Rich “In Spirit” McKay – Keys, Counterculture, and an American Hippie Rich McKay grew up in City Island in the Bronx in New York City. His family discouraged music study but Rich and his brother insisted. He graduated from Mount Saint Michael’s High School in 1962. McKay started playing guitar while attending Marist College in […]
Mick Kilgos: ” …music is the glue that holds Key West together.” Often introduced by Ericson Holt as ‘the pride of Kankakee’, Mick Kilgos was born in Kankakee, Illinois, a small town 45 miles south of Chicago. When he was 14 years old, Mick starting playing music. His life mirrors the story of that legendary […]
Dave Hoffman “The saga of Crazy Dave” When I began the interview, Dave Hoffman told me to fasten my seat belt – it was good advice. Dave was an orphan and was adopted along with another ‘brother’, living most of his life near Niagara Falls and Buffalo, New York area. He couldn’t recall when he […]
Evan Valentine – “The island giveth and can taketh away” Born in Sacramento, California in 1996, Evan Valentine grew up just south of Boston on the coast. While growing up, he had access to a grand piano, drum set, bass guitar and acoustic guitar. A cousin had a drum set in his basement and around […]
Meghan Barter “A musical product of Key West” Meghan Barter is a Conch – born and raised in Key West. No wonder she’s a musician. Her family includes parents Mark (another Conch) and Mary Beth Barter, brother Eric, and twins Christopher and Coleen who are seniors at Key West High School. Music has always been […]
Jerome Miller – former cowboy stuntman Jerome was born to Bryan and Trish Miller in Carrington, North Dakota, a small town with no stop lights and a population just a little couple of sunsets over 2,000. He grew up on a bison ranch, his first job was opening and closing corral gates at a very […]
Erica Sunshine Lee – and her signature chunky dunk Erica is a Georgia native from a small town named Elberton. She sang in the church choir early in life and loved the piano, although her family could not afford lessons. In 2001, Erica worked her way through college, near San Francisco Bay area, graduating from […]
Cayman Smith-Martin – a Buffett roots music festival Cayman Smith-Martin had another special Labor Day weekend celebrating the passing of Jimmy Buffett at the Just A Few Friends Festival. Cayman warned his audience “You’re not going to hear Margaritaville tonight – you’ll hear it all over town but tonight we’re going to play Buffett roots […]
George Victory “Key West is like “Trinidad without the mountains” George Victory was born February 7, 1950 and grew up in Five Rivers, a small village in the Arouca area of Trinidad. There was only one river but it curved around so much through this that you had to cross it five times. George’s mother […]
Jack Fivecoate Jack Fivecoate was raised in Traverse City, Michigan. Growing up in a large family with brothers and sisters, he was the only musician. He started singing in choirs when he was very young and continued a love of music. At age of thirteen, Jack learned the percussion then quickly moved to guitar and […]
