It is with great sadness The Studs must inform you that our fearless leader and brother in arms, John Hostetter passed away on September 2, 2016. He will be sorely missed. ![]() John Hostetter and Del Appleby Goodnight sweet prince exit stage left |
Well folks, The Studs have done it again. Another sucessful Forty Year Reunion at Peanuts. The place was rockin'! Click the link to view a great slide show with music produced by the amazing photographer Jeff Groves. Note - you wil first have to stop the flash music player that started automagically when you arrived at this page. http://www.jeffgroves.com/Events/Studs-Collection/Studs-2010-Flash-Slideshow/ ![]() |
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The Studs @ Peanuts, 419 Flagler Avenue, New Smyrna Beach RETURN OF THE FORTY YEAR REUNION! It looks like we have created a monster! On Thursday, August 20, 2009 from 7-8 p.m., at Peanuts in New Smyrna Beach The Studs will rise again. If you were there for their fortieth reunion show last August, you’ll remember how supercharged the room was as New Smyrna artist, John Hostetter, teamed up with his former bandmates from Catawba College. They had not played together since the late 60’s, but that didn’t matter as they instantly rekindled their old fire and the crowd bounced and boogied along to songs from The Beatles, The Hollies, The Stones, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Mama’s & Papa’s, and, of course, the always essential Louie Louie. There were even go-go dancers! It was the glory days all over again, just like back in college when they entertained at colorful joints like The Keg, The Twilight Lounge, and The Rathole. There had even been a series of gigs opening for Mitch Ryder. That was before they graduated and joined the real world. |
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![]() The Studs and the Stud Finders |
View The Studs performing "It's A Rock Thing" at the reunion show.
NOTE: Scroll down and stop the audio player below and then view the video
It’s been forty years since The Studs have shared a stage together. But on Thursday, August 14, 2008 from 7-8 p.m. at Peanuts in New Smyrna Beach, they are going to try to recapture the magic they created in the mid-60’s. New Smyrna artist, John Hostetter, teamed up with his bandmates at Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C.. It was during the heyday of the British invasion bands and the blossoming of young blues artists like Paul Butterfield. They had a rich tapestry of sounds to feed their imaginations and musical talents. They gigged regularly at local haunts with classic names like The Twilight Lounge and The Keg, where college kids and factory workers came together to dance and fight. Performing songs from The Beatles to The Hollies to The Who, plus originals, blues covers, and, of course, the essential Louie Louie, The Studs played a summer at Turk’s Rat Hole in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and stole the show while opening for Mitch Ryder in Richmond in ’68. And then they went their separate ways.
Lead guitarist, Skip Henry, did a tour in Vietnam before settling in as a C.P.A. Bass player, Jeff Manz, has owned a printing company, done real estate sales, and calls himself a “recovering lawyer”. Guitarist, Ken Kambis, is the chairman of the Kinesiology department at William & Mary College. Vocalist, David ‘cockroach’ Young, has been a healthcare management consultant for over thirty years. Drummer, Robert Hudson, works for an EPA human studies facility as an engineering technician. And after many years as an actor in L.A., John Hostetter, settled in New Smyrna Beach to become a painter and start up a new band called The Pirates.
Now all grown up with families and mortgages and gray hair, they are coming to the land of Ponce De Leon fame to find the fountain of youth that lives in the spirit of rock and roll. They’ll be singing ‘Do You Believe In Magic’ just like they did in the 60’s, although John has traded in his electric autoharp for a twelve string guitar. Several of the lads have stayed active playing music, others perhaps not so much. But everyone is getting their chops back for this once in a lifetime moment.
Be a part of history. It’s happening during the First Annual Shrimp and Seafood Festival on Flagler Avenue, which starts at 5 p.m.. The Pirates will be covering Thursday at Peanuts as usual from 5-7 p.m. and 8-11 p.m. But live on stage from 7-8 p.m. The Studs will relive the joy of making music together and make forty years disappear in a song.The Studs @ Peanuts, 419 Flagler Avenue, New Smyrna Beach
Thursday, August 14, 2008, 7-8 p.m.
View slideshow of photos (with original audio) from this historic show! Note: Click on the "One Night Only" sign to begin show.
The Studs - 1965 to 1968
View The Catawba Studs YouTube video
The following is an article that appeared in the UNC-Charlotte newspaper in February 1966.Hostetter, Studs Mesmerize Students
The Studs, a rather new combo on the rock 'n roll scene, will entertain students here this Friday night, February 24, in the Union cafeteria. Student admission is free.
John Hostetter, the group's lead singer, is a junior here. He plays guitar, harmonica, autoharp, melodica, tambourine, and maracas.
Other members of the four-man group include Skip Henry on lead guitar and vocals, Jeff Manz on bass guitar and vocals, and Robert Hudson on percussion and vocals. Both Henry and Manz are students at Catawba College while Hudson attends Davidson County Community College.
"The present members of the group, having been together for approximately one year, we are quite tight," said Hostetter. "We know what each of us is thinking on stage. Unfortunately, no one else know what we are thinking or if we are thinking at all."
Describing the type of performance for which students are in store Hostetter said, "Orpheus' feat of charming the rocks from the fields is overshadowed as the audience is mesmerized by the inexplicable sights and sounds of the Studs."
Audiences mesmerized by the Studs in the past have included those attending the Catawba College Junior Class talent show. The combo captured third place in that event in 1965 and a year later copped first place honors.
"With a heavy reliance on the British sound," said Hostetter, "we are usually booked as a novelty act in the South. Our repertoire is quite variable so that if a person stays for the whole dance, we will eventually play something he likes."
This band formed at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC in the mid-sixties for a campus talent show (which we won). Later, we changed our name to The Minority when the manager of the Pavilion at Myrtle Beach, SC refused to book us under our original name. We performed on the "Campus Talent 1966" TV show where we met The Virginians who were, oddly enough, from the University of North Carolina. With their help, we were able to 'open' for Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels on several occasions. The Virginian's lead singer was William Oliver Swofford who later recorded the hit single "Good Morning Starshine" under the name Oliver.
Read this article about The Studs from the Salisbury Post 11/13/65
John Hostetter - Lead Singer, Harmonica, Guitar, Melodica, Autoharp
Skip Henry - Lead Guitar, Vocals
Jeff Manz - Bass Guitar, Vocals
Robert Hudson - Drums, Vocals
Ken Kambis - Rhythm Guitar
Claude Darling - Piano
David Young - Vocals
Leon Burleson - Drums
Where Are They Now?
John Hostetter was a very successful actor. He was in at least 10 movies and played the stage manager in the TV series, "Murphy Brown". He has also been in numerous other television shows. While living in Los Angeles, John was also in the the a cappella doo-wop group "The Mighty Echo's." John retired from acting and moved with his wife Del Appleby to Florida. He became a painter and formed the band "The Pirates"
Click here to visit John's webpage.
John passed away in September 2016.
Jeff Manz was a lawyer in Naples, FL for many years and is now in real estate.Skip Henry is retired and lives in Wingate, NC. He also plays guitar and mandolin in a Gospel bluegrass band.
Robert Hudson is retired and plays with 2 bands in the Triangle area of North Carolina. Visit his website.Ken Kambis has retired from teaching at William & Mary and lives in Williamsburg, VA.
David Young lives in Southern Pines, NC.
Leon Burleson lives in Charlotte, NC.
Claude Darling passed away several years ago.
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