Sonny Knight got more than he bargained for when he teamed up with some former members of the Minneapolis ’60s soul institution the Valdons.
“I was singing with two former members of the Valdons in a group called the Bachelors doing Mills Brothers, Ink Spots and Platters stuff,” said Knight from his home in St. Paul. “Secret Stash Records was doing a funk and soul compilation album featuring a lot of the old local players from around the Twin Cities that hadn’t really made it, but made some records back in the day. One of the groups, the Valdons was asked to be on the record. One of the guys who was in the Valdons was sick and couldn’t make it so they asked me to be a part of the record.”
Knight went on to wear many different hats for the project eventually leading to the formation of Sonny Knight and the Lakers. The band has released one album “I’m Still Here” with critical acclaim being showered on them and comparisons to soul peers Charles Bradley and Lee Fields. Knight started his music career in the 60’s as a teenager cutting his first single at age 17. How does Knight feel about all the adulation after almost 50 years of paying his dues?