Lolly Vegas born 2 October 1939

Lolly Vegas (October 2, 1939 – March 4, 2010) was a Native American-Mexican musician. He played in numerous ensembles alongside his brother Pat, including Pat & Lolly Vegas, the surf group The Avantis and the Native American rock group Redbone. The brothers have Yaqui, Shoshone and Mexican heritage. 

Pat & Lolly

Candido Albelando Vasquez (Lolly Vegas) and Patrick Morales Vasquez (Pat Vegas) (born March 17, 1941) were born in Fresno, California. The brothers were of mixed Yaqui/Shoshone and mexican descent. Very early the singing/guitar playing brothers began their musical careers backing and touring with Jimmy Clanton of "Just A Dream" fame. In 1961 the brothers relocated to Los Angeles. 

The Avantis

The brothers played with Canadian jazz pianist Oscar Peterson at the Monterey Jazz and Pop Festival before relocating to Los Angeles in 1963. Calling themselves the Avantis, the brothers attempted to cash in on the surf craze popularized by Jan and Dean and the Beach Boys, with such songs as "Gypsy Surfer" and "Wax 'em Down" on the Chancellor label, and "The Phantom Surfer" on the Regency label. The Avantis featured future Beach Boy drummer Mike Kowalski, and their recordings earned them an opening slot on a Beach Boys' tour. 

The Vasquez brothers also recorded the singles "Let's Go" as the Routers, "Surf Stomp" and "Batman" as the Mar-kets, and "Hotrodders' Choice," "Dawn Patrol," "Double A Fueller," and "Satan's Chariot" as the Deuce Coupes. The 1963 Deuce Coupes' sessions featured impressive session help from Glen Campbell, David Gates, and Leon Russell. They then meet manager/producer Bumps Blackwell who suggested that they change their names to Pat & Lolly Vegas. In 1963, Pat & Volly Vegas recorded "Boom, Boom, Boom" and "Two Figures" for the Reprise label (Reprise 20199). 

Bumps Blackwell helped the brothers become the house band at Los Angeles' The Haunted House. In 1966, produced by Leon Russell and Snuff Garrett they would record an album for Mercury entitled "Pat & Lolly Vegas At the Haunted House." While fulfilling a residency at a Los Angeles nightclub named Gazzarri's, the Vegas brothers met guitarist Tony Bellamy. A Yaqui Indian who had performed with Dobie Gray, and a member of Peter and the Wolves (a San Francisco band that evolved into the psychedelic band Moby Grape), Bellamy had grown up in a family of dancers and musicians. He had learned to play flamenco guitar as part of his musical education as well, and he was recruited by the Vegas brothers to accompany them on session work with Odetta, John Lee Hooker, and the Everly Brothers. 

In 1969, along with his brother Pat, rhythm guitarist Tony Bellamy and drummer Pete DePoe, Lolly formed the Native American band Redbone, for which he was the lead singer. Redbone was a Cajun word for ‘half-breed.’

                             

The band, with members of Latino and Native American origin, released its self-titled debut album the following year. The band first gained notice with “Maggie” in 1970 and broke international barriers with “The Witch Queen of New Orleans” in 1971 and their biggest hit "Come and Get Your Love" which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1974. 

When in concert, Redbone often dressed in traditional Native American attire, and some of the group’s songs, including “We Were All Wounded at Wounded Knee,” emphasizing the members’ Indian background. Lolly and Pat also were prolific songwriters whose “Niki Hoeky” was covered by Aretha Franklin, Bobbie Gentry and P.J. Proby. 

Lolly’s guitar playing on Redbone recordings is innovative, funky, and unique.  Lolly was one of the first to play his guitar through a Leslie Speakerbox and his use of the electric sitar on Redbone’s mega hit “Come and Get Your Love” was brilliant.  He inspired and influenced many guitar players over the years. 

In 1973, Redbone released the politically oriented “We Were All Wounded at Wounded Knee”, recalling the massacre of Lakota Sioux Indians by the Seventh Cavalry in 1890. The song ends with the subtly altered sentence “We were all wounded ‘by’ Wounded Knee”. It charted in several European countries and reached the #1 position in The Netherlands but did not chart in the U.S., where it was initially withheld from release due to lyrical controversy and then banned by several radio stations due to its confrontation of a sore subject. 

In 1995 Lolly suffered a stroke, leaving him unable to play guitar anymore. He died in Reseda, California after a brave battle with lung cancer on March 4, 2010 at age 70. 

Redbone is known and accredited in the NY Smithsonian as the first Native American rock/cajun group to have a #1 single internationally and in the United States. 

(Edited from Rockandroll Paradise & Wikipedia)