Milt Trenier is one of the famous Trenier brothers, whose family combo enjoyed some success in the early '50s, particularly with their robust live show. Milt joined the group in 1951 along with his brother Buddy, as what had been the Trenier Twins became a quartet. The foursome had a Top Ten hit in 1951 with "Go Go Go," but are much better known for their spirited appearances in classic rock films such as Don't Knock the Rock, The Girl Can't Help It, and Calypso Heat Wave.

Milt left the Treniers in 1959 to persue a solo career and can currently be found playing in clubs around the Chicago area. He has put together a killer band that includes saxman Dave "Bubba" Mitchell, who used to play for people such as Lionel Hampton.

The Treniers

Featuring twin brothers Cliff and Claude Trenier, the Treniers helped link swing music to rock & roll with their brand of hot jump blues in the late '40s and early '50s. To the latter-day listener, their early-'50s singles can sound closer to swing than rock; indeed, Cliff and Claude had once sung with the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra. The group did anticipate some crucial elements of rock & roll, though, with their solid, thumping beats, their squealing saxophone solos, and their song titles, such as "Rocking on Sunday Night," "Rockin' Is Our Business," and "It Rocks! It Rolls! It Swings!" The Treniers' brand of swing-cum-R&B was undoubtedly an influence on Bill Haley, who saw them when both acts were playing summer shows at Wildwood, NJ. Their best work was recorded for OKeh in the early '50s; by the middle of the decade, their sound was more R&B-oriented. Like many early R&B pioneers, they were unable to find success in the rock & roll era, though they appeared in a few of the first rock & roll films.