Emperor (6)

Formed by Steve Watts and high school friends in the 1960's, The Emperors (later known as Emperor) quickly became a clear Long Beach favorite, playing at teen dances, concerts and other events throughout the area. They entered and won a number of Battle of the Bands and made several appearances on Sam Riddle's "9th Street West" TV dance show. As Emperor's popularity grew, the band had opportunities to share concert billing with a number of acts including Peter & Gordon, The Rolling Stones, The Righteous Brothers and later, Steely Dan. After several personnel changes, the band changed its name to Emperor during the 70’s and continued building a strong Southern California fan base. Performing regularly to packed houses at beach area hot spots like Isadore's, Joshua's and Big Daddy's made Emperor “the band to see” and a local icon. It was inevitable that the band’s combination of tight ensemble playing, versatility, superb vocals and energetic stage show would catch the eyes and ears of the recording industry. Emperor signed with RCA in 1974 and recorded a number of singles, several produced by John Ryan (Styx). Soon after, the band began to seek more artistic freedom and subsequently signed with New York based Private Stock Records. In 1977 Private Stock released the highly anticipated album Emperor, which was produced by Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise (Kiss, Gladys Knight) and engineered by Warren Dewey (Boston). The band enjoyed moderate success on the national record charts and toured the U.S. and Japan. After over twenty years of performing, and a number of personnel changes, Emperor disbanded during the 80s. But after an extremely successful reunion concert at the Galaxy Theater in 2002, the Emperors (formerly known as Emperor) are back and delighting audiences all over Southern California. The Emperors are still regarded by many as the premier classic rock band in Southern California.