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654:"Soul Patrol “in Elma, NY, The Blue Moon Ball Staff at the Corning Glass Museum, Corning NY, All of our Canadian friends up north, The Buffalo Irish Club, Buffalo, NY, The Brew Haus in Orchard Park, NY, Root 5 in Hamburg, NY, The City of Buffalo NY, Batavia Downs Grandstands Restaurant, Finger Lakes Gaming & Race Track in Farmington, NY, and the many others that supported us over the years...and last but certainly not least Jim and Patty Clinton of the River Grille in North Tonawanda NY.
361:, formed by Wilmer Alexander Jr. (born c. 1943), Ronnie Alberts, and Ralph Gillotte. Except for Alexander, all of the members were white, which made the band stand out even more in some of the all-black clubs that they first played in. The Alexanders lived on 90 Wadsworth Street in Geneva, and the band used to practice at one of the garages owned by the Felice Trucking Company on Kirkwood Ave.
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617:, but their work never really caught on outside of the lower Great Lakes region. Still, although the original members never recorded after 1969, their live shows were a consistent draw in upper New York state, and Wilmer and the Dukes gigged steadily in and around Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo (playing several gigs at the Warehouse, in
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To all of the fans and longtime supporters of the
Legendary Dukes, during the past year we lost half of our band members in key positions due to financial, personal and professional reasons. Unfortunately, despite desperate attempts to get replacement members, we could not keep things moving forward
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After seven years of playing the local circuit, arrangements were made for the group to cut their first recordings for
Buffalo-based Aphrodisiac Records. The band's first single was an original dance track by guitarist Brown called "Give Me One More Chance", and was released in the spring of 1968.
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The
Legendary Dukes and the band that they grew out of... Wilmer Alexander Jr. and the Dukes, have enjoyed a fifty seven year run... no mean feat considering the life expectancy of any band whether local or a national . The people that have made that possible are a special breed. To try to continue
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The band continued to play, albeit with no original members, for several years afterward. Eric "Mitty" Moore retired as front man and lead singer of the
Legendary Dukes on January 1, 2011 after over 20 years with the band. Trombone player David DeWitt retired on September 10, 2011, after 16 years
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In 1988, the group reformed for a series of sold-out benefit concerts to help pay some medical bills for the ailing
Alexander. Thereafter, various members (without Alexander) continued touring as The Legendary Dukes. The Dukes original organist, Ralph Gillotte, died in 1999; Ron Alberts, the last
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We know The Dukes and our music meant a lot to many people as did it to us. We would like to thank you all for your support and the memories. Also a very special thank you for the people that became part of our extended family: The
Buffalo Launch Club in Grand Island NY, Saint Gabriele's and the
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563:. Mike Gentile from Motown tried to sign Wilmer, but during a talk between Wilmer and Junior Walker at the "Warehouse" after Junior described how his hit "What Does It Take To Win Your Love" was suppressed by Motown, he decided not to sign.
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with the
Legendary Dukes. He had been the primary business manager and horn section leader for the group, creating complex and often intricate horn arrangements for the band. Most of the rest of the band left in September and October 2011.
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vocalist Eric Bloom. He became a fan of the band, attending over 100 performances, and stayed close with them for years. In 1967, his own student band, Lost and Found, opened for the Dukes when they played at his campus,
501:. Another of their venues was a bowling alley, Clover Lanes in Rochester. The lanes would be covered over with a temporary wooden stage, Wilmer and the Dukes would play an opening set, and then a national act such as
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In the summer of 1969, Wilmer hired a young wind section to match the current sounds of BST, James Brown, and Wilson
Pickett; namely Frank Grasso-Trumpet, Steve Weinstein-Trombone, and Peter Kanyuk- Woodwinds.
606:'bubbling under' chart, and failed to break out nationally beyond these markets. "Get Out of My Life, Woman", released in October, did not even bubble under, although it did see chart action in Pittsburgh.
600:. Released in the summer of 1969, "Living In The USA" was another regional hit for the band in upper New York state (and also a top 40 hit in Detroit), but the song only made it to #114 on the
368:, and the band was managed by Ebo (Owl) Alberts, the father of the drummer, Ronnie Alberts, and the original bassist, Monty Alberts. The guitarist, Doug Brown, was from the South and played
566:"Give Me One More Chance" was a slightly bigger hit in Canada than in the band's home country, peaking at #63 on the RPM charts in July 1968. In Toronto, the single reached #18 on the
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The group disbanded in 1974, but came back together for some benefit concerts in 1988. With several personnel changes, the band stayed together and played for the next 24 years as
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in June, 1968, and hit #8 at rival station CKEY. This would be the only
Canadian chart action for the band, which at the time was billed as Wilmer Alexander Jr., and the Dukes.
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517:, a Syracuse suburb. They also performed many Sunday afternoons at the DeMay Hotel ballroom located on the corner of Latta Road and Elmgrove Road in Greece, NY.
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592:. The album featured "Give Me One More Chance", "Heavy Time" and "I'm Free", as well as two more singles pulled from the album: "Living In The USA", written by
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on without replacements cut from that same "cloth" would be an impossibility. Sadly it has left us with only one course of action and that is to disband.
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composition "I'm Free", did chart in the top 30 on radio stations in both
Syracuse and Rochester. This same song would much later be a hit for the
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and over the bridge on Glen Avenue, many waiting for hours to get into the sold-out Inferno. Wilmer & the Dukes would play such cover songs as "
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on Fridays. Summer 1962 found them at The Dolphin, Sodus Point and the Boom-Boom Club, 9 Mile Point, Webster. They were also regular guests at
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It got heavy play on stations in upper New York state and upper Pennsylvania, and was a top 40 hit in several East Coast markets and also in
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Finally on March 28, 2012, the band released the following statement announcing the break-up of the band on the group's Facebook page:
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372:-style. Doug Brown wrote their big hit "Give Me One More Chance". Ralph "Duke" Gillotte was the keyboardist and additional vocalist.
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So for one last time "Thank you for supporting live music because it's people like you that allow us to do what we do"
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In April, 2015, Wilmer and the Dukes were inducted into the Rochester, N.Y. Music Hall of Fame.
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would be the headliner. Wilmer and the Dukes also regularly played at The Red Dog in
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It was at the "Holiday Bar and Grille" in 1963 that they were first heard by future
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The band played from approximately from 1961 to 1974 at various locations around
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The band's one album (credited to Wilmer and the Dukes) was released in 1969 by
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A 1968 follow-up single, "Heavy Time", failed to chart. However, the single's
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Official Site for The Legendary Dukes, with a history of Wilmer and the Dukes
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Reflections on Big Spring: A histories of Pittsford, NY and the Genesee River
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and there were also saxophone based hits such as those originated by
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with all the personnel changes within that short of a period.
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in the 1960s. Though they produced only a handful of
854:. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse. pp. 241, 243.
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379:band, playing other people's material, such as by
596:, and "Get Out of My Life, Woman", written by
457:One club which helped them was The Inferno in
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948:Discussion of the single "Living In The USA"
479:I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
61:Learn how and when to remove these messages
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430:on Saturdays, and "Bristol Ski Lodge" in
238:Learn how and when to remove this message
220:Learn how and when to remove this message
158:Learn how and when to remove this message
973:American rhythm and blues musical groups
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183:This article includes a list of general
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792:See The World From The Side Of The Road
630:original band member, retired in 2004.
395:. One of their most popular covers was
493:. Other acts they opened for included
489:, and "Baby Let Me Bang Your Box" by
310:Wilmer Alexander Junior and the Dukes
265:Wilmer Alexander Junior and the Dukes
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783:"Whiter Shade Of Pale" (Bonus Track)
613:Their manager later brought them to
96:adding citations to reliable sources
485:, "Shotgun" & "Road Runner" by
938:Metal Snowball Records information
189:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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18:Wilmer Alexander Jr. and the Dukes
625:Reunion and "The Legendary Dukes"
349:until breaking up in early 2012.
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487:Junior Walker & the Allstars
393:Junior Walker & the AllStars
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621:) until they broke up in 1974.
357:The band originated in 1957 in
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50:or discuss these issues on the
958:Amazon reviews and sound clips
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924:Demon Music Group information
556:(in June), and at #80 on the
503:Tommy James and the Shondells
750:"Baby, Now That I Found You"
929:Play history for "I'm Free"
817:"Have A Little Faith In Me"
739:, 1994, Forevermore Records
491:Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts
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802:"White Boy" (Instrumental)
499:Sly & the Family Stone
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364:Alexander sang and played
814:"Give Me One More Chance"
720:"Give Me One More Chance"
697:Get Out of My Life, Woman
461:,as well as Gilligans in
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850:McNellis, David (2010).
660:....The Legendary Dukes.
507:Freddie and the Dreamers
107:"Wilmer & the Dukes"
714:"Get It" (instrumental)
548:Bakersfield, California
387:. Other music was from
312:) were a United States
204:more precise citations.
747:"Bring The Magic Back"
689:"Living in the U.S.A."
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375:They were primarily a
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711:"St. James Infirmary"
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332:, the lead singer of
771:"You Are All I Need"
679:Wilmer and the Dukes
673:Wilmer and The Dukes
306:Wilmer and the Dukes
254:Wilmer and the Dukes
92:improve this article
943:CHUM Chart for 1968
826:"Magic Carpet Ride"
759:"It Won't Be Wrong"
731:The Legendary Dukes
705:"Love-Itis/Show Me"
590:Aphrodisiac Records
424:Pittsford, New York
347:The Legendary Dukes
777:"Happy Ever After"
765:"Mountain Of Love"
726:"But It's Alright"
723:"Gettin' Over You"
619:Kirkwood, New York
448:Niagara University
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385:The Rolling Stones
811:"What's Going On"
808:"It's Your Thing"
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537:Recording history
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85:verification
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820:"Evil Ways"
774:"Obsession"
668:Discography
432:Canandaigua
407:Early years
202:introducing
834:References
717:"I'm Free"
568:CHUM chart
330:Eric Bloom
185:references
118:newspapers
47:improve it
603:Billboard
559:Billboard
483:Four Tops
481:" by the
475:Reach Out
471:Glen Park
366:saxophone
53:talk page
967:Category
553:Cash Box
452:Lewiston
324:and one
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561:Hot 100
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353:History
322:singles
314:R&B
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281:Genres
270:Origin
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