FABULOUS CONTINENTALS, The
Homebase: Moses Lake, WA
Stats: 1961...
Misc Notes: Bob Hull (keyboards); Chuck Warren (upright bass); Ron Covey (guitar); Jim Hay (sax); John Draney (vocals); Ken McDonald (drums); Marsha Maye (vocals). Later, Warren recruited new musicians and they reemerged as The Bards.
ALSO SEE:
1.) MAYE, MARSHA
2.) BARDS, The
Chuck Warren shared this info in September 2023: "Ken McDonald, Bob Hull and I were in the same music classes in high school. Ken put the group together. Ken's dad owned a car dealership in Moses Lake that sold Lincolns so I’m sure that’s where the name came from. Ron Covey was a few years younger but Ken knew him and we needed a guitar player so he was asked to join the band. His dad was a chiropractor and the family had enough money to buy the best Fender guitars and amplifiers. They also had a great basement practice room! Ron suggested I buy a Fender bass so I bought a new 63 Precision for $160 including case! He also taught me my first rock and roll song! Beach Boys 'Fun Fun Fun.' The 3 chord song was a new concept for an orchestral trained bass player! John Draney had built a reputation around Warden of being able to sing like Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly so he was hired to be the lead singer! Ken and Bob headed to college after we three graduated from Moses Lake High in 1963. Ken handed the leader of the band title over to me. We didn’t replace Bob on keyboards but found several drummers over the next months to fill in. Stan Gibson and Nick Varney are two names I remember. We added a sax player named Jim Hay from Moses Lake. We also added Ron’s sister Marsha Mae as a singer. We became quite busy playing gigs all over the state of Washington! The group was quite large and the Covey parents usually chaperoned Marsha so traveling was complicated. In an effort to become more efficient, I suggested that we drop the girl singer so five of us could travel in one car with a trailer for equipment! The group agreed but Ron said if we dropped Marsha he was sure his parents would make him quit and kick us out if the practice room. We did it anyway and they did!!! So now we were leaner and meaner and could make more money per guy at the gigs! Bob Gallaway was hired as a full time drummer and Jim Hay was eventually replaced by Mike Balzotti (keyboards) and Mardig Sheridan (guitar). So now the group had changed so much, we renamed ourselves to The Bards! Original Bards included the fifth member John Draney! He ended up getting drafted into the army leaving the four who would be The Bards until 1970!!