Lee Jackson [aka Michael Ferry] (lead vocals)
Michael Fonfara (piano, organ)
Dave McDevitt (bass)
Al Dorsey (guitar)
Paul Carrier (drums)
Larry Leishman (guitar; replaced Dorsey)
Peter Hodgson (bass; replaced McDevitt 1964)
Dave Brown (drums; replaced Carrier)
Wes Morris (drums; replaced Brown)
John "Jon" Finley (vocals)
Jeff Cutler (drums; replaced Cutler)

The Checkmates originally started in Toronto in 1962 as a six-piece of Jackson (vocals), Fonfara (organ), McDevitt (bass), Dorsey (guit), Carrier (drums) and a sax player named Hilmar.

In 1963 Leishman replaced Dorsey and later that year Hodgson replaced McDevitt.

By March 1964, Morris replaced Carrier (with a brief transition by Dave Brown) and John Finley was brought in by Leishman and Hodgson at which time the band became Jon And Lee And The Checkmates. Lastly, within 6 months, Morris was replaced by Cutler.

They played mostly high schools and teen dances and moved up to larger venues such as Maple Leaf Gardens where they opened for the Rolling Stones twice in 1964-65 and for a crowd of 65,000 at Toronto's Nathan Phillips' Square. US gigs followed with regular appearances alongside the Young Rascals at New York City's Phone Booth club and playing Shea Stadium with the likes of The Chiffons and The Temptations.

It took until 1967 before they were able to score a hit with the song "Bring It Down Front" on Sparton Records. When the band eventually split Fonfara and Leishman were still performing in Toronto as The Checkmates and eventually brought in David-Clayton Thomas and became his backing band.

Fonfara and Finley would later join American group Rhinoceros followed by Leishman and Hodgson who had a major hit with the instrumental "Apricot Brandy" in 1969. Fonfara has since become a renowned keyboardist with the likes of Lou Reed, The Lincolns, Foreigner, Electric Flag, Virgil Scott and others; Finley played in several soul acts before moving to LA as a songwriter - he penned the hot "I Will Serenade You" for Three Dog Night; Hodgson joined Rough Trade briefly; the other members all left the music business.

with notes from John Finley.


Singles
as JON-LEE GROUP
1967 Bring It Down Front/Pork Chops (Sparton) P-1617

Albums


Video


Compilation Tracks