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Ron and the Viscounts

About Me

Ron and the Viscounts

Ron and the Viscounts was a rock & roll band from Brockville, Ontario, during the dawn of the 1960's. The band's music roster consisted of hits from that era and a few of their own tunes. 
The big beat quintet played at many local teen dances where one would only pay a 65 cents admission fee. This was very exciting for the youngsters from that era since prior to the band's formation, the local teen dance entertainment was typically only a jukebox or other local rock & roll bands like The Count 5 and The Crescendo's. 
Hundreds of kids would come out to the Playland Bandstand or the Office Bowling League Banquet at the Hilltop, doing the twist, rock & roll jiving, the stroll, slow dancing and other new dances. 
Hilltop was a building on a hill, right in the center of Brockville that a local teenager, started up. He featured Ron and the Viscounts as well as crooners like, Bobby Curtola and Johnny Tillotson who came from other cities and towns. This became competition for Playland which was on the skirts of town.
Ron and the Viscounts entertained for both adult and teen dances at both dance venues. 
Playland had pin-ball machines, archery, a baseball machine, mini-golf, go-carts, a driving range and a big hall. Teens would go there to hang out and dance to the big jukebox. The boys would sit on one side and the girls on the other, waiting for a boy to ask them to dance. Some girls would jive together as their patience would wear thin. 
The teens that didn't have money would order a "Pine Float", which was a tooth pick in a glass of water.
Like all good things, Ron and the Viscounts came to an end after only 2 years. Ron moved away to Kingston and that was that. Or was it the end...
John lost touch with all the band members over the years until he crossed paths in 2004 with Ron. The two got back together for a couple of jam sessions at John's home, Ron played the guitar and keyboards and John played the drums and the bass.
Not long after these memory lane jams, Ron died from a heart attack in 2005. Barney currently resides in Brockville and the whereabouts of the Varela brothers are unknown. There is a possibility that they and their parents moved back to England.
Happy Listening and check back to learn more about the Ron and the Viscounts story.

Other bands through the era's featuring John Desmarais on drums:

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 08/11/2006
Band Website: http://www.geocities.com/jdbicc/
Band Members: John Desmarais Drums
Ron Porteous Lead Guitar and Vocals
Howard 'Barney' Barnhart Vocals
Don Varela Bass Guitar
Frank Varela Rhythm Guitar

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Influences: Some of John's influences during Ron and the Viscounts included Fats Domino, Little Richard and Chuck Berry.
Record Label: John Desmarais Productions

My Blog

FREE DOWNLOADS~The Viscounts are being FEATURED!~Never Forget...

2 more songs posted in memory of John Desmarais...The Wanderer, featuring Barney on vocals!and...I'm In The Mood For Love, featuring Ron on vocals!Actually... we will save Ron for another day and inst...
Posted by on Sun, 11 May 2008 12:19:00 GMT

Ever-Present

It's amazing how a death can bring so much love and life. I have never felt the presence so strong from a passed on family member as I have felt with the gain of Uncle John...GAIN?? Of course, caus...
Posted by on Sun, 27 May 2007 13:09:00 GMT

John Desmarais tribute tonight on CFMU...

Hello all and thank you for taking interest in Ron and the Viscounts. Tonight at 6:30pm EST (NYC time) on 93.3 CFMU is emole radio. He has invited me to bring some of Uncle John's music to play thro...
Posted by on Tue, 15 May 2007 08:36:00 GMT

Sleep in peace to earth's everlasting lullaby.

On this breezy and cool spring day, May 14, 2007, my dear musical gem of an Uncle passed away. John Desmarais was a gentle, funny, sweet, silly, nature loving and peaceful man.He lived for music and ...
Posted by on Mon, 14 May 2007 16:33:00 GMT

John built their own P.A. speakers to save money and that's not all....

***********************************If you have observed the live shot of Ron and The Viscounts, you will notice two PA speakers on the floor. John Desmarais built them himself. The cabinets are wood...
Posted by on Thu, 19 Apr 2007 17:22:00 GMT