An Interview With Vince Tuzzi
60sgaragebands.com (60s): How did you first get interested in music?
Vince Tuzzi (VT): My grandmother owned a salon/bar/restaurant in a small town just south of Hanford. I was just a small child. My grandmother took care of me while my mother worked. Our mom was a single parent. My grandmother would let me pantomime people like Johnny Raye, Elvis and Ray Price on the bar while the jukebox played. When the place opened up, I would go to the restaurant’s side of the business and lay down by the jukebox and just listen to the music people would choose. I think, to this day, that's why my repertoire is so vast because of that exposure when I was so young.
60s: Was The Lee Riders your first band?
VT: No, The Red Coats were. It was a garage band in the mid-‘60s. My audition song was 'Jolly Green Giant' by The Kingsmen (1965).
60s: Where and when was The Lee Riders formed?
VT: If I remember right, it was in 1965. There were five members, including me: Jimmy Anderson on guitar, Eddie Hill on bass, Sherman Railsback on organ and Robbie Garren on drums.
60s: How would you describe the band's sound?
VT: We were playing the Top 40 in those days. Whatever was hot...we played it.
60s: What was the Hanford rock and roll scene like in the ‘60s?
VT: We played almost every after game dance for our local high school. Most of our friends were in bands, such as The Chevelles, The Hunted, The Sullies, Five Too Many, 10th Ave. Produce and The Road Runners. Girls would call my house and ask me to "sing" to them. It was pretty cool. We were always in the limelight for a bunch of high school characters playing music.
60s: What other groups of the area do you recall?
VT: The Hunted, The Telstars, The Jaguars and the E-Types.
60s: Where did the band typically play?
VT: Mostly Melco dances. Mel Simas had a company that would book dances and bands. Mel was a great guy and always told us to make sure your songs sets were tight; not to leave any space in between songs. Don't let any dead time hit or you'll lose the crowd. He was an inspiration to us and he was right on the money. The last time I saw Mel was just before he died a few years back. He was managing King City Fair Grounds in King City, California. He remembered all of us and we took a great walk down memory road that day. I'll never forget Mel Simas. He was a man way before his time.
60s: How far was the band's touring territory?
VT: From as far away as Bakersfield, Tipton area to the other side of Fresno. It was about a 75-mile radius.
60s: Did The Lee Riders have a manager?
VT: Not really, but Robbie Garren and Eddie Hill did most of the bookings.
60s: How popular locally did The Lee Riders become?
VT: Everyone knew us and they would show up just about anywhere we played.
60s: Why didn't The Lee Riders record?
VT: It just wasn't happening then. I think no one thought about it to be honest. We were just having a blast playing a ton of gigs.
60s: Do any ‘60's Lee Rider recordings exist?
VT: I had some years ago on a reel-to-reel, but haven't seen them in years.
60s: Did the band make any local TV appearances?
VT: I don't remember any.
60s: What year and why did the band break up?
VT: I can't remember. Jimmy went into the service, Eddie started playing guitar, I started playing bass and the rest is 40 years ago.
60s: Did you join or form any bands after The Lee Riders?
VT: No, I was asked to leave The Lee Riders as they were making changes in the line-up. Jimmy was leaving and Eddie and Robbie thought this guy named David Kennedy looked a lot like Paul McCartney and he played bass. They also wanted a new singer as I feel they thought I was a little more than a front guy and they were losing control of the band. It's just the way it was. I've read where I was "kicked out" of the band. It really wasn't that drastic; just time to move on.
I was a drummer as a young guy. I played in high school (concert band, stage band, marching band). I picked up a guitar when I started singing in The Lee Riders. I would watch Jimmy and Eddie play their instruments. I'd mark a tennis racket where their fingers were, come home and taught myself guitar.
60s: What keeps you busy today?
VT: I got into the video business of distributing Beta and VHS products 28 years ago. I am a pioneer of the video industry. Today, our company distributes DVDs, Blu-Ray, games, and audio books—the whole line up of video. I work for the largest video distributor in the U.S. (Ingram Entertainment). We distribute Paramount, Fox, Warner Bros., HBO, Turner, New Line, MGM, Disney, Universal, Image and 15 other studios to the home video market. I also play gigs at least once a month. I've been a ukulele player for years. I'm a member of the Santa Cruz Ukulele Club. We're the largest ukulele club in the U.S. with over 125 members meeting every month. I have produced two of my own CDs: Down Home Cruzin’ with Tuzzi in 1995 and Nine Years Later, a live performance at the Catalyst a local venue many wonderful artist have played (Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, Ray Charles, Neville Brothers, Jackson Browne, David Bromberg, Leon Redbone...just to name a few). I also own a hotdog stand down on the Wharf in Santa Cruz. I work it on weekends and play and sell my music down there. It's pure heaven.
60s: How do you best summarize your experience with The Lee Riders?
VT: I think the band could have gone all the way to the top. We were great musicians and had great stage presence. There wasn’t much guidance in those days. It was a wonderful time in my life. A picture the band took years ago is still on the wall in my office. All four of those guys—Eddie, Robbie, Jimmy and Sherman—were (part of) a special time in my life. I've played (recently) with Jimmy at our 40-year class reunion. It took me right back to 1965. I love to perform and will do it for the rest of my life. I believe that's one of the reasons I was put on this earth.
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