Roseanne - Lead Vocalist
Name: Roseanne(The Black Rose)
Birthday: October 5th
Sign: Libra (The Balance)
Husband: Colin, My best friend, lead guitarist and back up vocalist.
Pets: One cockatiel named, "Baby Girl"
Favorite Movies- "Big," with Tom Hanks, and "Iron Man," with Robert Downey Jr. & "Amadeus."
Favorite Song: Every single song that Adam Lambert sings!!! He's the world's most incredible vocalist and performer!! I love the way he challenges me vocally!!
Favorite Foods: Fruits and Veggies-all kinds, and a Chicken Barbecue! I eat steak on a rare occasion but it's only the "Charlie Morgan Steak," at Bugaboo Creek Steak House!
Restaurant: Bugaboo Creek Steak House and Olive Garden.
Beverage: Nestea Diet Ice Tea or Lemonade.
Holiday: Halloween
Vacation: Camping at Darien Lake for the "Fright Fest!"
Store: Amazon.com
TV Shows: American Idol, Pawn Stars, and American Pickers.
Website: Adam Lambert, American Idol.
Charity: Anywhere I see a need.
Radio Station:The River-107.7 FM
Life History: Lead singer in rock bands for 20 plus years. “Friends”, “Black Rose”, “Rock ‘n Rose.” Played on the same bill with Ronnie James Dio and Zebra. My family consists of many singers and musicians (2 music teachers, 3 drummers, 3 guitarists, one trumpet player, one sax player, one accordion player, 4 piano players.) I have worked outside of the music business as a Hostess, a Manager, an Administrative Assistant, and I'm currently employed as an Accountant on the Finance Team of a major University.
Hobbies include music, home theater, rock concerts, broadway theater, birds, gardening, yard sales, camping, anything that's Halloween related, especially haunted hayrides!!:-)
Musical Influences:
The Beatles, Ronnie James Dio, Pat Benatar, UFO, and Adam Lambert.
Favorite Music: anything at all by Adam Lambert is my very favorite music. Besides Adam, I really enjoy Muse, My Chemical Romance, Tokio Hotel, Jason Castro, Robert Downey Jr; Lady Ga Ga, Pink, Keith Urban, Ronnie James Dio, Marty Casey, Pink Floyd, Trans Siberian Orchestra, White Lion, UFO, Beatles, Richard Marx, and Queen.
Favorite Artists: Adam Lambert, Keith Urban and Ronnie James Dio. (RIP) Unfortunately Ronnie has recently passed away and it has left a whole in my heart. His music will live on forever.
Favorite CD-I have more than I could count, but at the moment my favorite CD is called, "For Your Entertainment," which is Adam Lambert's debut album. I can't stop playing it!! I love it!! My second favorite is entitled, "The Resistance," by the band, Muse.
My Musical History: Fillmore Central School - I took two years of Vocal training with Dale Miller and Dick Kennedy, amd also won the Award for the Student Most Involved Vocally for 4 years of high school. I received numerous blue ribbons for solos, was chosen for All County Choir, All State Choir, and The Madrigal Singers. I was chosen as the lead in the theater production of "The Mikado," with a great name..... “Yum-Yum!" I also acted in another theater production called, "Get Witch Quick," and was also the Samba dancer and singer in "The Best of Broadway." It's been a long fun journey!!! I have many stories to tell!!
Bands I've been in- “Friends," "Black Rose," "Rock ‘n Rose," then back with “Friends,” AGAIN!
Equipment: Shure SM58Vocal Artist Wireless Microphone.
Favorite Moment from the 1970’s Friends: Sorry, too personal, but it was a ride I'll never ever forget:-)
Favorite Moment from the current Friends: The first reunion meeting after ten years apart and our second reunion, too! Now I have another favorite-it's when Klink, Joe, and Teresa joined our band!!
The Best thing about playing in a band is: The energy and excitement and fulfillment that music brings to you, and being able to touch and connect with people in such a intense and profound way.
The best thing about playing in Friends is: The friendship, the humor, the connection, and the bond we have with each other and with our fans.
Favorite Quotes: "The most important thing to wear is a smile," and "Let Go, Let God."
Your Own Words of Wisdom: “Don't push life. Enjoy what comes to you naturally. That way it was meant to be."
Clair Beeman - Drums-Percussion & Vocals
Name: Clair Beeman-Alias-Iceman
Birthday: May 25th
Sign: Gemini
Wife: Debbie Beeman
Pets: Two cats, a pair of Keets, Japanese fighting fish, wife.
Favorites:
Movie: Armageddon and On Golden Pond.
Song: 'You Give Love a Bad Name," Bon Jovi
Food: Lobster, Shrimp, Chicken and Biscuits.
Restaurant: Red Lobster
Beverage: Gatorade (Cool Blue)
Holiday: Christmas
Vacation: Hawaii (the big island)
Store: Guitar Center
T.V. Show: House
Website: Friendsrock.com
Charity: Clair Beeman Foundation
Radio Station: The Buzz
Cartoon: The Simpsons
Color: Blue
Magazine: Drum, Modern Drummer
Sport: College Basketball
Actor: Harrison Ford
Actress: Catherine Zeta Jones
Life and Musical History:
Enjoyed participating in J.V. and Varsity soccer and basketball. Started taking drum lessons in the 4th grade and then Senior Band from 8th throughout 12th grade. I went to Alfred Ag Tech and graduated in 1975 from the Building Construction Corriculum. While at Alfred, I was the head drummer for the "Jesus Christ Superstar," play, put on by Alfred State College. I started playing drums for "Friends," in 1971 until splitting up in 1979, then joined the band, "The Rogues," from 1982-1988. I returned to "Friends," in 2002 to present. I worked as a Cabinet Shop Foreman for 6 years before starting my own cabinet shop, then in 2000, I retired from cabinet making and became Code Enforcement Officer for 8 Towns to present.
Hobbies: Making music and Woodworking.
Musical Influences: Stewart Folts, Neil Peart, Jon Bonham, & Steve Smith.
Favorite Artist: The Professor-Neil Peart.
Equipment: Pearl Drums & Hardware, Yamaha electronics, Paiste, Sabian, Ziljian, Wuhan Cymbals, Tama Iron Cobra Pedals, Pro-Mark Sticks, Shure & Cad Mics. Aquarian Heads.
Favorite Moment from the 70's: Birth of my daughter Hollie Beth.
Favorite Moment from the current Friends: The Castile Street dance on 7-7-07. It was a magical evening even though I played with a broken leg.
Best thing about playing in the current Friends: The musicianship, friendship that we've carried for years and just plain the fun of it all.
Favorite Quote: "Don't Think Out Loud, Don't Think Out Loud!" DOU!!
My words of wisdom: "Be careful what you wish for, it may come true!"
Marty Howden - Bass Player
Name: Marty aka: Howser, Howdy, Howdy, Monty.
Birthday: May 4th
Sign: Taurus
Wife: Lynn
Pets: 1 Dog and 2 Cats, unless you count my son's animals, which I usually end up with.
Favorites:
Movies: "Young Frankenstein" and "Napolean Dynamite."
Bands: Les Claypool, Rush, UFO, Hendrix
Food: Rib Eye Steak, and Seafood, actually I'll eat anything.
Restaurant: Starr Bistro, The Red Osier, or
Brooks Chicken.
Beverage: Dark Beer or Merlot.
Holiday: Thanksgiving, but I am finding out that I look forward to Labor Day.
Vacation: New Orleans
Radio: Sirius Satellite
Charity: The Humane Society of US
Quote: "Right or wrong, what's done is done, it's only memories that we borrow." The Eagles.
Life History: I have worked for the NYS Park System for a long time. I started out working in the Letchworth gorge with rocks falling on my head and now I am the Facility Manager at Hamlin Beach State Park. I love my work! I drive into the park every morning and see Lake Ontario and say, "This is worth all of the aches and pains I have now." I work with a great group of people. I have two grown sons, a granddaughter, and a wife, Lynn.
Music History:
I was in the school band. I played the French Horn and I suspect Stu Folts probably wanted to smack me with the horn. I started out playing guitar with Clair way back and then switched to bass because I was the only one that had one. The first band I was in was with Tom Ricketts, his brother Denny, and Brian Raybuck. We were in a band with Roseanne and Billy for a while, then with Tom, Clair, & Brian. Finally the band "Friends," formed with Rose, Billy, Clair, and I. We went through many different line ups until 1980 when the band broke up. Then one day in 2003, Tom saw me in the Jubilee in Fillmore and suggested we get together for the Fillmore Fest. I e-mailed Rose and asked her to invite her husband, Colin, thinking well maybe he can play rhythm! Turns out he can play rhythm and a whole lot more. Clair was ready and willing to play and the rest is history.
Musical Influences: Les Claypool, Tim Bogart, Stanley Clarke, Paul McCartney, and John Entwistle.
Equipment: 1974 4001 Rickenbacker, Peavey Cirrus, and a Schecter... My rig is an Eden WT800, Eden 410XLT, Eden 115XLT, and my one and only pedal is a Sans Amp Bass Driver. I also own a Carvin 1000 Amp and a Cyclops bass cab and also a Schecter C-1 guitar.