News & Updates — Arlester "Dyke" Christian
Arlester "Dyke" Christian 6/13/43-3/13/71
One of my very favorite bands, Dyke & the Blazers, were founded by Buffalo native Arlester "Dyke" Christian in 1965. One of the only bands that James Brown was worried about as competitors, these guys had a raw, hard, street funk sound. Dyke played bass in Carl LaRue & His Crew, gigging around the rust belt and releasing a couple of 45s on the Buffalo-based KKC label in the early '60s. The Crew went to Phoenix to back the O'Jays but found the gig to be a dud and three members of the band (Dyke included) were stranded in the...