Erie Music History Podcast

In 1966, the Seagrams, a rock-n-roll band made up of four teenage girls from Academy High School, was playing local Erie venues. But in the summer of 1967, the band got an agent in New York City who changed their name to The Female Monkees and sent them on tour of the East Coast and Canada. This episode chronicles what must have been a memorable few years for the young members of the Seagrams/Fema...

Before he became the bass player for Donnie Iris and Cruisers in 1992, Paul Goll played in Erie bands like The Web of Sound, Anacrusis, and Real To Reel in the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1970s he left Erie for Florida and toured up and down the East Coast with his band Powerglide for over a decade before returning to Erie to Play in Mr. Gone. Throughout those years, he has played with some of Erie’s...

A lot of Erieites know Tony Stefanelli only for the great chocolate he makes at Romolo Chocolates. What they don't realize is that he's been involved in the local music scene since the late 1960s, first as a guitarist and guitar teacher, and then as one of the area's premier jazz bassists. In this episode, he talks about everything from playing guitar in some rough bars back when he...

I call him by his pseudonym, Danny White, but he refers to himself in this episode simply as GOD. From the late 1970s through the 1980s, Danny Smith played in some of the most original and unique bands in Erie (e.g., X-Whites, Generic Beat, Wiggling Judies, Rub The Buddah). His antics onstage were legendary, and occasionally would end up with him wearing little or nothing by the end of a show. In...

After learning to play guitar at age 17 in the mid 1960s, Dave Van Amburg would spend the next 11 years playing solo and in bands such as Back Country Jam and Calico. Then he took a 40-year break from music. In 2013, he began playing again in bands such as 2Blue, Bootlegger Bible Club, Matty B & the Dirty Pickles, House of Rhythm, The V Band, and others, and he hasn't let up. Listen to Da...

As the bass player for The Snowmen back in the 70s, Bill Miller experienced the rise of that band's popularity in Erie and their subsequent move to California where they played famous venues like the Whisky a Go Go and recorded their music video . When he returned to Erie, he continued to play in top bands like Wave and Rhythm Method, and today he still plays in Gypsy Heart . Thanks to the JP...

Since graduating from Academy in 1976, Dale Meyer has almost continually been drumming locally, mostly in country bands for the likes of Tulsa, The Rudler Brothers, Southwind, and Nighthawk. He even once played a Kenny Rogers at the request of ... Kenny Rogers himself! In recent years, you can find him playing cajon with The Acoustic Jukebox and hosting his own "Driveway Jams" with vario...

 In his day job, Ron Seggi interviews some of the biggest stars in showbiz on his syndicated radio show . But since the early 1970s when he was "Ronnie Gee" on Erie radio, he was also singing in the evening in his bands that played many of the local lounges. In fact, in 1972, one of his songs was among the 141 country songs nominated for a GRAMMY (he got to attend the show!).  Living in...

If you’re a drummer in Erie, it’s likely you’ve encountered Pat Ross. He’s the owner of Let There Be Drums, and he’s been actively playing in bands since the 1970s, including Endless Summer, Briton, Lake Effect, Encore, and many more. He talks about all of it in this episode. Thanks to the JPT Foundation for sponsoring the Erie Music History podcast. The goal of the foundation is to provide educat...

Vocalist Paula Holmes talks about her early bands while still in school and then joining the Ruby Port Band in 1971 right after graduating from Strong Vincent. Ruby Port became the  house band at the Calabrese Club in Little Italy.  Later she covers her time playing in Christian rock band Clockwise and meeting her husband, who was a touring musician at the time. Paula would continue to sing in ban...

Not only did Chuck Leone play keyboards in many local bands like Anacrusis, Silverlight, Wave, The Cows, and Mr. Gone, he also traveled up and down the East Coast in a Tampa, FL-based band called Powerglide. In this episode, he talks about playing in Erie during the 1970s and '80s, his time on the road, and opening for artists/bands like Johnny Rivers, Foreigner, and Steppenwolf. Thanks to th...

Rick Krasinski has played in many bands, some of which include the Monarchs, Aura, Pluto, Tite Endz, The Breeze, Nightshift, The Return, Heartless, and the Lone Rider Band. At 69, he continues to play steady gigs as the drummer and one of the singers in Twisted Lid. In this interview, we go back into his time machine (which is actually another of his band names) to relive some of his favorite musi...

After he was an Avenger, Denny Fabrizi was ... a Cow? Yes, the long-time Erie accordion player and keyboardist once played in a band called the Avengers in 1966, and then in 1974 he joined the popular Erie band The Cows. He played in various other bands throughout the years — including a long stint in Lake Effect — and in recent years has been a part of the reformed Ruby Port. At 75, he's als...

He's nearly 72, and there has hardly been a time since he was a teenager when Harry Parker wasn't in a band. Today, he plays in three bands: Acoustic Ear Candy, Jack Stevenson's Buried Treasure Band, and a duo with his wife Donna called Parker HD. Throughout the years, Harry's played in multiple country and rock bands, and his enthusiasm for music — and life! — is not only cont...

He was a part-time journalist, he ran his own recording studio, he’s a filmmaker, and of course, Tom Weber was a guitarist in one of Erie’s most popular and iconic bands from the 1980s, The Dogs. Tom shares how he got started in music and film and how he unexpectedly was asked to join The Dogs. Links related to Tom and The Dogs: The Dogs live at We Love Erie Days, Aug 1992 The Dogs – “Frank Sutton...

This episode originally went live on July 1, 2022. When Barry King moved to Erie in the early 1970s, he almost immediately starting playing in bands like Sky’s The Limit and any others he could get involved with. He loves the Blues, but he’s played plenty of R&B and classic rock over the years, sometimes playing 52 weeks a year. Thanks again to the JPT Foundation for sponsoring the the Erie Mu...

Dave McMillin is not from Erie originally, he’s from Pittsburgh, and he now lives in Meadville. But he played plenty of gigs in Erie and all over the country in the 1970s and 80s with his band McMillin & Life, which is a spoof of the name of the old TV series "McMillan and Wife." He still plays today, and he has no plans of retiring.  Thanks to the JPT Foundation for sponsoring the E...

Joe Dorris played in Erie in the early 1970s in bands like Zeus and Antia. He would later play in the Dorris Brothers band for many years, spend some time playing in Boston (including a very funny gig at a bar ON a bar), and eventually would go onto play with Frank Singer in various jazz bands to this day. He's a drummer, a singer, a harmonica player, and an interview you don't want to m...

A lot of Erie music fans remember Jim Buman as the guitarist in the 70s rock band "Guardian" when he even used to wear a cape! But after injuring his arm in a skiing accident, it took him years to get back to playing again. But once he got better, he never stopped, and in recent years he's been in bands like Taylor Maid, Joe Rockhead, Hiway Starr, and his current band, Cherry Bomb....

Before he was a "Dock Boy" or a full-time musician living in Florida playing almost every day of the week at some of the nicest resorts, Boyd Baker was a rocker! He's still a rocker at heart, and he talks about his high school band Polaris and other bands like playing in Dirty Looks in the early years! He just a happy, nice guy to interview with some great stories about growing up i...

Dave Richards may not be a musician, but he did have a transformative effect on the Erie music scene for about 31 years. Of course, that effect came primarily through the words he wrote in the Erie newspaper about Erie musicians, but also it came from his unwavering support of the live music scene as his alter ego Dr. Rock. Thanks to the JPT Foundation for sponsoring the Erie Music History podcast...

In recent years, Scott Kuhn has played in bands such as Gypsy Heart, Guru, Lake Effect, Stilleto, Blonde Faith, and Division Street machine. But he started playing in bands like Crossroads and Mercy Sakes  in the early 1970s, and his name has been mentioned by multiple previous guests as one of the best keyboard players in town. Thanks to the JPT Foundation for sponsoring the Erie Music History po...

A lot of Erie folks remember Mark Gorczycki as the teenage guitar player in the popular southern rock band "Easy" from 1978-1981. But he  played in plenty of other successful bands over the years, including "Rhythm Method," which was one of the bands that played that final night at the Peninsula Inn (PI). Mark shares that story and many more in this fun interview that you won&a...

Dave Kane played in Erie from 1965-1975. He is a professional pianist and composer of both jazz and classical music and has performed with many famous jazz artists as well as with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, and the Twentieth Century Consort. In addition, he has composed hundreds of film and TV scores. Thanks to the JPT Foundation for sponsoring the Erie Music History...

He's been mentioned in so many previous episodes, and for good reason: Scott Campbell is a great guitarist who has played in many popular Erie cover bands  in the 1970s and 1980s — bands such as Red White, & Blueberry; Stillwater; Quill Eller; Clockwise; Briton; and Major League. Scott covers a lot of ground in this episode, sharing some of those fun and difficult (e.g., a trip to LA to &...