MY MUSIC HISTORY - A CHRONOLOGY

As most of you know, I have had a long (if not illustrious) career in music. I was singing when I was 4, started writing songs at around 10 and took up the drums in my early teens.
I have begun trying to piece together facts and pictures etc. to chronicle my Rock N Roll history. (Some of the facts are kinda fuzzy for me – especially through the early 70's – not sure why. . . I had stopped smoking pot by then. . .)

So, below is a list, roughly in order of occurrence, of the Bands (the main ones anyway), the People (mostly the musicians) and the Places. If you have any recall and/or photos that would help me, please contact me and send whatever you have. Wherever you see a
"___________" – it means I have no recall of the person's name(s) in that slot – feel free to fill in the blanks by writing to me. Also, when you see [sic] – it means I am not sure I have the correct spelling of the name. (r.i.p) should be self explanatory.

In the near (hopefully) future, I also plan to start an ongoing blog - sorta like a book, sorta like an autobiography [no doubt with some pages missing – some intentionally; some not] maybe even sort of a confessional. . . . yes, there will definitely be some pages missing. Tentatively, it will be called "For Love and Music" (Watch for it!)

Oh. . . . the list:

The Changing Mood: Terry Anderson, Bass – Hugh Joshua Dillingham III, Guitar - Rufus Clarke, Organ – Ronnie Ledbetter, Vocals. Later lineup: Charlie Wells, Keyboards – Larry Robinson, Guitar. Chas, Drums (I also would come out front and sing whenever my friend and fellow drummer, Harold "Pig" Meacham (r.i.p.) was around)
Base: Kings Mountain, NC
Related Places: Grover Rescue Squad, KM National Guard Armory.
Time: Mid 60's

The Floyds: Mickey Floyd, Guitar – Mike Floyd, Bass – Philip Sanders, Drums – Chas, Lead Vocals. I think Ronnie Floyd also did something in the band (maybe keyboards) and there may have been a rhythm guitarist_______ _________.
Base: Kings Mountain, NC.
Time: Mid 60's (I have no recall of the clubs)

Scorpio: Larry Blake, Guitar, Vocals (R.I.P.) – Danny "Buttons" Kennedy, Lead Guitar – Ike "DumDum" Patterson, Bass R.I.P. – Chas, Drums & Vocals. Later Lineup: Mike Fowler, Lead Vocals – Stuart "Simon" Glass, Bass
Base: Kings Mountain, NC and Gastonia.
Related Places: Rockin' Palace, Bessemer City, NC – Highway18 Club – Teddy Bear Den, Charlotte, NC – Bamboo Lounge, Charlotte, NC
Time: Mid 60's

Counts IV: Don Roof, Keyboards – Mike Fowler, Lead Vocals – Stuart "Simon" Glass, Bass – Mike Fitch (Fitchett?) [sic] Lead Guitar – Chas, Drums
Base: Goldsboro, NC
Related Places: The Experience, Raleigh, NC – Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
Time: Mid 60's

Ornge: (I only found out after I left the band that it was spelled ORNGE not ORANGE.)
Rick Vannoy (r.i.p.), Lead guitar & Lead vocals – Mike Archuleta, Bass (R.I.P.) – Chas, Drums
Later Lineup included: Vince Fersak, Lead guitar (not a replacement to Vannoy, but, in addition to) Frequent jams with Stan Behrens, Harmonica (harp) extraordinaire.
Base: Fayetteville, NC
Related Places/People: The Apple House, Fayetteville, NC – Bob LaRoy – Bill Ashford – Danny Potter - Bill Cain – Harry Ennis [sic] – Paul Scott – Ft. Bragg/Pope Air Force Base.
Time: 67-68

Liquid Smoke: Sandy Pantaleo, Lead Vocals – Ben Ninnman, Keyboards – Mike Archuleta, Bass – Vince Fersak, Lead Guitar (R.I.P.) – Chas, Drums
Base: Greenville, NC – Later, Long Island, NY
Related Places/People: The Buccaneer, Greenville, NC – The Bird Cage, Jacksonville, NC – East Carolina University – Ronnie Hedland – Farmingdale, NY - Massapequa, NY – The Daisy, Amityville, NY – Dean's College Inn, Deer Park & Long Beach, NY – Mrs. Benjamin and Sid – Vinny Testa (R.I.P.) – Avco Embassy Records - Dean Serafianous [sic] – John Knox – Stan Behrens (yep, he jammed with Liquid Smoke too) – Unganos, NYC – Leone's, Long Beach – The Mousetrap, Island Park
Time: 1968-early 70's
Also, for a brief time during this period, Mike Archuleta and I were putting together a band with Vince Martell, Guitar (of Vanilla Fudge fame) but, the band only played out once (for some local political rally) and never really got off the ground.

The Caravelles: (Later to become "Scratch") – Mickey Floyd, Lead Guitar – Terry Anderson, Bass – John Bennett, Keyboards – Ronnie Ledbetter, Lead Vocals – Tommy Bennett, Percussion & Trumpet. Later Line up: Dave Chapman, Lead Guitar.
Base: Kings Mountain NC
Related Places: Holy Crap! I can't remember one place that we played. But, we did, HONEST!.
Time: Early 70's

Lumbee: (not to be confused with the "original" Lumbee – Willie Lowery's band.)
John Pander, Bass – Rick Vannoy (R.I.P.), Lead Guitar – Karl _______, Keyboards – Carson Huggins, Drums – Chas, Drums (Yep, 2 drummers) (Lotsa Allman Brothers)
Base: Fayetteville, NC
Related Places: Ft. Bragg – Cottonade Farm – Beverly Bretz, Sue Windsor – Hmmm can't remember the clubs. . . But, I remember the farm.
Time: Early 70's

S. Wolfgang Hart: Phil Davis, Lead Vocals & Guitar – Richard Putnam, Keyboards – Alan Stewart, Guitar – Gary Lyons, Bass – Chas, Drums.
Base: Shelby, NC
Related: This band did originals and some covers. We never played out but, it bears listing anyway.
Time: Early 70's

The Generation Gap: (now it gets fuzzy . . .) Rick Lankford, Keyboards – Mike Harn, [sic] Lead Vocals – Mike Jones (I think) Lead guitar - *Bobby Pace, Bass – (at some point there was a little red haired guy called "Monk" who also played with us).- Chas, Drums
Base: Charlotte, NC
Related Places/People: Paul's Lounge, Charlotte, NC – *Bobby Pace had a brother, Johnny Pace who played drums. They were in a band with Pat Walters called, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – Walters went on to play with The Spongetones.

King Louie & Horse: King Louie, Lead Vocals – Tony ________ Bass, ________ _______, Guitar - _________ __________ Keyboards (yes, that's what we call . . . drawing a blank) – Chas, Drums
Base: Charlotte, NC
Related Places: Paul's Lounge, Charlotte
Time: Early 70's
*One of the best bands I played for. Oddly, I can't recall most of the members' names.
Go figure!

South: Roger Smith Lead Vocals - Phil Davis, Lead Vocals – Sally Davis, Lead Vocals (OK, she wasn't Davis then, but, she is now and I can't remember her maiden name) – Gary Lyons, Bass – Richard Putnam, Keyboards (OK, see why S. Wolfgang Hart was important. . . .) Johnny Sneed, Guitar – Chas Drums
Base: Shelby, NC
Related Places/People: Rock Hill, SC – Buddy & Flicka Ashe (not a joke – honest! That was her name) – The Midnight Sun, Charlotte, NC
Time: Early 70's

Harry Toledo: Harry Toledo, Guitar & Vocals – Ed Tomney, Lead Guitar & Vocals –
________ ________, Bass Guitar – Chas, Drums.
Base: Manhattan
Related Places: The Ocean Club NYC – Max's Kansas City, NYC
Time: Mid 70's

In 1977 I started doing piano bar with Randee Kapner, Keyboards – Chas, Vocals.
Base: Flushing, NY
Related Places: Pearl's Place, NYC – Good Times, NYC – Bushes, CPW, NYC – The Steer Barn, Syosset, NY
Time: Mid to Late 70's

I continued to sing and write but, did not play drums again until the early 80's when I was invited to record some of my originals at a Recording Institute of America master class at JAC Recording, NYC
Musicians on the sessions were: Randee Kimbrell, Keyboards – John DeMartino, Flute, Sax and Backing Vocals – Rob DeMartino, Bass & backing vocals – Ronni Crooks, Guitar(R.I.P.) – Sean Grant, extra vocals – Chas, Drums & Lead Vocals.

Uppercut: (not to be confused with the later horn band with the same name - (incidently, we came first) Rob Shepard, Keyboards & vocals – Randee Kimbrell, Keyboards – Debi Giacalone (aka Lemay), Lead Vocals – Rob DeMartino, Bass & guitar & vocals – Joe Aiello, Lead Vocals & Occasional Drums - Chas, Drums & vocals, Occasional Lead Vocals. Later lineups included: Linda Barba*, Lead Vocals – Robin Barba*, Lead Vocals– Frankie Falco, Lead Vocals – Vito Lombardo, Lead Vocals – Freddie Wadlington (aka London), Lead Vocals – Eddie Ames (R.I.P.) Lead Vocals, Occasional drums – Mark Leigh-Manuel (sic), Bass – Joe Greco (R.I.P.), Lead Guitar, Occasional drums – Betsey Freedman, Lead Vocals.
*(sisters – from band "The Barba Dolls" – the other sister was Michelle).
Base: Long Island, NY
Related Places/People: Cahoots, Kaps, Whispers (all hotel lounges) - Ernie Barry's Brooklyn, NY - Frank Wayne – Shorty Lavender's, Syosset – Wampus, Armonk NY –
Rocky Magistro (sound man) - Mike Barberich, (Sound Man) (and jams) – CPI (Canoe Place Inn) – Montauk Yacht Club – OBI (Oak Beach Inn)
The City at the Sheraton, New Rochelle, NY.
Time: Mid 80's – 1991

Which brings us to my 2nd major hiatus from playing drums - From 1991 to 2005 – almost 14 years. In 2005 I did some fill-in gigs for:

Axis: Rob Broccolo, Bass & Vocals – John Hasseth, Guitar & Vocals – Chas, Drums
Base: Long Island, NY
Related Places: Peanut's, Yaphank, NY – Jessica's, East Meadow, NY
Time: 2005

After another VERY Long Hiatus (my longest ever), I am Woodshedding and trying to get some of my Chops back. A lot has happened since I wrote this original blog about 18 Years ago... That's right... 18 YEARS... Eventually, I will be looking for a band/project to play, sing and/or record with.
So, feel free to contact me about that too.