Sammy, Billy, Dave, Rich, Richard
The Regents
Tacoma, Washington
1963 - 1967 & 1997 - 2011

Members
 

1963 - 1965
 

Genie Allen ~ Vocals
Sammy Carlson ~ Bass, Vocals
Sandy Faye ~ Vocals
Max Harned ~ Saxophone
Chris Isakson ~ Guitar, Vocals
Sue Isekite (McNulty) ~ Vocals
Rich Liebe ~ Guitar, Vocals
Billy McPherson ~ Saxophone, Clarinet, Keyboards, & Flute
Dave Roland ~ Drums, Vocals
Jim Roles ~ Rhythm Guitar
Richard Rossiter ~ Guitar/Leslie, Coronet, Vocals*
 

Additional Players
 

Rudy Bachelor ~ Organ
Dick Foreman ~ Vocals
 

1965 - 1967
 

Terry Bailey ~ Guitar, Vocals
Sammy Carlson ~ Bass, Vocals
Chuck Doten ~ Drums
Chris Isakson ~ Guitar, Vocals
Larry Olsen ~ Keyboards, Vocals
Gary Udovich ~ Saxophone

Crew

Marc Robinson ~ Band Boy
 

1997 - Present
 

Jim Adams ~ Guitar, Vocals
Traci Caldwell ~ Vocals, Photography
Sammy Carlson ~ Bass, Vocals
Bill Dean ~ Drums
Sue Isekite (McNulty) ~ Vocals
Rich Liebe ~ Guitar, Vocals
Heidi McNulty ~ Vocals
Billy McPherson ~ Saxophone, Clarinet, Keyboards, & Flute
Larry Parypa ~ Guitar, Vocals
Dave Roland ~ Drums, Vocals
Raoul de Rossiter ~ Drums
Richard Rossiter ~ Guitar/Leslie, Coronet, Vocals
Steve Sarandos ~ Saxophone, Vocals
Sonny Schaaf ~ Keyboards

*  Latest Gathering
 

In Memory of


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


Billy McPherson
(18 August 1946 - 19 November 2011)

The Regents at All Music Guide

Traci, Heidi and Raoul are the second generation of the Regents.  They are the grown children of Rich, Sue and Richard

Image Courtesy of Gerry Berg
Courtesy of Gerry Berg


Regents at the Red Carpet in 1964 - Image courtesy of Walt Rattenbury
The Regents and Sandy Faye, 1964

Regents at the Red Carpet in 1964 - Image courtesy of Walt Rattenbury
RIch, Dave, Sandy, BIlly and Richard
The Regents and Sandy Faye, on stage at the Red Carpet - 1964


 


"The Regents and the Red Carpet!  What a flood of memories.  You guys were great, like most of the NW rock phenomenon.  You owned that place.  I remember the great vibe there.  The regulars were very into music and were in the know."

Jim Sola, The Deacons, Flashback


"The first time that I ever heard a live band do "Gloria" was by the Regents at a Wilson HS dance in the fall of 1965.  It made a lasting impression on me and on our future lead guitarist, Mark Harkness. We were both sophomores at the time we heard the Regents. Together, with Scott Jones, Brent Lund and Mark Watson, we formed the band the next school year."

Gregg Gagliardi, Daze of the Week


"I used to come to The Red Carpet and see you guys - I always enjoyed the Regents.  Seems to me you guys competed a lot with The Statesmen.  The Regents were an impressive band."

Jeff Morgan, The Great Pretenders, The Mergers, Panama Orange Tree,Rock-Ola, LocoMax, Back Alley


"I remember being blown away by Bill McPherson's sax playing, and I've often wondered what became of him."

Tom Walters, The Noblemen


"I remember the Regents. We came to Tacoma a couple of times and danced to your great music...  Sac "O" Woe good buddy"

Dennis Talbott, The Dwellers, The Valients & Time Bandits



August 1964
"The CD & tape just arrived. THANKS! Thought I'd listen to Sue's (Sue Isekite's) tape first. Man that lady can sing!!! There's something about her style that I just really like. I can't quite put my finger on it. She has a way of rocking but with kind of a sweet, country influence underneath, and, the country influence never shows any hint of "whiny" or "squeaky."  That's rare. Maybe best of all, I don't hear any of that obvious, vocalized "showing off" that is sooo common lately especially with female singers..  Her voice is accurate, honest, sweet and straight ahead. That kind of defines "class." Doesn't it?"

Sonny Schaaf, Christian, Color Blue, Rock n Roll Magic, and more, July 2003


I remember watching the Regents, Statesmen, Sonics, and dancing to your music at the Red Carpet. Those were magic days that influenced and led me in a direction that captivated me for the following 18 years of my life.

Norm Bennett, Muf, Mandarin Extract, August 2003


It was good seeing you at the Louie Fest. I saw so many of the old dudes at the fest it was exhilarating and you guys did a great job, could have listened for hours.  It sounded great and amazing after only a night's practice. 

John "Grant" Hill, September 2003


Rich Liebe taught me to play guitar in about 1962. Rich loved his music.  Those three chords he taught me gave me life!

Tom Pegues, The Cascades


I had the opportunity to hear the Regent's play  at the Red Carpet in Tacoma. I remember you guys as being a really tight band, and also having a lot of fun on stage.

Tim Hall, Grizzly, Nyanza, Foghorn Leghorn, Tim Hall Band, December 2003


I cannot tell you how much I loved hearing The Regents at Cheney.  Sammy, You have a way of giving the down-beat a regular punch on your bass.  I really like that.  Nothing too fancy--just solid.  Billy McPherson blows me away.

Sonny Schaaf, Christian, Color Blue and more May 2004


I'm having a problem with "In The Open" (opening song for the Regents played at Cheney Stadium in 2003).  I can't stop listening to it!  When I first found out about this PNW band site "In The Open" starts playing when you go in to read stuff in the 1960's index...   but the song ends after like 30 seconds so I had to click out and click back to keep hearing it. Am I whacked or what? 

Albert Malosky, Liberty Party, Emergency Exit, Easy Chair, The Enchanters, March 2006


My friend and I had a blast at the Rock Out Camp Out.  I may even camp next time.  The Regents were fabulous and it was great to meet you after all this time.  When I saw you, I told my friend that is the guy because he fills my mental perception of what a Web Slave would look like.  I was right.

Bill Crammatte, October 2006


I remember The Regents and seeing them at The Red Carpet and I think at St. Mary's and Clover Park HS.  I went to Clover Park in Lakewood for my sophmore and half my junior year before I had to transfer to Lakes High School.  I remember Rich Liebe very well, especially when he was in The Shifters. We had a few classes together (including PE) at Clover Park.  Rich cracked me up one day after gym class, when he was standing in front of the mirrors near the showers flexing his biceps.  He looks over at me (I weighed about 150 pounds soaking wet then) and says:  "I could crush you..."  I think I muttered something like "No doubt."  That was Rich. 

Lyle R. Berry, The Strangers, The Wild Vibrations, April 2007

Other people might have been surprised to hear Billy sing, but when it comes to Billy, nothing surprises me.  I've seen him wail on his Sax, a flute, the piano, a guitar.....and I'm sure he'll have something new to show us next year. 

After not seeing each other for a year or two at a time... I still don't know how you guys can get up on stage and play a set without practicing.  I wish I had brought a video camera along that day.

Bill Dean, The Sonics, Statesmen, Christian, Ice Age, Trojans, The Rustics, Dave and The GoodTimes and more, January 2007


I had the pleasure of getting reunited with Dave Roland this past summer for a band reunion in Spokane. We had a blast.

Dave is a great drummer, singer, entertainer….also took good care of the band business as I remember.

Larry Sieber (R.I.P.), Bulldog, City Zu, Tyme, Morning Reign, Reunion, Burgundy Express, January 2009



By Jason Ankeny

One of several garage bands to operate under the Regents name, this particular group formed in Tacoma, WA, in the spring of 1963. According to the website at www.theregents.net, lead guitarist Rich Liebe, rhythm guitarist Richard Rossiter, bassist Sam Carlson, saxophonist Billy McPherson, and drummer Dave Roland comprised the original lineup -- after beginning as an instrumental concern, in the months to follow Roland assumed lead vocal duties. Deeply influenced by Pacific Northwest rock legends the Wailers, the Regents enjoyed a friendly rivalry with another future garage legend, Tacoma's Sonics -- honing their approach at teen dances and area nightclubs, they developed a unique sound dependent on amplifying Rossiter's guitar via a Leslie organ speaker. 

In early 1964 the Regents entered Lakewood, WA, radio station KPEC to record a demo tape -- the same station recorded several of the band's live dates at the Tacoma club the Red Carpet, but only portions of the demo reel survive to document the group's original incarnation. When Liebe fell ill in early 1965, he temporarily left the Regents, who recruited guitarist Chris Isakson in his absence.  By the time Liebe's health returned, the group was no more -- in mid-1965, Roland was invited to join the Wailers, and Rossiter and McPherson were called for military duty.  By year's end Carlson and Isakson formed a new Regents lineup with rhythm guitarist Terry Bailey and drummer Chuck Doten -- keyboardist Larry Olsen and horn player Gary Udovich soon expanded the group to a six-piece, and in the spring of 1966 they signed with the Wailers' label, Etiquette Records, to cut a handful of tracks that included "Bad Trip" and "Turn and Run." This version of the Regents split in 1967 -- in 1996, the original lineup performed the first of many annual reunion gigs. 

Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
 



My Never Ending memory of The Regents at the "Red Carpet" days was the half-dozen or so live KTNT AM Radio broadcasts. 

Glenn Thomas, The Indescents, Ballin' Jack, Jonah's Whale, Soul Set, February 2012

The Regents at Rock Out - Camp Out - 5 Aug 2006

The Regents at Cheney Stadium - 24 Aug 2003

The Regents at Meadow Music - 31 Aug 2003

The Regents at Meadow Music - 1 Sep 2002

Regents II

Regents Photo Album

A Partial Song List

Sound Clips 1964 and 2003


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Last Update:  12 October 2017

Credits:  Sammy Carlson, Rich Liebe, Billy McPherson (R.I.P.), Dave Roland, Richard AFKAD Rossiter, Dick Foreman, Chris Isakson, Genie Allen, Jim Sola, Gregg Gagliardi, Terry Bailey (R.I.P.), Bill Dean, Walt Rattenbury, Stan Foreman, Donn Mee, Dennis Talbott, Sue Isekite (McNulty), Norm Bennett, Steve Cavanaugh, Grant Hill, Tim Hall, Max Harned, Rudy Bachelor, Donn Mee, Albert Malosky, Jeff Morgan, Tom Pegues, Glenda J. Guilmet, Bill Crammatte, Trudi Liebe, Traci Caldwell, Lyle Berry, Jim Roles, Gerry Berg, Larry Sieber (R.I.P.), Jim Adams, Glenn Thomas, All Music Guide

Band # 0001