Chris Daniels & The Kings 40th Anniversary Party Thank you!
On April 4, 2024 friends, family and fans came out to help Chris Daniels & The Kings celebrate our 40th year of making horn-band music and it was truly awesome!
Thank you to Hazel Miller who tore down the house, our guiding light, Sam Bush who I’ve known for 50 years and just keeps getting more brilliant as time passes. Kenny Passarelli who is one of Colorado’s best songwriters and is the kindest of fellows, Tom Capek, one of the best keyboard players I’ve ever been lucky enough to play with, Mark Oblinger, my friend, collaborator and magical songwriter, and Linda Lawson were the vocal quilt that covered us with warmth plus Harry TuftErica Brown, Rick Roberts and Cass Clayton made it incredibly special.
Randy Barker, the original Kings guitar player was simply fantastic along with Michael O’Neal and Ernie Martinez were great including Ernie’s dobro solo on “Better Days.” Our original drummer Andy Peake, and Kings drummers Steve Soell and Chris Stongle who brightens the days of The Long Run, made the rhythm unstoppable along with master Boulder drummer Billy Hoke! Hall of famer Harold Fielden and his beautiful wife Peggy brought fun and the best cake ever.
And then there were the horns. The Chris Daniels and the Kings band would not exist if it weren’t for Fly McClard, and he and Bertha-d-Blues were stellar along with Carlos Chavez whose playing appears on several Kings’ albums were original Kings along with Forrest Means our original trumpet god and Lisa Marie Means were there making it all fun.
And then there is the KINGS on our new album including Darren Kramer, Bob Rebholz, Steve Ivey, and Colin Jones, who I’ve played music with since 1971, and John Thornburg, Darryl “Doody” Abrahamson, and the celebratory Freddi Gowdy who just flat out brought it!!!!!!
I’m sure I forgot somebody but it’s just because I’m overwhelmed. Friends like Carlos and Terry, Greg and Jamie Sparre, Paul Medlicott, Nick and Liz Forster, Susan Beyda, Steve Crider, and family like Lisa Jones, Jamie Sparre, Paul Medlicott, Nick and Liz Forster, Susan Beyda, Steve Cryder, Florence Williams, and Peter Williams plus hundreds and hundreds of friends, music fans and even my students all came out to celebrate.
Kevin Clock recorded it all and Kevin T Fitzgerald kicked off the evening making everybody laugh and feel welcome. My apologies to anybody I failed to thank and all my love, gratitude to everybody - we would not have had this 40 year run without you - and last but not least a dedication to Kevin Bro Lege and Dean LeDoux who left us too soon and Milt Muth, Joe DeLauro and Bryan Grassmeyer who couldn’t make it to the show but were there in our hearts.