Rock and roll band formed by classmates at Towson Sr. High School. The original band featured Vern Ruppert (guitarist and leader ex-Kentucky Mountaineers with Leon Kagarise), Barry Russo (guitar), Jamie Hess (piano), Ron Sechrist (sax), George Williamson (drums), and Terry Elton (vocals). Later members included Doug Fiorilli (vocals, guitar), Al Rossi (sax), and Ben Proctor (drums).
Fiorilli wrote songs that the group recorded as demos. Their originals included “House Rocking,” and “Idle Time.”
According to Vern “The Rockets, along with the Jay-Rockers were one of the original Baltimore area true rock and roll bands. (We) took a great deal of the Rock and roll “flack” from area ministers and such. (We) worked hard to promote R&B… even getting the first approved appearance in a Baltimore County Public School: Towson High School! The opening song was “My Gal Is Red Hot.” Eight minutes later our guitar and microphone was turned-off by the principal! We were asked to leave, but we came back a few weeks later.”
The group was ‘discovered’ in 1957 while performing a record hop at the Harvest Moon dance at Towson Sr. High School by WCAO DJ Bob Granger and advertising promoter Ben Lawson. Granger promoted the group on his “Midnight Serenade” show on WCAO.
Hess, Rossi, and Proctor went on to join the Commodores. Ruppert, Sechrist, and Elton were later with the Londonaires…
