More about KEEPIN' IT COUNTRY (KIC)

KEEPING IT COUNTRY (KIC) formed several years ago when four of us old time country musicians got together to play a benefit.    We had so much fun playing the old 50’s country music that we decided to form a band like the great bands from 50 years ago.  We play the best of Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell, Johnny Cash, Webb Pierce, Ernest Tubb, Kitty Wells, Hank Thompson, Pasty Cline, and more.  All of us are old enough to have grown up listening to 1950s honky tonk, though we're not revealing any ages!

The original four members of  Keepin' It Country at the Main Junction Bill Squires, Ann & Eldon, Mark Ray

 Meet the band:

  MARK RAY:  Mark plays a 1949 Gibson Console Grand double eight non-pedal steel (just like Don Helms played) and a 1953 triple neck non-pedal Fender steel.  These old non-pedal steels really get that authentic honky tonk twist.   He is an old-school country DJ on WSCG True Country 106.3  in Greenville, Lakeview, and Big Rapids.  He's quite the music historian.  He also has a recording studio, PBP, which draws many local musicians.      

  BILL SQUIRES:   Bill helps drive the band’s dance beat with his big 1940's archtop guitar.  There’s nothing like a big old archtop to thump out the back beat. In the 50's (and before) this was the snare drum.  Bill has been active in the old time country music scene for the past 150 years or so.

  QUEEN ANN WHITFORD:  Ann drives the band with her hard driving upright bass.   The bass and archtop guitar create that old-time rhythm heard before country made the unfortunate switch to drum sets.   The upright bass and archtop rhythm together create those old honky tonk front and back beats.  Ann sometimes switches to rhythm guitar when Jeff gets ahold of the bass.

  ELDON WHITFORD:  Eldon creates the honky tonk sound with an edge of old rock-a-billy on his B bender Telecaster and his old Gretsch.  

  JEFF GARDNER:  A later addition to KIC, Jeff plays the 5 string fiddle, the hillbilly country blues harmonica and sometimes the upright bass. Jeff is a recording studio engineer, operating Ucalldatmusic, offering local musicians a superb place to record.  Jeff's other job obligations take him out of the area so he can't always be with KIC, but it's a treat when he can be there.

  Everyone in this band sings, which enables us to perform a wide variety of great old country tunes.

KIC at the Pocket Park in Big Rapids, Summer 2008

Bill Squires, Jeff Gardner, Ann & Eldon, Mark Ray