Johnny Angel And The Halos Singer Opens North Side Shop
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – "Johnny Angel and the Halos" have entertained generations of Pittsburghers.
Friday, the lead singer opened a shop on the North Side with lots of memories.
And Pittsburghers had the chance to check it out.
Johnny Angel and the Halos have been alluring Haloheads to their concerts for 42 years. Jack Hunt began performing nine years before that – more than enough time for the North Side native to collect enough mementos to open a store.
And so he did.
"These are all albums of people I've worked with over the years," Hunt said. "Got them to autograph albums for me and so on."
Fourteen years ago, he introduced KDKA's Dave Crawley to the museum of mementos in his basement.
Crawley had little inkling that this was just the tip of the Halo. He has enough memories to fill the new shop three times over and still hang onto his favorites.
"I didn't realize I had half of this stuff until I started going through boxes," he said. "That's when I decide to open this store."
He calls the store "Johnny Angel's Ginchy Stuff."
"You know, I got the name from – you remember Ed Byrnes as 'Kookie?'" he said. "There it is, right here Ed Byrnes, I met him when he was going on the Mike Douglas show in Philadelphia."
Ginchy meant "cool" in Kookie speak.
It's not just the music. And it's not just the '50s.
"When I was a kid, I sent away for $.50 to get these posters that I framed," he said. "I still have the envelope from it. But this one is the one I love the most … these first three records were from before they made it big on Capitol."
For his daughter, he collected mementos of more recent vintage.
"When I bought her the New Kids on the Block doll, I bought me one and I bought her one," Hunt said. "And now it's here."
He calls the store his retirement. But that doesn't include his music.
"I'll stop when they plant me," Hunt said.
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