Camille Toler – “Life, Love and Key West” Camille Russo Toler comes from a very big Italian family and grew up on the Upper West Side of New York. Later, they moved to Richmond Hill neighborhood in Queens where she graduated from Richmond Hills High School. While Camille never had a voice lesson or studied […]
James King – recently discovered how much he is appreciated James King was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina and raised in Columbia, South Carolina. His mother passed away when he was 11 years old and his maternal grandmother raised him and his younger sister. There was a 1935 Everett upright piano in her house which […]
Albert Romano – Looking for answers Originally from a big Italian family in Providence, Rhode Island, Al Romano was the oldest – he had four sisters. His uncle, Tony Tomasso, lived next door. He was big band trumpeter who could have been a big star but did not want to leave home and tour. Uncle […]
Barry Cuda – A Music Archeologist Kent Smith (aka St. Petey Twig, aka Barry Cuda) was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida. His father was a “hip” eye surgeon who could have easily been an R&B musician. Barry Cuda, as he is known to most Key West locals, listened to his dad’s 78’s and LP’s […]
Geoffrey Lowe “A town like no other” Geoffrey Lowe was born and raised in Fort Collins, Colorado. Both of his parents were very musical and they encouraged him to study piano when he was in the 3rd grade and then later the violin. In the 5th grade, Geoff learned bass but continued studying the violin, […]
Elle Haley – feels very fortunate doing what she loves Elle Haley was born in Westfield, New Jersey to parents Drew and Kim Haley. Her ‘large family’ includes brothers, Brennan and James, sister Emma and over 30 cousins. In 2012, when Elle was thirteen years old, she had a liver transplant due to an autoimmune […]
Zack Lovering – “Here, musicians can be their true selves” Zachary David Lovering was born and raised in Bainbridge, a small town in southwest Georgia. He sang in church choirs and musical plays in school. He studied the guitar for a few weeks but vocals were always his main interest. At age 19, he […]
My Key West I distinctly remember driving to the Keys from Miami for the first time in August 1968 with my friend, Rick who had just returned from his tour in Vietnam with an undiagnosed case of PTSD. We had grown up together in Northwestern Ohio. Rick was one of the easiest-going friends I ever […]
Ross Brown “There can be no Plan B” On Saturday January 4, I enjoyed the start of a new year with a unique concert at the Backstage Listening Room of the Key West Theater – Ross Brown showcased his original music. He performed thirteen of his original recordings with Jeff Dalton on bass, Randy Morrow […]
Bubba Lownotes “The Lazy Tenor” By Ralph De Palma Robert Barton, aka Bubba Lownotes, is a member of the Virginia “musicians’ mafia” located in Key West. He was born in Richmond, Virginia but the family moved to Greensboro and later to Charlotte, North Carolina. In grade school, he played the clarinet, then the tuba, and […]
