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OTHER CELEBRITIES EAS HAS PERFORMED WITH BUT NOT PICTURED YET ARE:

 

THE STAMPS QUARTET

SHERRIL NEILSEN

JOHN WILKINSON

JOE ESPOSITO

 

 

JAMES BURTON - TCB BAND - LEAD GUITARIST FOR ELVIS

 

Born in Minden, LA, on August 21, 1939, influential guitarist James Burton got his start in the 1950s as a backup musician on the radio show Louisiana Hayride, where he met Dale Hawkins. Hawkins' 1957 hit, "Suzie Q," was the first in a string of successes to feature the young Burton. A six-year stint (1958-1964) recording and touring in Ricky Nelson's band followed, subsequently landing him a couple of cameo bits on Ozzie & Harriet. Because of his brilliant and unique guitar skills — he perfected a style he dubbed "chicken pickin'" — Burton quickly landed jobs as a side musician for a diverse cast including: Buffalo Springfield, the Monkees, Elvis Presley's band (from 1969 until Presley's death in 1977), Gram Parsons, Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, John Denver, Buck Owens, and Merle Haggard (with the latter two he was an important catalyst in the fine-tuning of the Bakersfield sound). He later lent his talents to several Elvis Costello recordings as well as those by Gillian Welch, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and countless others. With this schedule, it is no surprise that Burton has only cut two records of his own over a 40-year career; both his 1969 debut, Corn Pickin' and Slick Slidin', and his 1971 offering, The Guitar Sounds of James Burton, provide spotlights on his legendary pickin'.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JERRY SCHEFF - TCB BAND - BASS GUITARIST FOR ELVIS

 

Bass player Jerry Scheff is a native of San Francisco, and originally he got his start playing in jazz clubs in the Bay Area at the age of 15. Following a three-year stint as a musician in the U.S. Navy, Scheff joined jazz guitarist Barney Kessel in Los Angeles. After achieving a successful debut as a jazz string bassist, he decided to seek out session work instead in the pop/rock world, in which there were ample opportunities for work in the Los Angeles of the early '60s. With his appearance on "Along Comes Mary," a hit by vocal group the Association, the demand for Scheff's services increased considerably. In the following years, he worked for the Everly Brothers, Nancy Sinatra, Johnny Rivers, Neil Diamond, Sammy Davis, Jr., Johnny Mathis, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, among others. In 1971, Scheff recorded bass parts for the Doors' L.A. Woman, leading to his distinctly recognizable contribution to the hit record "Riders on the Storm."About this time, Scheff became a member of Elvis Presley's touring band, and he can be seen performing in the documentary films Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970) and Elvis on Tour (1972) and in the TV concert Aloha from Hawaii (1973). Though Scheff had been no fan of Elvis prior to meeting "the King," Presley's artistry won him over in short order, and Scheff would continue to work with Presley until his death. Afterward, Scheff worked with Bob Dylan on the acclaimed album Street Legal (1978) in addition to session work with Johnny Cash and Richard Thompson; in the '70s and '80s he toured with Elvis Costello, Sam Phillips, and John Denver. Scheff also appeared with Roy Orbison and friends on the TV concert A Black and White Night (1987). All of Scheff's three sons are musicians, with son Jason Scheff holding down the bass guitar spot in the band Chicago since 1985. Jerry Scheff lives in Scotland and continues to tour and record.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GLEN D. HARDIN - TCB BAND - PIANO PLAYER FOR ELVIS

 

Glen D. Hardin (sometimes spelled Glenn D. Hardin) has enjoyed a long career in rock & roll and country music, playing behind some of the most prominent music stars of the 1970s and 1980s. Born in Ropesville, Tennessee in 1939, he was in his mid-teens as country music began its transformation into rock & roll, and he got to see performers such as Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly during their early, pre-stardom days. His own interest lay more with playing than singing — he learned guitar at a professional level but became truly proficient on the piano. Hardin's first major gig came in 1961, when he became a member of the Crickets, the Texas-spawned band founded by Buddy Holly and led by drummer Jerry Allison in the wake of Holly's death — he played the piano on the singles "My Little Girl" and "(They Call Her) La Bamba," and on their album California Sun; additionally, after Joe B. Mauldin left the group, Hardin furnished their bass sound with a Fender Rhodes piano bass. He also wrote songs with Crickets guitarist/singer Sonny Curtis, co-authoring the group's single "Teardrops Feel Like Rain," and the songs "Count Me In," "My Heart's Symphony," and "Where Will the Word Come From," recorded by their fellow Liberty Records artists Gary Lewis & the Playboys. During the second half of the 1960s, Hardin kept busy and highly visible as a member of the Shindogs, the house band on the weekly ABC rock & roll showcase series Shindig, which had been put together by Leon Russell and included James Burton as leader and lead guitarist. He also played on records by Merle Haggard and Hamilton Camp. It was through Russell that Hardin played on records for Delaney Bramlett and, in tandem with Burton that, in 1970, he started working with Elvis Presley. Although he also played in the country-rock band Swampwater, and did sessions with everyone from Dean Martin to Gram Parsons and Linda Ronstadt during this period, Hardin's most important and long-lasting 1970s gig was with Elvis — he and Burton, along with bassist Jerry Scheff and drummer Ron Tutt, became what was known informally within Presley's orbit as "the T.C.B. Band," and they were at the core of his live and studio performances from 1970 through 1976, a period in which Hardin also wrote arrangements for the singer. He played on the live performances and studio tracks that comprised the bulk of Presley's comeback legacy, and only quit in 1976, as Presley's physical and mental condition began to deteriorate. Hardin jumped right in to Emmylou Harris' backing group, the Hot Band, remaining with her into the 1980s, in addition to playing on records by Michael Nesmith, Hoyt Axton, John Denver, and Chris Hillman, among others. In recent years, in addition to playing with the Crickets on-stage, he has been playing as a backup musician to Presley once again, as part of the live band in the holographic stage entertainment show "Elvis Lives."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHARLIE HODGE - TCB BAND - VOCALIST - RHYTHM GUITARIST - STAGE ASSISTANT FOR ELVIS

 

Charlie Hodge spent 17 years as a rhythm guitarist and backup singer in support of his Army buddy Elvis Presley. Born in Decatur, AL, on December 14, 1934, Hodge later graduated from the Stamp School of Music, performing in a gospel quartet alongside fellow student and future Christian music pioneer Bill Gaither. Hodge and his subsequent band, the Foggy River Boys, went on to some fame during their stint on country star Red Foley's ABC television variety series Ozark Jubilee, but in 1958 he was drafted to serve in the U.S. Army, befriending Presley during basic training in Fort Hood, TX. Their relationship continued in Germany, and when their tour of duty ended, in the spring of 1960 Presley invited Hodge to Memphis to work on his LP Elvis Is Back! Hodge remained an integral member of the so-called "Memphis Mafia" for close to two decades, even living on the grounds of Presley's Memphis mansion, Graceland. He was also a critical element of Presley's stage shows, handing the singer the scarves he tossed into the audience, and in 1968 he appeared alongside guitarist Scotty Moore, drummer D.J. Fontana, and bassist Alan Fortas during Presley's landmark NBC television comeback special. Hodge was present at Graceland at the time of Presley's August 16, 1977, death and in 1984 published a memoir, Me 'n' Elvis. Hodge died of lung cancer on March 3, 2006.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

D.J. FONTANA - ORIGINAL DRUMMER FOR ELVIS

 

As the longtime drummer behind Elvis Presley, D.J. Fontana was a seminal force in the development of rock & roll, joining guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black in the supporting cast of some of the most enduring and influential records ever created. Bridging the gap between the swing of the big band drummers and the raw power of their British Invasion counterparts, Fontana was explosive yet efficient, establishing the rhythmic foundation upon which successive generations of popular music is built. No less an authority than the Band's Levon Helm once stated "Elvis and Scotty and Bill were making good music, but it wasn't rock & roll until D.J. put the backbeat into it."

Born Dominic Joseph Fontana in Shreveport, LA, on March 15, 1931, he first earned notice drumming behind T. Tommy Cutrer, a radio personality with Shreveport station KCIJ who moonlighted as a country singer. Fontana also played local nightclubs and strip joints, and in 1953 was named the house drummer of The Louisiana Hayride, the legendary radio showcase broadcast each Saturday evening from Shreveport's Municipal Auditorium. So not to offend country purists, he was forced to perform from behind the stage curtain. Fontana remained out of sight on October 16, 1954, when he backed Presley, Moore, and Black during their first Hayride appearance. Fontana was the first drummer ever to back Presley on-stage, steadfastly avoiding his cymbals and playing only the backbeat in order to best complement the music.

Although audience response was mixed, Hayride producers invited Presley for a return engagement the following month. This time Fontana performed in front of the curtain, and when Presley's stage gyrations sent the mostly young, mostly female crowd into screaming fits, the singer was offered a 12-month contract with the program. At the end of their Louisiana Hayride tenure in November 1955, Moore and Black convinced Presley to add Fontana to the lineup full-time, and after the RCA label acquired the singer's recording contract from Sun Records, Fontana cut his first studio session on January 10, 1956, backing Presley on five songs, including his million-selling breakthrough hit, "Heartbreak Hotel." Fontana's résumé is remarkable by any standard: he remained with Elvis for 14 years, playing on more than 400 songs and close to 50 recording sessions across a 12-year span, among them landmark hits including "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel," and "Jailhouse Rock."

Although Moore and Black walked out on Presley in 1958 in response to a royalty dispute with manager Colonel Tom Parker, Fontana remained with the organization. Moore eventually returned to the fold, and in late 1965 both men served as pallbearers at Black's funeral. Moore and Fontana also backed Presley during his legendary 1968 NBC television comeback special, effectively serving as a security blanket against the singer's apprehensions about returning to lean, mean rock & roll following so many years of bloated Hollywood pap. Fontana finally cut ties with Presley once and for all in early 1969. He, Moore, and longtime backing vocalists the Jordanaires balked at Parker's latest salary offer, and when the Colonel called their bluff, quickly assembling a new backing crew, it was all over. Fontana settled in Nashville to pursue a session career, and in the years to follow he played on records headlined by Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Waylon Jennings. In 1983 Fontana published his memoirs, D.J. Fontana Remembers Elvis, and in August 1997 — the 20th anniversary of Presley's death — he and Moore reunited for All the King's Men, a Grammy-winning collection featuring cameos by the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards, fellow guitar great Jeff Beck, and members of the Band.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE SWEET INSPIRATIONS - FEMALE SINGERS FOR ELVIS

 

If one was cutting a soul, R&B, pop, rock, or girl group record in New York in the '60s and needed female backup vocals, chances are they'd try to get the Sweet Inspirations first. The group found their way onto numerous recordings, including hits by the Drifters, Van Morrison, Wilson Pickett, Solomon Burke, Garnett Mimms, and most famously, Aretha Franklin (with whom they sometimes toured).

The group evolved from the '50s gospel group the Drinkard Singers. At various points soul singers Doris Troy, Judy Clay, Dionne Warwick, and sister Dee Dee Warwick were members. By the time they began to record on their own in 1967, their leader was Cissy Houston (mother of Whitney), and the women were renamed the Sweet Inspirations.

As an Atlantic recording act, the group cut some fine sides that rank among the clearest illustrations of the close links between soul music and gospel harmony. Usually sticking to material by famed soul and pop songwriters, they had about a half-dozen moderate R&B hits in the late '60s; the biggest, "Sweet Inspiration," was a Top 20 pop single. Houston left the group at the end of the '60s and the Inspirations left Atlantic in the early '70s, sometimes working with Elvis Presley and recording an album for Stax in 1973.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE IMPERIALS QUARTET - MALE QUARTET FOR ELVIS DURING VEGAS YEARS

 

The Imperials have been making music since 1964 and have in that time undergone many personnel and stylistic changes before returning to the close harmonies and straight Southern gospel songs that originally made them popular. As of the mid-'90s, Armond Morales is the only charter member of the Imperials; he and Jake Hess founded the quintet. Over the years, 18 different singers have come and gone, including such legends as Russ Taff, Paul Smith, and Gary McSpadden. Other CCM pop performers such as Jonathan Pierce also got their start with the Imperials.
 

On July 31, 1969, Elvis Presley walked out on the stage of the Las Vegas Hilton International Hotel for the first time in nine years and sang before an audience of celebrities and fans from all over the world. Accompanying him on that momentous evening was a 40 piece orchestra, conducted by Joe Guercio, the TCB Band, the Sweet Inspirations, and the Imperials.
For the next three years, the Imperials backed Elvis in Las Vegas and on road tours. They also recorded such hits as "Suspicious Minds" and "In the Ghetto" with the king of rock and roll. They can be seen in his hit movie "That's The Way It Is". Their history with Elvis is well documented and available to all interested Elvis fans. Many fans of years gone by and a new generation of Elvis fans who never saw him are fascinated by this extraordinary man who made history.
 

These former members of the Imperials who were there in 1969 and throughout succeeding years, now have re-formed and are busy doing concerts and appearances all over the world to Elvis fans who want to "meet someone who knew Elvis".
Terry Blackwood, lead singer and son of one of the original Blackwood Brothers Qt., and Joe Moscheo, bass singer and manager of that original group, have gotten back together. They have many stories to tell and welcome the chance to sing to Elvis fans. They are joined by Sherman Andrus, who came to the Imperials in 1972, just when the group had decided to go back to their gospel roots. Elvis thought so much of Sherman that he gave him a TCB necklace and also gave the group his blessings. The tenor, Gus Gaches has a rich history in gospel music and will thrill you with his soaring high notes. They have been featured at the 20th and 25th anniversary concerts in Memphis commemorating the death of Elvis, and have toured around the world with "Elvis, the Concert" show, also featuring the Sweet Inspirations, the TCB Band, and Joe Guercio, orchestra leader.
Consider an evening with the former Imperials as they sing the songs Elvis sang. Maybe you have an Elvis tribute artist who would love to sing with the group Elvis thought was the best. Or let them "do their thing" and they will thrill you with their renditions of gospel songs which Elvis loved so much.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TERRY MIKE JEFFREY - FRONT MAN FOR TCB BAND - EMMY NOMINATED SINGER / SONGWRITER

 

Terry Mike Jeffrey: Singer, Emmy-nominated songwriter, entertainer, multi-instrumentalist, musical director, arranger, actor. A sort of entertainment chameleon.

Born in Paducah, KY, Terry Mike was singing on stage by the age of 3. Throughout childhood he'd mastered the guitar, piano, sax, and drums. During high school he made records, TV commercials, jingles, and played the lead role in his high school senior play.

Fronting his own band since the '70's, Terry has performed all over the planet. His career highlights include:

- A 1997 Emmy Award nomination
(songwriting for TV's "Sesame Street")

- Featured vocalist with symphony orchestra "pops" series concerts (his guitar work is spotlighted on a Warner Brothers symphonic album)

- Live performances in Italy, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, England, France, Belgium, Holland, Canada, Hawaii,  the Bahamas, and the Caribbean

- Musical director and starring role in "Elvis - An American Musical", a New York-produced multi-media show organized by the producers of "Grease" and "Beatlemania". Toured the US and Canada, with stops at the Fox Theatres and a Broadway run in the late 1980's

- 2001-02 "Stand By Your Man - The Tammy Wynette Story" (Ryman Auditorium, Nashville), played Tammy's father and understudied all male acting and music roles (2003 in Ft. Worth, Texas.)  Terry's other musical theater adventures have included regional productions of "Beehive" and "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown"

- 56 guest appearances on TNN's "Music City Tonight with Crook & Chase" (mid-'90's).  A regular as as a solo vocalist and musician on the show, Terry Mike shared the stage with the likes of Shania Twain and Eddy Arnold. During this time his country project was released, with Billboard Magazine's declaration that the album was "impressive" and that "Jeffrey's voice is packed with spark and personality"

- Critical praise from the New York Times, Variety, Nashville Banner, LA Times, Ottawa Citizen, Houston Post, Memphis Commercial Appeal, New Haven Register, "Music Row" Magazine

- Feature articles in USA Today, People Magazine, and Country Weekly

- Live shows with such stars as Jewel, Los Lobos, Dixie Chicks, Fats Domino, Mavericks, Steve Wariner, Ricky Skaggs, Leon Russell, Chet Atkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Travis Tritt

- Network TV appearances on NBC's "Today Show" (twice!), "CBS This Morning", CNN's "Showbiz Today", and "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee"

-Worldwide radio interviews, including London's BBC, Sirius Satellite Radio

Currently Terry Mike and the band have just released  a new album, "Raised on Elvis, Volume 5".   In February 2007 they  performed on a cruise of the Hawaiian Islands, and another cruise is scheduled for Aug/Sept in the Bahamas.  Then TMJ has an extended tour of Europe in the fall of '07.  Terry Mike Jeffrey and his wife, Debbie, still reside in their hometown of Paducah, KY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOM MITCHELL - ARRANGER - SAXOPHONE FOR JIMMY BUFFET (performed with EAS in West Palm Beach, Florida)

 

For the past eight or so years, alongside fellow saxophone player Amy Lee and trumpet man John Lovell, T.C. Mitchell has been touring and recording with Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band. Together they comprise the Coral Reefer Horn Section, an integral part of Jimmy Buffett's big, bad Caribbean sound and stage show.


An ardent fan of such greats as Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and Count Basie, T.C. became interested in the sax as a child, after a couple of frustrating years struggling with the clarinet. On a whim, he picked up a baritone his school band director offered him, and the rest is history.
Right now Buffett and the Coral Reefers are on hiatus from the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

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