Country Rhythm Band
  Newsletter & Bios
Updated 8/15/2010

Dear Friends, Fans and Customers,

    Thanks to all the customers, friends and band members for making 2009 one of our better years. We are working on a new show for 2010. We have added a steel guitar player, who also plays lead guitar, to the mix which will give us a Traditional Country sound again.  We are here to please YOU and have FUN doing it, you can help us do just that by going to our guestbook with suggestions and ideas.

    A personal note from Ed. For almost 17 years I have tried to keep the band up and running to the best of my ability. Some of my choices over the years, may not have been the right ones, but I tried. We never claimed to be the best band but I feel that we were one of the better bands. I would like to thank all of the musicians who came and went and our fans who supported us all this time. I am looking forward to the 2010 season. We will do our best to entertain you, to the best of our ability and at the right price.

       Jack from Alburtis Park and I have settled any misunderstandings we may have had. We are back at the park in 2010 with 4 dates. We are looking forward to working with him to keep Alburtis Park up and running.
     A special thanks to Uncle Jeffrey, Herb and Phyllis from station WTAP for all the support and publicity extended to the CRB and other local bands.

     As always our prayers go out to all who have lost loved ones and the sick and shut-ins.

    Happy birthday to all who have grown a year older, or younger, as the case may be.

    Stay safe and well and we hope to see all of you soon.

    Until next time,

    The Country Rhythm band


Bios

    Please welcome the three newest members , Lou, Terry and George to the band. These guys are  a great asset to the "NEW" sound that we will have this year.




        Lou Van Hauter, Country Drummer. Lou is a self taught drummer and is well versed in many styles of music. He learned by listening and watching other drummers. He has played with a few different bands over the years and says he was happy to accept the offer to join the CRB. He enjoys studying guitar, building Nat American drums, oil painting and writing poems. He lives in Allentown with his wife and cats, Poo Poo, Pee Wee and Bushy Hanna.

          
                                                                                                 This Terry now                               This was Terry 10+ years ago
     Terry Kates on bass guitar and vocals. After a 10+ year hiatus from playing music, Terry's back on the Lehigh Valley music scene...but this time as a bass player, not a drummer.  He's been playing in various bands since the age of 13.  You may have seen him
behind the drums playing and singing for local bands such as "John Stokes and the 2nd Generation Band" or "Midnight Special." His  vocal abilities, both lead and harmony,  have made the  "new" sound something you don't want to miss.
 

George is the most recent addition, playing peddle steel and lead guitar, allowing us to get back to the real country sound.
Bio to follow.

Many thanks to the following band members for their total dedication and for helping to make the CRB as successful as it has been.


    Gail is doing lead and backup vocals. She has been with us for 10 years and always gives 100 percent. She adds the ability to do the female songs that so many of you like. Her energy and experience is unsurpassed. She has been singing forever and with many bands, including some of her own. Still trying to talk her into some yodeling, she also is very well versed in Oldies.


         Next is Scott. Scott gives us the ability to do a lot of the top 40 songs as well as some of the Traditional songs. He is singing lead, backup and is also playing rhythm guitar. He has dedicated himself to the band and his abilities have improved trememdously through persiverence. He has been a regular member of the band for almost 10 years and doing a great job.
    17 years ago, after the untimely death of Duane and deciding to keep the CRB alive, we placed an ad for a lead player. Bob answered the ad and said, I don't play lead but I am willing to try. A few weeks later he was playing lead well enough to get us through that first year. Due to family obligations, he had to leave the band after that first year.. He has played in other bands, including his own so he knows the ins and outs of the business and has been a good friend. We stayed in contact all this time and in late 2006, when we needed a lead player, he stepped up to the plate and said, I'm here and ready, let's give it a try. Please welcome back Bob.



    Lastly there is Ed. He has managed the band for the last 17 years, takes the bookings, runs the sound and has managed to keep the Country Rhythm Band up and running, a promise he made to Duane. There have been a lot of challenges over the years because of changes in players but he has always managed to recover. You may even see and hear him doing his recitations at times.