Service For Cory Set For Thursday

Cory will have a graveside service on his birthday, Thursday March 22nd. The service will begin at 11:00 am at Goleta Cemetery, 44 South San Antonio Rd. in Santa Barbara.

A fellowship reception will follow at The Santa Barbara Elks Lodge (150 N. Kellogg Ave.).

In event of rain, the 11:00 memorial service will be moved to the Elks Lodge.

Cory lived in pursuit of his dream and along the way he shared his life and passion for music with so many.

GoFundMe Account for Cory

After a courageous battle with cancer Raymond Orosco (Keyboard Cory) went home to Heaven November 8th 2017. We are reaching out for assistance as the medical bills are overwhelming to Cory's brothers Ernie and Brian. They are also in need of assistance for Cory's upcoming Memorial Service.

We thank you in advance for your love donations.

Please click here.

Sincerely,
Ernie, & Brian Brian Faith Band & Friends / Ernie and The Emperors

This One's For You, Cory!

We'll be celebrating Cory's magnificent life this Sunday at the High Sierra Grill with family, friends, fellow musicians, and a whole lot of music for Cory so bring your dancing shoes!

High Sierra Grill
Sunday, November 26th
521 Firestone Road
Goleta, CA
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Tomorrow Night

A Celebration of Life

A Celebration of Raymond James Orosco (aka Keyboard Cory) Life from Ernie & the Emperors aka Brian Faith will be announced soon.

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT

"KEEP THE FAITH"

If you wish to send cards or donations to cover Medical & Funeral expense send to:

Brian Faith Band, P.O. Box 6653, Santa Barbara, Ca. 93160

Returning to Our Old Home!

We will be returning to our old home, the Earl Warren Showgrounds, on Thursday April 27, 2017 from 6 to 8 pm. Back in the day we were the house band and took part in many, many concerts and Battle of the Band competitions. We can't wait to see you there and play some of the old tunes as well as some new ones!

Ernie and The Emperors

A Unique Opportunity!

In 1965 a band of four good looking guys in matching suits and dog collars performed at the Dolphin Club and took us by storm. That band was Ernie and The Emperors (the core of which was the three Orosco brothers, Ernie, Cory, and Brian) and they hooked us with their Reprise Records 45 “Meet Me At The Corner.” Do you remember going to Bob’s Appliances to buy your records? The Emperors’ single hit the Top 5 not only in that shop, but also on all of the county’s radio stations. When they had a night off of their job as the house band at Earl Warren Showgrounds, they played all over the state and went on to make some pretty impressive tours as Big Brother Ernie Joseph, sharing the stage with the Allman Brothers, Bruce Springsteen, Roy Orbison, the Strawberry Alarm Clock, and many others. Their albums, including the iconic collectible, Confusion, are still selling, some fetching upwards of $300 per copy.

When they returned to Santa Barbara, they opened a recording studio where through the years they worked with such luminaries as members of Ambrosia, the Doobie Brothers, the Grass Roots, The Drifters, Herman’s Hermits, Missing Persons, the Marshall Tucker Band, Iron Butterfly, Steppenwolf, Toto, Vanilla Fudge, Tower of Power, and Canned Heat, as well as Katy Perry and Chaka Kahn. And the list goes on.

In 2012 Lillimar Pictures made a documentary on the band, Makin’ It, in which filmmaker John Ferry follows the musical careers of the Orosco brothers from when they sang for snacks at the market in their childhood State Street neighborhood, to today. In Makin’ It, Ferry caught the essence of what made Ernie, Cory, and Brian so popular with their audiences, and what has kept them popular all these years. Focusing on their dedication to music and to each other, Ferry delivers an intimate look into their lives and hearts. And heart has always been what sets them apart from other bands.

In more recent years the group has been performing under the name of The Brian Faith Band and, speaking as one of their original appreciators from the Dolphin Club, I’ll vouch for them. The years have been good to them. Their sound still is fresh and they still put on a good show. The dance floor is seldom empty once they get going! From Ernie’s prowess on lead guitar to Brian’s amazing voice and Cory’s mastery of any instrument he picks up, this band just plain rocks. But don’t think you’ll hear merely a great cover band. Just as they did in the 1960s and ‘70s, they have a huge catalog of catchy original songs, too. The band has been through a number of incarnations through the years so they’re more than qualified to please any audience, from those of us who love to experience a little nostalgia to those who enjoy taking in new bands. Whatever you want to hear, these guys will deliver, and they’ll do so with the magic they showed us back in the Sixties when they first thrilled us with their uplifting sound and their unique showmanship.

On Friday night, January 6, you’ll have the opportunity to see them when they perform at The Maverick Saloon (the old Barn where they used to perform in the Sixties) in Santa Ynez. If you’re an alumnus of Santa Ynez High School (or even if you're not!) you won’t want to miss this event!

Backstage at the Avocado Festival - A Memorable Night

How often does this happen? Bands that grew up together; and yes, we have a special kinship between us. Love these guys!

Keep rockin’ my brothers and sisters: Ernie and The Emperors, Brian Faith Band, Out Of The Blue, The Cowsills, Exit, The Pups, The Rincon Band, and thanks a mil to Roger Gilbert.

It was a pleasure playing with you guys.
Ernie

A Note From Ernie

Fundraiser for Cory at the Eagles Lodge, Santa Barbara, Sunday April 26, 2015

What a great show! Eric, Tebow, and Bobby, you guys are the best, man! Shades of Soul lead singer Luther Richmond's voice was on fire and Shades were as tight as ever! Out Of The Blue let me play with them, which was a dream come true. Bob Dolan from the Alice Cooper band was awesome on vocals and keyboards, as usual. The Groove Line were great and I really admire lead singer Becky's fight with cancer and that she still put on a great show! Pepe Marquez was fab on "There Ain't No Woman Like The One I Got." Wow! That was really hot. And Ray, thanks for the extra effort of making sure our sound system was up and happening. I also appreciated how fantastic you are on keyboards as well. We even got to play our original song appropriately entitled, "Good Times."

Love and gratitude from Cory Orosco and family. Thank you so much and may God bless.
Ernie

Click below for more great photos!

A New Benefit for Cory

Click to enlarge

Saluting The Emperors

Published in the Montecito Journal
September 18, 2014 Vol. 20 Is. 35
By Steve Lobowitz

They were one of the first bands ever to play at Earl Warren Showgrounds back in the early 1960’s and the last to perform at Peabody’s in Montecito before it closed in 2012. They worked with such major artists of the era as the Allman Brothers, Roy Orbison, Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore, Eddie Brigati (of the Young Rascals), Nick St. Nicholas (Steppenwolf), Kenny Cetera (Chicago), and Doug Ingle (Iron Butterfly) and later, locally, Toad the Wet Sprocket and Katy Perry in an earlier guise. For a while in the 1960s, they were the biggest band in the land, the 16-ton monster in the 805. But unless you’re a musician or local music fan nearing retirement age, chances are you’ve never heard of them...

A Community United

Santa Barbara’s Benefit for Raymond “Cory” Orosco is on Saturday, September 13 at the Santa Barbara Elks Lodge, 150 N. Kellogg Ave. Live entertainment from 6 pm to 11 pm will be provided by Soul City Survivors, Night Train, and the Fog Band. Also, Cory’s brothers, Ernie and Brian, members of Ernie and The Emperors (aka Brian Faith Band), will be sitting in with these groups. In addition to the live music show and dance, the event will also feature, dinner, door prizes, and an auction fundraiser. General admission is $35, and $75 for reserved seating at tables around the dance floor. Tickets are available by calling (805) 895-6040 and (805) 683-5646...

Santa Barbara Benefit for Cory - Important Update!

As September 13th draws ever nearer, the organizers of the Santa Barbara Benefit for Cory have been busy finalizing all of the details. Please click the flyer to view at normal size; you don't want to miss any important information!

Also, please click here to download the ticket order form.

Benefit Events for Cory

“Rock & Roll Benefit to Help Cory”

The Brian Faith Band is holding a Rock 'n Roll benefit to raise funds for Cory Orosco, who has been diagnosed with cancer.

The Mighty Cash Cats, What The Funk, and Brian Faith and Friends will perform at the Bamboo Steak House in Camarillo on Sunday, September 7th, from 3-7 pm.

The event will feature prize giveaways and drawings. A $20 cover charge will count as your donation toward Cory's healthcare costs. The Bamboo Steakhouse is located at 4426 Central Ave, Camarillo, CA.

“Santa Barbara's Benefit for Cory”

Legendary icon and pioneer of the Santa Barbara rock music scene, Cory (Raymond) Orosco, has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, and the music community and Santa Barbara locals are rallying to his support.

Cory, along with brothers Ernie and Brian, are founding members of Santa Barbara’s Ernie and the Emperors. After landing a record deal with Warner Bros/Reprise Records in 1965, their regional hit record, “Meet Me at the Corner”, went to number one on Santa Barbara’s radio station KIST. After winning Battle of the Bands shows in Santa Barbara and Ventura and touring extensively with Wolfman Jack’s concert shows, their popularity made them one of the most influential and respected bands in California.

Their popularity extended nationally by way of constant touring. Along with Strawberry Alarm Clock vocalist Greg Munford, who sang the SAC hit “Incense and Peppermints”, two albums on Uni Records propelled tours in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and the Midwest. A Southeast tour followed in 1970 with the Big Brother Ernie Joseph release of the cult classic album “Confusion”. Notable Southeast tour performances included shows at the 1970 Love Valley Music Festival with a estimated crowd of 250,000 people, and the Nashville Music Festival with Bruce Springsteen and Roy Orbison.

Cory and his brothers are core members of bands who evolved through the years as Ernie and the Emperors, Giant Crab, Big Brother Ernie Joseph, and more recently Brian Faith Band. A recent film production, "Makin It", from Lillimar Pictures, documents the story of the Orosco brother’s musical odyssey and commemorates their achievement of playing for 50 years together as a working band. The award winning documentary had its world premier at the Riverside International Film Festival in 2012.

In addition to playing music for local audiences, Cory and brother Ernie Joseph Orosco, have made contributions to the local music community as recording studio session players, session backup vocalists, engineers, and record producers. Their recording studio (SRS Studios), popular with working musicians, became a platform that helped launch the careers of many local musicians, including the Tearaways, Christian Love (the Beach Boys), Toad the Wet Sprocket, Dishwalla, Ugly Kid Joe, RKL, Jewel, and many others. In addition, Cory and Ernie have the distinction of being the first to record and produce local legend Katy Perry.

Santa Barbara’s BENEFIT FOR CORY is scheduled for Saturday September 13, 2014 from 6 pm to 11 pm at Santa Barbara’s Elks Lodge #613 located at 150 North Kellog Ave., Goleta. Entertainment includes dinner, live music with three top local bands, special guest celebrities, door prizes, and auctions. For ticket information, volunteer help, door prize donations or sponsors, please call: (805) 895-6040 or (805) 683-5646.

If you are unable to attend these concerts,

please consider donating via Cory's FundRazr page.