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Welcome to the memorial page for
Harley E. "Corky" Andrews
May 20, 1951 ~ November 29, 2017 (age 66) 66 Years Old Light a Candle
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Message from Corky's Own Words (Written around 2010) Posted by Ben Bowman
March 4, 2024 12:31 AM
The Early Years! When Corky was but a wee round-headed kid!
Let's start out with some insight as to why I am here today doing this. It's not so much that I've done anything profound or out of the ordinary, it's just that I've done alot of things and I'm trying to remember some of the blur! It's been quite a ride!
I grew up on the "West Side" of South Bend, Indiana. This was the BAD side of town! The mixture of nationalities and races was a good experience but it did have it's tension! People seemed to shy away from anything and/or anyone that was not what they were used to seeing. Pretty much the way it is today! There were people from Poland, Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Armenia, France, Eastern Asia, Western Asia, Mexico, America (Native Indians of all sorts), etc. Quite the melting pot! There was also skins of Black, Red, White, Yellow and on...!
As kids, we all just sort of played and mixed together not even noticing anymore than the obvious! I just sort of cruised through the days playing ball and looking at girls eating ice cream and going to the movies and just being a kid! In the news I can remember the "Iron Curtain" and the "Wall" that divided Berlin. Sputnik was soaring over head and people debated the possibility of a man landing on the moon.
I grew up in a home that was full of music from many genres. Since It was the 1950's, and having a sister, Fran, eight years my senior, the first wave of Rock and Roll was ever so present! I heard Elvis (of course; and I even have a photo of me at his house on Audubon St.), and Chuck Berry and Fabian and Dion and on and on! All of the "American Bandstand" staple groups and singers were heard wafting through the air from my sisters corner! She had fan clubs for Elvis and Ricky Nelson and I can't remember who all and she'd have dance parties in our garage with her girlfriends and that was nice! I rather enjoyed the attention I got from all those bobby sockers! I think that may have something to do with why I choose to play music! Like Rock's apostles John and Paul said," That's a good job"!
In my Dad's corner came the sounds of Rockabilly and Country! Not todays Country but the stuff from Bob Wills and Eddy Arnold! Ernest Tubb, Buck Owens, Marty Robbins, those were some of the artists that I was exposed to! Of course, the entire "Hee Haw" bunch! The man I remember most of all, and one that was to reenter my life over and over again through The Beatles and Eric Clapton, was Carl Perkins! His style and his songs played a very important part in shaping country music and in retrospect, my own playing and feel! I can still hear my Dad say,"Man, listen to that picking"!
My Mom was much more of a contemporary and Gospel music lover! The Blackwood Brothers and the Stamps Quartet are two that come to mind! I've got to mention Bing Crosby and (last but not least) Lawrence Welk as Larry's "Champagne Lady" Alice Lon went to school with me Mum and we used to visit her quite often on our many trips to Texas! Being that we went to church several times a week, I got involved with the choir and trumpet there! I got my "musical training" from that institution! I actually took my first guitar lessons from a fellow in the church! I can remember some "All Night Singings" that seemed to take all night!
Little did I know, all of this music came basically from the same place! How about that!
I played the trumpet for three years with the church, school bands and simply because I thought it was just an amazing instrument! To me, Al Hirt was the most! "Flight Of The Bumblebee" hit me where I lived! My Dad would rib me that trumpets weren't cool and that I should play the guitar! This is where I got my formal music education as far as reading and writing music. Scales and all that!
Then came, "THE BEATLES"!!!
The whole "British Invasion" had a big influence on me, but "The Beatles" were the most influential! I think I was in the 7th grade. I started my first band, "THE RAMRODS", with my friend Kenneth Kwieran on drums. It was just the two of us and we played our first gig playing along with records. 45's at that! We knew that wouldn't cut it so we added a second guitar by the name of Mike Horvath and bassist Randy Bruenlin. Although my Dad wanted me to play the guitar, he wouldn't allow me to take his guitar and amplifier out of the house to practice. I would literally run the six blocks home after school and sneak his gear out and down the alley to Ken's house so we could rehearse! One day I got my Dad's stuff back home just as he was getting home from work and I sighed a heavy sigh! But guess what kids? I didn't realize that since it was snowing he might find out because of the wetness on the amp! That's right, BUSTED!! It seemed as if that had to have happened because we sort of worked it out and he allowed me to use his things from then until I got my own gear. I think for Christmas I got six months of lessons and a guitar and a rockin' I went! I could rehearse anytime! And I did!
I'll take the time now to tell you that I took my first guitar lessons from John Rayburn at the Apostolic Temple and then went to Gene Klosinski's Music Studios in South Bend's notorious "west side"! Kenny Denny was my instructor (several years later we played in bands together) then moved over to Danny Gates and continued lessons from him! From there I got alot of "on the job training"! I did, later, meet and become friends with Wil Sharpe from the band ATLANTIS (later called ETHOS with two albums on Capital Records) out of Fort Wayne, In. He showed me some nice and informative things on the guitar and as I watched him work I picked up more stuff that I still use today! Thanks to all!
Now, back to the story! The Ramrods worked the teen dances and ice cream socials and even some American Legions and V.F.W clubs in the Michiana area for a couple of years. When we played our first gig for money at the Epworth Memorial Church we became "professionals". We taped a television show, "ON THE GO WITH MIKE AND JOE", for WSBT-TV one evening and stayed up all night to watch it at 7:00 AM. When the announcer got to us he said "and here they are, the Roughriders"! WRONG NAME PAL! What a blow to our newly found egos! We also did a spot on the "D.D.DONOVAN SHOW" on WSJV-TV as my Aunt Penny was the sidekick "Tagalong"
As we graduated from grade school to high school things seemed to happen to pull us apart and personnel changes occurred that brought Doug Hoffman in on the bass and Mike Connelly to the drums. We even added Ron Rhoades to play keyboards! He was later to be replaced by Dick Jahnke!
Somehow I got connected to Homer Fitterling who would always find me a place to perform at the St. Joseph County Fair! We won some talent shows, and lost some, but we played around for a couple more years until Mike Connelly graduated H.S. and went to college. I tried to keep the Ramrods together with a crew of people that I don't even remember right now, but the quality of the music was never the same! That's when I got a call from the
"KNIGHTRAIDERS"!
Enter "THE KNIGHTRAIDERS"
The Knightraiders were am established band in the Michiana area that played every weekend and covered Northern Indiana, Southern Michigan and even Eastern Illinois! Playing Top 40 hits as well as Soul and music from the British Invasion, The Knightraiders seemed a perfect vehicle for the likes of a young Corky! They boasted good musical abilities and were very good in the vocal department using 5 out of 6 of the members on lead! They were: Corky, Joe Talboom, Randy Stahl, Lee Howerton, Jim Gentry and Mike Guljas! We rehearsed regularly and strived to be a good, competent band! My last two years of high school I kept busy learning my craft and earned a paycheck at the same time!
THE Summer of Love "67"
By the summer of 1967, the Knightraiders were older and more savvy! As Joe Talboom's Aunt lived in London, we were exposed to magazines and records of the times! I remember seeing Jeff Beck on the cover of a Yardbirds album with a fringe swede jacket and thinking "that's cool"! We got shirts and trousers that were not even seen in this area! we were so HIP!
The band started playing more cerebral music! PSYCHEDELIA had caught us up and we got into the Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and The Vanilla Fudge! The summer of '68' found us traveling on a tour of Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Illinois for the entire summer! Clad in all the hip clothes we worked until the beginning of the school year! That is my Senior year! 1969! I remember walking into school the first day and immediately got cuffed and sent to the office due to the fact that my hair was too long and my clothes didn't conform to school code! Sent home the first half hour of the year! It all seemed so normal to me!
Since my band mates came from different areas of town than I, I pretty much lost contact with my own classmates from the west side of South Bend and once I graduated I never looked back!
Life had its way with me, as it usually does, and I found myself married to Karen (Labis) and my daughter Bridget was born. Being mere teenagers, divorce soon followed! The band played on only to find that Lee and Randy soon left the group and we carried on with four!
Renamed, "The Amusement Company", we really got into the psychedelic times! Our music became harder and louder and we "kicked arse"! This lineup played even larger halls and traveled more with the addition of a 55 passenger bus! We were happening! As time went on, Mike Guljas had to leave to go to college and was replaced by Vince Rizzo! We lost a bit of our edge after Mike left and had to make more changes to get back to a level of music to which we were accustomed! A brainstorm occurred! Let's join forces with the band "The Mystic Love" and that way we'd have horns and lots of vocals!
So, "OCTOPUSS" was born!
Octopuss was an eight piece band! Joe, Jimmy, and myself with our new trumpet player Wayne Kurtz plus Mike Holloway on bass, Gary Smith on guitar and vocals, Bob Blake on piano and trumpet and Bill(Sluggo)Hyde on guitar, sax and flute! What a band! What a full sound! What alot of mouths to feed! It didn't take long before we found out that eight ways is a big split of the monies and we starved ourselves right out of business! Octopuss was rearranged by the draft and other things, but carried on in different forms for some time as a strictly original band! Some with the GURU! I wasn't involved too much!
"ZECHARIAH"
"Zechariah" was a shot in the arm for me! Around 1970, after I was divorced and remarried (!?!?), I would get calls from various club owners needing a band like "TONIGHT" so I'd call friends and ask if they'd like to play and just show up at gigs cold! No rehearsal, no song list and just play! Whatever songs we could pull out of the air we would play! It was fun and a great learning experience! I did a few gigs with my guitar teachers band. It was different for me as it was more of a "supper club" sort of thing! Cheat sheets and ad lib! I don't remember the name of the band but it was made up of Danny Gates, Kenny Denny, Janice Hughes and Ron Fewik! They were good! I was green!
After a while I wanted to get into a more serious situation! I heard where my friend Randy Berkel's band was looking for a guitar player! So I called him to ask if I could audition for the position and he said, "Let's just start a new group" and we did!
That's when Zechariah was formed! At first we were three! Randy (drums), myself (guitar) and Kenny Denny (bass)! We found this to be limited in material so we added a keyboard player! Jim Schrop began to play with us and that rounded out the lineup for quite a while! We did 20 weeks at the "111" club and moved over to "Poor Squatsos" for who knows how long! During this time we decided that we wanted to go on the road! Well, this didn't work with Kenny as he had a family and we couldn't make enough to support that situation! So he had to leave! That's when we brought in Dale Voitel on bass!
We landed the "house band" gig at "Shula's Nightclub"! That was a pretty cool gig! We would be the warm up band for road bands and we did five 20 minute sets an night! Six nights a week! Cushy Cushy Cushy! Party Party Party!
One band was called "MS FUNK". I think they were a six piece group and one of the players was Tommy Shaw! He later joined the band "Styx" and we all know that story! Real nice fellow and what a talent!
Another group was "High Voltage". There lineup had a female singer that was awesome! She later changed her name to "Chaka Khan". I'll have to research some facts because some of the other players went on to do some musical stuff too!
Well, I've got to break for now but I will be back with more! Stay Tuned!
"ZECHARIA" Goes to Washington
One of the groups that came into Shula's was called "BLITZ"! They were from Washington D.C. and we became fast friends with them! As it turned out, they invited me/us to come out to the BIG CITY! So, we did! I sold almost everything I had (furniture, records, autos, even the pictures off the walls) and took then wife, Karla, my two dogs and whatever clothes and other bare essentials that would fit in a Chevy van and left South Bend, NEVER TO RETURN! Of course, there was the band! Now made up of myself, Jimmy Gentry, Randy Berkel, Bob Blake and Ron Rutkowski! We were on our way to set the world ablaze!
During the few weeks before we took off, we rehearsed hard to get ready for our trek! We decided to do some more progressive music, i.e., Yes, Genesis, Flock, etc. Songs we were proud to play because they were rather "artsy" for the time (early 70's)! We did one gig at the "ELECTRIC CIRCUS" in Elkhart, IN and split! We didn't even wait for the reviews! I did later hear that we were well thought of but.....We were gone to the CITY! People just sort of said "Hey, what happened to Zechariah"?
We got to Washington D.C. expecting to have eleven weeks of work and found that we had none! That's right readers, zero, zilch, none, as in NO WORK! Ten people in our entourage and no work! We stayed at the home of one of the members of Blitz. It was a five bedroom tri-level on a cul-de-sac with trees and a lawn and all of the bedrooms were already occupied! So we slept on sofas and floors and vans and that lawn under those trees! One night we went to sleep only to be awakened with shotguns in our faces! It was the police! They knew who we were, and that whatever business they were there for, we had nothing to do with! Still, "What A Drag"!
We finally got our first gig but had to travel to Ocean City, Maryland! The Atlantic Ocean! The Boardwalk! Paradise! It was quite expensive and took the rest of our money but we had a great time taking in the culture of "beach living!" It was an eye opener for a long haired kid from Indiana! Sun, sand and East coast girls! We opened a show for the artist Catfish Hodge and went over well with the audience as well as the promoters! I talked with the "promo men" about continuing a tour with Catfish but passed on it due to finances and the fact that I didn't know what I was doing! Things might have been a lot different had I accepted this offer but live and learn!
Meanwhile, back in Washington, we got a weekly gig at a club called "The Act IV". It was every Monday night and was in the area known as "Georgetown"! This was the "hip" part of town where everybody was with the In-crowd! Yeah, right where they filmed "The Exorcist"! Here we got to know some of the local groups and players from Washington that were more than the average guitar slingers! One group called "Boa" were heading for a record contract and were very good players and singers! They recorded and album of really nice original songs that landed them in a debt that made them sell all of there equipment to try and pay back the record company! Lesson one in what to watch out for! We ended up buying their lighting system and never heard from them again! Well, now you could hear us and see us!
We started to get regular work in and around Washington and we got real good and tight as a band! We also got to start eating better! One of our favorite meals was "Corky's Fried Chicken!" That made us all feel better! It was amazing how much better we all felt and worked when we had something good in our bellies!
I got connected with a booking agency called DOMESTIC SOUNDS in Falls Church, VA around this time and they started to get us a few bookings! They also told me that as good of a band that we had we would still only get the "scraps" of the bookings unless we started to learn and play "Top 40" music! So I bought a half dozen tunes and we learned them! Shazam, we started to work steady! Every weekend! We even had to play two, and once, three gigs in the same day! Things were going well, so we thought, when drummer Randy Berkel had to leave the group due to personal and financial reasons! It was a sad day when he had to leave but we were determined to trudge on! We auditioned and listened to several drummers but couldn't find what we needed! We'd work with this one and that one just to keep playing but things just weren't the same! We did, finally, pick one Jack Nash who was another South Bend player and we trudged on!
It was also about this time that we started to open for some "National Acts" in concert situations and with personnel changes going on, we weren't prepared with much "original" music! I've always felt that if we would have been ready with some of our own material our paths would have gone in a different direction! I'll never forget the first time I played a real concert with a professional sound system and lights and all! We opened with the song "The Story In Your Eyes" by the Moody Blues! The sound was so big on stage and the energy was very high and we sounded so powerful and strong! I stepped up to the microphone to sing and this huge blast of my own voice hit my ears and it startled me to the point that I almost forgot to keep singing! I wasn't accustomed to "stage monitors"! I mean to say it was wonderful and it actually made me have more confidence and we just continued to "kick out the jams" the rest of the show! What a great feeling! What a Rush! What a good job! That was opening for the band "Looking Glass"! Very nice dudes and I found out real fast that that was unusual for the "headliner" band to be nice!
The booking agency called one day to say they had a gig every Wednesday night at a club called Pier 9. We loaded up and went to play and the first thing that Bob Blake saw when he walked in was two guys kissing! Welcome to the gay community, culture shock for five lads from the Midwest! Well, we played and went over very well with the gay community and had another steady gig! Two nights every week we knew we had work!
From meeting people there we got to know others from the "hip" section of Georgetown and got our foot in the door of several Georgetown clubs! There was the "Crazy Horse" with the stage behind the bar, the "M Club" home of a band called Daddy Warbucks (later to be Angel of Casablanca Label). Angel were supposed to be the opposite of Kiss all in white and everything pristine), the "Bayou" (where I first saw Kiss as they were putting their act together!)
People came and went during this period and the name of the band changed to "Squeeze"! Enter Michael James, drummer extraordinare and all around good friend! Micheal, now residing in Burbank, California and working for Paul Reiser as his assistant, Tom McCarthy, last known working for a record company, and Tim Ford, just play the white keys, plus Jimmy and Corky was the new line up!
We became a regular mainstay in the "Georgetown scene"! You could find us at the "M Club" quite often, playing Monday through Saturday! On Wednesday nights the club would put out a spread of food for the students of Gauludette College! This is a huge college for the deaf! These students would come in and chow down and boogie the night away! This lead to our playing at their school! At first it seemed absurd, but as we learned, these students ALL took music appreciation and they turned out to be one of our best audiences! They kept telling us to "turn it up"! They would feel the vibrations of the music and really let loose! Another bit of education for this green kid from Indiana! I'll never forget them and the wonderful times I had performing for them! Thanks kids! For those of you who can dig this, I used a 200 watt Marshall with a 55 watt Fender Bassman as a preamp! That was LOUD!
I remember another gig at Fairfax High School! It seems that their school had won some sort of an award for scholastic achievement and as a reward they hired us to play! We set up early in the morning in th auditorium and a special assembly was called! As the kids came in there was a giant movie screen hanging at the front of the stage where they proceeded to show a football reel! After about ten minutes of this we clicked off our first song and the screen was rolled up and the whole place just roared! The students were stunned beyond their senses and started to dance and sing and had a wonderful time! Afterwards they fed us (again, we had breakfast too) and we actually signed autographs and went on as we were real STARS! It was pretty cool! I actually ran into people later in my career that were there and they still talked about that happening!
Over the next couple of years the band just kept plugging away and members came and went, and we eventually ended up with the line up of myself, Michael, Jimmy, Timmy, and Ken Gillenwater on bass! We worked under the name Squeeze for some time until we met and worked under the management of Bill "Ziggy" Zeigman who took the band and put us in suits and other matching uniform type outfits and groomed us as the band "Buster Brown"! This is when things really started to take off and we got an education from Zig that we would probably never have gotten had he not come along!
I was reminded this past weekend, by a friend, of a time in College Park, Maryland, when we started the stage curtains on fire! It wasn't a real bad fire but all the same it could have been a horrible experience! George Thorogood was there but I don't remember what part he had in starting the fire! He was playing around the corner and we would go see him on our breaks and he would come see us on his breaks! As I remember more I'll let you know!
Next time, How Mike lost his shoes!
I'm back! just a few words on Mike Whelan and his shoes! As I recall it.......we were working in Columbia, South Carolina at the "Down Under" and it was the end of a three week stay! Now in S.C. they have laws that clubs can't be open past midnight on Saturday nights! So.....we had to start at 6:00 pm. and play until midnight! Needless to say, we were bushed but had to tear down the gear and drive back to Washington D.C. that night to be at our next club on Monday night! Well Mike had come down to "boogie" with us and he helped us tear down and load up the truck. In those days (70's) the shoe styles were platform soles and big thick heels. Not conducive to walking up steps and into trucks so he took his shoes off! Well while we were loading the truck.......someone stole his shoes! Right there on the street! He had to drive back to Washington barefoot! remember, "no shoes, no service"! we had to go in and do his business for him! It was a "trip" home!
We travelled up and down Rt. 95 from Dover, Del. to Columbus, Ga. for a few years and it got rather tedious and boring! On the road for weeks and come home long enough to mow lawns and fix windows and such....then "On The Road Again"! Eventually, I grew tired of it and chucked it all only to return to South Bend, Indiana! (I'll NEVER go back to South Bend" I once said! My only regret was leaving Michael James behind as he didn't want to leave the city! And so it goes!
Welcome back to the land of taxes! (circa 1980)
I brought with me Jimmy Gentry, Ken Gillen, Cindy Joes (nee Davis) and Tom Biller. We joined up with Randy Berkel on drums and set forth to have a rockin' band! We named it "BUSTER"!
BUSTER made a change early as it just wasn't working for Randy.....so he left and was replaced by Paul Risler.....a good solid drummer!
Thinking we would take the area by storm turmed out to be an eye opener and I found out that...at the time.....clubowner's were quite loyal to the bands that were working for them and it took a while for us to break into the circuit!
We landed a gig at "Mario's", just north of the Michigan State Line, and used it as a showcase. Inviting several clubowner's to see and hear the band! It worked! Bob Cole and J.W. Toad stopped in and booked the band into the "Cole Mine" in Walkerton, In. and J.W. Toads in South Bend, In. This was to be the catalyst of getting Buster off the ground! The word got around and we were booking every week! At the time it was Wednesday, Friday & Saturday! Some places even Thursday! We played all around the Michiana area for many years playing to mostly packed rooms! Life was good and we rocked and partied hardy! Some of the rooms we played.....Pardner's Night Club, Shula's, J.W. Toad's, The Cole Mine, Red Door Lounge, The Headquarter's, 2nd Edition, The Turning Point, Mario's and many more that I will add as my memory wakes up!
Over a period of around 5 years, BUSTER made a handful of personel changes! Tommy Basano and Jerry Gushwa came in on drums; Oliver (?), Jon Lee, Danny (?) and Dana Bare played keyboards; Tom Biller, Ben Bowman and Cindy (Davis) Jones handled the soundboard! We were best known for artist such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, ELO, Steely Dan, The Cars, Bob Seger....oh the list goes on!
In 1984, while in the middle of a week long gig in Fort Wayne, In, we experience the worst! A fire occured in the middle of the night destroying thousands of dollars of equipment! What a nightmare it was! We fixed and cleaned and borrowed a scant amount of equipment to get us through our next engagements......trying to rebuild what was lost! For two years we tried to put the circus back together! Finally, in 1985, we threw in the towel! It was a sad breakup but we just couldn't recoup!
It was a very good band and it is nice that BUSTER is remembered still today by many people that come up and say nice things about the era! Thank you folks for making it possible! Our final gig was Christmas week 1985! New Year's Eve, I was onstage with a new group........"CORCHESTRA" was born!
"CORCHESTRA" was put together at "Brother's Night Club" in Bremen, In. as the house band! Playing for Art and Al Bustamante was great while it lasted! It was a short lived gig due to some "out of control" circumstance!
The band was Corky, Kenny Denny, Dana Bare and Cory Kiser! It was a fun time and we played tunes for dancing and just having fun! Kenny was replaced by Paul Stokes who added and edge that was missing! We were at "Brothers" for about 6 months when, sadly, the bar had to close! So, we took it on the road.......to "BROTHERS II" in Plymouth, In. as well as many other venues in the surrounding area! South Bend, Mishawaka, Elkhart, Goshen, LaPorte, Walkerton Rochester and so forth! About this time Cory was replaced with Art Bustamante! The beat was stong and we carried on!
At one point, Dana discovered he had a heart problem and had to leave the band! We added Ron Warner on guitar and I had to take over some of the keyboard work! Did I really play with mittens on? It probably sounded like it at times!
As time passed, Paul was replaced by Rick Mays and Ron was replaced by Frank Hunter! The beat went on!
As I was owner (by proxy) of the BREMEN HOTEL in Bremen, In. and caring for the 10 acre farm, I didn't have time to put into a band and gave my notice to the others! They could have replaced me and carried on, but they chose to pack it in!
The first Friday night that I didn't have to play I remember standing out in the fields thinking "I don't have to be anywhere! This is wonderful"! Life was quite different for a while! Living with Marla and her children was a change for me! I raised cows and goats and chickens as well as 120 tomato plants! I had no idea how many tomatoes that would yield! I was no farmer!
About 4 months later, standing in the same field, I was thinking "I should be somewhere else" and that is when I decided to put together a small trio to play now and then! I had that itch! Small clubs with small equipment and little production......Yeah!
"Mother Goose Band" was born with myself, Rick Mayes and Paul Riser! We played one gig in North Liberty, In. Cold! No rehearsals and it was horrible! That was the end of that lineup! I recruited Garry Daniels (drums) and Ben Bowman (bass) and started to rehearse in the loft of my barn! Again, we were terrible!
We rehearsed for several weeks and it actually began to come together some and we started thinking about taking it out to the bars! I booked us into a club in North Webster, In. one month away! We rehearsed a set a week to get it together! Three weeks, three sets! Cool! On our fourth week, Sam, the club owner called and said his band didn't show and would we be able to play that night! Well, we gathered our equipment and off we went to debut the "Mother Goose Band"
The first three sets were fine only we had to do a fourth and....well......it all fell apart! It is quite funny in retrospect! The people were buzzed and never knew a thing! Good old alcohol!
So we carried on and got our chops together and started playing other locations. We began to play every weekend and got to be pretty good! We could hold our own! Even in downtown "South Bend"! The BIG city! Whoa!
People would come up to me and say, "we know you but we didn't know who the Mother Goose Band was"! So.......I changed the name of the band to "Corky and the MGB" and we played and played!
An unexpected turn came to pass and I'll just say a personel change occured and the lineup changed to Dennis Clemens (bass) and Joe (drums) from the band "Northside Station"! We would play my gigs as Corky and the MGB and their gigs as "Northside Station" as well! This was a short lived situation! I had to put an end to it!
Recruiting again! This time, Garry came back to drum and an old friend Kelly Guin (bass)! Kelly had just returned from playing with Davey Jones of "The Monkees" and wanted to do something small and quaint! It was good for us all and off we went a-rockin'! Actually.......country was making it's mark and we had to pick up some of those diddy's to vie for a spot in most venues! It was comical to my Rock and Roll friends!
The ball started rolling and we were playing every weekend, however, another chance in the lineup occurred! Garry was replaced with Art Bustamante and the beat went on! This change made the rhythm section strong and powerful! Phones were ringing and busy got busier! Too good to be true............Yes, another change!
As it turned out, we were playing too much for Kelly and he had to leave the group! At this time a first happened to me! Kelly had a replacement! Next up......."Dr. Dave" enters the line up!
Welcome aboard David!
David started playing and it was such a smooth transition! The ball kept rollin' along! Hard to believe that was 17 years ago! We had a great run and played nearly every weekend as well as many Sundays ....and even some Thursdays!
David had a high range so he got stuck with all of the "bitch" parts! I found him a song by "The Police" to sing the lead to (Every Breath You Take) and he had such fun that he asked me to find him another! No problem! He began singing leads to songs and has turned out to be a fine singer!
We played and played and the years went by.......and we are still playing!
Well De De......I've addeed a little but as always......I have to run!
Hi kids!!!!!!! It's now 9/4/2010 and all I can say is that I'll be back soon to tell you more!
Let's start out with some insight as to why I am here today doing this. It's not so much that I've done anything profound or out of the ordinary, it's just that I've done alot of things and I'm trying to remember some of the blur! It's been quite a ride!
I grew up on the "West Side" of South Bend, Indiana. This was the BAD side of town! The mixture of nationalities and races was a good experience but it did have it's tension! People seemed to shy away from anything and/or anyone that was not what they were used to seeing. Pretty much the way it is today! There were people from Poland, Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Armenia, France, Eastern Asia, Western Asia, Mexico, America (Native Indians of all sorts), etc. Quite the melting pot! There was also skins of Black, Red, White, Yellow and on...!
As kids, we all just sort of played and mixed together not even noticing anymore than the obvious! I just sort of cruised through the days playing ball and looking at girls eating ice cream and going to the movies and just being a kid! In the news I can remember the "Iron Curtain" and the "Wall" that divided Berlin. Sputnik was soaring over head and people debated the possibility of a man landing on the moon.
I grew up in a home that was full of music from many genres. Since It was the 1950's, and having a sister, Fran, eight years my senior, the first wave of Rock and Roll was ever so present! I heard Elvis (of course; and I even have a photo of me at his house on Audubon St.), and Chuck Berry and Fabian and Dion and on and on! All of the "American Bandstand" staple groups and singers were heard wafting through the air from my sisters corner! She had fan clubs for Elvis and Ricky Nelson and I can't remember who all and she'd have dance parties in our garage with her girlfriends and that was nice! I rather enjoyed the attention I got from all those bobby sockers! I think that may have something to do with why I choose to play music! Like Rock's apostles John and Paul said," That's a good job"!
In my Dad's corner came the sounds of Rockabilly and Country! Not todays Country but the stuff from Bob Wills and Eddy Arnold! Ernest Tubb, Buck Owens, Marty Robbins, those were some of the artists that I was exposed to! Of course, the entire "Hee Haw" bunch! The man I remember most of all, and one that was to reenter my life over and over again through The Beatles and Eric Clapton, was Carl Perkins! His style and his songs played a very important part in shaping country music and in retrospect, my own playing and feel! I can still hear my Dad say,"Man, listen to that picking"!
My Mom was much more of a contemporary and Gospel music lover! The Blackwood Brothers and the Stamps Quartet are two that come to mind! I've got to mention Bing Crosby and (last but not least) Lawrence Welk as Larry's "Champagne Lady" Alice Lon went to school with me Mum and we used to visit her quite often on our many trips to Texas! Being that we went to church several times a week, I got involved with the choir and trumpet there! I got my "musical training" from that institution! I actually took my first guitar lessons from a fellow in the church! I can remember some "All Night Singings" that seemed to take all night!
Little did I know, all of this music came basically from the same place! How about that!
I played the trumpet for three years with the church, school bands and simply because I thought it was just an amazing instrument! To me, Al Hirt was the most! "Flight Of The Bumblebee" hit me where I lived! My Dad would rib me that trumpets weren't cool and that I should play the guitar! This is where I got my formal music education as far as reading and writing music. Scales and all that!
Then came, "THE BEATLES"!!!
The whole "British Invasion" had a big influence on me, but "The Beatles" were the most influential! I think I was in the 7th grade. I started my first band, "THE RAMRODS", with my friend Kenneth Kwieran on drums. It was just the two of us and we played our first gig playing along with records. 45's at that! We knew that wouldn't cut it so we added a second guitar by the name of Mike Horvath and bassist Randy Bruenlin. Although my Dad wanted me to play the guitar, he wouldn't allow me to take his guitar and amplifier out of the house to practice. I would literally run the six blocks home after school and sneak his gear out and down the alley to Ken's house so we could rehearse! One day I got my Dad's stuff back home just as he was getting home from work and I sighed a heavy sigh! But guess what kids? I didn't realize that since it was snowing he might find out because of the wetness on the amp! That's right, BUSTED!! It seemed as if that had to have happened because we sort of worked it out and he allowed me to use his things from then until I got my own gear. I think for Christmas I got six months of lessons and a guitar and a rockin' I went! I could rehearse anytime! And I did!
I'll take the time now to tell you that I took my first guitar lessons from John Rayburn at the Apostolic Temple and then went to Gene Klosinski's Music Studios in South Bend's notorious "west side"! Kenny Denny was my instructor (several years later we played in bands together) then moved over to Danny Gates and continued lessons from him! From there I got alot of "on the job training"! I did, later, meet and become friends with Wil Sharpe from the band ATLANTIS (later called ETHOS with two albums on Capital Records) out of Fort Wayne, In. He showed me some nice and informative things on the guitar and as I watched him work I picked up more stuff that I still use today! Thanks to all!
Now, back to the story! The Ramrods worked the teen dances and ice cream socials and even some American Legions and V.F.W clubs in the Michiana area for a couple of years. When we played our first gig for money at the Epworth Memorial Church we became "professionals". We taped a television show, "ON THE GO WITH MIKE AND JOE", for WSBT-TV one evening and stayed up all night to watch it at 7:00 AM. When the announcer got to us he said "and here they are, the Roughriders"! WRONG NAME PAL! What a blow to our newly found egos! We also did a spot on the "D.D.DONOVAN SHOW" on WSJV-TV as my Aunt Penny was the sidekick "Tagalong"
As we graduated from grade school to high school things seemed to happen to pull us apart and personnel changes occurred that brought Doug Hoffman in on the bass and Mike Connelly to the drums. We even added Ron Rhoades to play keyboards! He was later to be replaced by Dick Jahnke!
Somehow I got connected to Homer Fitterling who would always find me a place to perform at the St. Joseph County Fair! We won some talent shows, and lost some, but we played around for a couple more years until Mike Connelly graduated H.S. and went to college. I tried to keep the Ramrods together with a crew of people that I don't even remember right now, but the quality of the music was never the same! That's when I got a call from the
"KNIGHTRAIDERS"!
Enter "THE KNIGHTRAIDERS"
The Knightraiders were am established band in the Michiana area that played every weekend and covered Northern Indiana, Southern Michigan and even Eastern Illinois! Playing Top 40 hits as well as Soul and music from the British Invasion, The Knightraiders seemed a perfect vehicle for the likes of a young Corky! They boasted good musical abilities and were very good in the vocal department using 5 out of 6 of the members on lead! They were: Corky, Joe Talboom, Randy Stahl, Lee Howerton, Jim Gentry and Mike Guljas! We rehearsed regularly and strived to be a good, competent band! My last two years of high school I kept busy learning my craft and earned a paycheck at the same time!
THE Summer of Love "67"
By the summer of 1967, the Knightraiders were older and more savvy! As Joe Talboom's Aunt lived in London, we were exposed to magazines and records of the times! I remember seeing Jeff Beck on the cover of a Yardbirds album with a fringe swede jacket and thinking "that's cool"! We got shirts and trousers that were not even seen in this area! we were so HIP!
The band started playing more cerebral music! PSYCHEDELIA had caught us up and we got into the Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and The Vanilla Fudge! The summer of '68' found us traveling on a tour of Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Illinois for the entire summer! Clad in all the hip clothes we worked until the beginning of the school year! That is my Senior year! 1969! I remember walking into school the first day and immediately got cuffed and sent to the office due to the fact that my hair was too long and my clothes didn't conform to school code! Sent home the first half hour of the year! It all seemed so normal to me!
Since my band mates came from different areas of town than I, I pretty much lost contact with my own classmates from the west side of South Bend and once I graduated I never looked back!
Life had its way with me, as it usually does, and I found myself married to Karen (Labis) and my daughter Bridget was born. Being mere teenagers, divorce soon followed! The band played on only to find that Lee and Randy soon left the group and we carried on with four!
Renamed, "The Amusement Company", we really got into the psychedelic times! Our music became harder and louder and we "kicked arse"! This lineup played even larger halls and traveled more with the addition of a 55 passenger bus! We were happening! As time went on, Mike Guljas had to leave to go to college and was replaced by Vince Rizzo! We lost a bit of our edge after Mike left and had to make more changes to get back to a level of music to which we were accustomed! A brainstorm occurred! Let's join forces with the band "The Mystic Love" and that way we'd have horns and lots of vocals!
So, "OCTOPUSS" was born!
Octopuss was an eight piece band! Joe, Jimmy, and myself with our new trumpet player Wayne Kurtz plus Mike Holloway on bass, Gary Smith on guitar and vocals, Bob Blake on piano and trumpet and Bill(Sluggo)Hyde on guitar, sax and flute! What a band! What a full sound! What alot of mouths to feed! It didn't take long before we found out that eight ways is a big split of the monies and we starved ourselves right out of business! Octopuss was rearranged by the draft and other things, but carried on in different forms for some time as a strictly original band! Some with the GURU! I wasn't involved too much!
"ZECHARIAH"
"Zechariah" was a shot in the arm for me! Around 1970, after I was divorced and remarried (!?!?), I would get calls from various club owners needing a band like "TONIGHT" so I'd call friends and ask if they'd like to play and just show up at gigs cold! No rehearsal, no song list and just play! Whatever songs we could pull out of the air we would play! It was fun and a great learning experience! I did a few gigs with my guitar teachers band. It was different for me as it was more of a "supper club" sort of thing! Cheat sheets and ad lib! I don't remember the name of the band but it was made up of Danny Gates, Kenny Denny, Janice Hughes and Ron Fewik! They were good! I was green!
After a while I wanted to get into a more serious situation! I heard where my friend Randy Berkel's band was looking for a guitar player! So I called him to ask if I could audition for the position and he said, "Let's just start a new group" and we did!
That's when Zechariah was formed! At first we were three! Randy (drums), myself (guitar) and Kenny Denny (bass)! We found this to be limited in material so we added a keyboard player! Jim Schrop began to play with us and that rounded out the lineup for quite a while! We did 20 weeks at the "111" club and moved over to "Poor Squatsos" for who knows how long! During this time we decided that we wanted to go on the road! Well, this didn't work with Kenny as he had a family and we couldn't make enough to support that situation! So he had to leave! That's when we brought in Dale Voitel on bass!
We landed the "house band" gig at "Shula's Nightclub"! That was a pretty cool gig! We would be the warm up band for road bands and we did five 20 minute sets an night! Six nights a week! Cushy Cushy Cushy! Party Party Party!
One band was called "MS FUNK". I think they were a six piece group and one of the players was Tommy Shaw! He later joined the band "Styx" and we all know that story! Real nice fellow and what a talent!
Another group was "High Voltage". There lineup had a female singer that was awesome! She later changed her name to "Chaka Khan". I'll have to research some facts because some of the other players went on to do some musical stuff too!
Well, I've got to break for now but I will be back with more! Stay Tuned!
"ZECHARIA" Goes to Washington
One of the groups that came into Shula's was called "BLITZ"! They were from Washington D.C. and we became fast friends with them! As it turned out, they invited me/us to come out to the BIG CITY! So, we did! I sold almost everything I had (furniture, records, autos, even the pictures off the walls) and took then wife, Karla, my two dogs and whatever clothes and other bare essentials that would fit in a Chevy van and left South Bend, NEVER TO RETURN! Of course, there was the band! Now made up of myself, Jimmy Gentry, Randy Berkel, Bob Blake and Ron Rutkowski! We were on our way to set the world ablaze!
During the few weeks before we took off, we rehearsed hard to get ready for our trek! We decided to do some more progressive music, i.e., Yes, Genesis, Flock, etc. Songs we were proud to play because they were rather "artsy" for the time (early 70's)! We did one gig at the "ELECTRIC CIRCUS" in Elkhart, IN and split! We didn't even wait for the reviews! I did later hear that we were well thought of but.....We were gone to the CITY! People just sort of said "Hey, what happened to Zechariah"?
We got to Washington D.C. expecting to have eleven weeks of work and found that we had none! That's right readers, zero, zilch, none, as in NO WORK! Ten people in our entourage and no work! We stayed at the home of one of the members of Blitz. It was a five bedroom tri-level on a cul-de-sac with trees and a lawn and all of the bedrooms were already occupied! So we slept on sofas and floors and vans and that lawn under those trees! One night we went to sleep only to be awakened with shotguns in our faces! It was the police! They knew who we were, and that whatever business they were there for, we had nothing to do with! Still, "What A Drag"!
We finally got our first gig but had to travel to Ocean City, Maryland! The Atlantic Ocean! The Boardwalk! Paradise! It was quite expensive and took the rest of our money but we had a great time taking in the culture of "beach living!" It was an eye opener for a long haired kid from Indiana! Sun, sand and East coast girls! We opened a show for the artist Catfish Hodge and went over well with the audience as well as the promoters! I talked with the "promo men" about continuing a tour with Catfish but passed on it due to finances and the fact that I didn't know what I was doing! Things might have been a lot different had I accepted this offer but live and learn!
Meanwhile, back in Washington, we got a weekly gig at a club called "The Act IV". It was every Monday night and was in the area known as "Georgetown"! This was the "hip" part of town where everybody was with the In-crowd! Yeah, right where they filmed "The Exorcist"! Here we got to know some of the local groups and players from Washington that were more than the average guitar slingers! One group called "Boa" were heading for a record contract and were very good players and singers! They recorded and album of really nice original songs that landed them in a debt that made them sell all of there equipment to try and pay back the record company! Lesson one in what to watch out for! We ended up buying their lighting system and never heard from them again! Well, now you could hear us and see us!
We started to get regular work in and around Washington and we got real good and tight as a band! We also got to start eating better! One of our favorite meals was "Corky's Fried Chicken!" That made us all feel better! It was amazing how much better we all felt and worked when we had something good in our bellies!
I got connected with a booking agency called DOMESTIC SOUNDS in Falls Church, VA around this time and they started to get us a few bookings! They also told me that as good of a band that we had we would still only get the "scraps" of the bookings unless we started to learn and play "Top 40" music! So I bought a half dozen tunes and we learned them! Shazam, we started to work steady! Every weekend! We even had to play two, and once, three gigs in the same day! Things were going well, so we thought, when drummer Randy Berkel had to leave the group due to personal and financial reasons! It was a sad day when he had to leave but we were determined to trudge on! We auditioned and listened to several drummers but couldn't find what we needed! We'd work with this one and that one just to keep playing but things just weren't the same! We did, finally, pick one Jack Nash who was another South Bend player and we trudged on!
It was also about this time that we started to open for some "National Acts" in concert situations and with personnel changes going on, we weren't prepared with much "original" music! I've always felt that if we would have been ready with some of our own material our paths would have gone in a different direction! I'll never forget the first time I played a real concert with a professional sound system and lights and all! We opened with the song "The Story In Your Eyes" by the Moody Blues! The sound was so big on stage and the energy was very high and we sounded so powerful and strong! I stepped up to the microphone to sing and this huge blast of my own voice hit my ears and it startled me to the point that I almost forgot to keep singing! I wasn't accustomed to "stage monitors"! I mean to say it was wonderful and it actually made me have more confidence and we just continued to "kick out the jams" the rest of the show! What a great feeling! What a Rush! What a good job! That was opening for the band "Looking Glass"! Very nice dudes and I found out real fast that that was unusual for the "headliner" band to be nice!
The booking agency called one day to say they had a gig every Wednesday night at a club called Pier 9. We loaded up and went to play and the first thing that Bob Blake saw when he walked in was two guys kissing! Welcome to the gay community, culture shock for five lads from the Midwest! Well, we played and went over very well with the gay community and had another steady gig! Two nights every week we knew we had work!
From meeting people there we got to know others from the "hip" section of Georgetown and got our foot in the door of several Georgetown clubs! There was the "Crazy Horse" with the stage behind the bar, the "M Club" home of a band called Daddy Warbucks (later to be Angel of Casablanca Label). Angel were supposed to be the opposite of Kiss all in white and everything pristine), the "Bayou" (where I first saw Kiss as they were putting their act together!)
People came and went during this period and the name of the band changed to "Squeeze"! Enter Michael James, drummer extraordinare and all around good friend! Micheal, now residing in Burbank, California and working for Paul Reiser as his assistant, Tom McCarthy, last known working for a record company, and Tim Ford, just play the white keys, plus Jimmy and Corky was the new line up!
We became a regular mainstay in the "Georgetown scene"! You could find us at the "M Club" quite often, playing Monday through Saturday! On Wednesday nights the club would put out a spread of food for the students of Gauludette College! This is a huge college for the deaf! These students would come in and chow down and boogie the night away! This lead to our playing at their school! At first it seemed absurd, but as we learned, these students ALL took music appreciation and they turned out to be one of our best audiences! They kept telling us to "turn it up"! They would feel the vibrations of the music and really let loose! Another bit of education for this green kid from Indiana! I'll never forget them and the wonderful times I had performing for them! Thanks kids! For those of you who can dig this, I used a 200 watt Marshall with a 55 watt Fender Bassman as a preamp! That was LOUD!
I remember another gig at Fairfax High School! It seems that their school had won some sort of an award for scholastic achievement and as a reward they hired us to play! We set up early in the morning in th auditorium and a special assembly was called! As the kids came in there was a giant movie screen hanging at the front of the stage where they proceeded to show a football reel! After about ten minutes of this we clicked off our first song and the screen was rolled up and the whole place just roared! The students were stunned beyond their senses and started to dance and sing and had a wonderful time! Afterwards they fed us (again, we had breakfast too) and we actually signed autographs and went on as we were real STARS! It was pretty cool! I actually ran into people later in my career that were there and they still talked about that happening!
Over the next couple of years the band just kept plugging away and members came and went, and we eventually ended up with the line up of myself, Michael, Jimmy, Timmy, and Ken Gillenwater on bass! We worked under the name Squeeze for some time until we met and worked under the management of Bill "Ziggy" Zeigman who took the band and put us in suits and other matching uniform type outfits and groomed us as the band "Buster Brown"! This is when things really started to take off and we got an education from Zig that we would probably never have gotten had he not come along!
I was reminded this past weekend, by a friend, of a time in College Park, Maryland, when we started the stage curtains on fire! It wasn't a real bad fire but all the same it could have been a horrible experience! George Thorogood was there but I don't remember what part he had in starting the fire! He was playing around the corner and we would go see him on our breaks and he would come see us on his breaks! As I remember more I'll let you know!
Next time, How Mike lost his shoes!
I'm back! just a few words on Mike Whelan and his shoes! As I recall it.......we were working in Columbia, South Carolina at the "Down Under" and it was the end of a three week stay! Now in S.C. they have laws that clubs can't be open past midnight on Saturday nights! So.....we had to start at 6:00 pm. and play until midnight! Needless to say, we were bushed but had to tear down the gear and drive back to Washington D.C. that night to be at our next club on Monday night! Well Mike had come down to "boogie" with us and he helped us tear down and load up the truck. In those days (70's) the shoe styles were platform soles and big thick heels. Not conducive to walking up steps and into trucks so he took his shoes off! Well while we were loading the truck.......someone stole his shoes! Right there on the street! He had to drive back to Washington barefoot! remember, "no shoes, no service"! we had to go in and do his business for him! It was a "trip" home!
We travelled up and down Rt. 95 from Dover, Del. to Columbus, Ga. for a few years and it got rather tedious and boring! On the road for weeks and come home long enough to mow lawns and fix windows and such....then "On The Road Again"! Eventually, I grew tired of it and chucked it all only to return to South Bend, Indiana! (I'll NEVER go back to South Bend" I once said! My only regret was leaving Michael James behind as he didn't want to leave the city! And so it goes!
Welcome back to the land of taxes! (circa 1980)
I brought with me Jimmy Gentry, Ken Gillen, Cindy Joes (nee Davis) and Tom Biller. We joined up with Randy Berkel on drums and set forth to have a rockin' band! We named it "BUSTER"!
BUSTER made a change early as it just wasn't working for Randy.....so he left and was replaced by Paul Risler.....a good solid drummer!
Thinking we would take the area by storm turmed out to be an eye opener and I found out that...at the time.....clubowner's were quite loyal to the bands that were working for them and it took a while for us to break into the circuit!
We landed a gig at "Mario's", just north of the Michigan State Line, and used it as a showcase. Inviting several clubowner's to see and hear the band! It worked! Bob Cole and J.W. Toad stopped in and booked the band into the "Cole Mine" in Walkerton, In. and J.W. Toads in South Bend, In. This was to be the catalyst of getting Buster off the ground! The word got around and we were booking every week! At the time it was Wednesday, Friday & Saturday! Some places even Thursday! We played all around the Michiana area for many years playing to mostly packed rooms! Life was good and we rocked and partied hardy! Some of the rooms we played.....Pardner's Night Club, Shula's, J.W. Toad's, The Cole Mine, Red Door Lounge, The Headquarter's, 2nd Edition, The Turning Point, Mario's and many more that I will add as my memory wakes up!
Over a period of around 5 years, BUSTER made a handful of personel changes! Tommy Basano and Jerry Gushwa came in on drums; Oliver (?), Jon Lee, Danny (?) and Dana Bare played keyboards; Tom Biller, Ben Bowman and Cindy (Davis) Jones handled the soundboard! We were best known for artist such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, ELO, Steely Dan, The Cars, Bob Seger....oh the list goes on!
In 1984, while in the middle of a week long gig in Fort Wayne, In, we experience the worst! A fire occured in the middle of the night destroying thousands of dollars of equipment! What a nightmare it was! We fixed and cleaned and borrowed a scant amount of equipment to get us through our next engagements......trying to rebuild what was lost! For two years we tried to put the circus back together! Finally, in 1985, we threw in the towel! It was a sad breakup but we just couldn't recoup!
It was a very good band and it is nice that BUSTER is remembered still today by many people that come up and say nice things about the era! Thank you folks for making it possible! Our final gig was Christmas week 1985! New Year's Eve, I was onstage with a new group........"CORCHESTRA" was born!
"CORCHESTRA" was put together at "Brother's Night Club" in Bremen, In. as the house band! Playing for Art and Al Bustamante was great while it lasted! It was a short lived gig due to some "out of control" circumstance!
The band was Corky, Kenny Denny, Dana Bare and Cory Kiser! It was a fun time and we played tunes for dancing and just having fun! Kenny was replaced by Paul Stokes who added and edge that was missing! We were at "Brothers" for about 6 months when, sadly, the bar had to close! So, we took it on the road.......to "BROTHERS II" in Plymouth, In. as well as many other venues in the surrounding area! South Bend, Mishawaka, Elkhart, Goshen, LaPorte, Walkerton Rochester and so forth! About this time Cory was replaced with Art Bustamante! The beat was stong and we carried on!
At one point, Dana discovered he had a heart problem and had to leave the band! We added Ron Warner on guitar and I had to take over some of the keyboard work! Did I really play with mittens on? It probably sounded like it at times!
As time passed, Paul was replaced by Rick Mays and Ron was replaced by Frank Hunter! The beat went on!
As I was owner (by proxy) of the BREMEN HOTEL in Bremen, In. and caring for the 10 acre farm, I didn't have time to put into a band and gave my notice to the others! They could have replaced me and carried on, but they chose to pack it in!
The first Friday night that I didn't have to play I remember standing out in the fields thinking "I don't have to be anywhere! This is wonderful"! Life was quite different for a while! Living with Marla and her children was a change for me! I raised cows and goats and chickens as well as 120 tomato plants! I had no idea how many tomatoes that would yield! I was no farmer!
About 4 months later, standing in the same field, I was thinking "I should be somewhere else" and that is when I decided to put together a small trio to play now and then! I had that itch! Small clubs with small equipment and little production......Yeah!
"Mother Goose Band" was born with myself, Rick Mayes and Paul Riser! We played one gig in North Liberty, In. Cold! No rehearsals and it was horrible! That was the end of that lineup! I recruited Garry Daniels (drums) and Ben Bowman (bass) and started to rehearse in the loft of my barn! Again, we were terrible!
We rehearsed for several weeks and it actually began to come together some and we started thinking about taking it out to the bars! I booked us into a club in North Webster, In. one month away! We rehearsed a set a week to get it together! Three weeks, three sets! Cool! On our fourth week, Sam, the club owner called and said his band didn't show and would we be able to play that night! Well, we gathered our equipment and off we went to debut the "Mother Goose Band"
The first three sets were fine only we had to do a fourth and....well......it all fell apart! It is quite funny in retrospect! The people were buzzed and never knew a thing! Good old alcohol!
So we carried on and got our chops together and started playing other locations. We began to play every weekend and got to be pretty good! We could hold our own! Even in downtown "South Bend"! The BIG city! Whoa!
People would come up to me and say, "we know you but we didn't know who the Mother Goose Band was"! So.......I changed the name of the band to "Corky and the MGB" and we played and played!
An unexpected turn came to pass and I'll just say a personel change occured and the lineup changed to Dennis Clemens (bass) and Joe (drums) from the band "Northside Station"! We would play my gigs as Corky and the MGB and their gigs as "Northside Station" as well! This was a short lived situation! I had to put an end to it!
Recruiting again! This time, Garry came back to drum and an old friend Kelly Guin (bass)! Kelly had just returned from playing with Davey Jones of "The Monkees" and wanted to do something small and quaint! It was good for us all and off we went a-rockin'! Actually.......country was making it's mark and we had to pick up some of those diddy's to vie for a spot in most venues! It was comical to my Rock and Roll friends!
The ball started rolling and we were playing every weekend, however, another chance in the lineup occurred! Garry was replaced with Art Bustamante and the beat went on! This change made the rhythm section strong and powerful! Phones were ringing and busy got busier! Too good to be true............Yes, another change!
As it turned out, we were playing too much for Kelly and he had to leave the group! At this time a first happened to me! Kelly had a replacement! Next up......."Dr. Dave" enters the line up!
Welcome aboard David!
David started playing and it was such a smooth transition! The ball kept rollin' along! Hard to believe that was 17 years ago! We had a great run and played nearly every weekend as well as many Sundays ....and even some Thursdays!
David had a high range so he got stuck with all of the "bitch" parts! I found him a song by "The Police" to sing the lead to (Every Breath You Take) and he had such fun that he asked me to find him another! No problem! He began singing leads to songs and has turned out to be a fine singer!
We played and played and the years went by.......and we are still playing!
Well De De......I've addeed a little but as always......I have to run!
Hi kids!!!!!!! It's now 9/4/2010 and all I can say is that I'll be back soon to tell you more!
Message from Tim McDonald
May 23, 2018 10:01 AM
Very inspiring at Ivy Tech South Bend. He helped everybody as much as he could. I don't know if I'd understand half the things we did unless he broke it down for me. You'll be greatly missed Corky. Never forgotten...
Message from Randy Breunlin
May 22, 2018 6:55 PM
Corky and I were best friends growing up and childhood friends are forever. Although I hadn't seen Corky in many years, I definitely feel like I've lost a brother. My condolences to the family and especially Martha and Francile, my dear neighbors so many years ago.
Message from Molly (Anderson) O'Shea
May 17, 2018 11:01 AM
My brother (Michael Anderson) informed me this morning that Corky had passed and sent me a link to his obituary. Corky and I go back to the early 60's. I was madly in love with Mike Horvath at the ripe old age of 13 and 14. He and Mike would ride their bikes over to our house on Ribourde Drive. My father let the band play out on our glassed in patio one evening for a party. I think we heard from every neighbor that evening, but the party was a great success. I moved to San Francisco in 1972 and we connected by phone about 10 years ago. He sounded like the same Corky I knew so long ago. He was upbeat and happy and a joy to connect with. I will carry him in my heart and memories forever. My condolences to his family. He was a wonderful person. Molly (Anderson) O'Shea
A candle was lit by David Dance
on May 4, 2018 7:08 AM
Message from Ben & Renee Bowman
April 17, 2018 11:26 AM
Reflections of My Life/Marmalade
For Corky,
The changing of sunlight to moonlight
Reflections of my life
Oh, how they fill my eyes
The greetings of people in trouble
Reflections of my life
Oh, how they fill my eyes
Oh, my sorrows
Sad tomorrows
Take me back to my own home
Oh, my crying (Oh, my crying)
Feel I'm dying, dying
Take me back to my own home
I'm changing, arranging
I'm changing
I'm changing everything
Everything around me
The world is
A bad place
A bad place
A terrible place to live
Oh, but I don't want to die
Oh, my sorrows
Sad tomorrows
Take me back to my own home
Oh, my crying (Oh, my crying)
Feel I'm dying, dying
Take me back to my own home
Oh, my sorrows
Sad tomorrows
Take me back to my own home
-----------------------------------------
The world was a better place for having you in it my friend.
Ben & Renee
For Corky,
The changing of sunlight to moonlight
Reflections of my life
Oh, how they fill my eyes
The greetings of people in trouble
Reflections of my life
Oh, how they fill my eyes
Oh, my sorrows
Sad tomorrows
Take me back to my own home
Oh, my crying (Oh, my crying)
Feel I'm dying, dying
Take me back to my own home
I'm changing, arranging
I'm changing
I'm changing everything
Everything around me
The world is
A bad place
A bad place
A terrible place to live
Oh, but I don't want to die
Oh, my sorrows
Sad tomorrows
Take me back to my own home
Oh, my crying (Oh, my crying)
Feel I'm dying, dying
Take me back to my own home
Oh, my sorrows
Sad tomorrows
Take me back to my own home
-----------------------------------------
The world was a better place for having you in it my friend.
Ben & Renee
A candle was lit by Drew Villegan
on March 5, 2018 8:31 PM
Message from callen kazmierski
December 18, 2017 1:02 PM
Think I first became aware of Corky when his high school band, the Ramrods, performed at Pierre Navarre Elementary school in '66. Around 1970 saw his 8 piece horn band, "Octopus". Many years later, I was really impressed when he told me that around 1965, he and his band actually appeared on local TV. (On the "DD Donovan Show", the famous dog puppet who also did the weather on WSJV). Cork was very supportive of other musicians & bands & helped my band to get our foot in the door in some of the local clubs way back when. RIP, Cork.
Message from Katie Bradford in Oregon
December 8, 2017 4:49 PM
Corky, you were and are the light of my life. I remember the day you arrived in Virginia in July 1973 with your band Zechariah - sorry I rented your promised room so you had to sleep in the band truck! We were friends and roommates that summer........eventually moving and losing touch for 37 years until 2010 when I was looking for old friends through Google and there was your music blog. I wrote you; you wrote back. A year later we became fb friends and started talking and visiting. We went on many fun trips together to see the Moody Blues & Zombies; to Vegas where I could not get you to put $1 in the slot machine!! To NYC to see Liz and watch Mark Lacob play at the Cutting Room....and you really loved being his "guitar tech". I was so proud of you when you graduated from Ivy Tech and we went on a cruise in Hawaii to celebrate. You became a teacher and you were excellent at it and so proud of your students, esp. George. I loved meeting your family, your dear mom and sister, and coming to see all the sights in South Bend...especially watching you play with MGB. I was lucky to become friends with your daughter Bridget - she came to visit me 3 times and we had so much fun - she loved Oregon. I loved listening to your CDs....the first time I cried it was so beautiful to hear your music. I am so happy that you left us your music so I can hear your voice when I miss you........I loved making friends with your friends and bandmates. The day after you found out you had cancer you came to visit me.........you did so well with the treatment we had high hopes that you would beat it and live a long and happy life. I so appreciate your sister, Frannie, and Patti and Denise who cared for you and got you to appointments and made sure you had all the dignity you deserved. I miss you and will miss you every day of my life. I love you and will always love you. I am treasuring the photos, and many e-mails you sent me, especially the one last May where you told me, "Our friendship has taken us to many delights in many ways! The travel and experiences together are etched into my mind!! I am very honored to call you my friend. I love you. I hope my health allows me to carry on well into our old age." I will treasure these words and six of the best years of my life forever. I love you. Kato
Message from Randy Langham
December 8, 2017 3:12 PM
So many memories when we were children of summers spent at our grandparents and Christmas' with our grandparents, aunts and uncles, and all us cousins. Memories that may fade with time but only death can destroy. RIP Cuz.
A candle was lit by Carol Stelter
on December 7, 2017 3:16 PM
Message from Jim Marnocha
December 7, 2017 2:38 PM
Corky Andrews
A super nice person and great musician. When I started playing music in public along time ago ,Corky was very accepting and kind of invited me in . I was young and knew very little .He explained certain things about playing in clubs and performing . I found out about his death on the 5th and did not get to wish him a farewell. I hope he is jamming with Brian Brown and Greg Nash in heaven as I am writing this . I send my condolences to his family . The South Bend music scene will not be the same for a lot of us without Corky .
A super nice person and great musician. When I started playing music in public along time ago ,Corky was very accepting and kind of invited me in . I was young and knew very little .He explained certain things about playing in clubs and performing . I found out about his death on the 5th and did not get to wish him a farewell. I hope he is jamming with Brian Brown and Greg Nash in heaven as I am writing this . I send my condolences to his family . The South Bend music scene will not be the same for a lot of us without Corky .
Message from Tabitha Smith Wiley
December 6, 2017 10:30 AM
Many prayers and condolences to the family. May you find peace that passes all our understanding. R I P Corky,,,,Bless those in heaven as you have blessed us here on earth with the beautiful music you make.
Message from Paula Mann
December 4, 2017 4:55 PM
I will miss him forever. I will miss his smile, your laugh. I loved him.
A candle was lit by Paula Mann
on December 4, 2017 4:52 PM
A candle was lit by Paula Mann
on December 4, 2017 4:51 PM
Message from Chris Hawkins
December 4, 2017 10:13 AM
Martha, Francile and Mike, my sincere sympathy to you. What a difficult couple of months for your family. You are in my thoughts and prayers as you grieve those you love so much. .
A candle was lit by Kim Hagler
on December 3, 2017 11:52 PM
A candle was lit by Jim and Tami Weaver
on December 3, 2017 6:44 PM
A candle was lit by Ted Graham
on December 3, 2017 6:22 PM
I met Corky when I was a student at Ivy Tech Machine Tool Technology program. He was one of the nicest and patient instructors I have ever met there. I can't think of enough kind words to say about him. I know he will be missed by many.
I met Corky when I was a student at Ivy Tech Machine Tool Technology program. He was one of the nicest and patient instructors I have ever met there. I can't think of enough kind words to say about him. I know he will be missed by many.
A candle was lit by Ted Graham
on December 3, 2017 6:17 PM
Message from Dan Gates
December 3, 2017 3:58 PM
Very sad to see that Corky passed. I had the pleasure and honor of teaching him a few chords when he was just a lad. He not only caught on to what I was teaching him quickly, he became the teacher, and I was the student. RIP Corky! You will be missed. Danny Gates
A candle was lit by Shirley (Robakowski) Felts and Louie Botka
on December 3, 2017 11:50 AM
Message from Terryanne, Ordinary Terry, Tommy Scheibelhut & Gary Smith
December 3, 2017 10:13 AM
Most dearest life time brother. Your legacy lives on forever. Always loving and giving to all people. You have made a huge impact on so many people dear Corky. Thank you for all that you have helped, taught, and the beautiful gifts of music. Thank you for giving me a dream come true of my song, and letting me sing along in some of your recorded music. You are now with the Rock and Roll Angel's. All our love and gratefulness forever.
A candle was lit by TerryAnne and Tommy Scheibelhut & Gary Smith
on December 3, 2017 10:04 AM
A candle was lit by Brenda Carr
on December 3, 2017 10:01 AM
A candle was lit by Charlene
on December 2, 2017 11:48 PM
Message from Penrod
December 2, 2017 11:14 PM
My deepest condolences to family and friends of Corky. A good guy through out the 40 yrs I've known him no matter where he was or where he was playing. Always had time for a friend from Buster Band to MGB. At the ole Cole Mine to the American Legion and places in between. Rest Easy Ole Friend. Your time here was appreciated! God Bess.
A candle was lit by Kathy Conley
on December 2, 2017 10:11 PM
A candle was lit by Theresa McKenna
on December 2, 2017 9:30 PM
Message from Theresa McKenna
December 2, 2017 9:27 PM
I will always remember dancing the night away to the great music and all the best of times every time I came to see MGB the first time I saw Corky was at an out door battle of the of the bands at the day road conservation club when it was the buster band what a great time I have alot of great memories with Corky and Dave and Art what a good time with all of you I will never forget rest in peace my awesome friend the Lord loves music and now you can play and sing for him
Message from Dave Horvath
December 2, 2017 7:15 PM
I grew up three houses from corky, I was younger than him he was one of the coolest guys I knew. I remember back in the day him and his band playing in his garage.
Rest In Peace old friend
Rest In Peace old friend
A candle was lit by Chuck Aurand
on December 2, 2017 6:23 PM
A candle was lit by Robin Wirick & Gearld Ingle
on December 2, 2017 5:53 PM
A candle was lit by Tommy and Dini
on December 2, 2017 5:51 PM
Message from Sandra Madlem
December 2, 2017 5:43 PM
I'll always hold you in my heart my dear friend. Rest now and be at peace. Always
A candle was lit by Sandra Ann Madlem
on December 2, 2017 5:41 PM
Message from Charlie Mann
December 2, 2017 5:04 PM
My friend, my brother for over 40 years. Where has time gone. I am truly heartbroken over this loss. So many wonderful times together over the years. My sincere condolences to your family and all of your other brothers and sisters. Go now and join Kenny and play together again. We will all miss you greatly.
A candle was lit by Charlie Mann
on December 2, 2017 4:55 PM
A candle was lit by Matla
on December 2, 2017 4:17 PM
A candle was lit by Little Eddie an kids
on December 2, 2017 4:10 PM
A candle was lit by John
on December 2, 2017 4:04 PM
A candle was lit by Sally Barber & Lee Madison
on December 2, 2017 3:42 PM
Message from Cathy Keller
December 2, 2017 3:40 PM
Corky saved my life. MGB was "just what I needed".
A candle was lit by Cathy Keller
on December 2, 2017 3:38 PM
A candle was lit by DeDe Shupe
on December 2, 2017 3:31 PM
Message from Chris
December 2, 2017 3:13 PM
Wow...loss of a great person, friend and musician. Condolences to family and friends. When you get to the otherside dear friend...your life is just beginning
A candle was lit by Dick & Debbie
on December 2, 2017 2:52 PM
Message from Dick Orvis & Debbie Verhaegen (Champion Band)
December 2, 2017 2:52 PM
Corky was the "real deal" A great Guitarist, vocalist and band leader who brought good fun, good music and a ton of joy to the world. He and Kenny from Buster helped Debbie and I put our first PA together for Champion and to get us started. I always made it a point to catch MGB band if I could, they never let me down. A true musical legend and pioneer from the live music days of six nights a week at Shulas, the Ramada or the road. God Bless
A candle was lit by Jim n Carol Roth
on December 2, 2017 2:44 PM
Message from Elaine & Ward Kremer
December 2, 2017 1:52 PM
Rest in peace Corky....
A candle was lit by Elaine & Ward Kremer
on December 2, 2017 1:51 PM
A candle was lit by Chris DiMatteo
on December 2, 2017 1:12 PM
A candle was lit by Scott and Jamie White
on December 2, 2017 12:05 PM
A candle was lit by Jayme Warren.
on December 2, 2017 12:01 PM
A candle was lit by Rich Kelly
on December 2, 2017 11:44 AM
A candle was lit by Billy Kuhl
on December 2, 2017 11:40 AM
A candle was lit by Jeff George
on December 2, 2017 11:37 AM
A candle was lit by Tommy Barrett
on December 2, 2017 11:31 AM
A candle was lit by Jenny Aguilar
on December 2, 2017 11:30 AM
A candle was lit by Deb McGinnis
on December 2, 2017 11:28 AM
A candle was lit by Sherry Moore
on December 2, 2017 11:28 AM
A candle was lit by Kellie Waterhouse
on December 2, 2017 11:23 AM
A candle was lit by Joe Feingold
on December 2, 2017 11:22 AM
A candle was lit by Gina yeager
on December 2, 2017 11:20 AM
A candle was lit by Cindy Spence
on December 2, 2017 11:19 AM
A candle was lit by Judy McLochlin
on December 2, 2017 11:09 AM
A candle was lit by Randy and Pat Sanders
on December 2, 2017 11:07 AM
Message from Mike Whelan
December 2, 2017 10:20 AM
You will always be my brother, we laughed and cried together. You will always be with me. I love you brother. Mike
A candle was lit by Mike Whelan
on December 2, 2017 10:17 AM
A candle was lit by Joe Hamilton
on December 2, 2017 9:41 AM
A candle was lit by Bryce and Dawn Overmyer
on December 2, 2017 8:49 AM
A candle was lit by Paula Dayhuff
on December 2, 2017 8:33 AM
A candle was lit by Karen Shidler
on December 2, 2017 8:32 AM
A candle was lit by Paul A Williams
on December 2, 2017 7:58 AM
My heart is hurting, my friend is gone. I can still remember when we met back in '73, and how we laughed about being kicked out of Shulas at the same time. My feet never move as good to any other music, I will cherish the memories of Toad's, oh what nights we had there. Sleep well my friend, my prayer is that I will see you again, and again dance to your music.
My heart is hurting, my friend is gone. I can still remember when we met back in '73, and how we laughed about being kicked out of Shulas at the same time. My feet never move as good to any other music, I will cherish the memories of Toad's, oh what nights we had there. Sleep well my friend, my prayer is that I will see you again, and again dance to your music.
A candle was lit by Paul A Williams
on December 2, 2017 7:51 AM
A candle was lit by Tami
on December 2, 2017 7:49 AM
A candle was lit by cindy
on December 1, 2017 11:51 PM
A candle was lit by Gerry Burkett
on December 1, 2017 11:27 PM
A candle was lit by Jack Nash
on December 1, 2017 11:03 PM
A candle was lit by Annie Miller
on December 1, 2017 11:02 PM
Message from Jack Nash
December 1, 2017 11:02 PM
FOR Corky Andrews with love
In Tune
if you delve deep into the fray
where the truly true musicians play
keeping their words and sighs intact
their hearts and tears and words impact
the tiny masses who search them out
to warm their souls and if you doubt
the world around you doesn't hear
your broken dreams
your quiet fear
look beyond the pompous trite
the subtle muddle that holds no light
there is a world though buried deep
once heard enfolds you while you sleep
close your eyes we will walk the moon
your heart and mine will sing in tune.
- Thomas P Owens Sr
In Tune
if you delve deep into the fray
where the truly true musicians play
keeping their words and sighs intact
their hearts and tears and words impact
the tiny masses who search them out
to warm their souls and if you doubt
the world around you doesn't hear
your broken dreams
your quiet fear
look beyond the pompous trite
the subtle muddle that holds no light
there is a world though buried deep
once heard enfolds you while you sleep
close your eyes we will walk the moon
your heart and mine will sing in tune.
- Thomas P Owens Sr
A candle was lit by Cheri Steele
on December 1, 2017 10:27 PM
A candle was lit by Shane Sanders
on December 1, 2017 10:06 PM
A candle was lit by Kelly Mikel
on December 1, 2017 10:03 PM
A candle was lit by Lori White
on December 1, 2017 9:56 PM
A candle was lit by debbie spoor
on December 1, 2017 8:17 PM
Message from debbie spoor
December 1, 2017 8:16 PM
corkey i will miss you so much ur smiling face ur laughter... r.i.p. until we meet again
A candle was lit by Zibby Tebo and The Balbo Brothers
on December 1, 2017 6:09 PM
Message from Fred Balbo and the Balbo Brothers
December 1, 2017 6:08 PM
My great friend. The brothers and I send our deepest condolences to your family. I've know Cork for over 40 years and had the honor of playing with one of my idols. We were truly heartbroken when we heard of his passing and talked of the good times from when we first met. I use to listen to Cork at Shulas back in the day and The Buster Band. Prayers are said and may God bless him as he did in life.
Message from Cecilia Bronk
May 19, 2018 7:52 PM
How sad to hear you have left us my friend.
It seems like yesterday I was taken in the back door of a bar for one dance.I was under age and was quickly removed, but not before hearing you sing "To Love Somebody"
I heard you play many more times over the years ,but will always remember that special dance, and your perfect rendition...Thank you!
God be with you.
It seems like yesterday I was taken in the back door of a bar for one dance.I was under age and was quickly removed, but not before hearing you sing "To Love Somebody"
I heard you play many more times over the years ,but will always remember that special dance, and your perfect rendition...Thank you!
God be with you.
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