Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 154

The Bratton Stories Continued Right now the sound is the monotonous and almost brutal beat of rock 'n' rollas the accompaniment for Joanne Bratton's emergence into the sunlight of success. She is president of Golden World Records, for which The Reflections-latest purveyors of the "Detroit -have already made two hit discs, "(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet" and "Poor Man's Son." JOHNNY BRATTON, former welterweight champion of the world, is living quietly with his mother in his home town, Chicago, after eight years in Illinois Manteno Hospital. He has not emerged into this sunlight, but lives in a sort of grayish world where there's not much music. Now 35, Joanne is a trim, pretty woman who speaks precisely and with an impressive vocabulary. It's easy to see how Johnny, already the idol of Chicago's fight fans then, fell for her when they met here.

He was visiting his uncle, a neighbor ol Joanne's parents. Joanne was 15. She has a disarming candor and an easy charm. And, too, the years have eased the pain of many memories about Johnny including the terrifying one of Nov. 13, 1953, the night he took a beating from Kid Gavilan in a fight writers described at the time as "one of the most brutal in Johnny, though on the defensive, was holding his own until the formidable Cuban trapped him in a corner in the eighth round and started a rhythmic fusillade of lefts and rights to the head.

After 20 punches with none back from Johnny, the Kid looked at the referee, who made no move. The slaughter continued. "The sports writers counted 60 blows. Actually it was 62. How Johnny lasted the full 15 rounds is still a sports world miracle," Joanne said.

"I'll never forgive that referee in Chicago. I think Johnny suffered brain damage in that fight. He was never the same afterward," she said. With equal candor she describes her own life. "I was very bright, probably precocious as a little girl.

I was double promoted twice in grade school. But I got dumber as I grew older," she said. She didn't get too dumb, though. She was graduated from Northwestern High: School at 16, and, just after her 17th birthday, became a long distance operator for the Michigan Bell Telephone Co. Johnny Bratton, born in Arkansas, came as a child to Chicago with his parents.

His father was a preacher who took little or no interest in him. Johnny, bored, drifted Continued on Page 29 20 years. Continued on Page 29 Plofchan Fred THE REFLECTIONS: Tony, Phil, Dan, John Out of the Sand, a Hit Sound They started out in bathing suits, of taking music or show business seriharmonizing casually on the beach at ously. First it was just Phil and meKensington Park. then Dan and John joined us and we Now the four young men, all in their had a quartet." early twenties, have evolved into The They also were joined by Ray SteinReflections, the latest Detroit based berg, another young singer.

Ray was vocal group to hit the national popu- with them as part of a quintet when larity "charts" in rock 'n' roll music. they made "Romeo and Juliet," but They already have two solid hits to quit the group when he got married. their Like) Romeo and The surviving four are all singleJuliet" and "Poor Man's Son" and at least they say they are. The thought they're expecting great things from their of any of them having to get up at 4 a.m. latest disc, "Wheelin' and Dealin'." to give baby his bottle might intrude They are Tony Micale, tenor, the on the romantic fantasies woven around lead singer and spokesman for the the Reflections by worshipful teen-age group; Phil Castrodale, the tenor whose girls.

high falsetto rises to soprano-like Their name? heights; Dan Bernie, the baritone; and "We were rehearsing once in my livJohn Dean, who is possessed of a boom- ing room," Tony said, "and all of suding bass. den someone commented on the started fooling around, with tions of us in the big mirror over the singing out at Kensington four or five fireplace. We liked the sound of it so years ago," Tony said, "with no thought we called ourselves The Reflections." Join the hullabaloo fun! RENTS a GUITAR $5 a month Unlimited return privilege. If you buy, all payments apply. Gibson, Goya and other makes.

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