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 Chanteur Rock 'n' Roll US 
originaire de Chicago (Illinois), Carl Bonafede a enregistré chez Impala et Tek 
Records.
 Carl 
Bonafede was the original manager of the Chicago, Illinois-based rock band The 
Buckinghams, who charted in Billboard's Hot 100 in February 1967 with "Kind of a 
Drag".
Carl Bonafede was born in Chicago's Little Italy community. 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 and 
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 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 
and the all-girl group The Daughters of Eve. He also managed Thee Prophets, from 
Wisconsin and Mickey & Larry and the Exciters from Boston. He managed The 
Delights in Chicago.He worked for the Willard Alexander Booking Agency with 
agent Herb Gronauer, who now promotes celebrities in Palm Springs, California. 
He also worked for the CASK Attractions agency.
As a young band manager Bonafede promoted many, many young teens in a new 
phenomenon – the garage band. One of these groups included The Fabulous 
Centuries. Another group with great Vocals harmonies was known as The Pulsations. 
These two groups merged to form The Buckinghams. One day, Sheldon Cooper, an 
executive at WGN-TV, witnessed a promotion of Carl's outside Lane Technical High 
school across the street from WGN-TV's studios. Carl's discussion with Cooper 
led to the The Pulsations entering and winning a competition to appear for 13 
weeks on The All-Time Hits, Chicago's first locally produced TV program 
broadcast in color, featuring a variety of musical guests. By the end of the 13-week 
run, the Pulsations/Fabulous Centuries became The Buckinghams. He was on hand at 
the Chess Records studios in Chicago, Illinois to record "Kind of a Drag" with 
the Buckinghams co-producer Dan Belloc and arranger Frank Tesinsky. Jimmy Holvay 
of the local Chicago group The Mob was the composer of “Kind of a Drag”.
As of 2009, Carl Bonafede still lives and works in Chicago in the Lincoln Park 
area, close to the lakefront.  
Talents : Vocals, Manager
Style musical : Rock 'n' Roll
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	MARGIE 
	CHA-CHA (1960) 
	 
    BABY 
    SITTIN' BLUES
	(1960)
	 WERE 
	WOLF (196?)
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Years in activity :
| 1910 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 2000 | 10 | 20 | 
DISCOGRAPHY
Singles & EP
| 1960 | SP IMPALA /2123 (US) | 
	Margie Cha-Cha
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| 1960 | SP IMPALA 2123-C (US) | 
	Baby 
	Sittin' Blues
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| 04/1960 | EP IMPALA C-T 4 (US) | Another Summer To Remember / Father Time / Two Months Out Of School (Carl BONAFEDE / Music By John SILLS & His RHYTHM JETS) / Margie Cha-Cha (Carl BONAFEDE / Music By John SILLS & His RHYTHM JETS) | 
| 196? | SP TEK 101 (US) | 
    Story 
    That's True
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© Rocky Productions 11/07/2007