Rock and roll band seen at Moe’s on Greene Street, and nightly at Cicero’s. Members included Jackie Faulkner (lead guitar), Jessie Faulkner (bass), Glen Decker (rhythm guitar), Steve Neeley (sax), Jimmy Holmes (drums)… Richard Clauser (lead guitar), Chuck Dehn (bass)…
The group backed DC based vocalist Barry Darvell and appeared on his 1960 single “Fountain of Love” b/w “Little Angel Lost” (Cub 9088).
The Hi-Lees played at the Golden Ring Inn almost exclusively as the house band through 1964-65. The group recorded their original songs at Monumental Studios including “Wooden Doll,” “All Nite Party,” “Poly Waddle Doodle,” and “Anna Mae.” The songs were done as demos and weren’t released as singles.
Later member Doug Smith (bass) was with The Three of Us, Rise (‘70s) and continued to play in the ‘00s as a founding member of Memory Lane. Joey Welz (piano ex-Jay Rockers, Rockabillies) continued a prolific recording career as solo artist, with Bill Haley’s Comets, and others.
Lee eventually left and the group became known as the Swingin’ Hi-Lees.
Their song “All Nite Party” was included on the CD “Joey Welz – Top Ten Radio Hits of the 50s” (Canadian-American 1950).
