Bretrick
Well-known Member
- Location
- Perth Western Australia
On September 21st 1959 two brothers top the chart will their own composition.
Santo and Johnny Farina were born in Brooklyn - New York. Santo in 1937, Johnny in 1941.
After World War II, the boys’ father found a music teacher who gave the boys steel guitar lessons.
The rest, as they say is history.
Within two years, Santo was performing in amateur shows using a new Gibson six-string steel guitar and had started receiving lessons from a steel guitar teacher who had studied in Hawaii.
By the age of fourteen, Santo was composing songs, and formed an instrumental trio with a guitarist and drummer.
When Johnny reached the age of twelve, he began to play accompaniment to Santo on a standard electric guitar. The brothers soon formed a duo and became rather popular in school, eventually performing at events in the New York boroughs.
When Johnny turned 16, he told their father that they would be quitting school to pursue a career as “rock stars”, to which their father responded “The only stars are in the sky.”
The brothers wrote a song one night when they couldn’t sleep after playing a gig, and started jamming. The song was Sleep Walk and during September 1959 it scored the Number 1 billing the American charts.
Here is that song
Santo & Johnny - Sleep Walk
Santo and Johnny Farina were born in Brooklyn - New York. Santo in 1937, Johnny in 1941.
After World War II, the boys’ father found a music teacher who gave the boys steel guitar lessons.
The rest, as they say is history.
Within two years, Santo was performing in amateur shows using a new Gibson six-string steel guitar and had started receiving lessons from a steel guitar teacher who had studied in Hawaii.
By the age of fourteen, Santo was composing songs, and formed an instrumental trio with a guitarist and drummer.
When Johnny reached the age of twelve, he began to play accompaniment to Santo on a standard electric guitar. The brothers soon formed a duo and became rather popular in school, eventually performing at events in the New York boroughs.
When Johnny turned 16, he told their father that they would be quitting school to pursue a career as “rock stars”, to which their father responded “The only stars are in the sky.”
The brothers wrote a song one night when they couldn’t sleep after playing a gig, and started jamming. The song was Sleep Walk and during September 1959 it scored the Number 1 billing the American charts.
Here is that song
Santo & Johnny - Sleep Walk
