The Rivieras was a rock group, formed in the early 1960s in South Bend, Indiana, United States.
The Rivieras featured Marty Fortson (born 1945) vocals and guitar; Doug Gean (born 1951) playing bass guitar; Otto Nuss playing organ; second guitarist Joe Pennell and drummer Paul Dennert. Fortson left the group for the Marines after recording "California Sun". The band's manager, Bill Dobslaw, was the lead vocalist on recordings of subsequent lesser hits.
The Rivieras was one of the later groups in the U.S. playing classical rock and roll. The group had their greatest hit in 1964 with "California Sun". It reached #5 in the main U.S. pop chart. In fact, "California Sun" was one of the last songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart before the "British Invasion".
Both personal reasons and drastic changes in pop music led to a split-up of the group in 1966.
* California Sun (1964)
* Let's Have a Party (1964)
45s
* "California Sun/Played On" (Riviera# 1401) La Porte, Indiana
* "Little Donna/Let's Have a party" (Riviera# 1402) La Porte, Indiana
* "Rockin' Robin/Battle Line"(Riviera# 1403) La Porte, Indiana
* "Somebody New/Somebody Asked Me"(Riviera# 1407) La Porte, Indiana
* "Bug Juice/Never feel the pain"(Riviera# 1409) Mishawaka, Indiana
* "Lakeview Lane/Let's go to Hawaii"(Riviera# 1406) South Bend, Indiana
* "California Sun/Little Donna/Back in the Sun"(Riviera# 1410) South Bend, Indiana
* "Whole Lotta Shakin'/Whole Lotta Shakin'"(Riviera# 1405 DJ) South Bend, Indiana
* "Whole Lotta Shakin'/Rip It Up"(Riviera# 1405) South Bend, Indiana
* "California Sun/HB Goosestep"(Riviera# 1401) South Bend, Indiana
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