Chris Link, Richard Cowles, Terry Garland, Bruce Olsen, (Dr. Payne
To book Bruce Olsen and the Offenders, contact Joanne Garland at terrygblues@verizon.net
The Offenders were a top local draw in central Virginia in the early 1980s.
Terry Garland, Chris Link and Richard Cowles, members of the rock band "Bull" , met songwriter/singer Bruce Olsen in Richmond during the late seventies. In August of 1980, Bruce contacted Chris and Richard who were both currently out of the band scene. They began rehearsing some of Bruces' original tunes. The drinking age was 18, Watch Out..."10 songs and we play in a week!" Instant gradification. Immediate Relief! Knocked Off Of My Feet! Lovin the Time Away! They played a few shows and the kids were lovin' it. "Life is good, we're sellin' it!"
In October, Terry joined them on guitar and Dr. Payne became their manager and sound man. The Offenders were born. "Pulsate", a song from their 1st studio demo, appeared on XL-102's Statutory Rock album in early 1981. Offenders got a good push from regular radio air play and an increase in their audience was immediately seen. "Going Bananas"and "Hard Times" became regular show spots for The Offenders that summer. They recorded a 12 song album in Philadelphia during the Fall. They built an admirable following in the Richmond and Charlottesville areas during 1981. The Offenders saw a lot of audience excitement as their LP, "The Offenders Record"was issued in the Winter of 1982. They enjoyed large turnouts at their many Virginia College concerts that year and appeared on a Cox Cablevision video production recorded at The Kings Head Inn in Norfolk Virginia. 1982 was a great year for The Offenders and their popularity continued into 1983. Bruce opened a recording studio at The Floodzone in early 1983. Offenders played dates for the remainder of the year and paused after a final show at the Cellar Door in December. Bruce spent most of 1984 working in his studio. At the end of 1984 The Offenders got together and recorded fifteen new originals at Floodzone with the idea of releasing a second LP. The decision was made to play some more dates for the love of it. A second Offenders LP was never released but still the group played a dozen or more shows during the Spring and Summer of '85. They also made a trip to Hollywood in September and appeared on the TV show "Star Search". This marked the end of an era for The Offenders. In 1987, The band played a reunion show at The Floodzone. After that, there was a 19 year absence of The Offenders. In 2006, Bruce, Terry, Chris and Richard got together again after almost 20 years and discussed a renewed project. They have done five reunion shows since 2007, the latest being September 26, 2009 at Canal Club. Still got room for The Offenders? These quys recorded an eleven song CD during the summer of 2009. Ask about how you can get one.
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