The Valients
White Center, Washington
1960 - 1969

Members
 

Tony Athearn ~ Guitar
Steve Brett ~ Vocals
Wayne Cox ~ Bass
Mike "Micky" Ellis ~ Keyboards
Mike McGraw ~ Saxophone
Ernie Moses ~ Vocals
Howard Smith ~ Guitar
Dennis Talbott ~ Drums
 

In Memory of

Tony Athearn
Steve Brett

In 1960 The Dwellers changed their name to The Valients.  Members were Howard Smith, Wayne Cox, Dennis Talbott, Mike "Mickey" Ellis, Mark ?, Ernie Moses and Steve Brett. The Valients played R&B and from 1960 to 1963 and a short time in 1968 or 1969.  They played at the Tri City Center in Tri Cities, The University of Washington, Des Moines Field House, Birdland in Seattle, The Underground Club in Seattle, House band backed up Joey Dee during the Worlds Fair in 1962, Lake Lawrence Pavilion, and all of the usual spots in the area.

The band is also looking for Mickey Ellis and Ernie Moses. Anybody with information on them, please contact Wayne Cox at wyjan@inter-linc.net  The Valients are trying to regroup again and do some rockin.
Wayne Cox, November 2002

The band is also looking for Steve Brett. Anybody with information on them, please contact Wayne Cox

Wayne Cox, October 2003

Steve Brett was my older brother by 9 years.  I'm sorry to tell you that Steve died in 1996.  He had a serious bicycling accident that put him in the hospital, then nursing home, then home recovering. That’s where he died..

Steve spent most of his working life in catering or restaurants as a waiter.  He was biking to the Olympic Four Seasons Hotel when he had the bike accident. I’m sure he would have preferred singing, but it just never made a living for him.

Did you know he actually had a 45 rpm record on the local stations for awhile while he was in high school. “Steve Brett and the Marvelles” (rhymes with barbells). I think it was called “Dream Tonight”  It was recorded at the home studio of Eddie Gaddi, (that’s the phonetic way I remember his name) who took an interest in Steve and then died right when it was popular, and the whole project just evaporated. I remember hearing they sold 500 copies, but there was some technical glitch in the recording that necessitated rerecording before it could be accepted by most radio stations. I suspect Steve Brett and the Marvelles was just a studio arrangement for one song, and there really wasn’t a band that had outside gigs.

My father and Steve built some giant speakers that Steve hauled around in those days, built to take a direct nuclear hit. I’m sure they must have made it to White Center in one of his band incarnations. When I cleaned out my fathers estate in 1998 I found them there. They were a bit antique at that point. We gave them away.

Nice web site.

Martin Brett, February 2008


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Last Update: 3 December 2010
Credits: Wayne Cox, Dennis Talbott, Howard Smith, Martin Brett, Craig Stanley
Band # 1055