The Paragons were an American garage rock band from Charlotte, North Carolina, who were active in the 1960s. They became one of the most popular groups in the Charlotte area during the time and had a major regional hit with the song "Abba", which is now regarded as a garage rock classic. Guitarist Pat Walters later became a member of bands such as The Good the Bad and the Ugly and Jeremiah, as well as the Spongetones.
History
Origins
The Paragons were founded as the Pagans in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1965. Like so many bands of the time they were inspired by the Beatles and the British Invasion. Bands such as the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, and the Hollies were key influences on their sound. The group's initial lineup included Tim Moore on guitar and Kirk Mitchell, bass. Mitchell left the group shortly thereafter, and brothers Bobby and Johnny Pace joined. Johnny Pace now sang most of the band's vocals assumed the role of drummer, while his younger brother Bobby took over the role of playing bass. Tim Moore switched to organ. Danny Huntley joined the group on guitar. Jim Charles, from Texas who earlier relocated with his family to Charlotte and played in another Charlotte band, the Abbadons, joined on guitar for several months and brought with him a song which he and his brother, Bill, wrote while living in Texas called "Abba" that went on to become a part of the Paragons' repertoire and which they eventually recorded in modified form without Charles.
Worried about the possibility that using a controversial moniker might cause the band to lose church gigs and elsewhere, the group decided to change their name from the Pagans to the Paragons. Bobby and Johnny Pace's mother helped them find the new name when looking in a thesaurus and noticing the word "paragon" not far below "pagan" on the page. The band voted to use that as their new name. The Paragons would use the recreation room located in a small house in the backyard of Mr. and Mrs Paces' house for rehearsals. It had a pool table and everyone called it "the pool house." Le Roy Pace, Bobby and Johnny's father was a TV repairman who moved the band's equipment around in his Ford truck. The band eventually purchased a used hearse. Danny Huntley was the oldest member of the group and had a driver's license, so he operated the vehicle. Like many other bands in the Charlotte area, they bought instruments from Reliable Music, a music store selling new instruments run by Melvin Cohen that was located in the back of a pawn shop owned by his father. The Paragons played at several local teen clubs such as the Spyder (located at the YMCA in Charlotte), the Straggle Inn (at Myers Park Methodist Church) and the Tin Can (at Christ Episcopal Church), and the Web. The group occasionally played at the Park Road Shopping Center and on other occasions the local National Guard armory. The Paragons quickly became one of the most popular bands in the Charlotte area, making strong impressions at various battles of the bands in 1966, such as one sponsored by radio station WAYS and another held at the Charlotte Coliseum. The song "Abba" now figured prominently in the band's performances. Other popular bands in the area were the Barons, whose membership included future member of the Paragons Pat Walters on guitar, and the Young Ages, the Hodads, and the Die Hards, who sometimes played at some of the same venues, as well as the Grifs, the Stoaways, and T.C. Atlantic (not to be confused with the Minnesota band of the same name. The Tamrons, from Concord were another competitor. Jim Charles eventually left the group and returned to the Abbadons, following a personal dispute with Bobby Pace over a girlfriend.
The Paragons appeared on several local TV shows such as Kilgo's Canteen, a teen dance show, and Granny Goes Grooving, a "how to" instructional program on how to start a band and play music. The TV appearance for which they are best-remembered was on The Village Square, which was taped at WBTV in Charlotte, but syndicated nationally in over fifty markets.