Rock and roll / rockabilly singer, songwriter, and guitarist Robert Lee Romero –
born July 7, 1941, in Billings, Montana – was better known by his nickname Chan
Romero. Born of mixed heritage – Spanish, Mexican, Apache, Cherokee, and Irish –
he became interested in music after seeing Elvis Presley on The Steve Allen Show
in 1956. Intent on pursuing a career in music, he hitchhiked to California and
ended up in East Los Angeles. One of his songs, “Hippy Hippy Shake,” caught the
attention of Specialty Records’ A&R man Sonny Bono (later of Sonny & Cher), but
Chan Romero never releas...