“The most famous band from Mobile that you have probably never heard of.”
The Treniers were a early rock/R&B group from Mobile, Alabama who were fundamental in the beginnings of Rock-and-Roll. They were led by identical twins Cliff and Claude Trenier who formed the band in 1947 with Alabama State College classmates Gene Gilbeaux and later brothers Buddy and Milt. Many of their songs were among the first to include the words “rock” and “roll” – “Rocking on Sunday Night” and “It Rocks! It Rolls! It Swings”, and they influenced groups like Bill Haley and The Comets.
They hit the Cashbox R&B charts in 1951 with “Go, Go, Go.” In 1955, the group released the song “Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song)” about Giants center fielder, Willie Mays. Other hits included “Hadacol” and “Poontang”.
In 1954 the Treniers first appeared on the Colgate Comedy Hour, hosted by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The would also appear on the Jackie Gleason, Ed Sullivan, and Red Skelton shows, among others. After a sponsor sent Skelton a wire suggesting he not feature black entertainers on his show, Skelton mentioned the telegram on air and said as an introduction: “Here’s my answer: The Treniers.”
The group appeared in several films in the 1950s including The Girl Can’t Help It and Don’t Knock the Rock.
They subsequently became one of the most famous and long-lasting bands on the Las Vegas Lounge circuit, and continued to perform as recently as 2003. Bill Cosby’s TV character “Cliff Huxtable” was reportedly named after brother Cliff.
Surviving member Milt Trenier still performs semiweekly at Chicago-area restaurants.
“The modern world knows no equivalent of the Treniers, who like Louis Prima with Sam Butera & the Witnesses, were all about entertaining their audience. They didn’t need a dozen tractor trailer trucks full of crap like U2 carry around (has any group ever left a heavier environmental footprint on this earth? Every time U2 play, enough power to light up sub-Saharan Africa for a week is wasted), the Treniers had something better than flashpots and gigantic video screens– they had talent, wit, brains and a sense of humor. Rockin’ was their business, and for half a century business was good.” – The Houndblog
