Smokin
Gun
was officially started in 1992 by Bill Majkut with Billy Appleton
(guitar
and lead vocal), Brad Spear (lead/slide guitar) and Bill Brammer
(drums).
The idea of
Smokin'
Gun was first conceived in 1985 and it started to get going with Jack
Johnston
in 1987 and again in 1990 with Jack and Mitch Alexander. Smokin' Gun
finally
came together in 1992 with the guys mentioned above. Brad left in
July of 1994 to pursue his film-scoring career. Jamie and Jack
joined
at that time. Billy Appleton left in 1997 right after Bad Luck
Blues
was released and was replaced by Curran Francis Stomberg III, aka "The
Colonel".
Ric Ulsky added
his
extraordinary talents on Hammond B-3 and keyboards in early 1998 and
Bad
Luck Blues won CD Of The Year from the Washington Blues Society that
same
year. The Colonel left to form his own band in September 1999 and Brad
enthusiastically returned to replace him. Brad and Ric's talents
as musicians, recording engineers and producers brought a level of
musicianship,
versatility and drive that greatly expanded the band's sound while
inspiring
everyone.
The band went
through
a period in between 1995 and 1996 when both Jack and Billy needed time
off for personal reasons and we used guitarists Mitch Alexander, John
Malone,
John Carmody, Gene Nygaard, Doug Kearny and Craig Webb.
Bill Majkut,
March
2001
John Carmody
played
with Merrilee Rush, Little Bill and the Blue Notes, Epicentre and Smoke
after a 5 year road career with Bobby Womack’s Peace band 1969-1974.
John
Carmody,
October 2012
Lest we forget, Ben Johnston did a
fantastic
job on drums for Smokin' Gun the last year we were alive!
Jack Johnston, April 2014
Formed in
Seattle
in 1992, Smokin' Gun rocked the music scene in the Great Pacific
Northwest.
This great rocking blues band has its roots deeply entrenched in the
early
days of Pacific Northwest Rock and Roll. Smokin' Gun members grew
up in such bands as: City Zu, Rocky
& His Friends, Epicentre,
City
Limits, Shaker,
Brave
New World, Brian Butler Band, David Brewer Band, Blueport
News, New Deal Rhythm Band, Sparky
and the Starfires,
Sleeper,
ShyAnne
,
The Lost Varnais, Banana Brothers, Cold Power,
and Grandma's Cookies.
