Johnny Grande

Johnny Grande joined Bill Haley and the Saddlemen in 1949 as piano player, accordionist and musical arranger. He was an original partner in the creation of The Comets in 1952 and played on "Rock Around the Clock." His Latin-lover looks made him one of the more popular members of the Comets during their many tours of the U.S. and Europe. He quit the band in 1962. In 1987 he participated in a Comets reunion and continues to perform and record with the band today. In the fall of 1999, he survived major heart surgery.