Six high school classmates from the Belle Harbor neighborhood
on Long Island formed the Harbor Lites, named after their neighborhood,
in 1959.Among the six were Kenny Rosenberg (Kenny Vance), Sandy Yagoda,
and Sydell Sherman. One day John "Jay" Traynor (the 1st Jay ) lead singer
of the Mystics met Vance and Yagoda in their manger Jim Gribble's office
and the three decided to form their own group. An old friend from
Flatbush, Howard Kirshenbaum was added. Kirshenbaum later became Howie
Kane. David Blatt (the 2nd Jay became Jay Black ) and Marty Sanders
(born Martin Joe Kupersmith) joined the group in 1962. Jay Black left the
the group in 1973 for a solo carrer. Jay Traynor died on January 2,
2014, of liver cancer. In 2006, Jay Black filed for bankruptcy due to
gambling debts, and his ownership of the name "Jay & The Americans"
was sold by the bankruptcy trustee to Sandy Deanne (Yaguda), Black's
former bandmate and original member of Jay & The Americans, for $100,000.
With the name purchase, former members Deanne, Howard Kane, and Marty Sanders
reunited, and recruited a sound-alike singer from Chicago, coincidentally
nicknamed "Jay." Thus, John "Jay" Reincke became the third "Jay" and the
band returned to playing both national and international music venues
David Blatt died October 23, 2021. Howard Kane was still touring with
the Americans when he died in March 2023, at the age of 81. Sandy Deanne
continued to tour until early 2024, he currently lives in Long Beach, New
York. The current line up is Darren Dowler, Rick Van Horn, Jay Reincke,
and long time member Marty Sanders
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