GYPSY QUEEN

GYPSY QUEEN Identical twins born one minute apart, Pamela and Paula are originally from Buffalo, N.Y. “From the age of 2 we both knew we wanted to be singers and that is how we began,” says Pamela. Leaving a very broken home at 16 the twins headed to Miami and began their career singing rock n’ roll. “We sang every night for years and worked our throats raw in a band called “Gypsy Queen”, adds Paula. The first line-up had Pedro Riera on guitar, Augie Treto on bass (R.I.P-1996), Vic Paliuca ..w/ Marty Ricollo on drums. Later when Augie got sick, (but still remained as band manager, a songwriting partner, etc), Joey O'Jeda played bass followed by Jay Cohen on drums and joined by another guitarist Bryan Le Mar. Eventually the band signed w/ producer Jack Douglas (Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, etc) and recorded a self titled album "Gypsy Queen". Meanwhile Peter "Mars" Cowling played bass and was joined by drummer Keith Cronin, That line-up played their first U.K gigs at the Reading festival and the Marquee club in London. Shortly after "creative differences" emerged between the band and Pamela and Paula. The group disbanded and they went on to play in a band called "All the Queens Men".Meanwhile the twins reformed Gypsy Queen w/ extraordinary guitarist Scotti Migone, back w/ Joey O'Jeda on bass and Kenny Wendland on drums. "We picked our friends to play with. We were like family and even hung out on our days off when we weren't playing in Mississippi or some place", remembers Paula. Later the band moved to London to record and tour. “We played the whole gamut, from a bullfighting ring in South America, the White Nights festival in Finland to the sports stadium in St, Petersburg, Russia,” recalls Pamela. “It was an incredible experience!' Later the twins moved to L.A when they got another record deal w/ "Cell Mates”. In that band there was Galen Walker guitarist, Jussi Tagglemen on drums and Gary Montemor on bass. Myron Grombacher also played drums on the CD along w/ guitarist Bryan Le Mar. As well Johnny Angel played & co-wrote a few songs w/ the twins on the CD entitled "Between two Fires". After all that the twins took a bit of a hiatus out of frustration from their own (as they stated) "stupidity, mistakes and the roller coaster ride of the music biz".Eventually they started doing studio sessions, gigs, V/O, etc. More notably they worked w/ producer. George Martin and Paula sang the “Smelly Cat” song from “Friends”. The twins started studying acting as well. As actors they work individually but they prefer working together. They are in two movies coming out soon, One is "Banking on Love" where they play randy cougars and "Hanging Out Hooking Up and Falling in Love". In that they play twins that love karaoke 80's night and are one of the love interests (No it's not really THAT kinky) of the leading man again cast as a couple of "horny but kind of sad" twins. The twins are still singing and are currently w/ Jack Mack and the Heart Attack" and their new project "Mrs. Robinson" although they maintain that Gypsy Queen will always be close to their hearts. They even recorded a "countryish, rocky, poppy" CD not too long ago as GQ after writing a bunch of tunes w/Scotti Migone. (With special guests Albert Lee on guitar, Chuck Kavorous on slide and the late Tommy Eyre on piano). They try to see Scotti, Kenny and Joey when they go to Miami and who knows, there maybe a reunion soon. But one thing's for sure, the twins are still together! "We’ve always been unusually close twins, we live nearby and see each other everyday, and have quite a psychic connection”, says Paula. “We are what you would call soul mates"..