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| About Big Ran
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Big Ran Feuers has just been informed by the original band manager Larry Struck of the former big time show band that he was part of, Ken Rondell and The Country Rock Revue, that a band reunion is being planned for sometime in the near future, and that a large part of the band will appear for a reunion concert some where in the United States of America very soon! This eight piece show band was comprised of active U.S. Army Personnel and dependents living in Heidelberg, Germany during the late 1970's! The band went on to become the number one show band on the Military Club Circuit in Europe from 1979 through 1981, until most of the band members got out of the Army and returned to the United States! An old poster and picture of the band can be viewed by clicking HERE! This old poster of the band was found by Randy Garcia, the orginal sax player! At the top of its popularity in Europe, the show featured an eight piece band. The show was highlighted by the world's number one Elvis sound alike, Ken Rondell, doing his Elvis Tribute on the second set of the show after the first set warm-up by lead guitarist/lead vocalist Dale Drummond, rhythm guitarist/lead vocalist Chuck Johnson, and keyboardist/trumpet player/guitarist/lead vocalist and group vocal harmony leader Steve Pement! Steve has just been located in Germany where he has been living and playing music for the past 30 years. To hear the voice of Ken Rondell, click on the Big Ran's Missouri Rock Opry album below. It features Ken Rondell on lead vocals entitled Missouri Style Midwestern Hillbilly Blues by Big Ran's Missouri Rock Opry with guest star Ken Rondell! The 2nd set of the show, An Elvis Tribute, would start out with group's drummer extrordinare, 18 year old Bill Strong, who was a US Army dependent at the time, on stage by himself starting a very up tempo drum roll on a set of tympani, followed by bass guitarist, Randy "Dr. Bass" Feuers, known as Big Ran Feuers in Missouri, would come to the stage to join in with a bass rhythm part that would raise to a crescendo after being followed up by a rhythm buildup by rhythm guitarist Chuck Johnson and lead guitarist Dale Drummond! As the crowd would start to feel the excitement growing, one of the groups most accomplished musicans, keyboard/trumpet Player Steve Pement would lead sax player/Randy Garcia and trombone player/Sean McCollar to the stage from outside the club while playing the old Elvis Presley instrumental introduction song 2001: A Space Odyssey! When the horn section would reach the stage band manager Larry Struck, who acted as the emcee of the show, would introduce the star of the show, Ken Rondell, as sound technician Gary Steel ran the spot light for Ken who would always come through the crowd in an unusal way, often with a security guard escort or even on a Motorcycle as an example. Ken would start the show with the song CC Rider, followed by whatever Elvis song he would decide to sing as he read the crowd. Military troops, military dependents as well as many of the native German people would line up for blocks to get in to see the show throughout Germany on US Military Bases, NCO and Officer's Clubs as well as the Beer Tents on the German Economy! The third set of the show would offer another musical twist as the group would change into Sha Na Na outfits between sets to come back with a 50's show! The 4th and final set, the group changed outfits once again and would feature Country, Rock, Soul, Blues and everything in between! It was the late night party set and it really rocked the house down, leaving everyone in the place hyped up and wanting more! For more information, please Contact me at 573-634-2759 or email me at Randyfeuers@aol.com
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