Little Caesar and the Consuls

Little Caesar and the Consuls

Little Caesar and the Consuls is a Canadian rock music group, originally active in Toronto from 1961 to 1971. The earliest tangible evidence of a group by that name is in the February 23, 1961, issue of the Weston, Ontario, Times & Guide, which mentions that they played for the Downsview Junior Teen Club's Valentine Party at Beverley Heights Junior High School the previous Saturday. Two members of Little Caesar and The Consuls, pianist and vocalist Bruce Morshead and saxophonist Norm Sherratt, had previously been part of a group named The Consuls after a popular automobile. In the Spring of 1959, disappointed with the lack of success and because Robbie Robertson refused to play bass, a role for which he had recently been hired, the five-piece Consuls disbanded. Robertson, guitarist and vocalist Gene MacLellan and drummer Peter DeRemigis promptly formed The Suedes, with Johnny Rhythm (real name John Rutter) joining as a vocalist. Morshead returned to his full-time employment at the bank. A year and half later, Morshead and Sherratt (formerly known as Norm Parish) reunited and formed a new group called Little Caesar and The Consuls. The Little Caesar part of the name is said to have been derived from a number of fans noting that Morshead resembled Edward G. Robinson in the film Little Caesar.The core of the group was pianist Morshead, guitarist Ken Pernokis, bassist Tom Wilson, drummer Gary Wright (who'd replaced Wayne Connors in 1963) and saxophonist Norm Sherratt. The group recorded several Canadian hits, including "If ... (I Found A New Girl)" and covers of "My Girl Sloopy" and "You Really Got a Hold On Me", which reached #1 on the RPM charts in 1965, making them only the second Canadian group (after Chad Allan and the Expressions) to top that chart. Morshead and Wilson left the band in 1968. The band continued with new vocalist and keyboard player Steve Macko before breaking up in 1971. There have been several incarnations of the group; reuniting in 1973, 1976, 1986, 1993 and 2003. In 1993, Norm Sherratt, Tom Wilson, Steve Macko, Vic Wilson (saxophones), Tony Crivaro (vocals & guitar) and Gary Wright (drums) joined up and recorded a reunion album, Since 1956. Tom Wilson left the band in 2010. In later years Norm Sherratt, Tony Crivaro, Sam Carothers (bass), Walter Taylor (keyboards) Sonny Milne (drums) and Doug Dixon (vocals & guitar) held forth at shows, adding Russ Strathdee on sax in 2013. Currently the lineup includes Walter Taylor (keyboards), James Legere (bass), Phil Strong (drums) and Russ Strathdee (sax), with Martin Damsell on Lead vocals and guitar.

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