The Metro St. Louis Live Music
Historical Society
The Panics
RIP John Watson /Bass, Vocals
Dave Scott /Vocals
Don Pruitt /Guitar
Sam Jenkins /Drums
John Highfill /Sax
Dave Dalton /Sax
Terry Duggar /Drums
Dennis Starkey /Guitar
Mick Jones /Keys
Rich Morgan /Keys
Art Welsh /Drums
Willie ? /Sax
I got this note from Drummer Sam on 1-11-11
I was a Junior at AHS when John Watson of East Alton called me saying that he had heard of me and wanted me to join the Panics. I am so bad with names that I can't remember all the band members other than we had a great lead guitar player by the first name of Joe. He was wild! He looked like a Sly Stallone. Was a woman's man. John was a tall and very slender red-head. He was the lead singer and played a mean bass. Mick Jones was our piano player and was about 4 years older than I was- I was the youngest member. Mick had a hot Pontiac and drove as fast as he played the electronic piano. At one time we picked up a Black Sax player who had come out of the Air Force. I remember when we had signed a contract to play at an old club near the intersection of 140/111/and 3 that they wouldn't let our Sax player ( I believe his name was Willie) enter the club - We told them if Willie couldn't go in, neither would we.
We played for many Friday nights in a tavern in Worden, played some Beatles
songs when we played for a Fashion show for teen-aged girls at the Grand Theater
in downtown town Alton and were nearly mobbed- We signed autographs for almost
an hour afterwards- First and last time someone asked for my autograph!
We played several times at the ARC, but one of the most memorable gigs was when
we played for my AHS graduation party at the Godfrey Civic Center in June 1964.
I am remiss for not getting pictures of the Panics and I have long since lost
touch with my friends in the band. If you put any of this in your web site, I
would love to hear from them.
Thanks, and best regards,
Sam
If you have any info about, or photos or recordings of this band, PLEASE email me at: greg@dejawho.com