Jan of "Jan & Dean" Music hits of the '60 dies

[Pantera]

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jan Berry, a member of the duo Jan & Dean that had the 1960s surf-music hits ``Deadman's Curve'' and ``Little Old Lady from Pasadena,'' has died. He was 62.

Berry had a seizure and stopped breathing Friday at his home. He was pronounced dead that evening at a hospital, said his wife, Gertie Berry.

He had been in poor health recently from the lingering effects of brain damage from a 1966 car crash.

Jan & Dean had a string of hits and 10 gold records in the 1960s with their tales of Southern California. Among them were 1964's ``The Little Old Lady from Pasadena,'' about a hotrod racing grandma, and ``Surf City,'' with its lines about taking the station wagon to a place where there are ``two girls for every boy.''

With Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, William Jan Berry co-wrote the lyrics for ``Surf City'' and ``Deadman's Curve,'' which featured the driving guitar licks and falsetto crooning of the wildly popular surf music.

Berry's hit-making career with high school friend Dean Torrence was cut short in 1966 when Berry's speeding Corvette hit a parked truck and he suffered severe brain damage that left him partially paralyzed and unable to talk.

His recovery was slow, but eventually he was able to resume singing and writing songs.
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Boy.... What a sad day! I sure hate to grow old. Just seems like yesterday that they were my favorite music duo. Yesterday we lost another piece of history.

[JoeG]

His songs left some good memories

[John Brown]

Here's a little more Jan Berry history. This story is from harrynilson.com . I remember Jans' first record "Jenny Lee" was big when I was in high school.


Jan Berry and Dean Torrence met at University High School in Los Angeles, California. They formed a Doo Wop group called "The Barons." The group rehearsed in Jan Berry's garage - recording their performances on a pair of reel-to-reel tape recorders.
Arnie Ginsburg and Berry wrote a song about a stripper named Jenny Lee. The song, "Jennie Lee" was recorded Berry and Ginsburg while Torrence was away serving six months of service in the army reserve.

Berry took the tape to a studio to transfer it to a record when producer Joe Lubin of Arwin Records heard the song and offered to buy it. Berry sold him the master.

The single was credited to "Jan and Arnie" and released in early 1958. It reached number eight on the charts during the summer. "Jan and Arnie appeared on American Bandstand while Torrence was still stuck in the army reserve.

After a couple of follow-up singles which didn't perform as well, Ginsburg left and Torrence returned, home from his stint in the reserves.

Herb Alpert and Lou Adler produced Jan and Dean's "Baby Talk" which hit number 10 on the US charts in the summer of 1959.

Jan and Dean performed in concert with the Beach Boys in the early 1960s and became friends with Brian Wilson and the other members of the group.

Wilson gave Berry an unfinished song called "Surf City." Berry finished the song which became Jan and Dean's first number one hit.

More hits followed including "Drag City, " "Dead Man's Curve, " "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena," and "Ride the Wild Surf."

In April of 1966, Jan Berry was nearly killed in a car wreck. His recovery was slow - it took years for him to learn again how to walk and talk.

With Jan and Dean no longer recording, Dean Torrence turned to art. He became a successful graphic designer - creating many famous album covers.

A TV movie in the late 1970s revived interest in Jan and Dean and the two have made concert appearances together.

[427TJ]

The VH-1 "Behind the Music" on Jan and Dean showed Jan's completely totaled Corvette Stingray and it's a miracle he survived the '66 crash. He hit the back of a parked truck at an estimated speed of 100 mph. Anyone know if it was a big-block car? That'd be a helluva trivia question/answer.

[JChlupsa]

Music that will last forever, We thank you.

http://www.jananddean-janberry.com/

[Belair62]

Were there ever any cooler lyrics !

DEAD MAN'S CURVE
Jan & Dean

I was cruisin' in my Stingray late one night,
When an XKE pulled up on the right
He rolled down the window of his shiny new Jag,
And challenged me then and there to a drag
I said "You're on buddy -- my mill's running fine,
Let's come off the line now at Sunset and Vine
But I'll go you one better, if you've got the nerve,
Let's race all the way -- to Dead Man's Curve"
(Dead Man's Curve) is no place to play
(Dead Man's Curve) you'd best keep away
(Dead Man's Curve) I can hear 'em say:
"Won't come back from Dead Man's Curve"
The street was deserted late Friday night;
We were buggin' each other while we sat out the light
We both popped the clutch when the light turned green,
You shoulda heard the whine from my screamin' machine!
I flew past La Brea, Schwab's and Crescent Heights,
And all the Jag could see were my six taillights
He passed me at Doheny then I started to swerve,
But I pulled her out and there we were - at Dead Man's Curve
(Dead Man's Curve) is no place to play
(Dead Man's Curve... [sounds of skids and crashes] )
(Spoken): "Well, the last thing I remember, Doc,
I started to swerve
And then I saw the Jag slide into the curve
I know I'll never forget that horrible sight,
I guess I found out for myself that everyone was right"
Won't come back from Dead Man's Curve...
(Dead Man's Curve) is no place to play
(Dead Man's Curve) you'd best keep away
(Dead Man's Curve) I can hear 'em say:
"Won't come back from Dead Man's Curve"
(Dead Man's Curve) is no place to play
(Dead Man's Curve) you'd best keep away
(Dead Man's Curve) I can hear 'em say:
"Won't come back from Dead Man's Curve" (fade)

[Seattle Sam]

Here is "Jennie Lee" Jennie Lee MP3

[NCGuy68]

Bummer.........hate to hear of his passing.

Although the Beach Boys may have been more popular on the music charts, Jan & Dean captured the essence of the 60s' surfing craze. Some of their other hits included......

"Ride the wild surf"
"Surfin' safari"
"Summer means fun"

[DarrenX33]

It is so strange that this happened. A few weeks ago I was thinking about the "Deadman's curve" movie. Hadn't seen it since it came out in 1978. A week later my cable started showing it like crazy. Now this. Sad news. He will be missed.

[Fhakya]

Thx for the post, I don't generally watch the news & hate MTV (who probably did some token 'blurb' on him). I did a little tribute to Jan after comedy night. (I host the longest running comedy night in MN...and possibly in the midwest now, every Sunday night.)

The college kids looked a me like I just warped through time..but they dug it. (at 31, I'm not even dating myself...just 'nerding' myself w/ the Jan & Dean...AMEN!)

R.I.P. Jan Berry

Sincerely,
-Mark Holman



PS There's my age ....I've been ignoring that "age" thread a bit.