Joe Holonbek – A COLORADO MUSICAL JOURNEY
DENVER PIONEER ROCKER & Country Musician
We are proud to induct Joe Holonbek into to the Pop Bop Rock Honor Roll
Joe Holonbek was born on September 29th, 1942 in Jackson, Michigan.
Joe came to the Mile High City at the young age of 3 with his family – the move spearheaded by his father – himself a musician – a drummer and mallet percussionist – who was a native of Denver.
Holonbek’s mother was also a musician accomplished as a classical pianist. Joe relates, “I was influenced early on by my mother. She exposed me to the compositions of Rachmaninoff, Beethoven and Bach.” Under his mother’s influence Joe was soon playing the piano himself. “My early repertoire consisted of nursery rhymes and simple tunes” he fondly remembers.
Then, at age 11, it was time to take formal lessons. Joe would elect to learn the guitar – a good choice – setting him firmly on his life journey in music.
By the time he was 13 years old he landed a paying “gig” playing rhythm guitar. “I earned a whopping six dollars” he recounts. Joe attended and graduated from Jefferson High School located in Lakewood, Colorado.
Early Influencers: Diamond/Charles/Nelson
Joe would become inspired by a wide range of musicians from Ray Charles and Elvis, to country icons Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, and to pop stars such as Neil Diamond.
“I was fascinated by the motion picture composers,” Joe recalls. Among his favorites were Ennio Morricone (“Good Bad and the Ugly” etc.), Elmer Bernstein and Henry Mancini.
The Saints
Original Saints: Pre-Holonbek
Joe Holonbek would get his start as a guitarist in the Denver ‘garage band’ scene. The band formed sometime in 1958 with Joe Marisco on drums, Doug Balterson on lead guitar, and Balterson’s younger brother (first name unknown) was on accordion, and the group’s leader was sax player Doug Hole.
Later in 1958, the band took on the name of “The Saints” taking the name from the tune “When the Saints Go Marching In”. By then, Joe Holonbek had come in along with Dave Barhite – both guitar players.
Holonbek remembers, “Frank got a hold of me in 1958 after he learned that we both were taking guitar lessons from the same instructor.”
Several lead vocalists would come and go. With Doug Hole still the leader, the Saints would work around town playing various venues including Mammoth Garden when it was still a roller rink. They would back Bobby Darin when he came to town.
Doug Hole would take off for college in the fall of 1959. Dave Barhite would step up to front the Saints and they were often billed as “Dave and The Saints”. Holonbek would then assume lead guitar duties. Dave would sometimes take lead as well and often play rhythm guitar.
The Saints competed in Denver’s summer “Show Wagon” competition which took place in public parks around the city, culminating in a final competition in Denver’s Cheeseman Park.
New members would come and go including Rich Kimble on sax, Daryl Kennedy on drums, Clinton Brown on bass and Ray Anderson on drums. The Saints would benefit from the promotional efforts of local radio personalities Gene Price (KIMN and KUDY) and Rick Diamond (KDUY). Through their efforts the Saints would get to back Bobby Vee, Donnie Brooks and as mentioned above, Bobby Darin.
Band Box Records
Sometime in 1960, the Saints would begin recording for Band Box records. Joe remembers, “Before Vicky Morosan (Band Box founder), opened her own studio, she would book us into local studios around town.”
Once Band Box had it’s own studio, the Saints would record often at the location on north Sheridan Blvd. The group cut their own singles as well as backing up drummer Ronny Kae, Orlie Trujillo, and even local DJ Tony Larson who put out one single on the label.
The Saints were chosen to back Band Box singer Orlie Trujillo on four tracks. Taking his inspiration from Tommy Facenda’s “High School U.S.A.”, the Saints would back Orlie on the song “Twist and Freeze” in 1961.
Joe explains, “We cut the instrumental backing once and then Orlie would commence to lay down the lyrics with just enough changes to fit various major cities around the country.”
In fact, there were 28 versions released in all. It appeared that Orlie and the Saints may have landed a big break back in ’61, when they received an invitation to debut the song on American Bandstand.
National Promotion for “Twist and Freeze”
Holonbek laments the fate of that trip: “On the day of our scheduled departure from Denver to Philadelphia, Denver was hit with a massive snow storm!” A degree of fame that might have followed would not happen. The Saint’s performance was cancelled and never rescheduled.
Holonbek Looks Ahead
In a recent get together with Joe (October, 2020) I overheard him humming a few bars of Tennessee Flat-Top Box”. That tune is one of his very favorites as is “The Way I Am” which has been covered by Merle Haggard, Tommy Sands, Jackie Wilson and Johnny Burnette – a very diverse range of musicians typical of Joe’s taste in music.
At the top of Joe’s song favorites which he enjoys performing the most is “Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground”. Joe was a member of Denver country musician Rudy Grant’s “Buffalo Riders Band”. The group was voted the Colorado Country Music Hall of Fame’s (CCMHOF) “Group of the Year” in 2014. Holonbek was inducted into the CCMHOF and has served as it’s president in the past.
Buffalo Riders (Joe Holonbek Left)
In more recent times, Holonbek would provide guitar services for the “Ekletiks”.
The Ekletiks
Joe Holonbek with Dooley’s Noose
Joe continues to play music around the Denver area. Of his future he tells us, “I really enjoy living in Colorado and look forward to continuing to play along with all of the talented people in the State.”
L-R: Frankie Rino – Joe Holonbek – Larry Higgins October 2020 Denver
Saints Selected Discography
BAND BOX 235 – ROCKIN’ SIAM” B/W “PLAYBOY” – 1960
BAND BOX 237 – “COOL YULE” B/W “BEAR RUG” (TONY RODELLE LARSON & THE SAINTS) – NOVEMBER, 1960
This recording was probably cut in 1959 and released in 1960 sometime after Doug Hole departed for college. Doug Hole recalls “I also connected with Gene Price and Tony Larson when they were on KUDY radio in the Woodlawn shopping center. We used the studio to do dome recording.” Hole was featured on Sax on the Larson Band Box cuts.
BAND BOX 249 – “NEVER” B/W “LONELY, LONELY ONE” (TOM ALLEN & THE SAINTS)** – 1960
NOTE: Neither Dave Barhite or Joe Holonbek recall recording with “Tom Allen” nor do they know of him
BAND BOX 253 – “TWIST & FREEZE U.S.A.” B/W “KING KONG” (ORLIE & THE SAINTS)*** – 1961
BAND BOX 262 – “GOIN’ HOME” B/W “WATCH OUT FOR THAT LAST STEP – MARCH, 1961
BAND BOX 264 – “ALL PART OF GROWING UP” B/W “ANNETTE” – JUNE, 1961
BAND BOX 341 – “LEAVIN’ SURF CITY” B/W “FEVER” (DAVE & THE SAINTS) – 1964
BAND BOX 362 – “SWIMMING DRUMS” B/W “THE LURCH” (RONNIE KAE & THE SAINTS) – 1965
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