Wilmer and the Dukes (originally Wilmer Alexander Junior and the Dukes) were an American R&B band in upstate New York in the 1960s. Though they produced only a handful of singles and one album, they performed regularly, and had a dedicated following. One reviewer said, "In Geneva, there were two kinds of kids. Those who went to 'Wilmer' and those who didn't." They are fondly remembered by many of the college alumni from that area, and their music continues to be played today. They were also an influence on other rising musicians such as Eric Bloom, the lead singer of Blue Öyster Cult, and they may have been the inspiration for "Otis Day and the Knights", the 1960s fictional band in the 1978 movie Animal House. The group disbanded in 1974, but came back together for some benefit concerts in 1988, and has continued playing since then, with the last remaining of the original members, Ron Alberts, retiring in 2004. With replacement members, the new version of the band continues to perform as of 2007, as The Legendary Dukes.[1]
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The band originated in 1957 in Geneva, New York, formed by Wilmer Alexander Jr. (born c. 1943), Ronnie Alberts, and Ralph Gillotte. Except for Alexander, all of the members were white, which made the band stand out even more in some of the all-black clubs that they first played in. The Alexanders lived on Wadsworth Street in Geneva, and the band used to practice at one of the garages owned by the Felice Trucking Company on Kirkwood Ave.
Alexander sang and played saxophone, and the band was managed by Ebo Alberts, the father of the drummer, Ronnie Alberts, and the bassist, Monte Alberts. The guitarist, Doug Brown, was from the South and played Stevie Cropper-style. Ralph "Duke" Gillotte was the keyboardist and additional vocalist.
They were primarily a cover band, playing other people's material, such as by Steve Miller and The Rolling Stones. Other music was from Sam and Dave and there were also saxophone based hits such as those originated by Junior Walker & the AllStars. One of their most popular covers was Lee Dorsey's "Get Out of My Life Woman".
The band played from approximately from 1961 to 1974 at various locations around Upstate New York, mostly on the college and bar circuit. Regular venues were The "Pittsford Inn" in Pittsford, New York, "Club 86" in Geneva on Saturdays, and "Bristol Ski Lodge" in Canandaigua on Fridays. They were also regular guests at St. Bonaventure University, and known to play at the Gargoyle Park Pavilion in Olean. In 1964 and 1965, they appeared regularly at parties sponsored by the Social Lions, a secret society at Niagara University in Lewiston.
One club which helped them was The Inferno in Williamsville, a suburb of Buffalo. Every Wednesday night, long lines of fans formed through Glen Park and over the bridge on Glen Avenue, many waiting for hours to get into the sold-out Inferno. Wilmer & the Dukes would play such cover songs as "Reach Out" and "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" by the Four Tops, "Shotgun" & "Road Runner" by Junior Walker & the Allstars, and "Baby Let Me Bang Your Box" by Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts. Other acts they opened for included Wilson Pickett and Sly & the Family Stone. Another of their venues was a bowling alley, Clover Lanes in Rochester. The lanes would be covered over with a temporary wooden stage, Wilmer and the Dukes would play an opening set, and then a national act such as Tommy James and the Shondells, Freddie and the Dreamers, or The Association would be the headliner. Wilmer and the Dukes also regularly played at The Red Dog in Manilus, a Syracuse suburb.
It was at the "Holiday Bar and Grille" in 1963 that they were first heard by Eric Bloom. He became a fan of the band, attending over 100 performances, and stayed close with them for years. In 1967, his own student band, Lost and Found, opened for the Dukes when they played at his campus, Hobart College, and they also came to perform at his fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon.
In the early 1970s, the band played several gigs at the Warehouse, in Kirkwood, New York.
The band's first single was an original dance track by guitarist Brown called "Give Me One More Chance", and was released in the spring of 1968. It got heavy play on stations in upper New York state and upper Pennsylvania, and was a top 40 hit in several East Coast markets and also in Phoenix, Arizona and Bakersfield, California.[2] However, nationally the record only peaked at #78 in Cash Box (in June), and at #80 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Give Me One More Chance" was a slightly bigger hit in Canada than in the band's home country, peaking at #63 on the RPM charts in July 1968.[3] In Toronto, the single reached #18 on the CHUM chart in June, 1968,[4] and hit #8 at rival station CKEY. This would be the only Canadian chart action for the band, which at the time was billed as Wilmer Alexander, Jr., and the Dukes.
A 1968 follow-up single, "Heavy Time", failed to chart. However, the single's B-side, the Jagger/Richards composition "I'm Free", did chart in the top 30 on radio stations in both Syracuse and Rochester. This same song would much later be a hit for the Soup Dragons.
The band's one album (credited to Wilmer and the Dukes) was released in 1969 by Aphrodisiac Records. The album featured "Give Me One More Chance", "Heavy Time" and "I'm Free", as well as the band's final single, "Living In The USA", written by Steve Miller. Released in the summer of 1969, "Living In The USA" was another regional hit for the band in upper New York state (and also a top 40 hit in Detroit),[5] but the song only made it to #114 on the Billboard 'bubbling under' chart, and failed to break out nationally beyond these markets.
Their manager later brought them to Detroit, but their work never really caught on outside of the lower Great Lakes region. Still, although the original members never recorded after 1969, their live shows were a consistent draw in upper New York state, and Wilmer and the Dukes gigged steadily in and around Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo until they broke up in 1974.
In 1988, the group reformed for a series of sold-out benefit concerts to help pay some medical bills for the ailing Alexander. Thereafter, various members have continued touring as The Legendary Dukes, who are active as of 2007, which marks 50 years since the group's origin. The original organist, Ralph Gillotte, died in 1999. Ron Alberts retired in 2004. Eric “Mitty” Moore retired as front man and lead singer of the Legendary Dukes on January 1st, 2011 after 25 years with the band. Trombone player David DeWitt retired on September 10th, 2011 after 16 years with the Legendary Dukes. He had been the primary business manager and horn section leader for the group creating complex and often intricate horn arrangements for the band. Trumpet player Nick Moses, and Saxophone player Kenny Foster left later the same month retiring on September 24, 2011. Lead singer Christine Papp played her last show on October 22, 2011. She left the band to pursue a new career. On October 29, 2011 bass player Matt McNulty left to pursue other musical interests. However, the group continues with new members, and has toured as far as Houston, Texas, and Kansas City.[6] The Legendary Dukes have recorded two more CDs since the reformation of the band; Committed To Soul (1994) and See The World From The Side Of The Road (2004).
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