The Sparrows (band)
| The Sparrows | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Sparrow |
| Origin | Waterloo, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1964–1967 |
| Labels | Columbia |
| Associated acts | |
| Past members | See band members section |
The Sparrows (The Sparrow) was a Canadian blues rock band that existed in the 1960s and had evolved out of Jack London & The Sparrows. Notable for being the first group to break out musician John Kay into the mainstream, The Sparrows later morphed into the popular heavy rock group Steppenwolf.
Singer/songwriter and guitarist Dennis Edmonton, drummer Jerry Edmonton and bass player Nick St. Nicholas had all played together in Toronto “British Invasion” band, Jack London & The Sparrows between January and July 1965.
When the group separated from singer Jack London, The Sparrows recorded a final single on their own before adding new members, vocalist/guitarist/harmonica player and songwriter John Kay and keyboard player Goldy McJohn.
As the new look Sparrows, the group made its live debut at Waterloo Lutheran University (now Wilfrid Laurier University) in Waterloo, Ontario during September 1965 and immediately made an impact with its high energy, blues rock sound. The following month, the band supported Gary Lewis & The Playboys at Massey Hall in Toronto and also found regular work at Chez Monique and the El Patio in the city’s Yorkville village.
Throughout the first few months of 1966, the group consolidated its following on the local club scene. Realising that they needed to attract a wider audience, The Sparrows (as the band was now called) attracted the interest of electronics executive Stanton J. Freeman, who became their manager and arranged for a booking at Arthur, Sybil Burton's hot new club in New York. Freeman then flew them to New York so the A&R people at the major record companies could see them perform. The Sparrows were so well received that over the next five months, they commuted back and forth between Toronto and New York. While in the Big Apple, The Sparrows also appeared at the Barge in Westhampton (The Rascals had played there the previous summer) on Long Island and at another New York club, the Downtown.
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