{{Short description|American musician (1941–2024)}} {{Use American English|date=August 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Distinguish|Chon Romero}} {{Sources|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Chan Romero | image = Chan Romero (cropped).jpg | birth_name = Robert Lee Romero | birth_date = {{birth date|1941|7|7}} | birth_place = Billings, Montana, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2024|4|21|1941|7|7}} | death_place = | genre = Rock and roll | occupations = Singer, musician, songwriter | instruments = Guitar, vocals | years_active = 1959–1966 | label = Del-Fi Records }}
'''Robert Lee''' "'''Chan'''" '''Romero''' (July 7, 1941 – April 21, 2024) was an American rock and roll performer, best known for his 1959 song "Hippy Hippy Shake".<ref name="CandelariaGarcía2004">{{cite book|last1=Candelaria|first1=Cordelia|last2=García|first2=Peter J.|last3=Aldama|first3=Arturo J.|title=Encyclopedia of Latino popular culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=STjcB_f7CVcC&pg=PA137|access-date=April 19, 2011|year=2004|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-33210-4|page=137}}</ref>
== Early life == {{Unreferenced section|date=March 2026}} Romero was born in Billings, Montana. His father was of Spanish and Apache descent, while his mother was a mixture of Mexican, Cherokee, and Irish. Both had migrated to Montana during the Great Depression, seeking employment as migrant farm workers. The nickname "Chan" was bestowed on Romero by his grandfather. Since Romero often ran around without footwear, the nickname, from a Spanish phrase meaning "little boy with pig's feet" seemed appropriate.
== Career == Romero said Elvis Presley's 1956 performance of "Hound Dog" on ''The Steve Allen Show'' was a turning point in his life. He hitchhiked to East Los Angeles, California, in 1958 while still a teenager, where he wrote "Hippy Hippy Shake" and launched his career. An uncle introduced Romero and his music to an A&R representative from Specialty Records: Sonny Bono. Bono was particularly taken with a song called "My Little Ruby" and asked Romero to polish the song and to return in a few weeks. But since Romero needed to return to school in Montana, he never returned to Specialty.
Romero's career skyrocketed with the release of "Hippy Hippy Shake" in July 1959. Released first in North America and later in Australia and the UK, it soon came to the attention of Paul McCartney who liked the song and sang it at the Cavern Club in Liverpool and the Star Club in Hamburg during his early years with The Beatles. It also did well enough in Australia for Romero to do a tour there with Jerry Lee Lewis. The 1964 version by The Swinging Blue Jeans hit number one across Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Chan+Romero |title=Chan Romero Discography |website=Discogs.com |date=July 7, 1941 |accessdate=April 13, 2016}}</ref>
Romero became the first Latino to be inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=March 16, 2023 |title=Still shakin': Billings native Chan Romero reminisces on rock 'n' roll career |url=https://www.ktvq.com/news/positively-montana/still-shakin-billings-native-chan-romero-reminisces-on-rock-n-roll-career |access-date=May 14, 2023 |website=Q2 News (KTVQ) |language=en}}</ref>
== Personal life == Romero's work bore a resemblance to that of Ritchie Valens, and the two ended up on the same record label. After Valens died in a plane crash, Romero was introduced to Valens' grieving mother, with whom Romero became close. Her home served as Romero's home during his visits to Los Angeles; he slept in Valens' bedroom. He remained close to the Valens family and performed at the Ritchie Valens memorial concert held yearly in Pacoima, California.
Romero's first visit to Palm Springs, California in 1964 inspired him to make the area his home. In later life, he still resided in the area and divided his time between Palm Springs and Billings.<ref name=":0" /> Romero's daughter stated in 2023 that Chan no longer received royalties for his music.<ref name=":0" /> Chan visited the place in England where he was loved most Liverpool, and was backed by his friend from Palm Springs who took him to Liverpool.Mark Guerrero of Palm Springs, also of a band of Liverpool musicians, George Eccles, guitar, Frank Hopley, keyboards, Richie Ballard, bass guitar, Arty Davies, drums who was also his driver. Romero died on April 21, 2024, at the age of 82.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Richard |title=Chan Romero 1941–2024 |url=https://thebluemoment.com/2024/04/22/chan-romero-1941-2024/ |website=The Blue Moment |access-date=22 April 2024 |date=22 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Billings native Chan Romero, who wrote 'The Hippy Hippy Shake', dies at 82 |url=https://www.ktvq.com/news/local-news/billings-native-chan-romero-who-wrote-the-hippy-hippy-shake-dies-at-82 |access-date=23 April 2024 |publisher=KTVQ |date=22 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Chan Romero, musician who had a hit with the rock'n'roll classic Hippy Hippy Shake – obituary |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2024/05/01/chan-romero-rock-n-roll-classic-hippy-hippy-shake-obituary/ |access-date=1 May 2024 |publisher=The Telegraph |date=1 May 2024}}</ref>
== Discography ==
=== Albums === {| class="wikitable" !Title !Note |- |''Hip Shakin' Chan Romero'' |<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Chan Romero |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/506327-Chan-Romero |access-date=May 14, 2023 |website=Discogs |language=en}}</ref> |- |''Bought with a Price'' | |}
=== Singles === {| class="wikitable" !A-side !B-side !Year !Note |- |"Hippy Hippy Shake" |"If I Had a Way" |1959 |<ref name=":1" /> |- |"I Don't Care Now" |"My Little Ruby" |1959 | |- |"Funny Things" |"Funny Things" |1965 | |- |"Humpy Bumpy" |"Humpy Bumpy" |1966 | |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{Portal|Biography}} *[http://www.markguerrero.net/2.php Biography of Chan Romero by Mark Guerrero, son of Chicano music pioneer Lalo Guerrero] *[http://www.rockabillyhall.com/ChanRomero1.html Chan Romero page at rockabillyhall.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115165650/http://www.rockabillyhall.com/ChanRomero1.html |date=January 15, 2020}} * {{discogs artist|Chan Romero}} * {{imdb name|1580613}} *[https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/chan-romero Chan Romero Interview – NAMM Oral History Library (2016)]
{{Mexican-American}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Romero, Chan}} Category:1941 births Category:2024 deaths Category:American musicians of Mexican descent Category:American male singer-songwriters Category:Challenge Records artists Category:Songwriters from Montana Category:Del-Fi Records artists Category:Hispanic and Latino American musicians Category:Musicians from Billings, Montana