Sir Douglas Quintet - Group's Origins

Group's Origins

Doug Sahm, a veteran of the professional music scene who first sang on the radio at the age of five, formed the Quintet (first called simply 'Sir Douglas') in 1964 with longtime friend Augie Meyers and the other original members Jack Barber, Frank Morin and Johnny Perez. Sahm had started out in the country music scene, and had even played (at age eleven) on-stage with Hank Williams, Sr., during the latter's final performance. Sahm went on to play in blues clubs in his teenage years and he had gained experience as a band leader.

The initial success of the new group, the Quintet, on the airwaves and sales charts was achieved when they made records in conjunction with Houston music producer Huey P. Meaux. Houston's recording industry had become the center of Texas R&B music.

The Quintet was born in a cross-cultural South-Texas musical melting pot, which included the sounds and traditions of Mexico, Bohemia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Germany, and African-America. But aware of the major trends, producer Huey Meaux advised connecting the new group with the English pop-music trend. As a consequence, the Texas-local R&B, Tex-Mex, and other veins the musicians were familiar with initially went through a period of influence by the British pop bands of the early and mid-1960s. For a short while, the youthful members of the group emulated Beatles-like "mop-top" demeanor and antics on stage. However, they soon outgrew these trappings.