Ron Edge:  

Life As I was preparing for retirement [January, 2007] and having a drink(s), I found myself reflecting over my life. I found that I have great memories of those years at Roosevelt H.S.; the years of innocence. I have fond memories of all of you; the class of "63", as well as others. Upon graduation, I gave the college life an attempt, and was in a "Rhythm and Blues" band, with Bill Deiz, class of "61". We found ourselves in L.A. during the Watts Riots of 1965. We signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. and were set to go on tour with Henry Mancini, The Righteous Bros. and The New Christie Minstrels, in the summer of 1965. We had just recorded our first record, while living on Malibu Beach. One of the other guys in our band was Bob Welch, who later went on to play with Fleet Wood Mac. ""The original line-up included lead singer Ivory Hudson, saxophonist and singer Henry Moore, drummer Ron Edge and bassist Bill Deiz, who later became a television news anchorman and reporter in Los Angeles. (Later band members Bobby Watson and Tony Maiden subsequently formed the funk group Rufus with Chaka Khan.)y. "I Still Love You" has become a Northern Soul anthem over the past 30 years with original copies on OKeh (or French CBS / Italian Epic) changing hands for anything up to $800."" " ""Seven Souls, Okeh 7289. "I Still Love You/I'm No Stranger" Sold at auction for $800."" Northern Soul, Seven Souls, Hall of Fame Okeh 7289, I Still Love You.... #60 ""You really can't go wrong with either side of this rare single ("I'm No Stranger"), which, on the strength of "I Still Love You" (the intended B side) is listed at #60 in Kev Roberts' list of the 500 greatest Northern Soul 45s!"" All was good with the world; then Bill and I received our Draft notice. The last job we played was at the Beverly Hills Hotel, for the wedding reception of Bobby Hatfield [of The Righteous Bros]. Our agent also represented Henri Mancini, where we met in his office monthly at Hollywood and Vine [with the stuffed Pink Panther on his desk]. Bill found himself in the Marines, and I chose to "enlist" for the Airborne in the Army for 3 years ----- rather than 2 years as a draftee. After jump school, I volunteered for Special Forces and spent a year in training. My good friend, in Special Forces, was John Kedenburg [we joined together after jump school at Ft. Benning, GA]. He was killed in Laos, while serving in a S.O.G. Unit, on June 13, 1968; receiving The Congressional Medal Of Honor. I went on to Vietnam in 1968 also, where I was with a Recon Unit initially, and then later with another front line unit in I -...Expand for more