Royal Peacock presents The Impressions, Jackie Ross & Wayne Logiudice

Photo above taken by Linda Kaye Logiudice





Live From Atlanta's Bikini A-Go-Go during the Hey Baby Days: Wayne Logiudice & The Kommotions


left to right: Al Sheppard (sax, over Lynn's right shoulder), Lynn Kaye (Logiudice, prior to their marriage), Harry Hagan (trombone), bass player not recognized, (he was either a sub or someone sitting in), Emory Gordy Jr (over Wayne's shoulder), Wayne, and over Wayne's head, Betsy Green (dancer, one time girl friend of Rick Bear). I know the other dancer, but don't remember her name right now.

photos coutesy of Wayne & son. Linda Kaye Logiudice is deceased. Photo identications courtesy of Rick Bear


A backstage photo of the Wayne and the band was made at the Apollo Theatre in NYC in late 1965 early 1966 and appeared in Jet Magazine. We are looking for that one to add and any others that we find.

The following additional comments were added by Rick Bear:

A short aside: Wayne really liked Emory's (Gordy) guitar playing and Emory was a great music director. So Emory played guitar and directed the band and Barry Bailey played bass on all of Wayne's shows. Our show had many improvised stops and breaks, it was loose like most black R&B groups of that period, so a director was required. The band always did an instrumental set prior to the shows. Barry played guitar and Emory played bass on the instrumental sets. So as you see in the pic here, Emory is playing guitar.

Paul Goddard played with St John and the Cardinals at that time. If I remember correctly, he played guitar in that band. Often when Emory or Barry could not make a gig (when Barry B first started playing with us, he was still in Decatur High School.), I always called Paul first. He was living in Rome, GA then. I believe that he grew up in Rome. On occasion, when Dennis St John could not make a gig, I filled in for him. We kind of helped each other out. After the Kommotions broke up, Emory played with The Cardinals a lot. I know that they did a couple of Canadian tours as Roy Orbison's band. They played as the house band at Kitten's Korner on Peachtree during '66 and '67. Dennis and Emory moved to LA. in the late '60s around the same time. Dennis played drums for Neil Diamond for many years later on as did Emory Gordy. Two Roy Orbison bands, The Candymen and St John and The Cardinals combined and eventually became The Atlanta Rhythm Section.

Ciao, Rick







The above photo of Wayne "Logiudice" Gregory appears on a 1994 album of religious music produced and recorded by Wayne. We have the cassette and plan to listen to it as soon as we find the stored cassette player. We'll report back. It's understandable why Wayne changed his name. Back in the day, only a few people could spell it right the first time around.



I never doubted that Wayne Logiudice's name appeared on the marquee of the "Apollo of The South", the Royal Peacock . I was elated to get a scan today of that image along with Wayne live at Atlanta's Bikini A-Go-Go from back in the day. and a more recent photo of the hard to find blue-eyed soul brother.


Still a lot Kommotion and interest in Wayne Logiudice and the Kommotions

Based upon the number of total downloads of images posted at the blog, page 1 of the Wayne Logiudice and the Kommotions band’ directory is the overall number 1 downloaded item. Surprisingly page 2 of the directory which includes Wayne’s name is further down the list with less than half as many downloads. This tells us that if we post any more band directories, all the pages of the directory need to be on 1 PDF because most would think that all the information would be on a single page.
However in the last couple of days, images related to the Georgia prophets have been downloaded by many.

Here’s the top ten downloaded items:

Wayne Logiudice and the Kommotions
(page 1 of the band’s directory)

Billy Stewart and Charles Stafford
(at the Beach Club)

Billy, Barbara (Scott) & Billy Walker

Divots ( front page of magazine article)

Jokers Seven

Inside Back cover (of book)

Crowds Dig (the Swingin’ Medalllions)
1964 Newspaper article

Wayne Logiudice and the Kommotions
(page 2 of the band’s directory)

Live at The Old Hickory
(1965 photos Swingin’Medallions)

Original Georgia Prophets

More about Wayne

Artists Wayne Worked With:

Emory Gordy Jr.
Barry Bailey
John Ivey
Rick Bear
G.C. Coleman
Harold Kelling
Ray Whitley
Arthur Conley & Corvettes
Lee Moses
Julius High "Lots of Popa"
The Impressions Band
The Winstons

Added to list courtesy of Rick Bear:

Harry Hagan (Exceptional trombonist, Brenda Lee's bandleader and husband),
Ray Jarrell (one of Atlanta's best ever, reeds),
Al Sheppard (reeds),
John Fristo (guitar, in The River People),
Paul Goddard (guitar, bass, he filled in for Barry or Emory whenever we needed a sub), Charlie Dechant (presently reeds for Hall and Oates).

A couple of local Atlanta artists that deserve mention were:

Grover Mitchell (Baby, That's a Good Idea)
The Mighty Hannibal (recent Atlanta tribute, Creative Loafing) and
The Reverend Mule (comedian).


Appeared at these theatres:

Royal Peacock (Atlanta)
The Apollo (NYC)
The Pickens (Brooklyn)
The Regal (Chicago)
The Howard (Washington, D.C.)
The Purple Onion ( San Francisco)
Paramount Theater, Newark, NJ w/ Jackie Wilson and Marjie Hendricks (lead backup for Ray Charles)


Jammed with:

Jimi Hendrix
Slide Hampton Orchestra
Duane Allman & Allman Bros. Band
Joe Tex Band
Little Richard (at the Peacock),
Don Gardner and Dee Dee Ford (Smalls Paradise, Harlem




On The Same Show With:

Beach Boys
Jan & Dean
Paul Revere & The Raiders
Jeff Beck & The Yardbirds
Byrds
Peter & Gordon
Bo Diddley
Billy Joe RoyalTommy RoeMac Davis
Joe & Tommy South
Freddie Cannon
Travis Womack
Lovin' Spoonful
Ernie K Doe
Johnny Nash
Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions
Bobby Goldsboro
Otis Redding
Etta James
Rufus Thomas
Fantastic Four
Tommy Hunt
the Marvelettes
The Spinners
The Manhattans
Robert Parker
Jackie Wilson
Percy Sledge
Gene Chandler
Albert King
Wilson Pickett
Gladys Knight & The Pips
Pop Staples & The Staples Singers
Aretha Franklin
Jamo Thomas
Sam & Dave
Sam the Sham & The Pharohs
Jimmy Ruffin
David Ruffin
Billy Stewart

Added courtesy of Rick Bear
Young Rascals (NYC),
Gary US Bonds (Atlanta & Louisville, KY),
Hugh Jarrett (Jordanaires, many times),
Johnny Taylor (Apollo),
Don Covay & The Good Timers (Bikini A Go Go),
King Coleman (original Mashed Potatos),
Peg Leg Moffet (Emcee),
Gorgeous George (Emcee and singer),
John Lee Hooker (Bikini A Go Go),
Reuben Phillips Orchestra (houseband at Apollo),
Jimmy Castor Bunch (Harlem),
Charlie Persip (world famous jazz drummer),
Five Stairsteps (Apollo),
Willie Tee (Thank You John)
Tommy Roe at Roemans at the Bikini A Go Go






Record Companies

Amy Mali Bell
Phillips

T.V. Appearances

Up Beat Cleveland
also stations in:

New York
Atlanta
Philadelphia
Baltimore