John Quade

John William Saunders III (April 1, 1938 – August 9, 2009), better known by the stage name John Quade, was an American character actor who starred in film and in television. He was best known for his role as Cholla, the leader of the motorcycle gang "The Black Widows" in the Clint Eastwood films Every Which Way but Loose (1978) and its sequel Any Which Way You Can (1980).

Early life

Born in Kansas City, Kansas, Quade attended Perry Rural High School in Perry, Kansas before transferring to Highland Park High School in Topeka on September 7, 1954. While at Highland Park, he was a football tackle and also participated in basketball and track. He was a member of the Stamp, Radio, and Chess/Checkers clubs. He graduated from Highland Park in May 1956.

Quade attended Washburn University in the fall semester of 1956. He worked for the Santa Fe Railway repair shop in Topeka and as an aerospace engineer before his movie debut in 1972. In the mid-1960s he formed a partnership with rock and roller Zane Ashton (aka Bill Aken) in the production company "Progressive Sounds Of America." Their partnership is closely documented in the biography of Bill Aken, (Carry Your Own Guitar) published by Xlibris Corporation in January of 2014. Most of their productions were done at Richie Podolor's American Recording including those with The Roosters, Fenwyck, Big Joe Long, and United Artist's country songstress Kathy Dee. Ashton was the adopted son of classical guitarist Francisco Mayorga and his actress wife Lupe, who initially helped open music business doors for the two partners. After a rapid rise from a one-room office in Maywood, California to a high rise suite of offices in Hollywood, they sold the company to the Pat Quinlan Agency in 1968, but the two remained friends for decades.