What If …. By Ralph De Palma A while back, former Key West pianist Dave Burns and I were discussing Key West legendary performer Coffee Butler. Both Dave and I lived in Miami during the 60s and 70s when Miami Beach would see major artists, like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Guy Lombardo, and […]
Tony Elitcher Tony Elitcher was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Montrose, a small town just north of the city. When Tony was six, his parents found a soprano saxophone for $25 and Tony began to play music. He attended Hendrick Hudson High School which had a fantastic music education program. The high […]
Jonathan Skiffington aka Jon Skiff Jon says that his “genetic disposition for music came from both mom and dad.” Music runs deep in the family. A grandfather was said to be a traveling musician in the 19th century. He sang and played bass (just like Jon) and traveled between venues with his band on trains like groups did back […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Lonnie Jacobson – a musician’s musician One of three brothers, Lonnie Jacobson grew up in New Hope, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia. His father was a mailman and his mother, Norma, was just a sweetheart to everyone. He loved playing music and, in 1973, graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Musical Arts. Jacobson had a […]
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 […]
