Biography
In 1962, John "Jay" Traynor served as lead singer for Jay & the Americans on the group's breakthrough single, "She Cried." David Blatt, known professionally as Jay Black, stepped into the role shortly afterward. Black's vocals defined the band's later 1960s successes such as "Cara Mia" and "Come a Little Bit Closer." During his later career, Traynor delivered Frank Sinatra numbers alongside the Joey Thomas Big Band.
At age fifteen, Traynor developed a strong desire to enter the music industry after watching a rock & roll act perform at his high school. The goal took initial shape when he began performing in the subway with peers who formed the Ab Tones. Mickey & Sylvia, already established through their 1957 single "Love Is Strange," showed interest in the young singers, yet no recording agreement followed. Traynor subsequently left the Ab Tones.
After moving to Brooklyn, he obtained his first paid engagement in the late '50s. The Mystics needed a new lead vocalist, and Traynor secured the position through both his singing and his ability to wear the outgoing member's outfit. He enjoyed an East Coast bus tour booked by Alan Freed until an incident halted progress. The group's manager dismissed him upon discovering Traynor searching through a desk, even though Traynor maintained he sought only a publicity photograph for an acquaintance.
An invitation soon arrived from Sandy Yaguda, who was forming a new ensemble in New York with assistance from Kenny Rosenberg. Traynor joined the Harbor Lites, the unit that later became Jay & the Americans. The group connected with producers Mike Stoller and Jerry Leiber, whose prior clients included Ben E. King, the Drifters, and the Coasters. Traynor died of liver cancer in Tampa, Florida, on January 2, 2014, at the age of seventy.
At age fifteen, Traynor developed a strong desire to enter the music industry after watching a rock & roll act perform at his high school. The goal took initial shape when he began performing in the subway with peers who formed the Ab Tones. Mickey & Sylvia, already established through their 1957 single "Love Is Strange," showed interest in the young singers, yet no recording agreement followed. Traynor subsequently left the Ab Tones.
After moving to Brooklyn, he obtained his first paid engagement in the late '50s. The Mystics needed a new lead vocalist, and Traynor secured the position through both his singing and his ability to wear the outgoing member's outfit. He enjoyed an East Coast bus tour booked by Alan Freed until an incident halted progress. The group's manager dismissed him upon discovering Traynor searching through a desk, even though Traynor maintained he sought only a publicity photograph for an acquaintance.
An invitation soon arrived from Sandy Yaguda, who was forming a new ensemble in New York with assistance from Kenny Rosenberg. Traynor joined the Harbor Lites, the unit that later became Jay & the Americans. The group connected with producers Mike Stoller and Jerry Leiber, whose prior clients included Ben E. King, the Drifters, and the Coasters. Traynor died of liver cancer in Tampa, Florida, on January 2, 2014, at the age of seventy.