The Paupers. Toronto rock band. It was formed in 1965 as the Spats by the drummer Ronn (Skip) Prokop, the guitarists Bill Misener and Chuck Beal, and the bass guitarist Denny Gerrard. In 1966, with the singer-songwriter and (12-string) guitarist Adam Mitchell replacing Misener, the Paupers emerged from Yorkville coffeehouses with two dissimilar styles then new to Canada: folk rock and 'psychedelic' rock. The latter, which featured Beale or Gerrard in extended improvisations to the drum accompaniment of the other three Paupers, brought the band attention in the USA. Appearances followed there, and across Canada, in 1967.