Kerry’s rock band reunites

Democratic presidential hopeful John F. Kerry will miss his old band’s first gig in more than 40 years today but is expected to join them for a formal reunion in January, one that he and fellow members of the Electras hope will take place in the White House.

Guitarists Larry Rand and Jon Prouty, who last performed with Kerry in 1963 when they were at St. Paul’s School in Concord, N.H., will be on “Wolf Blitzer Reports” at 2 p.m. on CNN.

“I don’t think we were ever quite as good as Bruce Springsteen,” Rand says. “We were just kids doing that most American of activities -- playing in a rock ‘n’ roll band to entertain others and have a little fun.” Kerry, he recalls, “was a team player who always showed up for rehearsals and learned all the new tunes. He was a very quick study.”

Apparently he had to be, because Kerry hadn’t played bass before joining the group. “He was actually quite a good guitar player,” Rand says. “But we already had two guitarists, so we asked him to play bass. It wasn’t a glamour role in a band, but he was quite selfless that way. He didn’t mind not being in the limelight. He just wanted to be a member of the band.”