Photograph courtesy of the Juice Newton Fan Club
Juice Newton, who got her start in Los Gatos, plays Harrah's Reno June 25-30.
In the early 1970s, Juice Newton rode into Los Gatos on the back of John Summers' motorcycle; they were bent on honing their guitar and vocal skills in local spots.
Now, let's flash-forward to Harrah's Reno, where Juice will appear in Sammy's Showroom June 25 through 30.
Newton said, "We started out in clubs of Northern California in the early '70s with an acoustic trio called Silver Spur."
Summers and Newton met in Texas, where he was testing country music. Starting in Los Gatos, Summers, a 1963 Los Gatos High School graduate, and Juice were joined by Bob Young, LGHS footballer and '61 grad. The trio played and sang at The Wine Cellar in Old Town and at Mountain Charley's in the La Cañada Building.
Newton scratched out a living working as clerk and waitress at the Corner Drug Store and the Grog and Sirloin.
Summers, son of an admiral, dropped from the group and today is a newspaper columnist, under the name Slagman, in Colorado. One of his sisters, Sharman, resides here with with their mother, Jane, owner of Main Street business properties.
Juice's mother, Maxine, ran her daughter's fan club here before headquartering in Texas.
Young was born into a minister's family in Tulare, the youngest of three children. He graduated from San Jose State University, and Newton attended Foothill College. They formed a band with bass player Tom Kealy and were kept busy in area spots before moving to L. A. and forming Juice Newton & the Silver Spur. In 1975, RCA released the band's namesake album, and soon Capitol Records released Come to Me. She is still associated with Young, her longtime partner and writer of her classic hit, "The Sweetest Thing."
Newton sang for President Reagan in the White House, is celebrity chairperson for the National Kidney Foundation and has been named one of the nation's 10 Most Influential Women.
She has had over a dozen top singles on the country and pop charts, and her honors include ACM's New Female Vocalist of the Year; Billboard's Album Artist of the Year and the People's Choice Award for Best Female Vocalist.
Juice Newton performs at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. June 25 and at 9 p.m. nightly June 26 through 30. For reservations, call 800-HARRAHS.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, June 19, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved