Continental Five

In the summer of 1962 Skip Franklin and Mike Johnson got the idea to start a band. They were called the Continental V. They practiced together and realized that they had a lead guitarist, Mike Johnson and Dennis Walters bass guitarist James Osborne and saxophonist Richard Goff The teenagers soon realized they could all harmonize together but no one had the distinctive sound or charisma needed to be the band’s frontman. 

PHS coach John Bill Trivette told the band about his ball player, Ritchie “Cat” Weems, who “sounded great” singing in the shower after a ballgame. 

This was the beginning. The band added him and called themselves Ritchie Weems and the Continental V. The band recorded many singles such as Natural Born Man. It was released in 1953 and hit No 52 on billboard’s top 100 chart. This release earned the band television appearances on Let’s Dance and Club 13 and also secured the Continental V a slot on the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars tour. The band stayed together several years. 

Ritchie Weems was inducted into the Hall of Fame at PHS in 1989. He now resides in Dallas, Georgia with his wife Pat Weems. He had 3 children, Darnell, Arprincess, and Richard Weems. He has four grandchildren.

Written by Mural Bradley Silvers ’78, retired PES faculty.