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Ersel Hickey, one of the first friends I made in my New York days, wrote this song called "Crooked Little Man" /"Don't Let The Rain Come Down, and in 1964 the Serendipity Singers had a top ten hit with it. Before you know it, the Beach Boys recorded it too. The Serendipity singers were considered a folk group, in the tradition of Peter, Paul, and Mary. And in 1964 they performed at the Democratic National Convention.This song was also recorded by Johnny Rivers. Trini Lopez performed it and so did many other performers. We've even heard a punk rock version. It's called a "classic" now. Back then the song writing residuals bought Ersel got a house.
The Serendipity Singers have had many changes through the years. Some incarnation of the group was performing through the 1990's.
TRINI LOPEZ was a fixture at PJ's on Crescent Heights and Santa Monica and the first album he released - which was in '63 - was LIVE AT PJ's. "If I Had a Hammer" was his big hit of the season. He was also on the Hootenanny television show in December 1963.
Trini, a Taurus, had a rich taste in clothes and had shirts made for himself - custom - with big collars. He dressed immaculate and had class beyond class. He drove a white Rolls Royce convertible with one of the first vanity license plates on it that said "TRINI." He had it all... He even had a big ol' dimple on his chin!
Besides being a fan and going to hear him play at P.J.'s restaurant and club, I managed to get one of my songs into consideration by him that year and he almost recorded it. Everybody hung out at P.J.'s. Frank Sinatra first spotted him there. Trini was friends with P.J. Proby too.
The Beatles once opened for Trini in France.
VIDEO UPDATED NOV 2013
I was a frequent guest at Elvis' when he lived in Los Angeles which was during his movie making years. I had some of the best times of my life in those years! I was also a staff song writer at American Music and involved in the demo making process for American Music and Pat Boone's company, Cooga-Mooga. Seems my whole life had become about music by then!When Elvis' guys came down into town from Bel Air, we'd meet up to watch a show, have a meal, sit around a talk or play music after work. The guys were called "His Guys" or "The Entourage" then. These guys were a lot of fun to be with, and some of them had active interest in songwriting or acting, though most of them lived their lives around their working for Elvis. They were living the life of a millionaire, but once in a while they would take a break and get away.We had favorite clubs and restaurants where we met up with my songwriter colleagues. We liked the Palomino Club in the Valley, which became one of our hang outs. Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood was where we hung out. Cliff Gleaves prefered it and Trini Lopez would come in. We liked the Carolina Pines restaurant. We liked the Whisky A Go Go on Sunset.Elvis was now too famous to just stop into a diner or a club, though there were a few he still went to. Sometimes he would just drive Sunset in his Rolls Royce.
