Meanwhile, the four teenaged children of the bandmembers in the Coronados – who sometimes appeared with their parents on stage – were being attracted to rock music and began singing and performing together as the Real Americans. Gilbert Ortiz (now known as Gil Silverbird), Perry Ortiz and Mark Ortiz are the sons of Reuben Ortiz and Ginger Ortiz; Joerey Ortiz is the son of Steven Ortiz. Reuben Ortiz encouraged them in this endeavor, and he recorded the songs that they were writing using a company that he had formed earlier having the innocuous name of Recording Artists, Inc. Ginger Ortiz began singing with the Real Americans as well, supplying the high vocals that Perry Ortiz was beginning to lose as he matured.
My copy of Silverbird’s second album Broken Treaties went through Hurricane Katrina, so all I have is the disk. If not for a blog at www.weapon-shaped.com, I might not have gotten all of the bandmembers’ names on the album: Reuben Ortiz, Joerey Ortiz, Perry Ortiz, Steven Coronado, Gilbert Ortiz, Ginger Coronado (now also a Coronado, like Steven), and Mark Ortiz.
When their third album Silverbird came out later in 1973, the bandmembers in Silverbird are listed (mostly without surnames) as Mark (acoustic, electric, lead, and bass guitar), Reuben (acoustic and bass guitar), Gilbert (piano, Rhodes and organ), and Perry (flute and drums), plus Brian McManus (banjo and guitar). The producer though is listed as Reuben Ortiz.
(August 2013)
