The Checkers

The Checkers were an early 1960s Canadian instrumental rock and roll group from Lethbridge, Alberta, active during the brief but fertile pre-Beatles period when surf, twist, and guitar-led rock sounds were beginning to take hold across the country. The group featured Jerry Arnold, Denny Goshinmon, Wes Kutcheran, and Rick Bell, who later became associated with the Five Man Electrical Band.

The band recorded for Barry Records, a Canadian label manufactured by Quality Records Limited. Their first known single, ‘Chinook’ / ‘Stormin’’, appeared in 1961 and leaned into the western Canadian instrumental sound suggested by its Alberta title. A second single, ‘Twilight Twist’ / ‘Twistin Inn’, followed in 1962 as part of Barry’s Canadian Talent Series, with songwriting credited to Wes Kucheran, Denny Goshinmon, Jerry Arnold, and R. Jeacock.

Though little documentation appears to have survived, The Checkers remain a fine example of regional Canadian rock and roll before the British Invasion, bridging late-1950s instrumental rock, early surf, and the twist craze from their base in southern Alberta.

-Robert Williston

Lineup
Jerry Arnold
Denny Goshinmon
Wes Kutcheran
Rick Bell