THE BAND
BRIAN WICKER
Brian Wicker, bass, is a Long Beach , California native. He graduated from Chico State , which was hailed as the #1 party school in the nation during Brian’s tenure there. (Not that he saw ANY of that!) Brian began playing the guitar in junior high as a side hobby, but his high school and college years were devoted to that classic California sport—volleyball. Brian first became serious about his music when he moved to Texas and met the not-so-serious Kyle Copeland. Brian and Kyle met at Delta Airlines and mixed as well as oil and vinegar until discovering their common musical interest . Brian and Kyle played together for fun, put together a demo tape, shopped it around to bars and restaurants, and The Silvertones were born. Brian began as a guitar player, but then switched over to electric bass when the original 5-piece Silvertones band downsized to four. Brian came across a Denton newspaper ad for a stand-up bass in 1999, and added that to his musical arsenal about the time Cruisin’ was released.
RANDY BALL
Randy Ball, drums and vocals, grew up in Wichita , Kansas in a very musical family. Randy grew up playing with his brother Mike—a phenomenal stand-up bass player in a Boston jazz combo. (You can hear Mike on The Silvertones’ newest CD, Ride in My Cadillac.) Randy moved to Texas in the early ‘80s, and has performed continuously with DFW-area rock, country and blues bands. In 1994, at a gig at Lone Star Country Club in Coppell, The Silvertones were approached by a woman whose musical taste proved prophetic. During a break, she informed Brian that her husband could sing “way better than that guy you’ve got!” and insisted that Brian take her business card and give her husband a call. That call came a mere week later, when The Silvertones arrived for a gig at Tucker’s Catfish Haven—minus their lead singer. No call, no show from the singer, so Brian pulled out the business card and phoned Randy at 10 pm and invited him to play a gig. Randy said “Sure. When?” and Brian’s response was “Now.” Randy dragged his body out of bed and sped to North Richland Hills while The Silvertones played an all-instrumental first set. The consummate pro, Randy pulled it off without a hitch, and was an immediate addition to the band. Randy has performed with Buddy Miles, Rusty Burns, Smokin’ Joe Kubeck and jazz great Homer Osborne.
LEO DE LA VEGA
Leo De La Vega, guitar, is from Harlingen, Texas and relocated to north Texas in early ‘90s. Leo also grew up in a musical family and began playing the guitar when he was about 12 years old. As one of the younger children in a very large family, Leo had to share a guitar with his brother. But, ever the hard worker, Leo saved until he could afford a guitar of his own. The family took Leo to Sears to make his purchase, and Leo was proudly cradling his very-own-guitar while riding in the back of the family truck. The truck hit a big bump in the road, bounced sharply, and Leo watched in stunned disbelief as the guitar shot out of his arms and shattered on the freeway pavement. Fortunately, this disaster did not deter him from pursuing his musical passion. For many years, Leo has been a regular jammer at local blues clubs, which is where he and Randy first met. In 1997, Kyle Copeland left the band and Randy brought Leo into the fold. Leo plays a right-handed guitar left-handed, so it's strung upside down. Leo has been joined on stage with David Brown, Smokin’ Joe Kubeck and his brothers and sisters.
ROB DONAVAN
Rob Donavan, guitar, originally hails from Albuquerque New Mexico, where he played guitar in local bands and earned a bachelor's degree in music. His real education began in 1997 when he moved to Dallas and jumped head first into the thriving local blue scene. A thousand and one open jam nights and a steady stream of gigs honed his skills and made him an accomplished guitarist and singer. Rob has shared the stage with many great players such as Hash Brown, Sam Myers, Pat Boyack, Holland K. Smith, Nick Curran, Robin Banks, Blue Lisa, Rusty Burns, Joey Love, Joel Foy, Andrea Dawson, Kim Davis, Pops Carter, Chris Ruest, and Texas Johnny Boy. As a solo artist he has released two full length CDs. Always friendly with The Silvertones, Rob filled in with the band and was honored to become a full time member in the spring of 2012. The new guy is still thrilled with his gig!