Preston Epps

Preston Epps (born 1931 in Oakland, CA) still performs in clubs in Southern California and the Southwest region of the United States. A one-hit-wonder, Epps scored a number 14 pop hit in 1959 with "Bongo Rock," but subsequent singles felled on deaf ears. He learned to play the bongos and other percussion instruments during the Korean War while stationed in Okinawa. When his duties ended, he forsook Northern California for Southern Cali, sustaining himself by working odd jobs; he hung around the emerging beatnik, hippie set by frequenting coffeehouses, and pounding the skins ...