The Galaxies - Photo Courtesy of Chuck Naubert
 The Galaxies
Tacoma, Washington
1961 - 1967
2006 - Present

Members
 

Terry Bailey ~ Bass
Billy Barner ~ Drums, Vocals
Chuck Doten ~ Drums
Mark Eubanks ~ Saxophone, Keyboards, Vocals
Phil Hanson ~ Drums
Bob Koch ~ Guitar
Rob Lowery ~ Vocals
Glenn McCarty ~ Guitar, Vocals
Chuck Naubert ~ Bass, Vocals
Walt Rattenbury ~ Saxophone
Ron Rosenbloom ~ Guitar
Ron Rustad ~ Baritone Saxophone, Vocals
Bill Slyter ~ Drums
Jim Sandstedt ~ Bass
Rick Thompson ~ Guitar, Vocals
Stewart Turner ~ Guitar
 

Guest Musicians
 

Sam Carlson ~ Bass
(Substitute bass player for one gig in 1967)
Brian Naubert ~ ?



The Galaxies 1964
Stuart Turner, Mark Eubanks, Phil Hanson, Bob Koch, Rob Lowery, Chuck Naubert
Photo: Jini Dellaccio


Listen to the Galaxies on
Big Beat Records

Popular Tacoma '60s band Galaxies say dust off dancing shoes

RICK NELSON; THE NEWS TRIBUNE Published: February 29th, 2008 01:00 AM | Updated: February 29th, 2008 07:29 AM

The stars have realigned for the Galaxies, one of Tacoma’s most popular bands back in the ’60s. The group plans a 21-and-older reunion dance concert from 7 p.m. to midnight Saturday at the Temple Theatre.

Performing from ’62 to ’67, first as the Galaxies and then as Rock Collection, the band packed high school gyms, teen dances and clubs by playing the hits of an exciting five-year span in popular music.

“Mostly we were a cover band, a dance band,” said Galaxies bassist Chuck Naubert. “The kids loved to dance to us because we were pretty much a Top-40 cover band playing what they were listening to on Pat O’Day’s KJR. We played what they were listening to at all the drive-ins back in the day – the Frisko Freeze, Busch’s and the Hilltop Drive-In.”

The Galaxies were a Stadium High School band, and Saturday’s show was kick-started when the group played at the school’s reunion in 2006.

“We’ve been working on this about a year and a half since the Stadium thing,” Naubert said. “We’ve played at The Spar twice, and now this is going to be our big show. They’ve just loved it at the Spar, and it’s so fun for us to get that response. We’re doing this for the pure joy of playing this music that we did as kids.”

Still, 40 years between gigs is a long time. Naubert was asked why people are responding to the reunited Galaxies. It can’t just be the well-played ’60s hits and the chance to slow dance.

“For a lot of the people, it’s like we were their band,” he said. “People hearing us now are excited because the rebirth of the Galaxies is kind of like the rebirth of that era. It takes them back to when they were young and had a lot of energy. It was a time of excitement and looking forward to life.”

But the Galaxies didn’t know what was ahead when the group began playing at Stadium.

“We started doing all the dances there,” Naubert said, “and it spread real fast to doing the city dances in the whole area. We were doing the Armory, Crescent Ballroom, Fellowship Hall and battles of the bands at other high schools.

“We would play battles of the bands at Wilson against Ron Gardner & The Solitudes. They were from Wilson. Each high school had its own band, which was pretty cool. Eventually, we were regulars at the Red Carpet, and that was a huge venue back then.”

But the late ’60s was a turbulent time, and the band’s members weren’t immune. Eventually, they all went their separate ways.

“The main thing that took its toll was Vietnam,” Naubert said, “that and guys just moving on.”

Move on they did. Lead singer Rob Lowery joined Surprise Package, a national recording act better known in these parts as the Viceroys, before starting a career in antiques. Guitarist Bob Koch plays in the band Coin Operated. Saxophonist Mark Eubanks recently retired as principal bassoonist with the Oregon Symphony.  Drummer Phil Hanson is a timpanist with the Pacific Northwest Ballet.  Multi-instrumentalist Ron Rustad is a tugboat engineer and plays traditional jazz.

And Naubert, who also plays cello?  Even though he eventually got a degree in music education, he’s a commercial pilot. His son Brian, who grew up listening to the Galaxies, will be among the guest musicians performing with the band Saturday, as will Ron Rosenbloom, who played in another late-’60s Tacoma band, Scot-Free.

In Memory of Our Friends

Terry Bailey (25 April 1947 - 20 April 2002)
Terry lost his battle with cancer just five days short of his 55th Birthday

Bob Koch  d:  May 2010



Back to NW Bands 60's Index
63-66 Tacoma Gig Lists


If you have corrections, a neat photo or more information, please send it to:

Make a donation using PayPal.  It is fast, free and secure.
Last Update:  2 May 2017
Credits: Darryl Riffero, Sam Carlson, Fuzz Acid & Flowers, Terry Bailey, Jeff Miller, Walt Rattenbury, Rob Lowery, Bob Koch, Chris Sandstedt, Chuck Naubert, Donn Mee, Bill Dean, Glenn McCarty

Band # 0005