The Story
For ten years, I fronted a band called The Toucan Brothers, comprised primarily Bob Burke (bass, vocals and co-band leader), Jimmy Young, Jr. (drums and vocals), Glenn Miller (lead guitar and vocals) and myself (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, lead songwriter and co-band leader). Also included in the band, as events warranted, were Kevin Sullivan (mandolin, lead guitar, lap and pedal steel) and Chuck McDaniel (keyboards). The Toucan Brothers achieved gradual success sharing stages with Trop Rock artists such as Kelly McGuire, Jerry Diaz and St. Somewhere, and Texas Music artists such as Jerry Jeff Walker, Larry Joe Taylor, Joe King Carrasco, Rusty Weir, Davin James, Tommy Alverson, and Terry Rasor. About the time we were being booked for a stream of steady festivals, my brother, Bob, was diagnosed with throat cancer and passed about a year and a half later. We had many requests to replace our bassist, but Bob's role was indispensable, as he not only recruited our personnel and contributed bookings, but as a multi-instrumentalist, he coordinated and arranged most of the other instruments. The members of The Toucan Brothers were all experienced touring and recording professionals but were never able to make a record of their own. In our later years, we opened virtually all of our shows with "Toucan Dance". From the first time we played it, the song spurred a spontaneous style of dancing. I brought "Toucan Dance" into the studio with producer, Davin James, and was able to leave a bit of recorded legacy of The Toucan Brothers, Trop Rockers before there was even a name for today's genre.