Stan Szelest ✝

Stanley Martin Szelest (February 11, 1942 – January 20, 1991) was an American musician from Buffalo, New York, known for founding an influential blues band in the 1950s and 1960s, Stan and the Ravens, and later as a keyboardist with Ronnie Hawkins and, briefly, with The Band.\n', ' In 1958, Szelest formed Stan and the Ravens, a blues group that became popular in western New York. New York producer David Lucas recorded sessions with the group, resulting in the release "Farmer\'s Daughter" a song written by Szelest. Lucas also recorded a song entitled, "Howlin\' for My Darlin" and b-side, "It Won\'t Long Now" using the name, the Rivals instead of Stan and the Ravens for the Spector/Wand label. Lucas made some other recordings of the group, only one of which “Rag Top”, has ever been released. \n', ' In 1967, Stan and the Ravens broke up, although they would re-unite occasionally well into the 1980s. In 2009, the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame released “Rag Top” on a CD compilation, and again on a vinyl compilation in 2016 - this time featuring Szeleste on the cover (see discography).\n', '