Genres Rock | Genre Rock music | |
Years active 1964–1968 (as the Beau Gentry) 1968–1971, 1994 Past members Russell DaShiell
Doug Killmer
Rick Jaeger
Don Francisco
Sam McCue
Bill Sutton Members Russell DaShiell, Douglas Killmer, Rick Jaeger Record labels ABC Records, Paramount Records Associated acts Russell DaShiell, Douglas Killmer Similar The Don Harrison Band, Sandy Rogers, AB Skhy, Harvey Mandel, Norman Greenbaum | ||
Crowfoot was an American rock band, initially known as The Beau Gentry. The original line-up featured Russell DaShiell, Doug Killmer and Rick Jaeger.
Contents
History
Crowfoot was an American band initially featuring Russell DaShiell on guitar and vocals, Doug Killmer on bass and vocals and Rick Jaeger on drums. The group originally formed in 1964 under the name 'The Beau Gentry' as a Melbourne, Florida-based high-school cover band. Eventually DaShiell began to write music and the band began to perform their own material. At that time the band also featured Lance Massey on guitar and vocals. They were discovered by manager Ken Adamany who arranged a successful 1966 tour through the US mid-west. On the strength of this tour, the band decided to relocate to the area and build upon the fan base they had established. In December 1968, DaShiell, Killmer and Jaegar decided to relocate again, this time to the San Francisco Bay area in the hopes that exposure in the burgeoning Bay area music scene would lead them to a recording contract. Lance Massey chose to leave the band at this time and settle in Wisconsin. The remaining band members renamed themselves Crowfoot.
In California, DaShiell, Killmer and Jaeger found session work to help make ends meet. Of particular note, was DaShiell's and Killmer's guitar work on Norman Greenbaum's, gold-selling hit, "Spirit in the Sky", and DaShiell's and Jaeger's work on former Canned Heat guitarist, Harvey Mandel's, album, Games Guitars Play. In 1970 Crowfoot signed with Paramount but by this time Killmer was pursuing other projects and although Jaeger did play drums on the self-titled album, Crowfoot had essentially become a solo act, with DaShiell writing, arranging, and playing both guitar and bass guitar. Guitarist Sam McCue, formerly of Milwaukee band The Legends, had joined by 1970. In 1971, a second album was released, Find the Sun. It featured DaShiell backed by Don Francisco on drums and vocals, McCue on guitar and vocals and Bill Sutton on bass. The album brought comparisons with Bread and Poco.
In 1994 DaShiell, Killmer and Jaeger reunited and released an EP, titled Messenger.
After leaving Crowfoot, Jaeger became the regular drummer for Dave Mason and he recorded with Tim Weisberg and the BoDeans amongst others. He also spent time in the early 1980s as the drummer for Mike Finnigan and The Right Band. Rick Jaeger died in 2000. Doug Killmer played on the Otis Rush Grammy-nominated song from 1976 "Right Place, Wrong Time", and Rita Abrams' Grammy-Award-winning song, "Mill Valley". He was active in the San Francisco Bay Area music scene for over three decades until his death in 2005. Lance Massey continues to live and occasionally perform in the Beloit, Wisconsin area. Sam McCue lives and performs in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area. Don Francisco went on to play with Linda Ronstadt, Kim Carnes and the California rock band Wha-Koo. Russell DaShiell relocated to the Los Angeles area and worked with musicians Phil Everly, Bo Diddley, John Sebastian and former Creedence Clearwater Revival member Tom Fogerty. He was a member of the Don Harrison Band from 1976 to 1977 which featured Stu Cook and Doug Clifford, also former members of Creedence Clearwater Revival. He continues to work and record in the Los Angeles area.