Artist Information

Drummer and vocalist Byron Brewer first fronted “The Benders” on Oct. 28, 1985. Coincidently, that was also the time of his most recent haircut. As the leader of “The Benders” Byron often claims that his hair is more popular than he is.

Joining Byron in the trio, which produces melodious 50s and 60s show tunes, are guitarist / vocalist Johnny Cruz fresh from a 4 year vacation, and Bassist Larry “Campy” Campanello.

Guitarist Cruz is a Law enforcement officer when not rocking and after a 2 year retirement brings back to the stage his polished vocal and guitar skills.
Rounding out The Benders is Bassist Larry “Campy” Campanello. Recently re-joining the band after a two year “vacation ” Campy brings his unique bass, vocal and fashion flare to the band in addition to the often imitated but never duplicated “Campy Shuffle”

One of the most common questions besides “Is that your real hair?” is how the group gets its name, “The Benders”. This is a question, the group says, that has a combination of answers, one gruesome and one logical.
The unique answer to that question is that one day when looking for a group name, the men stumbled across a newspaper clipping that told of a family in Southeastern Kansas with the last name of Benders. As the story goes, the Benders family set up a restaurant and were suspected of murdering some of their diners.

Making a long story short, the men combined the fact that many of the great bands from the 1950s used the naming format of “The _______,” and the story they found about the Benders in the mid-nineteenth century, to come up with the benders.

Audio Gallery

Song List

All Shook Up

Bad Moon Risin’

Black is Black

Bye, Bye Love

Crazy

Devil In The Blue Dress

Doo Wah Ditty

Down on the Corner

Dream Lover

Earth Angel

Finger Poppin’ Time

Fire

Get Ready

Go to Pieces

Harlem Nocturne

Hound Dog

I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You

I Feel Good

In The Still of the Night

Little Bitty Pretty One

Long Cool Woman

Louie, Louie

Maybe Baby

Maybelline

Melancoly Serenade

Mony, Mony

My Girl

Pink Cadillac

Poor Side of Town

Pretty Woman

Rip it Up

Rockin’ in the USA

Rockin’ Robin

Sea Cruise

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Some Kind of Wonderful

Spirit in the Sky

Steamroller Blues

Stray Cat Strut

Stuck in the Middle with You

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Then You Can Say Goodbye

Thrill on the Hill

Too Much

Tossin’ and Turnin’

Unchained Melody

Waterbed Lou

Who Put the Bomp?

Whole Lotta Shakin’

Wipe Out

You Really Got a Hold on Me

You Send Me