Photo
by and Courtesy of Vickie Rappin
Blueport
News
Tacoma,
Washington
1975
~ 1982
Members
Stormin'
Norman Bennett ~ Drums
Jho
Blenis ~ Lead Guitar, Vocals
Phil
"The Chickenman" Boguszewski ~ Tenor Saxophone
Kurt
Brame ~ Bass, Vocals
Jimmy
Bramer ~ Lead Guitar
Mark
Doubleday ~ Trumpet
Buck
England ~ Keyboards
Bill
Graham (aka: Little Billy Blue) ~ Washboard, Jug, Vocals
Lawrence
Gamage, Lead Guitar
Evan
Groom ~ Lead Guitar
Kevin
Herpentine ~ Drums
Denny
Hall ~ Lead Guitar
Mario
Harris ~ Congas
Dudley
Hill ~ Lead Guitar
Bob
Hill ~ Guitar, Vocals
Eugene
"Mutha" Hubbard ~ Fender Rhodes
Joe
Johansen ~ Lead Guitar
Jack
Johnston ~ Guitar
Pete
Lira ~ Tenor Saxophone, Vocals
Jay
Mabin ~ Harp, Vocals
Tom
Morgan ~ Drums
Jim
"Greasy" Pribbennow ~ Alto Saxophone
Mark
Reeder ~ Lead Guitar
Jamie
Reno ~ Drums
Eddie
Roberts ~ Drums
Dale
Spalding ~ Harp, Vocals
Robert
X. Wolf ~ Drums, Vocals
In
Memory of
Joe
Johansen
D:
4 June 1997
Mark
Doubleday
D:
1 May 2004
Bill
'Little Billy Blue' Graham
Dudley
Hill
1948
- 2005
Kurt
Brame
Evan
Groom
Jho Blenis
d: - 31 May 2014
Phil
"The Chickenman" Boguszewski
d: July 2013
The
original
Blueport News (1975) consisted of Billy Blue, Kurt Brame, Bob Hill,
Lawrence
Gamage, Mark Reeder (replaced Gamage), Denny Hall (replaced Reeder),
Eddie
Roberts, Tom Morgan (replaced Roberts) and Jay Mabin.
The next
version
of the band "The Brick Era" ('78 - '81) consisted of Billy Blue, Kurt
Brame,
Bob Hill, Jho Blenis, Evan Groom (replaced Blenis), Dudley Hill, Jimmy
Bramer, Joe Johansen, Stormin' Norman Bennett, Kevin Herpentine
(replaced
Bennett), Jamie Reno, Phil "The Chickenman" Bogusuki, Jim "Greasy"
Pribbennow,
Dale Spalding, Eugene "Mutha" Hubbard and Mario Harris. Most of
these
personnel participated in recording a 45 RPM "I Settle Down" and
"Little
Billy Blue" Those recordings are currently available at Wiley's
Golden Oldies in Tacoma.
The Blueport
News
"Mom's Place Era" was from 1981 to 1982. The band consisted of
BIlly
Blue, Kurt Brame, Bob Hill, Joe Johansen, Tom Morgan, Mark Doubleday,
Pete
Lira Buck England, Jim Pribbennow and Jay Mabin. Many other
musicians,
mostly guitarists like Lee Parker and Steve Blood and some drummers
played
gigs and set in with us but they are too many to try to list.
Bill Graham
AKA
Billy Blue
At the top of this
page
is an old photo I had of one of the versions of Blueport News.
I know a
few
of the players. I believe it is Bob Hill sitting on the steps on the
left.
Steve Jacobsen in overalls, Mario Harris in leather cap, Jay
Mabin
standing in the middle, Billy Blue with cap and beard to his
right,
I think it is Kurt Brame to Jays left. I Don't remember the
others
names.
Vicki
Rappin,
August 2010
Evan
Groom
Evan Groom died
suddenly
of a heart attack on Feb. 10, 2002. He was a dear son, beloved brother
and treasured friend. He spent his life and work in the local music
scene
as a working musician and teacher. He is the son of Joan Groom and the
late Harry Groom. He is survived by his mother Joan, brother Gene and
sisters
Betty, Valerie and Claudia. A memorial gathering to celebrate Evan’s
life
will be held on Saturday, Feb. 16 from 1-3 PM at the Mountaineer Club
House,
2302 N. 30th St., Tacoma, WA. Evan’s legacy lives in live music. Please
remember him by supporting local musicians and their work.
Pub Date: 2/14/2002
Read
more:
.southsoundclassifieds.com
Patrick Wm.
Dennis,
October 2011
