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Per information received from Dave Lovell on January 7, 2016:
Clip from the Oakland Tribune. Butch's band was actually the "Knight Riders", not the "Night Riders". Peninsula bluesman Daniels dies at 61 Oakland Tribune April 3, 2008 | Shaun Bishop | Copyright Virgil "Butch" Daniels was a blues rocker and local guitarist who died last week of a massive stroke, and a friend says he is trying to find the musician's family to give him a proper burial. Daniels, 61, collapsed on Easter Sunday and died two days later at Stanford Hospital, said his longtime friend Charles Clarke of Redwood City. Clarke said he is trying to find a member of Daniels' family who can authorize the release of his body from Stanford. He said Daniels had a former wife, a daughter named Nicole and a son named Lionel. "He was a good dude," Clarke said. "He was a very nice man, he was a giving person, he was a warm person." Daniels grew up in Belmont and started a band called The Night Riders in the 1960s when he was in high school, Clarke said.
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Mike DeMartini
So sorry to hear of his passing. I remember seeing them play at the dance club in San Carlos when we were in school. Anyone remember the club's name? I seem to remember it was the "Peppermint Twist" or something like that. As a person really into music in high school, the Knight Riders greatly inspired me. They were a good band. Very solid.......very tight.
Mike DeMartini
Dennis Ergas
I'm saddened to hear that Butch died. He was a friend in high school and afterwards including the time I met up with him at Fort ORD Signal school back in 1966.
His band the Knight Riders played venues up and down the SF Peninsula including a memorable time at my parents home in 1964. There was also a time in Pacifica that had all the young kids in awe at there musical prowess.
Butch saw me at the Breakwater in HMB one weekend and asked me to show him how to board surf back in 1961 A friend of mine from San Carlos high who knew Butch's girlfriend back then told me a few years back that he was in poor health. As can often happen I lost contact after 1966 with Butch. I'm glad I have fun memories. I hope that all my classmates will have a healthy New Year 2016
Andy Boghosian
Mike, I think the name of that dance club was called The Cinnamon Tree
Andy
David Lovell
I remember Butch and the Knight Riders well. Back in my early band days we were in a couple of "battle of the bands" with them at the old Cinnamon Tree over in the industrial area of San Carlos. It was owned by a San Carlos cop, and designed to keep the underage crowd from drinking, fighting and the other "usual" stuff that kids did on Saturday nights. Well, it worked. There was no drinking, fighting and other stuff in the club. It all just moved out to the parking lot.
The bands were a mix of anything and everything, mostly emerging from garages all over the Peninsula on the weekends. One notable group that played there at least once was the Warlocks, who would later change their name to The Grateful Dead and go on to sell a few records and concert tickets. Butch and the Knight Riders were there a number of times, and always a crowd favorite. I'll never forget playing a set there one night when a somewhat inebriated fellow, who identified himself as the Knight Riders' manager, came up to us, repeatedly poked his finger in my chest and stated, "Let me give you some advice. What you need is a sax!". Nope. Never did get a sax, but it was good for many laughs after that night.
Rest in peace, Butch. One of these days, hopefully not any time soon, I'll join you and we can jam. In the meantime, keep on rockin'.
Dennis Ergas
I have a thought I want to express regarding a veteran friend who died a man who was a classmate to all at Carlmont high. One can listen to tribute on YouTube it's befitting to say goodbye to Butch Daniels. It's a short video called "A veteran died today"
David Lovell
I just found a couple of the Knight Riders' tunes on YouTube, including this one:
"I Just Don't Know" (I believe this was recorded about 1966 for an albumn at Autumn Records)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRPKAL_tHUQ