John Fred & His Playboy Band was formed in 1955 by 14-year old John Fred Gourrier, a basketball/baseball player at LSU and Southeastern Louisiana University as "The Redcaps”, but in 1956 one of the members of the group who was a big reader of Playboy magazine suggested they rename the group to "The Playboys”. Sam Montalbano”, the president and owner of "Montel” records who also managed the local Catholic Youth Center would hold dances and sock hops. He booked John and his group and a close friend Johnny Ramistella (better known as Johnny Rivers) to as many of them as they could make. With his help the group released a few singles to little success, and they toured the US with Jimmy Clanton, Roy Orbison, Thomas Wayne and Duane Eddy. In 1960 John decides to attend college and at 6 foot 5 inches tall was a decent basketball player. After graduation he formed a new group and they started recording and releasing singleson the small independent label "N Joy” records, like Boogie Children (John Lee Hooker), Dial 101 (Cause I Still Love You), You’re Mad At Me and How Can I Prove. In July 1966 they sign a
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