Jay and the Americans Biography

Jay and the Americans was an American group that has known success in the 60s. Its initial members were John “Jay” Traynor, Howard Kane, Kenny Vance, and Sandy Deanne. They made it into the Vocal Hall of Fame in 2002.

Early Years & Success

The group was discovered in the late 50s while performing at student venues. They made their commercial breakthrough in 1962 with the number 5 single “She Cried”. After the two singles went by almost unnoticed, Traynor left the ensemble. After Marty Sangers and David Black joined, the band released “Only In America”, in 1963, peaking at 25. Next up, 1964’s “Come a Little Bit Closer” reached top 3, while 1965’s “Cara Mia” reached number 4. One year later, they made their onscreen debut in a comedy film, Wild Wild Winter, performing “Two of a Kind”. In 1968, they released an album of oldies, titled Sands of Time, which reached 51 on the Billboard 200.

Split, Bankruptcy & “Reunion”

Jay and the Americans split in 1973. Jay Black kept the name of the band, while the others members moved on to other musical projects. Black tried to continue the former band’s success but eventually, in 2006, he came bankrupt due to gambling. The name “Jay & The Americans” was sold to original member Sandy Deanne. Consequently, Deanne reunited with Howard Kane and Marty Sanders, additionally finding a new singer, Jay Reincke. They returned to performing music at venues from all over the world but did not record new songs.

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