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History:
The original band included three members and no plans to play out in front of any crowds. These guys started getting
together to jam in 1997. Greg Bever, Ken Gloss, and Rod Loomis got together as friends who wanted to have some fun
rehashing the tunes they grew up with from the 60's. The idea was to mess around with some of the songs that were great
but didn’t get as much airplay as other songs of the time.
It wasn't long that these three musicians decided to run an ad for a singer/keyboard player at various local music stores.
A young guy of 28 years old with a desire to sing in a band came to a practice one night. Dennis Beson answered the ad
and from that night on the band began to evolve.
The Name of the Band:
The name of the band came about in a brainstorming night prior to playing out
the first time. A lot of names were considered during our meeting, then Ken Gloss threw out the question, "What is an icon or something
that was big back in the 60's?" One of the guys said something about Sinclair Oil and the dinosaur logo, and a quick
quip from Dennis Beson about the other three guys being as old as dinosaurs helped cement the name into place.
The First Gigs:
After learning a half a dozen songs The Sinclairs Band had an opportunity to play a gig outside of Greg's living room.
After much debate and prodding they took the gig and played their first performance in front of a crowd at a private
house with the thought process that this would be just another practice but in front of people. The band played the
10 songs they knew, but were so well received the crowd asked them to play those songs more than once and The Sinclairs Band
ended up playing for 3 hours there.
The first gig on stage was at a classic car show on the corner of Hamilton Street and Court Street in downtown Saginaw.
The event was sponsored by then radio station Magic 104.5 and 101 FM.
Personnel Bio's and Personnel Changes:
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Greg Bever
Dr. Greg Bever was the originator or The Sinclairs Band, and it was his vision to play music from The 60's that would appeal
to people between 30-50 years old. Greg's knowledge of music and musicians of the 60's was staggering and there were very
few songs that he did not have in a giant collection of music he possessed. Greg also had a giant collection of classic
instruments authentic to The Beatles. He also was a great connoisseur of all kinds of quality gear that he was not afraid
to purchase. Greg left the band about 3 years after it started to focus on family and work. Unfortunately, Greg Bever was
diagnosed with a rare disease in February of 2007 and passed away in March of 2007. He was a great friend and good man
and we remember him and thank him for getting us all together.
Tribute to Dr. Greg Bever
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Ken Gloss
Ken was the original drummer of The Sinclairs Band. Ken was a true technician and had a great knack for analyzing the
original music very precisely. Ken Gloss was also a Beatles aficionado and was very rigorous in his interpretation of
any Beatles song the band would play. Ken's drumming and his attention to detail helped mold the band into a hard working
group that cared about the replication of great music. Many Sinclairs Band fans still to this day compliment the group
on how close to the original songs the band sounds. Thanks to Ken for his focus on details to set the path of the current
band. Ken left the band after about a year and a half.
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Rod Loomis
Rod Loomis came to The Sinclairs Band via his friendship with both Greg Bever and Ken Gloss. Rod Loomis spent 20 years
playing country music in many rural towns as well as competing and winning a few battle of the bands competitions for best
country band. Rod is often described as a chameleon because he can play almost any kind of music he is asked to play.
His love of great guitars helped form a bond with Greg and Ken as the three spent many hours discussing instruments as
well as driving to Elderly Music to play and purchase various vintage guitars. Rod Loomis is a banker by day, and almost
in Superman like fashion transforms into one of the most dynamic guitar players in the Tri-Cities area.
Rod retired from the Sinclairs on July 17, 2010.
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Dennis Beson
Dennis came to the band after answering an add that stated, "Looking for a keyboard player / singer to jam with. This is
for fun only. Not looking to play out. All interested call……." Dennis showed up at the door of Greg Bever's house with a
borrowed keyboard and amp from Herter Music Center where he worked and had managed to learn 3 songs for the audition. The
three songs were, "Ninety Six Tears", "For Your Love", and "Wholly Bully". Dennis didn't really know any of the songs all
that well, and it was a struggle to play and sing at the same time, but the guys all decided that he was worth keeping around.
It wasn't until a year of so into the project that Greg Bever decided to purchase a wireless microphone for Dennis and let
him "Go Get" the crowd. The rest as they say is history, and the unique roving around with the audience makes people
wonder, "What will Dennis do next."
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Ed Kerns
After Ken Gloss decided that it was time to move on, Rod Loomis called his long time friend and former drummer Ed Kerns to
pitch him on the idea of this band that he had going. Initially Ed was leery, as he had for all intents and purposes
retired from being a musician to concentrate full time on woodworking. After a few rehearsals Ed's passion for music and
drumming started to gain momentum, as did The Sinclairs Band. Ed, was instrumental in getting the first bar gig that we
played, at The Country Lounge in Sanford. Having a basket full of songs that were done with Rod prior to The Sinclairs,
the set list grew at a fairly rapid rate. After many great years of playing and a lot of great laughs Ed decided once
again that it was time to hang up the sticks and pick up the lathe in November of 2006.
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Chris Jarema
In August of 2001 entered Chris Jarema on Bass Guitar to replace Greg Bever. Greg had long been grappling with the decision
to quit, as family and personal commitments began to mount. Dennis had known Chris Jarema was a musician and inquired
to his interest in the project. It was unknown to Dennis at the time just how much of a treasure he was courting. Chris
Jarema had long been rated as a stellar musician in local music circles. He had played bass with a popular originals
band call "Water for The Pool" and then "Polk". Chris made his way to see The Sinclairs Band play at The Old Tyme
Roadhouse in Saginaw and agreed to come to a rehearsal. One of the things that struck Chris was the fun of the music
and the fun the band seemed to be having. Chris would make his debut at a 40th Birthday party for Jim Randazzo in 2001. In a
true show of his all around excellent musicianship, Chris announced that he was interested in taking over at drums
when Ed retired. In November of 2006 Chris indeed assumed the roll of drummer and has no plans to return to the Bass. Chris left the Sinclairs
in April 2010.
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Jeff Ott
In early 2004, we added a 5th member to the organization Keyboardist, Jeff Ott. Jeff brought a new found
enthusiasm that helped revitalize the entire group. He also brought a strong playing and singing ability to the group.
One of the key components that Jeff had was his ability to bring a big smile and sense of levity to the already fun
group. Jeff had a background of song writing prior to joining the band, and in 2006 released a solo CD that was always
a dream of his. As a result of work pressure and the opportunity to attempt a solo career Jeff decided to leave
The Sinclairs in March of 2007. In August 2008, Jeff returned to the
band.
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Rick Brown
Rick Brown officially entered The Sinclairs Band in December of 2007, however, back in 2002 when Chris Jarema was expecting
his second child Rick was "On Call" to cover any gigs while Chris was having a baby. Rick Brown also has a long history
of making great rock music over the years. He was a long time member of "The Mick Furlo Band" and also spent some time
with "Polk". Rick brings a fresh burst of enthusiasm and a endearing smile. Rick left the Sinclairs in April 2010.
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Kris Schmitt
Kris joined the Sinclairs in 2007. Kris is a self-taught keyboard player,
who brought a little old school Jerry Lee Lewis style with him to the
group. Kris did a great job in filling in when we were in need of a solid
keyboard player. We were fortunate to have a lot of great nights and great
memories with Kris. Kris left the band in August 2008 to pursue other
opportunities.
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Jim Beschoner
Jim joined the Sinclairs in April 2010. He got his first drumset at 5 yrs old and first guitar at 14 yrs old.
Jim did keyboard sequencing for the band, Airplay, during its 6 year run. He has been playing semi-professionaly
for 26 years. Jim opened for some major acts with several past bands and was lead vocalist and guitarist in
"The Boogie Monsters Blues Band". Some other bands he performed with were: Airplay, Working Class, Young Country,
Elmer Funk, Orchid Pool, and Sweet Charlie. Jim also was nominated and won several awards at Review Magazine's annual
music awards show. He also placed 3rd in State of Michigan during Guitar Centers' King of the Blues guitar contest.
Jim moved from drums to lead guitar for the Sinclairs in July 2010.
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Jeff Poirier
Bassist Jeff Poirier joined the Sinclairs in April of 2010. Jeff has been a mainstay of the Tri-City music scene
for many years. His resume includes years of club work, several opening slots for national acts, a short stint in a
house band for The Detroit Pistons, and most notably, two national televised appearances. In 2001, Jeff was jetted to
the big apple to sing on the Sally Jesse Raphael Show. In 2003, he was picked to be part of a musical showcase on
The Ricki Lake Show. Noted actress & comedienne Mo’Nique praised Jeff's performance saying he had the presence of a
true rockstar. After years of countless gigs, Jeff maintains his favorite band project has been "The DNA Chain", a
band comprised of himself and his 4 children. |
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Andy Scott
Andy was welcomed into the Sinclairs' family in July of 2010. The son of an accomplished drummer, he began playing drums
at the age of 6. Andy began playing semi-professionally at the age of 16. During his playing career, he has had the
opportunity to open for several national acts including Eddie Money, Blue Oyster Cult, Foghat, and several others. For
the past 14 years, Andy has played with several popular local acts including: Dr. Rock, Milestone, Smokin’ Joe Rock,
The Swaggering Rogues, and most recently, Beggar's Union. He infuses many different genres of music into his playing
style; funk, jazz, fusion, rock, etc. Drummers are most often described as the neanderthal of a band, but in a rare
twist of fate, Andy possesses a Master's degree and is employed as a social studies teacher for Midland Public Schools. |
Yes, the Sinclairs have amassed a bit of history. What is important is something that has never changed; after all this time
we still make music for fun!
It's been humbling. We've met some great people. We've entertained (and been entertained) by some great audiences. We've been
privileged to work with some fantastic musicians and shared a stage with some music industry legends. But mostly, and ultimately,
we've gotten to spend time with you - our friends and fans. And for that, we thank you.
The Sinclairs
7/21/10
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