The Crew

Every band has guys behind the scenes who get it done.  Each band I was in had ours. Nothing could have happened onstage without them. No music. No magic. No merriment. The crew, the road crew, roadies…call them what you will, but these guys were the real stars.  I’ve been blessed to know quite a few (and some have gone on to do great things!)

Jim Hogan, who most likely got the job because he could drive (the rest of us were too young to have a license), who went on to work with The Rhondels and later at Virginia Tech.

Ed “Cog” Cogle, who I met my first semester of college in Richmond and has been in nearly every band with me (and bought me my first alto sax); Don “Donzo” Ludwig; Gashouse Gang Phil (whose last name escapes) who dressed in combat boots and cut off shorts and pyramid shaped hair);  and Rick Hager; Fred Ellis; Robert Rhodes.

Chuck “Chucky Baby” Kelly (another who served multiple bands); Todd Cocker (not a full time crew member but a faithful and constant supporter).

Steve Dunaway, Gary “Kid Funk” Ladin and Phil “Young Phil” Romano were legendary during the High & Mighty days and remain so today.

The late Randy McGraw and Jamie Furtches with The Band of Oz.

Everette “Evie” Faulkner, Freddie Simmons and Larry Wheeling, Jr.

There may be some I’ve forgotten to mention (I hope not), but if I did, please forgive me.

If there were a Hall of Fame for road crews, these guys would be there.

Thank you each and every one.

Until next time, friends….be nice!

Chris Keaton is a Nashville TN based entertainment industry executive, music consultant, bon vivant and lover of great music, wine, fashion and fast cars.

Brian Wheeling, Bruce Wall and PeeWee Watson

Brian, Bruce and Pee Wee (along with Steve) not only made up High & Mighty’s  rhythm section but also contributed vocals and on (and off) stage personality.  In fact, H&M was nearly as well known for our between song antics as we were for our music. When the band started we used to carry a trunk full of stuffed animals and toys to every gig and used them as onstage props (probably to mask the fact that our songlist was so short…we put the band together in one week while our two former bands were playing every night at two different clubs in Myrtle Beach. One Monday we were in The Kings and Gashouse Gang and the next week, voila, High & Mighty).

Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t an act…Brian, Bruce and Pee Wee laid it down.  Some nights I stood in front of them and marveled at how tight the grooves were. The extended jams that happened onstage were legendary and this band could go from The Commodores to Aerosmith… from Earth, Wind and Fire to Free without dropping a beat. These were amazing musicians and I was blessed to have been there. Were we a funk band? Yes.  Were we a rock band? Yes.

I first met Brian when we were teenagers in Roanoke (Vinton, actually) and met Bruce (Big Bird) not long after that.  We were all playing pool parties and hops (high school dances… most notably the ones organized by “Pops” Wainwright at the Vinton Recreation Center) and would run into each other frequently. Brian’s guitar skills were incredible and Bruce was one of the best drummers I have ever heard. Later, I would see them in different bands playing the Kings Inn and other clubs. My first recollection of meeting Pee Wee was in Newport News, VA, when he played with a band called Church.  His vocals were amazing…no one could sing like him.  His range was absolutely astounding. (Hearing him sing McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed” was heartstopping.)

I have some real treasured memories of playing in High & Mighty and I am grateful to count Bruce, Brian, Pee Wee, Dave and Steve as lifelong friends. Thanks, guys.

Until next time, friends….be nice!

Chris Keaton is a Nashville TN based entertainment industry executive, music consultant, bon vivant and lover of great music, wine, fashion and fast cars.

Steve Kaye

In 1974, on the fraternity row of Randolph Macon College in Ashland, VA, as I was on break from performing with Sandcastle at a neighboring frat house, I met Steve Kaye.  He, of the long dark hair, Fu Manchu facial hair, Connecticut Yankee accent and incredible chops on the keyboards. We shared a brief conversation and really not much else.

After about a year and few false starts at trying to be in the same band, we found ourselves in Vriginia Beach as members of Gashouse Gang. Steve’s musical talent, personality and business acumen were the driving forces of that band and later, High & Mighty.

Together, we spun this insane story that we were actually brothers who had been separated at an early age.  What was most amazing was that people actually believed it!!! We spent many hours, days, weeks and months on the road together..in cars..in motels and clubs and really bonded.  We really were as close as brothers.

He taught me many lessons: about business and how to be a band leader; how to write songs and arrange parts (he even had a setting on his synth which was our H&M “third horn” which he dubbed the “trumpaphone”); how to book and manage bands; and how to keep the peace within a band (now, THAT”S a life lesson).

Post H&M, Steve went on to become a force in the business community and I am happy to say we have remained friends and are now closer than we’ve been in years. He continues to inspire me to tap into my creativity and give direction to that creative energy.

Steve, thanks for all you’ve done for me over the years.

Until next time, friends….be nice!

Chris Keaton is a Nashville TN based entertainment industry executive, music consultant, bon vivant and lover of great music, wine, fashion and fast cars.

Dave Britt

Deziah…that was the name of the band.  “Because we have the desire,” was what he told me it meant. I’m still confused. In 1975, I met Dave Britt. We had nearly crossed paths before that when he attended Radford College (now Radford University) and played with a band called Selective Service.

Very soon we were both in a band called Gashouse Gang (which also had roots in southwestern Virginia), a funky, dance band based in Virginia Beach.  From Gashouse Gang, Dave, Steve Kaye, Pee Wee Watson and I joined forces with Brian Wheeling and Bruce Wall from The Kings to become High & Mighty.
Dave and I were both horn players (he trumpet, me sax) who also sang.  We also had (and still have) a really sick sense of humor. (I must say here that truly ALL of us in High & Mighty shared, and still share, that trait!). Oh, the stories I could share…

During a very stressful time in High & Mighty, as the band transitioned from a six piece to a seven piece band, Dave and I found ourselves as “odd men out”. That bond, which to my mind began in the band house in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, when we marched into the rehearsal room buck naked, playing our horns as loud as possible, to the astonishment of the other five members of the band, has kept us friends all these years.

I have performed with a lot of musicians over the years, but am only in touch with a very few.  But our friendship has grown over the years for which I am very thankful I am grateful that the members of H&M still get together from time to time. And when we are together, even after all these years…it’s like it was yesterday.

In fact, just yesterday I spoke with Dave.  We’ve been having these calls at least a couple of times a month for years and I hope we will continue.

We laughed, we shared stories and we reminisced.  Whether he knows it or not, has taught me to persevere and never surrender.  His talents inspired me then and inspire me now.

I’ll be thinking of Dave when I’m onstage at the Hall of Fame.

I love you, man.

Until next time, friends….be nice!

Chris Keaton is a Nashville TN based entertainment industry executive, music consultant, bon vivant and lover of great music, wine, fashion and fast cars.

Freddy Owens

Bill Deal and The Rhondels were a force of nature when I was growing up.  Their energetic shows (and the sheer number of great players on stage) made for many memorable experiences. I had the opportunity to know Bill and his drummer, Ammon Tharp and learn about the music business from them. In fact, their organization , their machine instilled in me that music really WAS a business.

As important as that realization was, Bill and Ammon gave me an even greater gift.  They introduced me to Freddy Owens.

Freddy was the consummate entertainer…fearless, fun and relentless in his pursuit to make the audience smile, laugh, cry, dance or sing along. His connection to people was extraordinary and those who saw him perform never forgot the magic.

Before The Rhondels, he was a member of The In-Men and other great North Carolina bands.

He sang, played sax and bass and always seemed to know the right thing to say from the stage.  As an emerging artist, I learned SO much from just watching him.

Tragically, he was killed in 1979.  He left us all with great memories but he gave me a special gift.  He taught me how to be the best entertainer I could be.  He truly is one of the giants on whose shoulders I stand.

Thank you, Freddy.

Until next time, friends….be nice!

Chris Keaton is a Nashville TN based entertainment industry executive, music consultant, bon vivant and lover of great music, wine, fashion and fast cars.

Chuck Poss, The Kings Inn, WROV

The Kings Inn and WROV. Growing up in Vinton, VA these were my main sources of new music and emerging trends.  This little AM station was a beacon for me and introduced me to rock and pop music.  The deejays were cool and hip and the music was amazing. Jack Fisher and Fred Frelantz were two of my favorites. To me they were the epitome of cool.

Chuck Poss was one of the owners of the Kings Inn, a very hip live music venue which featured music nearly every night…in fact, many nights there were two or three acts on the same bill. Chuck was, to my mind, THE impresario, THE promoter, band manager and, most of all, my friend.

As a teenager trying to figure out how to get into the music business, Chuck was always as close as the telephone to  answer questions and offer advice.

As my career progressed, my bands would play regularly at the Kings Inn and were always supported and nurtured by Chuck.

Chuck is one of the people who put me on the path to this Hall of Fame honor. He made a real difference for me and for that I am eternally grateful.

Until next time, friends….be nice!

Chris Keaton is a Nashville TN based entertainment industry executive, music consultant, bon vivant and lover of great music, wine, fashion and fast cars.

Tommy Thompson

I played in several local bands during high school; The Limits, The Viscounts (we pronounced it like “discounts”…who knew?) and Uncle Sam.  When I was 17, I got a call from the manager of one of the top professional local bands, Company, Inc., asking f I might be interested in auditioning to join.

It took me about a second to say “yes” since one of my heroes, Tommy Thompson, was in the band.  I was ecstatic!

To me, learning to be a front man, lead singer and sax player from Tommy was learning from the master. He exuded cool and charisma.  He looked and acted like a rock star. He wore it well.

I have been blessed to remain friends with him through the years and the skills he taught me served me well during my years of performing.

As I consider the honor of being inducted into the NC Music Hall of Fame, I want to say, thank you, Tommy Thompson.

 

 
Until next time, friends….be nice!

Chris Keaton is a Nashville TN based entertainment industry executive, music consultant, bon vivant and lover of great music, wine, fashion and fast cars.

Thank You

I was blessed to have three band directors in school; Jimmy Sims, Ray Landreth and Steve King.  Each one brought a different dynamic and personality but each made lasting impressions.

Mr. Sims was actually a friend of my dad and an incredible trumpet player and teacher.  He used to tour with the Big Bands back in the day and always brought interesting (and sometimes salty) stories and recollections. He taught me a true appreciation of music.  He said,  “good music is good music” whether it’s classical or rock, country or jazz, soul, pop, whatever.  If it’s good, it’s good.

My memories of Ray Landreth are that he was the essence of cool. He blew into William Byrd High School as a young bachelor and band director.  He also played in a local band (whose name escapes me). To me, his gift was to view music as a vehicle.  If you let it, it can take you wherever you want to go.

Steve King taught me many things during my high school years but the main thing was to be bold.  He used to say, “If you’re going to make a mistake, make it good and loud…don’t be tentative!” He also shared something which, to this day I think about.  “If you practice like a slob, you’ll play like a slob…garbage in, garbage out.”  The lesson I learned from this (much later) is that thoughts are the same thing….think good thoughts, get good results…think bad thoughts, well, you know. Stay positive.

The life lessons I learned from these three men stay with me every day: a deep appreciation for music; music is (and always has been) my vehicle; and stay positive.

Thank you, Mr. Sims, Mr. Landreth and Mr. King.

 

Until next time, friends….be nice!

Chris Keaton is a Nashville TN based entertainment industry executive, music consultant, bon vivant and lover of great music, wine, fashion and fast cars.

Mom and Dad

Rocktober 20, 2016, I am humbled and honored to be joining the Band of Oz as the newest inductees in the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.

Between now and then, I have some people to thank, beginning with my mother, Jeanean Lewis and my late father, Herbert L. Keaton.

From as far back as I can remember, I received nothing but encouragement from my parents.  They opened doors for me and allowed me to follow my own path.  That path was always music…beginning February 9, 1964 when I saw The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. Early on they drove my band and me to gigs and even chaperoned the band when we were too young to legally be in clubs.

Both of my parents taught me independence and instilled the desire to be the best I could possibly be. Mom, who was an accomplished church organist ( and still plays piano daily) encouraged me to play, practice and step out..be original.  Dad, who was an optometrist, never once pushed me to follow in his footsteps as a doctor.  Rather, I heard him tell people more than once, “If Chris would be as unhappy being an optometrist as I would be paying in a band…”

Thanks, Mom and Dad.

Until next time, friends….be nice!

Chris Keaton is a Nashville TN based entertainment industry executive, music consultant, bon vivant and lover of great music, wine, fashion and fast cars.