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Keyboard & vocals
I fell in love with Rock 'N' Roll in 1955. I was a little boy, and my older brother got a radio for Christmas.
Since we shared the same room and my brother liked the new R & R sound, the radio played most of the night. I went to sleep listening to AM Rock 'N' Roll.
I could sing the 'Top Ten' songs by memory by the time I was six years old.
My interest in music was always encouraged at home. My father played steel guitar and we would sing at church & family get-togethers. I got my first electric guitar at age sixteen.
It was a "Silvertone" hollow body with a Silvertone twin 8-inch amplifier. I
was in heaven!!
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I played cornet in band at school, so I had some
background in music. My first public performance, outside of school activities,
was with a "Tijuana Brass" cover band called Bolero. I played either guitar or
cornet whichever the song required. Everyone seemed to like us, so we performed
at social events, school functions, and even at a country club. The band bug
bit me!
I was drafted into the Army in 1972. This ended my band days for quite a while. In the early 90's,
a group of us got together for an informal "jam session". We had a great time,
so a few of us decided to get serious about forming a band. We started practicing
and liked what we were doing.
The charter members of the Back Paiges were Rick 'Pooh'
Hill, Al Kuester, Tedd King and myself. It was at this time I switched to keyboards. By the way, the name Back Paiges is a play on words from a Bob Dylan song entitled
"My Back Pages". A line from the song seem to fit our situation very well...
"I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now". We started out with some
success, but really took off when Terry Collier joined us as lead singer.
Despite a break in the early 2000's, Back Paiges
has been playing ever since. I'd like to thank all those who had the patience
to put up with me. I'm not always a picnic to get along with. I'd also like to thank some of our alumni, who spent an enormous amount of time in this endeavor. They are: Rick Hill, Al Kuester, Terry
Collier, Shawn Balding & Pete Jefferson.
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After some equipment upgrades, a '68 Stratocaster
and a Heathkit power amp and speakers, I was ready for something more. "The Good
Injun Bug Band" formed shortly thereafter and had a startling success for a bunch of small-town Roberts & Thawville boys!
During our
hey-days, we played about every High School in the area, the Ashkum Coliseum, "Beadle's Place" in Fooseland, the Ford &
Iroquois County Fairs, the Beacon at Thomasboro, and we even had a summer contract to play at the N.C.O. Club at Chanute Air
Force Base. Band members were Gary Grohler, Bob Rulison, Doug Perkinson, Al Hughey
of Fisher, and myself. Our full-time roadie was Vernie Grohler (we called him
"The Slave"). His reward was usually a few beers and a couple snorts out of a
brandy bottle.
We were all young & damn happy when we received
our $40-50 for the night's show. It was fantastic while it lasted.
Last, but certainly not least, I'd like to mention
my family whose tolerance and support make it possible for me to play. My wife,
Beth, puts up with a great deal, especially the day after we play somewhere! My
oldest daughter, Stacey, has always encouraged & supported me, as has my oldest son Eric and my son-in-law T.J. The little ones, Allison, Camden and Ryan are my critics and my helpers when I try to practice. I love you all.
I can't say enough about the current group of guys
comprising the Back Paiges. The talent and dedication is there, plus we work
well together. I look forward to our continued association and hope it lasts
a very long time.
Dave
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