My family consisted of an older sister, my mother, and my step father. We landed in Clearwater after moving down south from Indiana first to Avon Park/Sebring, home to the Lemans style grand prix racing event that once a year woke up the local crackers and touted movie stars driving Ferrari and porches in the sweltering central wilderness of Florida. One year there was enough  and Carl, my step father moved us again to the west coast of Florida where he took up residence as the new pharmacist. I desperately started to look for a rock and roll band to join. I had been studying rudimental drumming and needed to feel the energy of the new music; English as well as American. Those Five were the best band around.

We opened for many great acts of that era. Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and and many others, We traveled with the Mamas and Papas across Florida and were invited to come to L.A. to record but the parents of some of the band members were against it. We were still in high school, except for our lead singer who was older and he hit it off with Mama Cass.
 

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