: lot of effort into supporting their bogus bands and making 13 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: them seem legit. They took promotional photos and gave them 14 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: high end amps and tour buses, all to capitalize on 15 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 1: the success of a Zombie song racing up the charts. 16 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: Time of the season set off Delta's Great rock and 17 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:17,279 Speaker 1: roll swindle. But this was not an isolated incident. Another 18 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 1: British invasion band with songs and the radio fell into 19 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: a similar sort of limbo as the Zombies broken up 20 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:28,919 Speaker 1: but still in demand. Delta Promotions once again saw dollar signs. 21 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: They started a fake version of the Animals. But it 22 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: wasn't the fake Zombies or the fake Animals that would 23 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: lead to the downfall of Delta. That would come from 24 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: their version of a group that never really existed in 25 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: the first place, The Fake Archies, a fabricated version of 26 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: a cartoon band. 27 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 2: Do you know the song Sugar Sugartada? Ah? Honey, honey. 28 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: This is the final episode of the true story of 29 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:09,359 Speaker 1: the Fake Zombies. I'm Daniel Ralston. Hiring young American musicians 30 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: to impersonate British rock bands may not have been ethical, 31 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: but when Delta Promotions started doing just that, it wasn't 32 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: technically illegal. Bill Keho, the businessman behind Delta, wasn't afraid 33 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 1: to take on the record company's management, companies, bands and 34 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: lawyers who would inevitably come beating down his door. He 35 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: happened to know a ton of extremely talented, equally impressionable 36 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: young musicians through his business partner Jim Atherton. Why not 37 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: take a shot at becoming the next big industry locals. 38 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: Delta laid claim to the unused name the Animals, just 39 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,239 Speaker 1: like they did with the Zombies, and hired another group 40 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: of young guys, also from Michigan, to tour America. Every 41 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: English band, from the Zombies to the Beatles and Stones, 42 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:01,639 Speaker 1: owes a huge debt to American blues music. Every Mick, Keith, 43 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: John Paul, and Ringo started out trying to sound like 44 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: the black artists who invented what we now know is 45 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: rock and roll. Of all the British Invasion bands that 46 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: hit it big in the States, nobody tapped into that 47 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: sound like the Animals. Their first big hit was a 48 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:20,920 Speaker 1: cover of an old Blue standardsan. 49 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 2: Misery in the House. Otherise it. 50 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: Like the Zombies, the real Animals were done after conquering 51 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 1: America with songs like House of the Rising Sun. Their singer, 52 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: Eric Burden was bored with his British Invasion past, and 53 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: by nineteen sixty nine he was breaking new creative ground 54 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: in his next project, War That was Delta's in for 55 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: a brief period of time, as the sixties became the seventies, 56 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: the Fake Animals and two fake Zombies tour in America, 57 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: performing for unsuspecting fans, and this might have continued on 58 00:03:57,520 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: had it not been for these words written in the 59 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 1: pages of Rolling Stone Magazine. 60 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 3: None of the groups being hunted down is real. They're 61 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 3: all phonies, tenth rate bands using names of well known, 62 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 3: technically non existent groups to pull the wool over the 63 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 3: public's collective eyes and ears. 64 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,280 Speaker 1: That's Ben Funktorres, the man who wrote those words back 65 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy, and his story would mark the beginning 66 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 1: of the end for Delta Promotions. Ben was on to 67 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:27,359 Speaker 1: them here. 68 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 3: Ten miles from Saginaw and one hundred and twenty or 69 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 3: so miles north of Detroit, Delta Promotions makes phone calls 70 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:38,279 Speaker 3: to booking agencies in smaller towns, telling them in certain 71 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:42,480 Speaker 3: tones about the existence and availability of groups they handle. 72 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: When he wrote his story, Ben actually spoke to people 73 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: who'd been duped by Delta's fake bands. These small town 74 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 1: concert bookers were given a line by Bill Keho. 75 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 3: Those promoters who are aware the Animals and the Zombies 76 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 3: both disbanded a couple of years ago are told that 77 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:03,159 Speaker 3: the groups have reformed, built around Nuclei, composed of several 78 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:07,479 Speaker 3: original members. What this means is Delta went to the 79 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 3: trouble of claiming a copyright on an unused band name 80 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 3: for their own packs of musicians. 81 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: When he learned about the fake animals. Eric Burden was 82 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:23,479 Speaker 1: understandably pissed. He sent his business partner after Delta. It 83 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:26,039 Speaker 1: was later reported in Rolling Stone the Burden and a 84 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:27,919 Speaker 1: few of his friends and the Hells Angels showed up 85 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:31,040 Speaker 1: at a fake animals gig with I quote, subpoenas and 86 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:34,800 Speaker 1: baseball bats. The fake zombies and the fake animals may 87 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 1: have upset Eric Burden and the generation of people who 88 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: read Rolling Stone, but Delta continued to get away with it. 89 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 3: The animals are closely linked to the pony zombies. Delta 90 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 3: even pulled a double stunt last Easter Sunday in Duluth, Minnesota, 91 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 3: building both groups in concert and drawing twenty four hundred 92 00:05:53,960 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 3: unsuspecting customers at five dollars ahead to witness the masquerade. 93 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 1: The business side of the Delta partnership went on the 94 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: defensive when Rolling Stone reached out. 95 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 3: As for Delta, the word there is no comment. Keho 96 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,279 Speaker 3: would tell Rolling Stone no more than I'm ticked off you. 97 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 3: People haven't answered my letters and dared Rolling Stone to 98 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 3: come up with proof of their activities. Rolling Stone is 99 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 3: gathering up a healthy collection of contracts, come on offers, 100 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 3: and promo material, all linked to Delta and its associated firms, 101 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:31,679 Speaker 3: Delta Promotions has the next move. 102 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 1: The imposter groups could have continued caught up in trademark 103 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: claims over the name of the Zombies and the Animals 104 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:44,040 Speaker 1: for who knows how long, but Delta's next act would 105 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:48,119 Speaker 1: bring everything to a screeching halt. They started a fake band. 106 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:50,679 Speaker 1: There was already kind of a fake band. 107 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:56,440 Speaker 3: They handle the Animals, the Zombies, and the Archies most prominently. 108 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:00,120 Speaker 1: If you don't instantly know the name the Archies, you 109 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 1: almost definitely know their biggest hit, Sugar Sugar. But the 110 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 1: Archies don't just play music. They've also starred in a 111 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 1: comic book for the past eighty odd years. They even 112 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: have a couple of TV shows. Any Riverdale Heads out there. 113 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 3: Ronnie, you know in your heart I'm right about this. 114 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 4: It just hurts to admit it. 115 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 3: Don't you make me say goodbye to you? 116 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 4: Or Chianrews. 117 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: Apart from the occasional foray into live action teenage soap operas, 118 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 1: the Archies are usually fictional animated characters. Juughhead, Betty, Reggie, Veronica, 119 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: and of course Archie their high school students, and together 120 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: they have a band called the Archies. Archie comic dates 121 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 1: back to nineteen forty one and has had a massive 122 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 1: stranglehold on popular culture for generations. Never was that more 123 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: true than in nineteen sixty nine. People lost their shit 124 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 1: when Sugar Sugar, recorded by the Archies hit the airwaves, 125 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,840 Speaker 1: like really lost their shit, not just in America, all 126 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: over the world. I implore you to go online and 127 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 1: see how many countries the Archies went to number one. 128 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 1: In Okay, it's twenty seven. Here in America, Sugar Sugar 129 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 1: sat at number one for four straight weeks in nineteen 130 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 1: sixty nine. We tend to imagine this era the Vietnam era, 131 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:33,439 Speaker 1: with a heavy soundtrack full of protest songs and mind 132 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:39,200 Speaker 1: expanding consciousness raising protest anthems Creeden's Clearwater Revival, led Zeppelin 133 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:40,320 Speaker 1: sly Stone. 134 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 5: We're obtaining a list. 135 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 3: Of the one hundreds of American prisoners held by the 136 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 3: North Vietnam Ease. Well, apparently the Pentagon has found that. 137 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 1: The best selling act in America in June of nineteen 138 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 1: sixty nine was actually a five piece band made up 139 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 1: of cartoon characters from the Archie comics universe. So how 140 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: did a cartoon band end up with the number one 141 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 1: song in the world. They had a really good manager 142 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 1: named Don Kirshner. If Bill Keho knew deep down at 143 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 1: some point he was going to have to face consequences 144 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 1: for his imposter band operation, he could not have come 145 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 1: up against a worse opponent than the man who decided 146 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 1: to turn the teenagers in Archie Comics into the Archies. 147 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:26,559 Speaker 1: Kirshner got his start in music publishing, helping to launch 148 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:29,319 Speaker 1: the careers of songwriters and performers like Carol King and 149 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: Neil Sadaka while he was still in his twenties. By 150 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 1: the time he started the Archies, he was a certified 151 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:37,720 Speaker 1: kingmaker in the music business, with the rolodex of world 152 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: class songwriters in his publishing stable. But ironically, it was 153 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: a different, prefabricated band that would make Kershner a music 154 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 1: industry legend. 155 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 4: I had a song in my possession called Sugar Sugar, 156 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 4: which I felt, after I'm a Believer, could be one 157 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 4: of the biggest songs of all time. And I gave 158 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:01,840 Speaker 4: him always the money, which they took, and I gave 159 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 4: him the goal Records played him Sugar Sugar. 160 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 2: Mike and Peter. 161 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:09,079 Speaker 4: Said, it's a piece of junk. We're never going to 162 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 4: do this song, Mike proceeded to put his fist through 163 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:17,080 Speaker 4: the wall at the Beverly Hills Hotel. And you know, 164 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 4: as we say, the rest is history. 165 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:22,440 Speaker 1: That's Don Kirshner talking about the band he helped create, 166 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:26,480 Speaker 1: The Monkeys. Don picked their songs in the early days 167 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:29,880 Speaker 1: of the band. As the Monkeys grew more popular, the 168 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:33,160 Speaker 1: band wanted to write their own songs. Don wanted them 169 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: to sing bubblegum pop hits. When the Monkeys passed on 170 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: Sugar Sugar, written by Canadian songwriter Andy Kim, Kirshner hired 171 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:44,839 Speaker 1: studio musicians to record the song. The lead vocal was 172 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:48,920 Speaker 1: sung by longtime Kirshner hired gun Ron Dante. None of 173 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: the people who played or sang on the song are 174 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: credited on the record, It simply reads the Archiees. According 175 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 1: to Tony Wine, the female vocalist on Sugar Sugar, Kirshner 176 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: Peter dozen Roses for her services on the most popular 177 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:31,439 Speaker 1: bubblegum pop song of all time. When Delta started a 178 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: fake Archiees to capitalize on the success of Sugar Sugar, 179 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 1: just as they'd done for Time of the Season, they 180 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:41,960 Speaker 1: crossed an invisible line while in theory, it should have 181 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:44,600 Speaker 1: been easier to duplicate a group with no actual members. 182 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 1: That was not the case. The Zombies and the Animals 183 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 1: were just bands, but the Archies were a business, a 184 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:55,320 Speaker 1: big business. Delta found a piece of the Archie's action 185 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: in Boston, Massachusetts. 186 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 2: Let's put you're a little bit closer to the micro 187 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:05,679 Speaker 2: from sir, should lean forward. Yeah, we called it eating 188 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 2: the mic. My voice should be prominent now, Okay, my 189 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:18,439 Speaker 2: name is Joanne lef I'm a SAG actor, and as 190 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 2: a SAG actor, my name is Joanne rolt r Alt. 191 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 1: I've been looking for Joeanne for a long time. Today. 192 00:12:27,679 --> 00:12:30,080 Speaker 1: She's an actor and jazz singer living in New York City. 193 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:34,199 Speaker 1: Back in nineteen sixty nine, she was Veronica in the 194 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:39,319 Speaker 1: touring version of The Archies assembled by Delta Promotions. She 195 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:41,760 Speaker 1: ended up in the Archies for a very teenage reason. 196 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 1: She wanted to make a guy jealous. 197 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:47,200 Speaker 2: I fell in love with this guy who couldn't see 198 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:51,959 Speaker 2: me for dust. He wanted this blonde buxom whatever, and 199 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:54,679 Speaker 2: he was from Rutgers and I was at Boston University. 200 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 2: So I said, I'm going to become a star. I'm 201 00:12:58,040 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 2: going to become famous, and then he's going to be 202 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:00,680 Speaker 2: very sorry. 203 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:03,760 Speaker 1: On campus at Boston, you Joe Ann learned that a 204 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 1: local folk rock group called Bluesberry jam Or holding auditions 205 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 1: for a female singer. 206 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:14,240 Speaker 2: I went on this audition, and they wanted me to 207 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 2: sing Somebody to Love? Don't you want Somebody to Love? 208 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 2: You know the Gray Slick Jefferson Airplane thing that was 209 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:25,720 Speaker 2: happening in the I guess sixty eight, sixty nine, whatever 210 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:28,640 Speaker 2: it was. I didn't know the song. I was listening 211 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 2: to Laura Nero and Judy Collins and you know other people. 212 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 1: Heavy rock and roll music like Jefferson Airplane wasn't joe 213 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:40,199 Speaker 1: Anne's thing still isn't. But she wanted the job. She 214 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:41,760 Speaker 1: had a guy at Rutgers to impress. 215 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:43,280 Speaker 4: It was my turn. 216 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:45,520 Speaker 2: I got up there, I bent my knees a little bit, 217 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 2: grounded myself and sang it with all I had, shaking 218 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:52,440 Speaker 2: the mic because I was nervous. They cleared the room 219 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:55,240 Speaker 2: and said, who are you? You didn't know this song 220 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:56,280 Speaker 2: and you sang it like that. 221 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 1: There was no second audition. She killed it. Joeanne was 222 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 1: now the lead singer in a rock band. 223 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 2: They hired me on the spot, and that was the 224 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 2: Bluesberry Jam. 225 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:11,599 Speaker 1: They played all over Boston, becoming a favorite of the 226 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 1: college age class, cutting hippie set. 227 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 2: We would be at the Boston Common, which was, you know, 228 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 2: sort of a big lawn that was like, you know, 229 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 2: endless the day of the locust of people, and I 230 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 2: would look at them and they would say, go ahead, 231 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 2: go ahead, go on, Joe. And so my first song 232 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 2: singing with them was people get Ready by the Chambers Brothers. 233 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 2: And then I was doing led Zeppelin and all kinds 234 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 2: of things that I knew nothing about. I just listened 235 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 2: to the record and sang it. 236 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 1: My coincidence, Bluesberry Jam just happened to feature a tall 237 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 1: blonde guy, a short guy with olive skin, a thin, 238 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: dark haired guy, and a beautiful blonde woman. Now they 239 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:00,320 Speaker 1: had Joe Anne a brunette front. 240 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:08,880 Speaker 2: We all looked the part of the Archies, but I 241 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:10,280 Speaker 2: wasn't thinking about that. 242 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:14,200 Speaker 1: Then a few months into her tenure in Bluesberry Jam, 243 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 1: an offer came their way. 244 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 2: What happened was Craig, who was the drummer. He told 245 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:26,120 Speaker 2: us one day that we're going to audition for a 246 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:29,240 Speaker 2: higher paying job. He didn't say very much about it. 247 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 2: He just said, we have to learn certain songs, bubblegum songs, 248 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 2: silly but cute. But I didn't care. I just loved singing. 249 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 1: After getting their set in shape, they piled into a 250 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 1: van and headed west to their big audition, an audition 251 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 1: being held by Delta Promotions. 252 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 2: We went to Detroit and we got the job. I 253 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:53,760 Speaker 2: knew for sure that Delta Promotions were the business people 254 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 2: behind our work, and we found out that we were 255 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 2: going to be the touring of the Archies. 256 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 1: Because the Archies didn't actually exist, it made sense to 257 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: a nineteen year old Joanne that they'd need a touring version. 258 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 2: You know, I didn't think anything of it. I knew 259 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 2: that I had nothing to do with the records, and 260 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 2: we all did. 261 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 1: Joanne got her wish for stardom. She became the singer 262 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 1: and one of the most popular acts on the planet 263 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:26,760 Speaker 1: sort of. 264 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 2: We started touring the country as the Archies, and we 265 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:36,400 Speaker 2: were elevated to like being stars. We would travel on 266 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 2: a Volkswagen bus or we would fly or whatever it is, 267 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:42,880 Speaker 2: and we stayed in holiday inns and we would be 268 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,760 Speaker 2: on stage whenever there was a gig, and it was 269 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 2: all children. Baronica, I love you. It was like, I'm 270 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 2: in Hellica. I have a resounding in my ear. Baronica, Baronica, Baronica, 271 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 2: we love you, we love you, and I would say, 272 00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 2: just shoot me now. I kept saying to my bandmates, 273 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:10,160 Speaker 2: these kids are like nine and ten. We're in hell. 274 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 2: We're like on an island with children. We love. 275 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:20,400 Speaker 1: Joe Anne's Archies played for huge crowds and mostly children 276 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:23,960 Speaker 1: and their parents. She was soaking up the spotlight and 277 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:26,920 Speaker 1: giving every performance her all. It was a new experience 278 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:29,159 Speaker 1: for Joanne and her bandmates to be traveling all over 279 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 1: the country playing music and getting recognized on the street 280 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 1: or in the grocery store. 281 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 2: We traveled around and through all the adventures and blow 282 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:41,560 Speaker 2: into a city and they would be all these posters 283 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 2: the Arches are here. We looked like each of the 284 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:46,879 Speaker 2: characters to a tea, which may have been the reason 285 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:49,960 Speaker 2: why we got the job. We would go shopping and 286 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:53,680 Speaker 2: people say, oh, yeah, the archiesus. So it was fun, 287 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 2: and we were getting paid one thousand dollars a week, 288 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 2: so that's two hundred dollars a person per week. 289 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 1: They were living the lives of rock stars. I'll be 290 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:05,440 Speaker 1: at fictitious ones. 291 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:09,080 Speaker 2: Every one of us in the group were good musicians, 292 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 2: and what we did as the Bluesberry Jam was good stuff. 293 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 2: But what we did with the as the Archies was 294 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 2: very bubblegum and very bang Shang lang and Scooby Doo 295 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 2: and please don't touch my guitar, bicycles, roller skates and 296 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 2: you and of course the one and only Sugar Sugar, 297 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:34,000 Speaker 2: which was number one in Malaysia. It would not die 298 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:37,200 Speaker 2: after a show. We would go to the hotel, it 299 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 2: was still number one, playing everywhere, and we were like, God, 300 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:43,120 Speaker 2: this song, what is it with the song? 301 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:48,920 Speaker 1: Delta was very specific in their instructions for the Archies, 302 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: no deviations, just show up, play the hits and get 303 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 1: out of town. 304 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 2: We were told to sing just like the record, so 305 00:18:56,760 --> 00:19:00,920 Speaker 2: we weren't permitted to do any improvisation, and you know 306 00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 2: what is really creative music. We weren't permitted to change 307 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:08,720 Speaker 2: the rhythm. I would have loved to have been able 308 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:12,040 Speaker 2: to let go and just really make music because we 309 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 2: were musicians, you know, we just weren't permitted to and 310 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 2: the audience loved it just as it was. 311 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:23,359 Speaker 1: The audiences may have loved it, but Rolling Stone didn't. 312 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: When Ben Fong tore is this story on Delta promotions dropped, 313 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:28,640 Speaker 1: the Archies were singled out. 314 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:31,760 Speaker 2: It blew the lid. It blew the lid off of this. 315 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:36,000 Speaker 1: The Rolling Stone story brought Delta's Archies to the attention 316 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:38,560 Speaker 1: of Don Kirshner and his team of lawyers, and the 317 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:42,440 Speaker 1: Gigs dried up before they disbanded. Joe Ane's Archies try 318 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 1: to last ditch attempt to keep the band together and 319 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:46,480 Speaker 1: to make the outfit above board. 320 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 2: Harry emanation Reggie. He told me, he said we wanted 321 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:58,639 Speaker 2: to continue, and Craig had spoken to I believe it 322 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 2: was Don Kershner to try and have him legitimize us, 323 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:05,480 Speaker 2: and we would split the proceeds with him. He'd make money, 324 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 2: and we would make money, and we would still be working. Well, 325 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:11,399 Speaker 2: not fifty years later, but we would have worked for longer. 326 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:15,200 Speaker 2: I had quit by then, you know, after a while 327 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:20,359 Speaker 2: being on the road, it just had lost its luster 328 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 2: for me. But the thing is that Craig had evidently 329 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:28,200 Speaker 2: approached Don Kirshner and said we ought to do this together. 330 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:32,879 Speaker 2: Don Kirshner, as the story goes, he said, if you 331 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 2: sing one more song under the name the Archies, I 332 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 2: will sue you. He got crazed. He went off and 333 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 2: that was the end of that, so they broke up 334 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:49,960 Speaker 2: the band. I had fun, and I love singing. I've 335 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 2: always loved singing. I mean, I don't know what went 336 00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:56,680 Speaker 2: on with other groups, but it wasn't a warm family 337 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 2: type atmosphere. 338 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:01,720 Speaker 1: In the years after her stint in the Touring Archies, 339 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:05,760 Speaker 1: Joanne's time as Veronica continues to follow her around, especially 340 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 1: Sugar Sugar. 341 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:10,240 Speaker 2: When I moved to New York, friends of mine would 342 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 2: pull me up on stage and ask me to sing 343 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 2: the song and they would do harmony with me. And 344 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:19,720 Speaker 2: after a while I didn't even remember the lyrics because 345 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:23,240 Speaker 2: that would that waned. But you know, I always know 346 00:21:23,359 --> 00:21:26,119 Speaker 2: the beginning to tell people, you know, do you know 347 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:32,440 Speaker 2: the song Sugar Sugar d D D dah honey honey, 348 00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:36,440 Speaker 2: And by then they know yeah, oh yeah, yeah yeah, 349 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:37,440 Speaker 2: and that's all I have to sing. 350 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:51,720 Speaker 1: What does Joe Anne think of her time in the 351 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:55,880 Speaker 1: Fake Archies now fifty five years later, Well, when you're. 352 00:21:56,560 --> 00:22:00,479 Speaker 2: When you're nineteen or twenty years old, and you are 353 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:02,480 Speaker 2: a singer, and you know that you're a good singer, 354 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:07,440 Speaker 2: and you have an opportunity to do it professionally and 355 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 2: you understand that it's not that you were not involved 356 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 2: in the record making, but that's the way business runs. 357 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:22,920 Speaker 2: And the takeaway is business is not always what it 358 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:27,080 Speaker 2: seems to be. Delta Promotions didn't care what the kids 359 00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:30,159 Speaker 2: thought at all. Just be there, you know, And so 360 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:36,480 Speaker 2: business and entertainment, it is show business and you have 361 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:38,680 Speaker 2: to really love what you do, no matter what you do. 362 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 1: Joe Anne was a theater kid, joined a folk rock 363 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:55,119 Speaker 1: band and ended up becoming Veronica in the Archies. She 364 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 1: was suffering from a broken heart, so she jumped at 365 00:22:57,840 --> 00:22:59,640 Speaker 1: a chance to become a rock star. For a while, 366 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:04,359 Speaker 1: Joanne and her Archie bandmates would return to Boston. She 367 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 1: still continues to perform today and is most likely the 368 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 1: only woman in history to walk on stage and perform 369 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:15,479 Speaker 1: as Veronica from the Archies. After the break, Don Kirshner 370 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: dismantles Delta Promotions. On June twelfth, nineteen seventy, Don Kirshner 371 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:40,760 Speaker 1: and his army of lawyers filed the civil lawsuit claiming 372 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:44,920 Speaker 1: trademark infringement on his intellectual property against Delta Promotions and 373 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 1: the Fake Archies group. Kirshner threw the book at Delta 374 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:52,080 Speaker 1: a month and a day later, to avoid a lengthy 375 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:56,040 Speaker 1: and likely very costly trial, a settlement was reached behind 376 00:23:56,080 --> 00:24:00,199 Speaker 1: closed doors by both parties lawyers. Kirshner had the kind 377 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:02,959 Speaker 1: of money Keyho could only dream about. It was never 378 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:07,480 Speaker 1: a fair fight. Face with the might of Kershner Enterprises, 379 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: Keyhoe folded his imposter bands operation and quit the music business. 380 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 1: Delta Promotions was done. Kirshner's legal victory over the fake 381 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:22,959 Speaker 1: archies didn't even make it into the pages of Rolling Stone. 382 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:28,800 Speaker 1: Delta's band stopped touring and returned to Texas in Boston 383 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:35,480 Speaker 1: and Michigan. Delta Promotions a little music management company in 384 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:38,240 Speaker 1: Bay City, Michigan that tried to break into the business 385 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 1: with a bunch of fake bands. Delta would become a footnote, 386 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 1: a name and address printed on a promotional photo. The 387 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 1: four guys from Texas who called themselves the original Zombies, 388 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:56,000 Speaker 1: Delta's roster of bands played for thousands all over the country. 389 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:00,360 Speaker 1: They played on TV, They hustled, They packed their gear 390 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:03,880 Speaker 1: into vans every night, traveling from city to city, each 391 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 1: one selling Keyho's dream to the world. The Michigan Zombies 392 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:11,960 Speaker 1: who entered the Delta Promotions roster as a promising young 393 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:15,280 Speaker 1: band called the Excels, were torn apart by the accusations 394 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:18,879 Speaker 1: against them in Rolling Stone. They disbanded shortly after their 395 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 1: Zombies tour and left Michigan, never able to outrun their 396 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:29,480 Speaker 1: time borrowing someone else's band name. That's how it went 397 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 1: for Mark Ramsey too. The Zombie's tour would be his 398 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:34,680 Speaker 1: only time out on the road living the rock and 399 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 1: roll life. His dream faded, only showing up occasionally when 400 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:44,240 Speaker 1: he was alone in a late night guitar solo. Seed Meta, 401 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:47,639 Speaker 1: the Texas blues pioneer and the guy who brought the 402 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 1: Texas Zombies together, stayed out on the road, living hard, 403 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,240 Speaker 1: before dying of cancer at just thirty years of age. 404 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 1: Seed's life was cut short, but the music he left 405 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:01,240 Speaker 1: behind can still be found if you look hard enough. 406 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:14,480 Speaker 1: The bass play the singer in the Texas Zombies, Dusty Hill, 407 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:18,040 Speaker 1: passed away in twenty twenty one. He held down the 408 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:20,720 Speaker 1: low end in zz Top for fifty one years. It 409 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:24,919 Speaker 1: became a rock and roll legend. The only living Texas Zombie, 410 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:30,800 Speaker 1: Frank Beard, remains unavailable for comment. Zz tops longtime publicist 411 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:35,639 Speaker 1: Bob Merriless, something of an industry legend himself, forward in 412 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:39,000 Speaker 1: my interview request to Frank, Bob told me not to 413 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:41,360 Speaker 1: get my hopes up. He hasn't gotten an email from 414 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:57,800 Speaker 1: Frank in twelve years. Bill Kehoe was a big fish 415 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:01,240 Speaker 1: in a tiny pond. He had a part Jim Atherton, 416 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:04,680 Speaker 1: but Big Jim was the same age as the bands 417 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:07,720 Speaker 1: they managed on the Delta roster and worked for Sun 418 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:11,919 Speaker 1: Amplifiers and Smoked Pot. Jim Atherton isn't named at any 419 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:18,160 Speaker 1: legal proceedings that followed Delta's collapse. According to friends, Atherton 420 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:20,800 Speaker 1: left Michigan and One on the road working for Son 421 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:25,960 Speaker 1: and helped build the sound system at Woodstock. Bill Kehoe 422 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:28,920 Speaker 1: was left holding the bag. He was a well respected 423 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:31,960 Speaker 1: local businessman who raised money for charity and ran for 424 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:35,919 Speaker 1: public office. He organized Bay City's first Saint Patrick's Day perade. 425 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:40,199 Speaker 1: By nineteen seventy, he was a forty year old music manager, 426 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 1: called a fraud on the front page of Rolling Stone, 427 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:45,720 Speaker 1: and had just been sued by Don Kirshner, one of 428 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:49,919 Speaker 1: the titans of the entertainment industry. The world of rock 429 00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 1: and roll seems like an odd choice of employment for 430 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 1: a guy like Bill Kehoe. He tried to follow a 431 00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:57,480 Speaker 1: playbook for success that dates back to the beginning of 432 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 1: the American music industry, one that was rich by guys 433 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 1: like Don Kirshner. Bill Kejo's messed up dream of managing 434 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 1: imposter bands lasted less than two years. He didn't know 435 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 1: it at the time, but he briefly managed two future 436 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:16,720 Speaker 1: rock and roll legends, and he impacted the lives of 437 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:20,919 Speaker 1: dozens of young musicians hungry for their big break. Keijo 438 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:24,920 Speaker 1: saw rock and rolls a business from his teen dance 439 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:28,320 Speaker 1: club in Bay City. He helped launch careers and helped 440 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 1: destroy them. Did Bill Keyho have any regrets about all this? 441 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 1: That's one question with a definitive answer. On June fourteenth, 442 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:43,600 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy, two days after Don Kirshner filed suit against 443 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:47,080 Speaker 1: Delta Promotions, a headline appeared in the Bay City Times 444 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:55,440 Speaker 1: ban promoter quits blasts DJs mafia. Already in the opening quote, 445 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:57,479 Speaker 1: Keyho was bringing the drama. 446 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:01,320 Speaker 5: If you ever hear of Dell to promotions, booking and 447 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:04,360 Speaker 5: managing groups again, you can turn over in your grave 448 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:05,440 Speaker 5: because we're through. 449 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 1: That's it. 450 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:11,520 Speaker 5: I'm finished with this business. The reason he was done well, 451 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:16,520 Speaker 5: you just don't succeed by being honest. Keiho agreed that 452 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:19,320 Speaker 5: his Zombies, Animals and Archies were not the same as 453 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:22,480 Speaker 5: the famous bands with those names, but said Delta never 454 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:25,320 Speaker 5: represented to anyone at any time that these were the 455 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:27,880 Speaker 5: same groups who made those records. 456 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:32,720 Speaker 1: Well, obviously Delta wasn't super above board. Keijo was enraged 457 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:37,200 Speaker 1: at the dishonesty of Rolling Stone, who's reporting he called. 458 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:41,280 Speaker 5: A lie printed by a group of people who couldn't 459 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 5: get me to give them twenty five percent of the archies, 460 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:46,880 Speaker 5: so they decided to put me out of business. 461 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:51,600 Speaker 1: Keho claimed it was local promoters who misrepresented who the 462 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:54,680 Speaker 1: bands were, and Delta merely took ten percent cut for 463 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:58,760 Speaker 1: any bookings. What's more, he claimed in two years, I 464 00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 1: lost twenty thousand dollars in the business. One of the 465 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:04,720 Speaker 1: groups wrecked a bus we bought for them, and some 466 00:30:04,920 --> 00:30:07,640 Speaker 1: didn't pay back the money we advanced them. He then 467 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:11,120 Speaker 1: launched into a rant about how DJ's were immoral scam artists, 468 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:15,320 Speaker 1: bands were ungrateful opportunists, and the mob were taking over music. 469 00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:19,040 Speaker 1: He had some memorable closing words for the readers of 470 00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 1: the Bay City Times. 471 00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:24,200 Speaker 5: Regardless of what others, what have you think? At least 472 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:26,400 Speaker 5: I can quit knowing I stayed honest. 473 00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 1: The true story of the Fake Zombies started in Bay City, Michigan, 474 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 1: when Bill Keho borrowed a song and a band name. 475 00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:41,080 Speaker 1: He found four guys from Texas and then five guys 476 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 1: from Michigan to live out this rock and roll fantasy, 477 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:47,479 Speaker 1: and he borrowed the name The Animals and the Archies. 478 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 1: Key Hoosts stayed honest in a game where truth had 479 00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:56,680 Speaker 1: no value. He saw the bands he was copying as 480 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,880 Speaker 1: ungrateful and the young bands he created as pawns to 481 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:02,320 Speaker 1: be shuffled around the country if he thought of them 482 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:08,280 Speaker 1: at all. In nineteen seventy, two years after the Fake 483 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:11,920 Speaker 1: Zombies controversy faded, Bill Keyjo made one more attempt to 484 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:15,800 Speaker 1: attach his name to the rock history books. You see, 485 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:18,160 Speaker 1: there was another young band on the Delta roster during 486 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:21,840 Speaker 1: those halcyon days of the late sixties. They were called 487 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:25,880 Speaker 1: Terry Knight and the Pack. Terry Knight in the Pack 488 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:29,120 Speaker 1: would turn into Grand Funk Railroad, one of the biggest 489 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:33,400 Speaker 1: Michigan bands of all time. Grand Funk ruled the airwaves 490 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:36,080 Speaker 1: in the seventies and sold millions and millions of records. 491 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:39,960 Speaker 1: You've definitely heard their music like this their number one single, 492 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:53,400 Speaker 1: We're an American Band. Bill Keho felt his time managing 493 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:55,960 Speaker 1: a young Terry Knight in the pack entitled him to 494 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:59,040 Speaker 1: a piece of the action. A Bay City Times headline 495 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:03,360 Speaker 1: from July fifteenth, nineteen seventy two reads Bay City ensues 496 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:07,560 Speaker 1: rock band for fifty six million in damages, the modern 497 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:10,560 Speaker 1: equivalent of just under half a billion dollars. 498 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:19,080 Speaker 2: Jams. 499 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:28,480 Speaker 1: The True Story of the Fake Zombies is a production 500 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:33,440 Speaker 1: of Talkhouse, Nevermind Media, and iHeart Podcasts. Executive produced by 501 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:38,160 Speaker 1: Ian Wheeler, Melissa Locker and Daniel Ralster. Produced by Anna 502 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 1: McLain and Nick Dawson. Written by Daniel Ralston. Score, original 503 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:47,160 Speaker 1: music and additional audio engineering by Robin Hatch. Additional audio 504 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:50,560 Speaker 1: support by Cooper Mall in Los Angeles and Scott Baker 505 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:54,160 Speaker 1: in Bay City, Michigan. A special thanks to Gary Johnson 506 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:56,720 Speaker 1: of the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Museum in Bay City. 507 00:32:57,760 --> 00:32:59,960 Speaker 1: We'll be back with two bonus episodes in the coming week. 508 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 1: Listen to the True Story of the Fake Zombies feed 509 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:06,520 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts. The True Story of the 510 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:10,160 Speaker 1: Fake Zombies is a production of iHeart Podcasts, talk Hosts 511 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:13,920 Speaker 1: and never Mind media. For more podcasts from iHeart Podcasts, 512 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:17,960 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 513 00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:18,640 Speaker 1: your podcasts.