Night Moves

While we were rehearsing in Haines City, Larry Helms sat in with us and we worked up the song, "Sherry" by the Four Seasons. We were blown away by the sound of all that harmony and Larry was asked to join permanently. Jerry Markuson moved from bass to horn. From that moment on, we always concentrated on our vocals and added two and three part harmonies whenever we could. We played the Bikini lounge in Winter Haven for quite a while as we honed our skills and were constantly amazed at the antics of the owner, Bob Lamond. He had a voice like a drill sergeant and was always yelling things out that could even be heard over the music. It was not always sweetness and light, however. I remember some drunk starting a fight with David outside one night and he got knocked completely over the hood of a car for his trouble. Unfortunately, he had a gun under the front seat and took a pot shot at David as David rounded the corner on a dead run. I picked him up in my little VW bug and cursed its inability to go faster all the way home. The guy was actually a regular and came back a few nights later and apologized to David but he never picked another fight with him.

We spent an entire summer playing in Daytona Beach in 1972 and got to meet people from all over the U.S. Just prior to this time, we had played an extended engagement in Orlando where Larry met and began to date Kathy - the same Kathy who would become his wife and play in the band. While in Daytona, I remember we were playing at some club one night and, after closing, a young couple came up to us out front and were telling us how much they enjoyed our music. One thing led to another and we wound up singing "Teach Your Children" for them a capella right there in the parking lot. Sometimes you do nutty things just because it seems right at the time. I've often wondered whether that couple stayed together and if they remember that. We played another venue in Orlando called the Las Vegas Club and saw and learned from other groups who put on 'shows'. The ideas we picked up there were expressed first in 'mini-shows' using Ray Stevens songs and later developed into full-fledged shows such as the 50's set we did. This allowed us to play in some of the better dinner clubs and was something we always enjoyed a lot.

Not long after Daytona, we got a gig playing at the El Cid in Fort Meade and almost backed out when we saw the place.  We were wondering if we should bring our own weapons or if they would issue us some at the door. In spite of appearances, the crowds there loved us and the place was packed every night we played. We received a tremendous amount of support from the patrons as well as the owner and co-workers and made a great number of friends while there. We had people drive from as far away as Orlando and Avon Park and it was understood that, if you didn't get there early, you didn't get in. We played there, off and on, for many years although we spent a lot of time at other places such as Grigg's Sword and Sirloin and the Rustic Lounge, both in Winter Haven. The Holiday Inn in Plant City and Rick Furnari's place in Winter Haven were also favorites.

During this time, we also had other members such as Gary Rhoades, Butch Owens, and Butch Smith play with us from time to time and we all seemed to always fit seamlessly together without having the sound suffer. One constant that we always enjoyed was the unwavering support of the people in the Haines City area that we grew up with and went to school with. That always made a tremendous difference. We all had a wonderful time and, while it was all happening, none of us gave any thought to the fact that it might one day end. 

Some time in the mid to late 70's, the Mischief Makers became the M&M Show Band and the group split. I formed the band, 'Bits and Pieces' with Butch Smith, Jerry Wickersheim, and Bill McGahee while David Howell, Larry Helms, Butch Owens, and James Kato - along with Katie Poole (Howell) and Kathy Helms went on the road.  Eventually, Butch Smith left to join the M&M Show Band and was replaced with Randy Ferrell, a truly amazing guitarist. For a time, we also had two horn players, Dana Barth on trombone, and Chuck Furr on saxophone. 

We continued for several more years but, when Bits and Pieces stopped playing, Randy joined the Bellamy Brothers and I rejoined the M&M Show Band. By this time, the band had eight members, including a new player -Ronnie Rivetz, and it was difficult to find gigs to support such a large group. Larry Helms was incarcerated sometime around 1977 and Jerry Wickersheim joined as the bass player. Eventually, the band split for the last time and David and Katie moved to Leesburg where David formed a new band. I re-formed Bits and Pieces with James Kato, Jerry Wickersheim, and Bill McGahee and played locally until the early 90’s.

In 2014, Dave Howell and I reconnected and decided to get together to record some songs in the studio that I had at my home in Lakeland. We recorded lots of songs, talked about the old times, and sometime in 2015, we started thinking about performing part time again. We played for the combined ’61-’67 class reunion in Haines City and decided to take the plunge with new equipment and a commitment to actually play. We played private parties, grand openings, and club work for a few months but lived too far apart to make it work very well. David played for awhile with Hunter Britton in Leesburg but decided to retire once again. I started working as a single, something I thought I’d never do, and continue to play clubs and private parties.

Although the journey has been long and filled with ups and downs (mostly ups) and we moved in different directions at times, it was all worth it. The cherished memories remain and the love of music is still within all of us. Of all the musicians mentioned here, Joe Cleek, Denny Hill, Gene Wiley, Gary Rhoades, James Kato, and Larry Helms are no longer with us except in our hearts. To our friends and supporters throughout the years, we can never thank you enough.