When in high school, Don took advantage of the opportunity to play
music and first started out with the trumpet and coronet. He moved on
from that to Euphonium
and French Horn, but ultimately ended up with Tenor and Alto
saxophones. He played in his HS marching band, concert band and dance
band. After graduating and attending NIU, he continued playing alto sax
with the marching Huskies for at least a year and a half when he
decided it would be more fun to play other instruments, like the electric guitar. He was smitten by the sounds of the sixties from the Motown sound to the psychodelia of Jimi Hendrix. Don bought a old, used Gibson ES-135
and started to teach himself guitar. In the meantime he had already
been acquiring skills on the piano and on the harmonica. After a few
years he started to jam with local musicians at house parties and
learned more about performing and learning how to listen in the context
of the music. Don felt better learning while playing along with music
albums that covered the likes of BB King, Allman Bros, Jimi Hendrix, Stones, Frank Zappa, Tommy Bolin, Wes Montgomery and Johnny Winter. As the rock scene began to transform into hair bands and glam rockers, Don sought refuge in the jazz rock fusion of Billy Cobham, Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea.
After college, Don moved to Madison where he discovered reggae and
country music. Initially, Don played with a country rock band and later
joined a series of local reggae bands and blues bands while living in Madison, WI. He has performed with well known reggae artist Justin Hinds, blues artists Lonnie Brooks and Luther Allison, and many local area musicians, Tate, Paul Filipowitcz, Tony Brown, Christie Larson, Primitive Culture, Bobby Bryan and the Stone brothers.
Rob Corbit Jr
At a young age Rob Corbit Jr started banging on anything
he could get his hands on. Raised with a working musician in the
family it wasn't long before he was behind a drum kit!. Watching and
learning from some of the area and nations best drummers and musicians setting
in with different types of musical groups at a young age. Eventually developing
a solid simple hard edge style. Clyde Stubblefield always
says "hit them like you mean it!!" and he takes this
advice to the hilt. As well as giving the music a 110% which is what the
audience deserves! The James Rolland Band as well as previously with: The
James Eisele Band, Paul Filipowicz, Tate and the 008 band, Bob Corbit and
the Corbithians. Bradley Fish and the Fishtones.
John Davis
John
Davis has been singing and playing guitar since his high school days.Chuck Berry and Bo Diddly were early
favorites.Classic country blues players
like Leadbelly, Son House, and Robert Johnson soon became influences, followed
by Chicago blues greats Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, and Little Walter.John's first band, The White Trash Blues
Band, founded in 1965, enjoyed almost immediate success and opened for such
acts as Eric Burden and The Animals, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and The
Electric Flag.The 1970's saw John in
The Blue Light Band, which toured extensively and even recorded at fabled Sun
Studios in Memphis, TN. The 1980's were spent having and raising three
sons.In the early 1990's, John formed
his own band, Blues DeVille, playing in blues clubs across the state.For the past several years, he has been a
mainstay of The King Bees.Now, John is
happy to join up with old friends, Donny, Billy, and Robbie in The Electric
Road Kings.John's motto in playing
blues:"Take no prisoners!"
Bill Powell
Billy Powell: "Billy P" was born in Texas of an "Okie" dad and Texan mother and grew up "Out West" in Arizona, Nevada, California, and Wyoming. Bill has lived in Madison WI. for over 20 years. He grew up in a musical family. His grandfather played the fiddle, his grandmother played the piano, and his many uncles played guitar, harmonica, and accordions. Everybody sang. The family spent many nights scattered around porches and living rooms from Texas to California. Bill's family really were the "Grapes of Wrath". Locally he has played with Hot Walker, Denny Dean, CW Express, Captain Z, and the Snowbillies (Currently known as Tracks Outta Town). He is one of the founding members of the King Bees. As a "fill-in" bass player Bill rarely has a weekend off. A little known fact: Bills grandfather, Morris Leffew grew up on a farm in Texas next to Bob Wills and his family. He has a fiddle that Bob gave to Morris many years ago
