CARL BONAFEDE aka "THE SCREAMING WILDMAN"

Original manager of Chicago-based group" The Buckinghams", who charted in Billboard's Hot 100 in February 1967 with "Kind of a Drag"... Carl was born in Chicago in an area called "Little Italy".. He appeared as a young boy on local television on Morris B. Sach's Amateur Hour singing and playing the accordion.. He appeared on an interview show Ernie Simon's "Curbstone Cut-up".. He sang his hit record "Were Wolf" on disc-jockey Jim Lounsberry's TV show in Chicago. He went on to promote local bands with his weekly dances at local ballrooms including the Aragon, Madura's Danceland & The Holiday Ballroom with owner and collaborator Dan Belloc of big band fame..(Billy May Orchestra). He recorded and produced over 200 records with various recording artists..He fronted a local group -The Gemtones whose saxophone player, Harry Manfredini, became a a big-time movie musical score arranger for the "Friday the 13th" movies. He then turned to managing and promoting local teen bands(garage-bands in the early 60s). His most famous clients were "The Buckinghams" ("Kind of a Drag") and the all-girl group "The Daughters of Eve"(Help Me Boy"). He also managed "Thee Prophets" out of Wisconsin. and Mickey & Larry and the Exciters out of Boston. He managed "The Delights" in Chicago...He worked for the Willard Alexander Booking Agency with super Celebrity agent Herb Gronauer whose now promoting celebrities in Palm Springs, California..He worked for the CASK Attractions agency who were big in the nightclub circuit.. He was on hand at the historic Chess studios in Chicago, Illinois to record "Kind of a Drag" with the Buckinghams.. co-producer Dan Belloc and arranger Frank Tesinsky added horns to the opening riffs of the song (launching the Chicago horn sound later employed by the groups Chicago, & Blood, Sweat and Tears, & Earth, Wind & Fire...(The engineer @ Chess was the late great Ron Malo).....Jimmy Holvay of the local Chicago group,"The Mob", was the composer of "Kind of a Drag". Carl Bonafede still lives and works in the great city of Chicago in the Lincoln Park area..close to the lakefront...Some kind of a Guy...simply amazing..