Johnnie and Joe, 'Over The Mountain'

Johnnie Louise Richardson was born in Alabama. Joe Rivers in South Carolina.

I was born in the South Bronx, Washington Avenue to be exact. In 1957 Johnnie and Joe lived in the South Bronx too. So when they got booked on one of the ground breaking 'Rock 'n Roll' shows at the Paramount Theatre the race began. The race for us kids to round up enough 'deposit bottles' to return to the store to get the 2cent return one got for returning the glass bottles of that era. Tickets were $2 and you needed twenty cents to get there, ten cents each way on the 3d Avenue EL.

 Johnnie and Joe

Notice I said 'Rock 'n Roll' because that was what it was, pure. Today anything with a guitar and loud qualifies.

We hustled down to the Paramount, sister theater of the theater of the same name in Brooklyn. It was 43d Street and Broadway. We waited about an hour outside cause all seats were first come first serve.

That was 56 years ago, and I have never to this day been more excited about seeing any performance.
I searched for clips from something from them in that time, but it seems nothing exists.

So here's a look at them 45 years later, just as great, and brings me back to a simpler life in Da Bronx.

VIDEO~Enjoy!!   ~~     "Over The Mountain" by Johnnie and Joe

Johnnie, past away in 1988 in NYC.


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