Professor LaPlano and the Planotones

One of the artifacts of the 70's fad for the 50's was the 1978 flick, American Hot Wax, which dramatized real-life Cleveland DJ Alan Freed's championing of rock and roll. Real rockers Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins appeared as themselves, but for some reason, fictionalized versions of other real groups were created like this one. Professor LaPlano and the Planotones were a doowop quartet of white, greasy-looking young men in matching suits. Kenny Vance played Professor La Plano, the rest of the band was played by Joe Esposito, Bruce Sudano, and Ed Hokenson. Their version of "Rock and Roll is Here to Stay" (Danny and the Juniors) is on the soundtrack album. Trivia Time! Kenny Vance, a member of real 60's band Jay and the Americans, reformed the fictional Planotones in 1992 and tours with them, performing doo wop. So now they're real! Ahhh! Vance also composed the song, "Countdown to Love" performed by the fictional Sorels in the movie Streets of Fire. See also The Chesterfields, The Delights, Clark Otis, Timmy and the Tulips.