Solaris Hill String Band leader
Gary Zimmerman — Solaris Hill String Band leader
Gary Zimmerman playing his signature instrument the hammered dulcimer aboard the schooner Western Union.
Gary Zimmerman is from Cinnaminson Township, New Jersey just across the river from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has played music most of his life beginning with piano lessons in kindergarten and learning to play guitar at age 10. After high school, Gary studied at the Philadelphia School of Art for one year. His parents had moved to Fort Lauderdale in 1970 and while on summer break, he went to visit them. He also visited a friend in Key West and, as many others have, he fell in love with the place and moved to there
He loved the beach, bicycles, the tribal community of great people, and cheap easy living in 1970. He became good friends with Fawni Spottswood. They use to hang out together and she gave Gary his first fiddle to play. They would sometimes camp for a week at a time on Ballast Key.
Terry Cassidy booked Gary Zimmerman for a reunion of the Solaris Hill String Band at Boondocks in 2014.
Gary lived downstairs from Jimmy Buffett near Louie’s Backyard for about a year (1972). They often played music together at John Young’s coffee house called Crazy Ophelia’s (now Antonia’s). It was a hang-out for local musicians. Sometimes, they played for tips at the Bamboo Room, a sailor’s bar (now Mary Ellen’s). The problem was most of the sailors would buy a round for the band instead of tipping. The beer was appreciated but they really needed money.
He played with a group, which often included Jimmy Buffet, at John Brown’s Bar (currently, The Bull and Whistle). Greg “Fingers” Taylor had just arrived in town and soon joined the band. They would practice together at Gary’s apartment. Gary remembered Jimmy was traveling the college circuit and was often out of town for a weekend. Buffett, who lived upstairs, started writing music and would frequently come to Gary’s practice sessions and try out new songs. One day Jimmy had them help with a new song called, “They Don’t Dance Like Carmen No More” and other music that came out on Jimmy’s first big studio hit in 1973 – “White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean”. Gary remembers Buffett getting his first big check, and after a trip to Miami, drove up to their apartment in a cargo van filled with a new stereo, television, blender, and a toaster oven. Gary helped him carry all the stuff upstairs – it was like Christmas.
It seems like Gary could play anything with strings.
Around 1974 to 1979, Gary would play music at Mallory Square for Sunset Celebration with friends Dick Morrow, Bobby Anselmo, Archer Altman, Albee Tellone, Allen Tidball, Rich McKay, Maggie Becker and Cindy Jefferson. One night, he heard Rob Goldstein playing the hammered dulcimer, a stringed percussion instrument, in front of entrance to the Mallory Square. He stopped and was overwhelmed with its sound. Gary and Rob became friends, and he let Gary try out the dulcimer. Gary soon ordered his own for $500, a lot of money in the 70’s, and began playing it exclusively. The sunset group gig became centered around Gary’s hammered dulcimer. They were just great friends playing music at sunset for tips. They would usually make around 100 dollars. Afterwards, they would buy food at Fausto’s and then stop at the liquor store. Everyone would go to Gary’s place to cook and play music until midnight.
Another mini reunion at the Key West Lighthouse in 2014 with Cindy Jefferson, Gary Zimmerman, and Allen Tidball.
John Young was a sponsor of Gary’s group of sunset musicians. One evening, Young held a big party for Leonard Bernstein and had the group play the gig. Leonard Bernstein loved the music. Crazy Ophelia’s later became the Royal Standard Pub, an Irish bar, and that was the birthplace of the six piece Solaris Hill String Band that later evolved into a blue grass music group.
Eric DeBoer played piano and his good friend Randy Lees sang at the Night Beat Lounge (now Mangoes) in the Key Lime Pie Revue. The Pacific Orchestra, the Holt Brothers, the Survivors, and Coffee and The Cups were all the local Key West bands in the 70’s. The song “Key West Welcomes You” by Coffee and the Cups was on the juke box in Sloppy Joe’s and elsewhere. Coffee Butler was a regular on the docks welcoming the cruise ship passengers, and he would often sit it in with Gary and the sunset group.
Gary played sunset cruises for John Krause on the Western Union in 1974. In 1984, it was sold to a group in Philadelphia. He went on to play sunsets aboard the Miss Key West for thirteen years. Later, he went to work for Captain Finbar on the Schooner Wolf playing sunset cruises. In 1997, the Western Union returned to Key West and Captain Finbar began working on the Union again. Gary moved over with him.
Gary’s favorite Key West music experience was playing with Grammy Award winner John Hartford. Hartford wrote “Gentle on My Mind”, and released over 30 albums. He was a regular on the Glenn Campbell Show. He was also a friend of Shel Silverstein and visited Key West often. Hartford would sit in with the Solaris Hill String Band every chance he got.
The Solaris Hill String Band at the Boondocks Reunion in 2014. L-R — Bounce Margill, Gary Zimmerman, Oooh La La, Rich In Spirit McCay (out of frame Cindy Jefferson and Allen Tidball).
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