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Sneakers
New Wave / Pop Punk / Rock

Oregon's now-legendary New Wave pioneers



EUGENE, Oregon
United States

Profile Views:  4474




Last Login:  6/18/2009
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   Sneakers: General Info
Member Since12/10/2007
Band Websitewww.myspace.com/sneakersband
Band MembersDee Willy, vocals, guitar
Billy Rich, guitar, vocals
Cletis Carr, keyboards, guitar, vocals
Johnny Zipgun, bass, vocals
Marquis Olsen, drums, vocals

Later member: Todd Duncan, sax, vocals
Unofficial 'official' member: Henry Cooper, harmonica

Crew:
Dave Welch, sound
Shawn Welch, lighting
Bud Costley, staging
Joel Meyers, staging

Management:
Doyle H. "Huck" Coleman
Allen Kovac
Phillip Kovac

Recording team:
Roger Atkins, producer
Peter Lorincz, engineer

Album art:
Mick Chudy, for the Art Maggots
Rudy Fox, photography
Kathy Rounds, logo

InfluencesRoots: The Beatles, The Kinks, The Who, Small Faces, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Rolling Stones, The Hollies, Beach Boys, Tom & Jerry, The McCoys, Tommy James & the Shondells, Donovan, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley

Heroes & Contemporaries: The Clash, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Rockpile, Sex Pistols, The Stranglers, The Plimsouls, Boomtown Rats, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, The Ramones, Devo, The Police, Talking Heads, Chris Spedding, Eddie & the Hotrods, Dwight Twilley Band, The Specials, The English Beat, Squeeze, Bruce Springsteen, Mink DeVille

Sounds LikeThe Old Wave colliding with the New.
Record LabelCity Sounds/MMO
Type of LabelMajor


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   About Sneakers
Sneakers began as a bunch of high school kids from Springfield Oregon in the mid-70's. Armed with mediocre equipment (including lighting that they'd stolen from the local lodge), and even less initial talent, they played anywhere they could, building a fan base as well as their own confidence. The band rehearsed. A lot. And focused. Eventually settling on a solid lineup, and straddling the fence between classic 60's pop and the emerging "New Wave", Sneakers found guidance with the help of Allen Kovac's then fledgling managment firm, and producer Roger Atkins, who'd written hits for the likes of the Animals and the Monkees.

Sneakers was hailed as the first band with a nationally released album from Oregon since Paul Revere and the Raiders in the '60s. The Ear Cartoons album nabbed the "Pick of the Week" honor in Billboard magazine upon its release in 1980.

The band toured non-stop, opening for international acts and filling venues in their hometown. Keyboard/guitarist Cletis Carr left the band in 1981, to be replaced by sax player Todd Duncan (who later went on to form the popular ska band Crazy 8's). The band then recorded a second album, Music From The Sole which remains unreleased. The band uprooted from Oregon to Houston and shortly thereafter broke-up.

Their influence on the NW scene was immeasurable, as their free-form live shows, paired with their boundless energy and quality pop songs helped the local scene drag itself from the morass and excess of the 70's and happily into the MTV-era 80's.

Sadly, the band were just a little ahead of their time, if only MTV were around when the band were at their prime, who knows how far they could have gone.

MySpace Layouts

   Sneakers's Friend Space (Top 24)
Sneakers has 112 friends.
 Cletis Carr 


 Roger 


 ROCKRGRL 


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 The Cowboys 


 The Clash 


 Paul Collins' Beat 


 Blondie 


 Go-Go's 


 Elvis Costello 


 The Police 


 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 


 The Plimsouls 


 CHEAP TRICK 


 The Beatles 


 The Rolling Stones 


 Bill Prescott 


 Maria 


 H-Bomb 


 Kaja 


 Willy 





Sneakers's Friends Comments
Displaying 9 of 9 comments  ( View All | Add Comment )
Maria





May 29 2009 5:44 AM

Wow the next generation ..What a trip
Engineers in Your Ear





Apr 29 2009 11:18 PM

Check out the tunes guys! This is Kyle's (Billy Rich's son) group.
Sneakers rule!
Final Resort





Dec 4 2008 12:42 PM

NEW SONG ONLINE!
Greetings!
Final Resort!
DEEZEL





Feb 26 2008 3:36 PM

HI thnx for the add & friendship !
Think it’s nice to be connected with musicians all over the world !!!
Took some time to listen to your music and it sounds really GREAT ...COOL STUFF ….just love it !!
Greetz from D E E Z E L (Belgium) and lots of luck in every thing you do!!
If you can find the time check out my music too (thnx)
ROCKRGRL





Jan 31 2008 11:44 PM

Maria and Cletis - the 2 people I misspent my youth with!!

(Don't I even get a "special guest vocalist" shoutout? How soon you forget - after 25 years.)
Maria





Jan 24 2008 5:34 AM

Hey Hey Hey
This is Great ! good job c ...and a shout out to you too rocker girl !! LTNS
ROCKRGRL





Dec 23 2007 1:04 AM

"So Confusing" - special request...
ROCKRGRL





Dec 21 2007 3:39 AM

Ah.....the soundtrack to my mis-spent youth.
Cletis Carr





Dec 20 2007 12:40 PM

gangsters, novamob - know what I mean?

and where's huck?

cc
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