What happens when 3 guys who have been making music all their lives don't get to play as often as they like? ... Another band is born !

HOTFOOT HARRY

After over three years of weekly performances working as Pork McElhinny's rhythm section, the Fender Benders found themselves at a crossroads. Pork was off to the bright lights of Nashville, and Dave & Dave had to start thinking about shifting gears. Although a change was coming they knew two things for sure 1) there wasn't anybody else they would rather work with and 2) you have to have at least two Daves to make a band!

After a couple months of hibernation Dave Foote was itching to get back out and play. Dave Hawk was ready to switch back to guitar, which has always been his main instrument. And Randy George (a "real bass player", as Dave Hawk would say) was recruited into the crucial role of bass player.

Dave & Dave were lucky enough to work with Randy on a couple of side-projects over the past 6 years and were sure his talents and personality would make him a good fit for the band.

The chemistry of the band has been exactly what we were hoping for; a perfect mix of musicianship and fun! As three guys who take having fun VERY seriously, we're hoping to carry on in the footsteps of the Fender Benders and keep the performances free-flowing and unpredictable.

DAVE HAWK - Guitar & Vocals

Dave has been playing guitar and keyboards in the Clarion area for 30 years. His musical career began just a few months after picking up his first electric guitar back in 1977. Just 15 at the time, he caught on pretty quickly and was asked to join an established band with some 'older' guys who were in their mid-twenties. Although friends and family had to drive him to those early gigs - he spent the last few years of high-school as a weekend warrior working the bar/club scene.

Dave was a founding member of the very successful band Ask a Stranger. AAS played heavily in the Western PA and Western NY, back in the early 90s and sold a ton of CDs. In some markets, their album "Stranger Things Have Happened" spent several months at the top of NRM's best seller list. The heavy vocal harmonies, and retro-keyboards made it wildly popular in Japan and Europe, despite the fact the band never toured there. Just as the last incarnation of AAS was coming to a close, 4 on the Floor was shuffling members again and Dave was in the right place at the right time. He had known JR McElhinny for years, worked with sister Michelle in Ask A Stranger, and met Pork when he was just a pup and didn't need any persuading to join the extremely talented McElhinny brothers in 4 on the Floor. Dave's musical roots in southern and blues-based rock served him well with 4 on the Floor. His behind-the-scenes experience carried over to 4 on the Floor and helped that band as they made their mark on the regional music scene.

After dabbling in other projects for a while, Dave and Pork teamed up again in 2003. Along with Dave Foote they formed the Fender Benders as a release for Pork's passion for the blues. This time Dave was pushed out of his comfort-zone and asked to play bass guitar. He was reluctant at first, but the appeal of working with the legendary Dave Foote for the first time, and the musical challenge led him to agree. Little did he know that half the 'musical challenge' would come from Pork playing 'Stump the Band' - throwing songs at them they had never played (or sometimes never even heard before). But as a result, Fender Benders jobs were outrageously fun for the band and the audience. For Dave the best thing to come from the Fender Benders experience was a renewed love of making music and the great friendship that he has developed with Dave Foote.

Through three years and a couple hundred jobs the Fender Benders hit their peak when they played at the Pittsburgh Blues Festival for a crowd of thousands -shortly before Pork's exit to Nashville.

RANDY GEORGE - Bass Guitar & Vocals

Randy got his start in the music business way back when he was only 9 as one of the founding members of The Wrangler Band from New Castle PA. Musical talent definitely runs in the George family, and along with his multi-talented brother and sister they have been making music together for over 25 years. ( kinda like the Osmonds without the maniacal grins ) They have been longtime favorites on the fair and festival circuit throughout PA, OH, and WV.

Randy is one of the most versatile bass players you'll find. Although his roots are definitely country, he's got plenty of experience with classic rock, 80's, blues, and many other styles of music. He has worked on recording projects with many bands and toured Germany in 1994 as opening act for the German entertainers of the year, the Hillbillies.

Currently he performs with his family in the Wrangler Band, mostly during the fair/festival season. And since good bass players are always in demand, you might see him playing bass for a number of other projects too.

DAVE FOOTE - Drums & Vocals

It was seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964, that first sparked Dave's interest in playing the drums. But, like most sensible parents, Dave's mom & dad weren't very excited about buying a noisy, expensive drum set for their hyperactive teenager. (Editor's note: Can you imagine Footie as a teenager?) So Dave had to work hard to convince his folks that the drums weren't just a passing interest. Agreeing to seriously study and play the clarinet in the marching band at school, was the only way he could persuade his dad that he was serious about the drums. Meanwhile, Dave's older brother Tom had a band that practiced at the Foote house. And when Tom's drummer wasn't around, you guessed it, Footie was out there banging on his drums. So in 1965, his parents got him a small drum kit for his birthday and by 1966, (within 2 years of seeing the Beatles on the Sullivan show) Dave's first band, the Lemon Light Bulb, was playing at YWCA dances and after football games all around his hometown of Titusville.

Dave owes a lot to his parents and their support of his music career. Buying him his first drumset, and driving him to the jobs in the early years, was just the beginning of a lifetime filled with music and countless friends he's met along the way. Most importantly, he met his lovely wife at a show 25 years ago and they've been side by side ever since.

Since 1965, Dave has played for thousands and thousands of people, in dozens of bands, with hundreds of talented musicians, in at least 13 states that he can remember. For well over 40 years now he's played virtually every kind of music on every kind of drum kit and I think it's safe to say... drums are not a passing interest.

Thanks Ringo!