Pappo

Argentine rock and blues guitar player, singer and composer, born on March 10, 1950 in Buenos Aires - passed on February 25, 2005 in Luján, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina (motorcycle accident). After playing with his teen group Los Buitres, his drummer and friend Héctor "Pomo" Lorenzo introduced him to Miguel Abuelo and poet Pipo Lernoud. Pappo then joined Los Abuelos de la Nada. Pappo played piano for Manal during a tour and later joined Beat group Conexión No. 5 for a brief period of time. Credited as Pappo's, he recorded a song ("Nunca lo sabrán") for a compilation released in 1970 through the Mandioca label: "Pidamos peras a Mandioca" (MLP 335). In 1969 Los Gatos summoned him to replace Kay Galiffi. With Pappo on guitar, this pioneer Beat combo turned into a rocking band, releasing two albums. He later joined the short-lived groups Engranaje and Pistola. In 1971 Pappo formed Pappo's Blues with David Lebon on bass and Black amaya on drums. Pappo's Blues would release nine studio albums between 1971 and 1999, with various disbandments and reformations. Pappo also played on the first two Billy Bond Y La Pesada Del Rock And Roll LPs, released in 1971 and 1972. In 1977, after disbanding Pappo's Blues, he went to Brazil and, along with Alejandro Medina and Rolando Castello Jr formed Aeroblus. They managed to record only one LP. This project was closer to Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, and it would create the stylistic basis for his next group. Riff (3). Later in the 70s Pappo moved to Britain and came in contact with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene. Back in Buenos Aires in 1980 formed Riff along with Michel Peyronel on drums, Boff Serafine on guitar, Juan Carlos García Haymes on vocals and Vitico on bass. That same year he performed a last show with Pappo's Blues called Adios Pappo's Blues, Bienvenido Riff (Goodbye Pappo's Blues, Welcome Riff). With Riff, he would release four studio albums through the 80s. In 1987 Pappo relocated to Los Angeles, forming the Metal group Widowmakers. They toured through South America and disbanded around 1990. In 1991 Pappo re-activated both Pappo's Blues and Riff, keeping both bands active until his untimely death in 2005.