Peter Diamond “The most important thing is always the next song.” Peter Diamond Ilacqua was born in central New York near Syracuse. At age 6, he moved to Key West to live with his father. Peter graduated from Key West High School in 1961. He later went to school in Miami and became […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Bob Boyd “Always smiling on the inside” From the upstate hills of Rochester, New York, Bob Boyd was born into a family of musicians. His father was a piano player and conductor. Bob played piano while growing up, graduating from high school in 1976 and studied music at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. He […]
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 […]
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 […]
Past Tense – For Uncle Tony The Silecchia family is from a small town called Bitetto on the Southeastern coast of Italy. The US branch of the family still keeps many of the Italian traditions and culture. It’s a big fun Italian family. Collette Campbell’s mother is a Silecchia and her favorite Uncle Tony an […]
