These pages are dedicated to the bands and wonderful musicians and friends I have had the good fortune to have been associated with over the years.    If you were a part of this long, strange, wonderful trip, either as a fellow musician, or as a listener, I'd love to hear from you.   The story, as I tell it, is limited to my personal recollections, and I would love to add any observations you may be able to contribute.    Please feel free to contact me with any questions, additional information, pictures, email addresses, etc., about anyone or anything mentioned in these pages.    Thanks, for stopping by and looking in.

Doc Lockridge & Friends  -  1968 to 1976

Left to right: Mike, Bill (top), Doc (bottom), Steve

THE ROMENS (1968 - 1969)    I joined this band when their guitarist left for college.   This was my first real experience as a performing musician.   I had played a few gigs with a number of bands previously, but this band really worked a lot!   During my junior and senior years at Madison Consolidated High School, we played just about every weekend.   In addition to the usual school related gigs, we worked regularly at fraternities and sororities at Hanover College and Purdue University.   We covered everything from soul to psychedelic, and for a time utilized the experience of a Danish exchange student in creating an impressive light show. High Points:   In 1969 (I think!) we provided the "dance" portion of a concert and dance featuring The Shirelles, at Hanover College.   Also, this band gave me my first experience in performing my own original material. THE ROMENS consisted of: Mike Graham - drums, kazoo and vocals, Steve Lewis - bass and vocals, Bill Canida - keyboards and vocals, and Peter Larsen - lights. Click here for a Scrapbook Image!

HEAVY WATER (1970-1972)    Formed out of the remnants of high school bands who lost members due to graduation, HEAVY WATER gave me a chance to continue to perform while attending electronics school.   Our performances were fewer and farther between, but no less satisfying, due to the comradery we shared.   More of a 'pop' band than THE ROMENS , we also worked in more original material. High Point: In 1971, we recorded and independently promoted a 45 single of original material.   Even though we sold very few copies and parted ways shortly thereafter, we all found our first studio experience exhilarating. HEAVY WATER consisted of: Dennis O'neal - drums and vocals, Steve Lewis - bass and vocals, Patter McGlaughlin - guitar and vocals. Click here for a Scrapbook Image!

Left to right: Doc, Dennis, Patter, Steve

BOGART'S GHOST (1972)    By 1971, I was living in Bloomington, Indiana.   HEAVY WATER was playing infrequently, and would soon disband, so it was time to hook up with the Bloomington music scene.   With my background, culturally and musically, I was somewhat unprepared for what Bloomington had to offer.   I began "jamming" with musicians that, in one form or another, had played together before.   By 1972, BOGART'S GHOST was formed.   We played fraternities and sororities, and I got my first taste of 6 night bar gigs, and all those wild and wonderful experiences that go along!   BOGART'S GHOST made little attempt to be a 'serious' band - we partied on and off the stage, mixing country, rock and humor.   Looking back, we resembled a vaudeville troupe in many ways!   Although personnel changed from time to time, the core of the group worked together for a number of years to come. High Point:    The experience I gained from this period was invaluable, and something I look back on with fondness.   I am particularly pleased by the number of BOGART'S GHOST members who are still performing to this day. BOGART'S GHOST (at various times) consisted of: Dave Welch - drums, vocals and trumpet, Jay Snyder - bass, Nick Zelinger - guitar, keyboard and vocals, Vickie Zelinger - vocals, Phil Shrake and Terry Sheehan - guitar and vocals, Marty Lewis - organ. Click here for a Scrapbook Image!

BEERBELLY (1973)    Although you might not guess it from the name, BEERBELLY was an attempt to be a more serious, mainstream band.   With the addition of a 'true' keyboard player and a percussionist, we tried to leave the 'circus atmosphere' of BOGART'S GHOST behind, and be more true to the music.   Yes, we were beginning to take ourselves seriously!   So seriously, in fact, that the band only made it half way through 1973 when some members felt it was time to take the band 'on the road'.   It was felt that we were good enough to go to the 'next level', but reaching that level could not happen in Bloomington, Indiana.   The decision was made to go west!   I was in turmoil.   I was only a few years into a good day job and I was not confident that I was ready to put everything on the line to play music full time.   After much discussion, I decided to stay put. High Point: The musicianship and the music was getting better! BEERBELLY was: Rick Robinson - vocals, Dave Welch - drums and vocals, Jay Snyder - bass, Ross Selmier - keyboard and vocals, Eric Mishler - guitar and vocals, Rick Hall - percussion. Click here for a Scrapbook Image!

Left to right: Dave, Doc, Rick Robinson (rear) This picture was taken at SATURDAYS, a Denver nightclub

ENTRANCE (1973 - 1974)   By mid 1973, most of the BEERBELLY members had moved to Denver, and re-formed as ENTRANCE.   They had asked me a number of times to join them, so in October, I went to Sioux City, Iowa to meet with the band.   Since leaving Bloomington, they had added a new keyboard player and a female vocalist, and the band sounded pretty good.   By Christmas, I had decided to join the band, and headed to Vail, Colorado to hook up.   ENTRANCE was a good band, but we never fully developed an identifiable sound.   It was also difficult booking gigs that could support a group so large.   Internal friction eventually took it's toll, and by the end of March, ENTRANCE was history. High Points:   At it's best, this was a very good band.   It gave me my first opportunity to play music full-time, and experience the love/hate relationship of 'life on the road'.   Steve Hodge was an incredible keyboard player and a kindred spirit. ENTRANCE consisted of: Dave Welch - drums, vocals and trumpet, Jay Snyder - bass, Eric Mishler - guitar and vocals, Steve Hodge - keyboards, Rick Robinson and Joan Bishop - vocals, Rick Hall - drums & percussion, Ken Searles & Quentin Smith - Road Crew. Click here for a Scrapbook Image!

BITS AND PIECES (1974)   BITS AND PIECES had once been a fixture on the Bloomington scene for many years, and it's leader, Mike Livingston, was looking to re-form the group.   Having just returned to Bloomington, this was just what Rick Hall, Rick Robinson and I needed.   We hooked up with Terry Phegley, and the new version was complete.    This was a more 'basic' bar band - playing the kind of rock music people liked to get drunk by.   We had a more 'raw' sound, and attempted to stay close to the format that had kept the original band popular over the years.   Mike's drinking began to erode the quality of the music, however, and the line-up had to change. High Point:   This band worked a lot, and it worked hard.  The familiarity that the two Ricks and I had, and Mike's driving style, made a good combination. Terry was certainly the best bassist I'd yet worked with. BITS AND PIECES was: Rick Robinson - vocals, Rick Hall - drums, Terry Phegley - bass and vocals, Mike Livingston - guitar and vocals. Click here for a Scrapbook Image!

Clockwise, Left to right: Rick Hall, Terry, Doc, Mike, Rick Robinson

Left to right: Terry Phegley, Rick Robinson, Rick Hall, Terry Sheehan, Doc

DUTCH TREAT (1975)   After a name change, we replaced Mike with Terry Sheehan, a guitarist I had first worked with in BOGART'S GHOST. Terry was a great guitarist, and brought a different intensity and style to the band.   We were a better band musically, but finding gigs was beginning to be more difficult, and like so many bands before, external influences and internal conflicts began to drive the band apart. High Points:   When were all on the same page, this was a very good band.  We collaborated on a few originals and tried to expand our musical boundaries. DUTCH TREAT consisted of: Rick Robinson - lead vocals, Terry Sheehan - guitar and vocals, Terry Phegley - bass and vocals, Rick Hall - drums. Click here for a Scrapbook Image!

OTIS (1975 - 1976)   Once again, we changed the name of the band, and added Rob Swainey on guitar.  Rob was just out of  PURE FUNK (later known as ROADMASTER), and brought with him a more progressive, less straight-on rock style of guitar.   Don Davidson later came on board adding keyboards and vocals.   Don brought a dynamic style of keyboard playing to the band, which really energized us.   Being veteran players, both also helped bring in the gigs.   Personalities and styles began to conflict, however, and eventually Rob Swainey and Rick Robinson left the band.    It had been a number of years since I was the sole guitarist in the band, and it was quite a challenge.   With the smaller line-up, the band began to tighten up, and develop a sound and a style - somewhat more solidly than any of the previous incarnations.   The disco revolution had been slowly taking over, however, and gigs became harder to find.   Two days into 1976, OTIS called it quits. High Point:   This band went through a lot of changes and a lot of very talented musicians. OTIS (at the end) consisted of: Rick Hall - drums, Terry Phegley - bass and vocals, Don Davidson - keyboards and vocals. Click here for a Scrapbook Image!

Clockwise, from bottom: Rick, Don, Doc, Terry

James,  Tito,  Bird...    Doc,  Gary,  Bobby,  Rhonda (David is not seen in this photo)

Those Perfections (1976)    This was a local "show band", consisting of four singers, and a back-up band.    They performed funk and dance music of the day.    My recollection is that I 'bluffed' my way through the audition, since my expertise in funk music was very limited.   Once in the band, however, I found myself thoroughly loving the music - Earth Wind and Fire, Temptations, Spinners, etc..   The group's management was inexperienced, and the four headliners were somewhat quirky, so band members and gigs tended to come and go.   After only a few months, this version of the group fell apart. High Points:   Playing funk music was a blast!   When everything clicked, this was a fun, entertaining group.   This was also my first opportunity to gig with Rhonda Welch - a real joy! THOSE PERFECTIONS:   David, Tito, James and Bird were the front-men.   (James Hartfield would later be lead singer for THE DYNAMICS)   At the end, the band consisted of  Gary Alderman on bass, Bobby Drake on drums,  and Rhonda Welch on keyboards and vocals.

I kicked around a few ideas with some musicians I had worked with before, but the reality of the moment was bleak.   Most of the clubs in the area that had offered live music had either closed or switched to a DJ playing dance (disco) music.   The concept of finding musicians, putting together enough equipment to work, getting management, and going back out on the road was just not appealing to me at this point in my life.   I kept my eyes and ears open, but as time went by and nothing really materialized, I found myself slipping into "retirement" from music, and into a new and different lifestyle.

© 2011, Doc Lockridge. All Rights Reserved.

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