Origin: Salinas, CA, USA
Louie And The Lovers was a Mexican American band out of Salinas, CA that played a unique blend of well crafted, Latino influenced guitar-based folk rock. Inspired initially by The Beatles and Byrds , singer and songwriter Louis Ortega (guitar, vocals) needed a creative outlet for his music, so in 1966 he formed a band with three of his high school pals: Frank Parades (guitar), Steve Vargas (bass) and Albert Parra (drums). For nearly four years, the group played teen clubs, high schools and parties in and around the Salinas area, honing their skills while Ortega continued to write original mate…