THE STORYTELLERS

Ruben and Al sing at Show #39 (3/23/2002)		Nick "oohs" and "ahhs" at Show #39

Since making their Doo Wop Society debut at Show #4 in January 1990, The Storytellers have been a mainstay at our shows and appeared over a dozen times.

Al Sanchez (first tenor), Nick Delgado (second tenor) and Ruben Ochoa got together as a vocal group in 1957 at San Gabriel Mission High School in the San Gabriel Valley, east of Los Angeles. Calling themselves The Pretenders, they began singing at shows around Southern California. They met a black vocalist, Ray Bias, while they were performing at Betty's Barn in Baldwin Park with Joe Houston in 1958, and Bias replaced Ochoa shortly afterward as the lead singer. During a performance at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, the trio was approached by Norty Beckman, who owned a record store in Hollywood and pressed up singles on his own labels. It was Beckman who changed their name to The Storytellers, says Al Sanchez. They recorded the Nick Delgado-written tune, "You Played Me a Fool," soon afterward. It became a local hit around East Los Angeles, but the group did not record again until 1990. According to Al, they had wanted to record a remake of The Rivileers' "A Thousand Stars," but Beckman nixed the idea. Not long afterward, the song was a major hit for Kathy Young & The Innocents. (Both Kathy Young & The Innocents and The Storytellers appeared together at DWS Show #39 on March 23, 2002.)

When the late Ray Bias left the group soon afterward, Ruben Ochoa rejoined the group. Years later, when The Storytellers regrouped, Nick's brother, Sam Delgado, joined them to make it a quartet. It was this configuration that recorded for Bruce Patch's Classic Artists Records in the early 1990s.

The Storytellers have sung at a dozen DWS shows and also worked with Sandra Johnson, Vicky Tafoya and The Hitmakers. They have also appeared at doo-wop shows on the East Coast. When Sam Delgado quit the group, they continued to perform as a trio, but John Grajeda joined a year ago to bring them back up to quartet strength. More recently The Storytellers have added a tribute to East Los Angeles' favorite hits to their sets. They continue to evolve as a polished vocal group and crowd pleaser.

The Storytellers at Show #31 (3/4/2000) Ruben Ochoa (left), Nick Delgado, John Grajeda and lead vocalist Al Sanchez.

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