ABOUT SPECTRUM
GARY SHAVER ("Blade" - Band Leader, Alto Sax, Clarinet, Flute, Vocals, Keyboard) - Born & raised in the Richmond area, Gary has been leading bands for over 20 years, including the 17th Street Band, Razor's Edge, and now Spectrum. He holds a BME from Virginia Commonwealth University where he performed in Jazz Orchestra I and received a Downbeat magazine award for his clarinet performance in "The Tattooed Bride." He also spent several years with Jack Diamond and Friends, and has backed up artists including Sarah Vaughn, Bowser, The Shirelles, The Drifters, and Archie Bell. He has freelanced with almost everyone in Richmond, and has served several terms as President of the Virginia Organization of Composers and Lyricists (VOCAL), which he joined after winning their songwriting contest. Gary is a prolific songwriter, recording with Spectrum and C&W band Midnight Hour. His song "Whatcha Gonna Do" has gotten airplay in several East Coast markets. He also teaches privately at Jacobs Music.
ALLEN COLE, JR (Tenor & Soprano saxes, Clarinet, Flute) - Allen is a Richmond native who attended VCU and participated in its Jazz Orchestra I with a number of other Spectrum members. He began his career as a house musician at the Tides Inn with the Ginni Carr Quartet, and was a long-time member of Uptown, Jack Diamond & Friends, and now Spectrum. Freelance work has included the Richmond Symphony, the Continentals, Dixieland Strutters, Baby Huey & the Babysitters, and numerous theatre pit orchestras for the Haymarket, Swift Creek Mill, Theatre IV and Theatre Virginia. Vinyl credits include recordings with M.P. Cronin, Jim Westlyn and Steve Bassett. In 1999, he toured the US and Europe with the Musical "Blackbirds of Broadway", and is on the teaching staffs of Jacobs Music and Boykin's Music.
LOUIS MILLHOUSE (Trumpet) - Louie is a native of Virginia Beach. As a young child, he had the opportunity to hear a variety of musical styles in his home, from big band music to Motown, depending on whether his siblings or parents got to the family’s stereo first. He moved to the Richmond area in 1974 and played trumpet in the Thomas Dale High School band where he befriended a young clarinetist named Gary Shaver, the future leader of Spectrum. He majored in music education at VCU, during which time he played in several Richmond-area bands including Paradox and Uptown. Louie taught band in Spotsylvania County for 11 years while earning a masters degree and doctorate in Educational Administration. He is currently an administrator in the Chesterfield County Public Schools. He has two children, Nancy and David, both of whom are very talented and active young musicians.
MATT CHAFIN (Trombone) - Matt is a native Virginian from Chesterfield County, and an alumnus of James Madison University, graduating with a degree in Finance in 2000. During his college days he remained active in music, performing in the JMU Wind Symphony, Marching Royal Dukes, and the Opera Theatre Orchestra. These groups provided Matt with memorable performing opportunities at the 1997 Presidential Inauguration in Washington, DC and the 2001 New Year's Celebration in Athens, Greece.
Matt currently serves as principal trombone for the European Wind Ensemble of Richmond, and has also done time "in the pit" with the Fort Lee (US Army) Playhouse Orchestra, located in Petersburg, VA. Not satisfied with just playing his horn occasionally, Matt is also active in the Central Spotsylvania (VA) Symphony and the Original Elbe Musikanten.
An active musician by night, Matt is a mild-mannered accountant by day, and resides with his wife Kathy in Midlothian. He is Spectrum's newest member, having joined the band in February 2008.
MARILYN MILLER (Vocals) - Marilyn Miller is a native of the City of Virginia Beach, but has lived in Richmond for five years now. She has worked as singer/dance for Paramount Parks for six years in their main stage productions. Before coming to Spectrum, she was the lead singer for Mirage. In addition to performing, Marilyn has been the director and choreographer for the Mary Washington College Show Choir for the past five years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mary Washington College and a Masters in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is currently working as the Detention Specialist for the Department of Juvenile Justice.
GARY BARBER HALLIDAY (KEYBOARDS) - When he first climbed aboard the Spectrum stage in 1991, he was known as Gary Barber. But after marrying the beautiful Winifred, Gary was persuaded to change his surname---you'll have to personally ask him about that!
In his former incarnation, Gary was at the VCU School of Music, studying alongside many in the current Spectrum lineup. He's also responsible for helping the bandleader graduate, playing excellent piano accompaniment for a senior recital billed as "Gary Shaver and Gary Barber" !
While going for a Master's degree in piano, Gary took a programming class and was immediately hooked into a career that left him alone in a spare room in his house for the next 20 years. During this time, he teamed up with some VCU music faculty and developed 2 commercial programs, "MusicPrinter Plus" and Music Lab". That was back when a couple of guys could push a little computer to its technical limit and actually make a buck or two without selling out to The Man !
Along with the computing career, Gary remained active in the local music scenes of both Richmond and Phoenix, AZ., where he lived during the late 1990's. Upon returning to Virginia, he rejoined Spectrum for a brief stint in 1999 and again from 2001-2003, then took a break to start a family. As of October 2007, he's back in familiar territory, holding down Spectrum's piano chair.
Gary's day job (which he is often advised not to quit) is at his alma mater as the pet computer geek for the University College. He helps VCU take care of the freshman class by writing .net Web applications with heavy-duty database support.
DAVID TETLOW (Guitar, Vocals) - David hails from Lexington and lived there until his mid-20's. He came to the Richmond area in 1982 and has been here ever since. His first band was Liberation and he has played in such bands as Blitzkrieg,
The Lords & Lady, Company, Inc., The Red Ball Jets, Ooz & Oz and My Uncle's Old Army Buddies. David is "this close" to having a Bachelor of Music degree from VCU. He loves all good music from Medieval to the present, especially progressive metal and shredder guitarists, such as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, John Petrucci and Paul Gilbert. David teaches guitar by day at Mechanicsville Music. When not pursuing musical things, he loves to read about volcanoes, earthquakes and mysteries on his computer, which is usually running Linux.
DAN WHEELER (Bass) - Over the years Dan has played in numerous local bands including the 17th Street Band (with Gary Shaver), Ben Stabley Band, the Jim Westlyn Band, and King Vibe. Since 1992 Dan has also served as a member of the worship team at Chesterfield Community Church, which features Contemporary Christian rock music in its services. Danny and his wife Karen have two daughters, Jessi and Lindsey. Dan includes among his musical influences Mel Schacher, Jack Bruce, John Entwistle, the late John Glasscock, Ritchie Blackmore, George Clinton, and the late Lowell George. Other influences that have forever warped his personality include Monty Python, Mad Magazine, and Richard Pryor.
GEORGE "BUZ" KING (Drums, Vocals) - Born in Warren, Ohio, Buz paid his dues in early bands such as THE LONELY BOYS and SMOKE. After obtaining a bachelor's degree in Biology from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA, Buz toured and recorded in Texas during the summer of 1973 with DADDYRABBITT, which included longtime friend Billy Caldwell.
After college and that Texas tour, Buz relocated to Richmond and began forming and leading many groups that have now gone down in local history. These groups featured excellent rock and jazz talent---names like Bob Quarles, Evan Evans, Russell Marsh, Greg Marrs, Richard Lumpkin, Bill Coon, Pat Lawler, Mark Merritt, Ray Pittman, and Sharon Lovell----who shared the stage with Buz and thrived under his leadership. Two in particular stand out : the Tobacco Company house band DOUBLE SHOT and the Viet Nam Era rock quintet MY UNCLE'S OLD ARMY BUDDIES. Two Army Buddies would also eventually find their way into SPECTRUM : keyboardist Quinton Parker ( 1993-1997 ) and guitarist David Tetlow ( 2007-present ). And at the height of the Shockoe Slip scene in the mid 1980's, Buz laid down the beat for 3 years with the well-known rock band SKETCH, house band at The Bus Stop.
Buz managed the percussion department at legendary Richmond store Don Warner Music from 1974-1985, and later worked in percussion product development and national sales for Hohner, Slingerland, and Gretsch. In 1982, he started his own business, King Kong Kases, building custom made road cases for working and touring musicians. Several cases from his shop still travel with SPECTRUM today !
Buz first joined SPECTRUM in December of 1999, staying for a 2 1/2 year stint before relocating to northern Maine to work for the Sabian Cymbal Company across the border in Canada. Upon returning to Richmond, he reconnected with his friends in SPECTRUM and has anchored the rhythm section since December 2005. When not on stage with us, you'll probably find Buz keeping time for Richmond's critically acclaimed roots-rockers THE TATERS.
Buz also holds advanced degrees in Pharmacology ( M.S.) from MCV and Adult Education (M.Ed.) from VCU.
TIM SWARTZ (Sound Technician) - Tim is one of a distinct group of musicians to return to the band, doing his first hitch from 1999-2003. He met the original SPECTRUM members while attending VCU from 1982-1990, where he majored in music education. Tim did 12 years with THE KINGS OF SWING ( his brother Bruce's band ), playing trumpet and running sound and lights. Before returning to SPECTRUM, he was the sound and light man for the well-known central Virginia group HORIZON. An avid Washington Redskins fan, Tim presently resides in Henrico County where his " day gig " is with Sam Ash Music. His dream is to one day retire and rule over a small tropical nation, where he will immediately ban most forms of rap music and proclaim TOWER OF POWER'S "What Is Hip?" the national anthem !