Jeff Willis

Tom (A) left the group shortly after drummer Jeff Willis joined in 1965.
...
Contrary to conventional wisdom, Jeff was the first guy in the band who COULD read music.
...
Jeff, Karl and Tom were in college at UC (Jeff in Political Science, Karl in Radio-Television and Tom in Liberal Arts and ROTC).
...
Jeff, Karl and Tom were in college at UC (Jeff in Political Science, Karl in Radio-Television and Tom in Liberal Arts and ROTC).
...
After the band stopped playing, Jeff and Karl went into the Army in 1969.
...
Jeff served with the Fife and Drum Corp and appeared with them on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1971.Jeff married Karl's sister and began his career in retail when he left the service.
...
Jeff Willis - Drums
...
Don played a Fender Stratocaster through a Fender Showman Amp with a custom speaker cabinet, Mark played a Hammond Organ with Leslie Speakers, Jeff played a four piece Ludwig Silver Sparkle Drum kit with Zildjian Cymbals.
...
Jeff sells high-end home audio and video gear and plays drums regularly with Bluefish, a blues/rock/gospel trio in Charlotte, NC.
...
(Left to Right) Karl (Guitar), Jeff (Drums), Mark (Keyboards), Tom (Bass).
...
Don added his guitar and vocal parts to "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" at an eight track ADAT studio we set up in a Cincinnati hotel room several weeks later. (Tom, Jeff and Karl were also there for those sessions.) We added final background vocals, guitar overdubs, horn and percussion parts and a few sound effects (like the traffic noises on "Summer In The City") and completed the final mixes before the gear had to go back tothe rental company at 9:00 AM..

Jeff Willis - Drummer/Percussionist Email Jeff

A product of growing up in the 60s, this Boomer Gen guy has been making music since the 7th grade, unless you count rhythm sticks at age 6.He listened to bluegrass early on, but found that they didn't have banjos in the marching band, so became a drummer instead!Lessons from a burlesque pit band drummer and a former Met opera percussionist helped prepare Jeff for the world of marching, concert and stage bands in high school.In college, he played in a community musical theater orchestra and joined seminal rock band The Commands, later to become T.H.E., still playing today at their annual 'revival' weekends.He also began a multi-year annual excursion, into Jewel Recording Studios in Mt. Healthy, Ohio for some late night musical fun with T.H.E. guitar player and brother-in-law Karl Sjodahl (the producer of the latest Amy Broome Band CD), and friend and Playboy Club trio guitar and piano player Roger Trauth.

When drafted in '69 and sent as an Army infantryman to Ft. Myer, Arlington, Virginia (Washington DC), fate stepped in.Jeff auditioned for and became Rudimentary Snare Drummer in the Old Guard Fife, Drum and Bugle Corps, playing at White House arrivals, rodeos, and a special appearance opening the Ed Sullivan Show in New York City in March of '71.In the year after leaving the Army, Jeff played in the 17 Piece One Night Band, a group of 17 musicians-current or ex-members of the US Army and Navy-formed for a one night performance in the Hampton, VA National Guard Armory.

The next year he joined a company later to become Circuit City as an audio-video consultant, and was moved to Charlotte, NC in '74, where he still makes his home.Musical experience in Charlotte includes bands Tumbling Walls, Bluefish (Christian blues band) and currently the Amy Broome Band, as well as irregular sit-ins with the Foundation jam guys and gals in Matthews.He also was fortunate to accompany other musicians on 2 mission trips in Mexico and Costa Rica.

Recently unplugged from his 31 year consumer electronic career path, Jeff haunts the musical scene, listening to live music at such places as the Evening Muse, Tosco Music Party, Double Door, the Visulite and Neighborhood Theaters, Smoky Joe's Café, Amos' Southend Bistro, the Grey Eagle in Ashville, NC and more.He likes Steely Dan, Flim and the BBs, James Brown, Susan Werner, No Doubt, Fourplay and others.And he owns a Martin autographed guitar but doesn't (yet) know how to play it.

Jeff Willis - Drummer/Percussionist Email Jeff

A product of growing up in the 60s, this Boomer Gen guy has been making music since the 7th grade, unless you count rhythm sticks at age 6.He listened to bluegrass early on, but found that they didn't have banjos in the marching band, so became a drummer instead!Lessons from a burlesque pit band drummer and a former Met opera percussionist helped prepare Jeff for the world of marching, concert and stage bands in high school.In college, he played in a community musical theater orchestra and joined seminal rock band The Commands, later to become T.H.E., still playing today at their annual 'revival' weekends.He also began a multi-year annual excursion, into Jewel Recording Studios in Mt. Healthy, Ohio for some late night musical fun with T.H.E. guitar player and brother-in-law Karl Sjodahl (the producer of the latest Amy Broome Band CD), and friend and Playboy Club trio guitar and piano player Roger Trauth.

When drafted in '69 and sent as an Army infantryman to Ft. Myer, Arlington, Virginia (Washington DC), fate stepped in.Jeff auditioned for and became Rudimentary Snare Drummer in the Old Guard Fife, Drum and Bugle Corps, playing at White House arrivals, rodeos, and a special appearance opening the Ed Sullivan Show in New York City in March of '71.In the year after leaving the Army, Jeff played in the 17 Piece One Night Band, a group of 17 musicians-current or ex-members of the US Army and Navy-formed for a one night performance in the Hampton, VA National Guard Armory.

The next year he joined a company later to become Circuit City as an audio-video consultant, and was moved to Charlotte, NC in '74, where he still makes his home.Musical experience in Charlotte includes bands Tumbling Walls, Bluefish (Christian blues band) and currently the Amy Broome Band, as well as irregular sit-ins with the Foundation jam guys and gals in Matthews.He also was fortunate to accompany other musicians on 2 mission trips in Mexico and Costa Rica.

Recently unplugged from his 31 year consumer electronic career path, Jeff haunts the musical scene, listening to live music at such places as the Evening Muse, Tosco Music Party, Double Door, the Visulite and Neighborhood Theaters, Smoky Joe's Café, Amos' Southend Bistro, the Grey Eagle in Ashville, NC and more.He likes Steely Dan, Flim and the BBs, James Brown, Susan Werner, No Doubt, Fourplay and others.And he owns a Martin autographed guitar but doesn't (yet) know how to play it.