Jackie Pittman
Tribute
Tribute
The Band that Gives!
Jan Thompson Phifer
Keyboards, Vocals
Bringing that "woman's touch" to the group,
Jan plays keyboards, sings, and enjoys keeping all
of the harmonies tight. Her tastes in music may vary
greatly from the rest of the band, but she's a real
team player and loves being a part of the energy and
music that has become Mack Pherson and the Struts.
Jan won't tell us exactly how many years she's been
playing piano and singing, but her family started her
off as a young child of 7; her parents always told her
that she was "born to entertain!"
Jan has a lot of support from her loving husband and
her wonderful son, but she's learned that, as in baseball,
"there's no cryin' in the band"
Born in Detroit and raised in and around the South Side of Chicago,
BJ Picked up the guitar while attending Eastern Illinois University,
where he received a moderate amount of liver damage but no degree.
His musical influences are Motown and Memphis Soul, Chicago Blues,
Carlos Santana, and Eric Clapton. As an original member of Mack Pherson,
B.J. has finally succeeded in enticing real musicians to play with him.
He has played with several bands as a guest, but naming them here could
result in legal action. Marital status- Single. Sign- Cancer. Favorite
Color- Magenta. Hobbies- Golf, BBQ, Napping. Turn-ons- Summer,
interesting geo-political views, heated arguments. Turn-offs- Rap music,
chick flicks, diet Pepsi. Boxers or briefs? − Boxers.
Mike's love of music stems back to his high school days when he
joined a band of his peers. It's not only where he found his future
in music, but where he also found his future wife Terri, who was the
niece of the lead singer. Playing with the Coasters in Hawaii was the
highlight of Mike's musical career, but playing in South Bend with
Mack Pherson is a very close second. A graduate of the University of
Florida, he's traded the palm trees of his past for the snow shoes of
northern Indiana. Providing the bass line not only strengthens the
foundation of the rhythm section but allows him to truly express his great
love of *bottoms*. In between gigs Mike stays busy by playing attorney.
And, being an attorney he has become accustomed to the respect (or lack thereof)
that only bass players receive. Boxers or briefs? He's a lawyer; must be briefs.
After buying his first drum set at the age of 13, Mike tormented family
and neighbors with his vigilant practicing until he bought his own house.
While pursuing a degree in Automotive Marketing at Northwood University, Mike
also pursued a further interest in music, when he held a kegger, charged a
three−dollar cover, and bought himself a pawn shop guitar. A bass soon followed,
then a PA system, more guitars, an 8−track mixing board, and the list continues
to grow (to the band's benefit!). The "equipment junkie" is also the only member
of Mack Pherson to be chased by a Graceland security guard and subsequently banned
from the King's house. On Saturday mornings, you can see Mike on Channel 16, WNDU,
but on Saturday nights he's content to play Ringo and provide the backbeat for the band.
In addition to playing with Mack Pherson, Mike can also be seen in the Gurley−Leep
All−Star Garage Band. Boxers or Briefs? No Comment.
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, where they like to grow 'em big,
Larry is the latest addition to the band. Larry's been singing since
grade school, although this is his first experience with a band and he's
loving it. His day gig is working with children, and he has 3 of his own.
When he's not working, he's totally absorbed in sports. His musical taste runs
the gamut, from Motown to Rock and Roll, which works out well for the band.
He also helps with the percussion, directs traffic onstage, and is chief Talent
Scout for the audience participation part of the show. Larry's outgoing personality
makes him a natural entertainer. But I'm still trying to figure out how he
knows so many women everywhere we play....Boxers or briefs? Larry says the
question doesn't apply.
A retired Railroader, Chuck's been playing a wailing sax for over 30 years.
He's originally from Toledo, where he started his own band, The Brass Key, before
joining the Watermelon Men, one of the top bands in Ohio. Over the years he has also
played with the Drifters, the Shirrelles, and several other 50's groups.
Charlie is very proud of the 1962 Selmer Mark VI Paris Original horn he plays,
and spends most of his time mingling with the crowd, showing it off. In fact,
he's rarely onstage during a performance. We're not sure if it's because he
doesn't like to be confined to the stage, or if he just prefers being in closer
proximity to the bar. One thing's for sure − if there's music and beer,
Charlie's ready to play! Boxers or Briefs? We're scared to ask.
Calendar content coming soon! Please check back.
2009
Jan/Feb
March/April
May/June
July/Aug
Sept/Oct
Nov/Dec
2010
click on an image below to view images from an event
Pittman Memorial Trophy Winners
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February 7th, 2009
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February 27th, 2009
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March 7th, 2009
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July 17th, 2009
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August 8th, 2009
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Pittman Memorial Trophy Winners
For those of you who have had the great misfortune to not have attended one of our shows, one of the gimmicks, er, I mean highlights, is announcing "Table No. 1". The Trophy is named after our original singer, Jackie "Do You Mind if I Take My Time" Pittman, who started the idea of having a Table No. 1. This designation is assigned to the table who makes the most noise, dances the most, and generally shows the most enthusiasm in the first set. The winner is determined through rigorous empirical analysis and a series of complex mathematical equations, (too numerous and complicated to be explained here), performed by the only human known to be able to understand the process in it's entirety, our soundman, Mandingo. After the winner has been determined, the trophy is awarded and delivered full of 6 beers, iced down and ready for enjoyment. Although you can't take the trophy home with you, winning it will get your picture on this page, making you the envy of all your friends and, rumor has it, lead to an increase in wealth, reversal of hair loss, weight reduction, and other non-quantitative yet generally positive effects on the quality of your life.
So come on out and see us and maybe you too can be the proud recipient of.....
The Pittman Memorial Trophy
February 7th, 2009 at The Midway Tavern
What a great way to kick off the 2009 season. It's always a pleasure to take the stage at The Midway, given the history of the place and the legends that have played there. It's been almost 3 months since we've played out so we were pretty excited to get back to jammin' again. There was a small but extremely energized crowd there, and a lot of familiar faces, which made it all the more fun for us. We trotted out a few new tunes and got to play some Blues, which is a tradition at The Midway. And Troy bought a new camera so we should have lots of pictures from here on out, once he gets the hang of it. Anyway, if you weren't there, you can catch us at The Riverside Tavern in 3 weeks.
In the meantime, here's what you missed....
February 7th, 2009 at The Riverside Tavern
It was the first time for us at the Riverside and I was impressed. The place is a lot bigger than I thought, with a spacious stage and good acoustics. Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures, although I saw a lot of pictures being taken. So, if you have any pictures, I'd love to have them. Amy and the staff couldn't have been nicer to me and I'd like to apologize for the misunderstanding at the beginning of the night. We had a lot of fun and the crowd stayed for the entire evening. I hope we'll be able to come back soon. And I urge everybody to visit the Riverside Tavern next time you're in Mishawaka. You won't be disappointed.
March 7th, 2009 Marian High School Fundraiser
We were very pleased to be invited to help in raising funds for Marian High School. Although it took a few minutes for me to shake off the feeling of Deja Vu, entering a Catholic High School 30 years after being released from the last one I attended, I'm happy to announce that I was never confronted and/or beaten by a single nun the whole evening. In keeping with the Catholic tradition of suffering, we earned our money loading in and out, since the stage was several miles from where we could park the trailer. But the stage was spacious, with only a half dozen steep steps, allowing for some good cardiac exercise while we wrestled heavy musical equipment.
July 17th, 2009 College Football Hall of Fame
Once again we got the opportunity to welcome the new members of the Hall of Fame, including Lou Holtz, Troy Aikman, and a member of the greatest defense the Pro Football League has ever seen, 1985 Bears linebacker Wilbur Marshall. And to top it all off, there was a BBQ Ribs cook-off. Life doesn't get much better. This was our second year doing this event and we were joined on the bill with local band Stillshot. In fact, we used their equipment and sound man so we really want to thank them for saving our backs. The weather was cool and breezy with a threat of rain but it never came. We only played 2 sets and then got home early but had a great time while we were there. Thanks to DTSB, Stillshot, and ESPN for making us "nationwide"! We're already looking forward to next year.
August 8th, 2009 at The Riverfront Cafe
What a night! It was good to be playing for the Riverfest crowd again. First of all, it was the hottest day of the year and everyone knows how much I enjoy the heat. But I have to say that the crowd made up for it. I couldn't believe how enthusiastic everyone was. They danced all night, sweating and drinking in equal amounts. The table next to me must have been reserved by the Victoria's Secret Models Union and drove Larry and me to distraction all night. We'll get the pictures up as soon as I get them from Troy and you'll all know what I'm talking about. Anyway, thanks to all of you who came out and made the night a success. And thanks to Andrew and Don and everybody at The Riverfront for their generous hospitality towards the band. We'll be back for Halloween. Finally, to the guy who tried to walk off with the Trophy: you don't know how close you came to seeing Larry really perform. Be thankful!
See you all downtown on September 4th....
634-5789
Ain't Too Proud To Beg
Aretha Franklin: R-E-S-P-E-C-T/Think
Brown Eyed Girl
Burnin' Love
Call Me The Breeze
Can't Always Get What You Wanted
Can't You See
Come On Everybody
Come Together
Crazy Little Thing / Fat Bottom Girls
Days Of Old
Dock Of The Bay
Domino
Drift Away
Footstompin' Music
Further On Up The Road
Get Ready
Gimme Some Lovin
Givin It Up For Your Love
Good Lovin'
Grease Medley
(Greased Lightning, Summer Lovin', You'Re The One That I Want)
September 1st, 2009
What a weekend for the Notre Dame Home Opener! We're getting a little old for 2 gigs in 24 hours but it was worth it. Next up will be a fundraiser for Breast Cancer at The Landing on October 4th from 4:00 until 10:00. With good weather we'll be on the deck. And we'll be joined by some of the hottest bands in the area; Blammo and P.S. Dump Your Boyfriend to name a few. It's a great cause and the music should be fantastic.
After that you can catch us for a Halloween Party at The Riverfront October 31st.
Keep checking back for more info on new dates and venues. Also, if you have any comments on our performances, or pictures you'd like to see on this page, or you just want to pay us an ungodly sum to play somewhere, e-mail me here.
B.J.
October 4th, 2009
See us at The Landing on the deck Oct. 4th for the Breast Cancer Fundraiser
A very bright light in the Mack Pherson Family flickered out in February, 2002. Jackie Pittman Passed away.
Jackie was a well known entertainer in the area, and Mike Hardy and I had the pleasure of working with him before Mack Pherson. A couple of months after we formed the band, we heard Jackie would be performing with Darryl Buchanan. We hadn't seen Jackie in a couple of years so we went to the show. He was fairly pissed off that we had put another band together and hadn't invited him to join us. We didn't know he was available at the time, and, we really thought he wouldn't be interested. His talents far exceeded what we were doing at the time. After discussing it with the other two members of the band, we extended an invitation. Truth be told, Mike and I had pretty much decided that if the other guys didn't want Jackie, we'd replace them and proceed with Jack. We were that anxious to work with him again. But they agreed and the sound and direction of Mack Pherson was changed forever.
Jan joined the band about a year later, after Jackie heard her sing and play. The original drummer quit about a year after that, being replaced by Mike Leep Jr. The other guitarist quit too, and we never did replace him. But Charlie Rymers sat in with us one night, Jackie loved him, renamed him "C-Note", and convinced him to join us. That was Jackie. He had a knack for bringing people together. After that, we never looked back.
Throughout all the changes, Jackie was the glue that held everything together. That's not to say we didn't have some personality clashes. Jackie had an ego, no doubt. He had to, to work a crowd like he did. In Jackie's mind it was all about the performance, and personal feelings be damned. Jan shed a lot of tears ("There's no crying in the Band!") and I tore what little hair I had left out over booking fees and other money issues. I don't even want to get into the many heated discussions about what I wore, (hawaiian shirts) or what I didn't wear (shoes) on stage. But, through it all, there was great personal respect between us.
Jackie instilled a sense of pride and confidence in all of us. His professionalism was unparalleled. He taught us that it was our job to entertain; that we were there for the audience, not the other way around. He wanted us to be the best we could be. He demanded it of us. But he made it fun. He turned trips to Chicago gigs into family outings, insisting that we all ride together. If he was in the neighborhood, he'd stop by the house. And you could count on a cold beer waiting for you if you stopped by his place. His sense of humor was always wicked and sharp. We'd laugh until we cried. He could be very serious, and had every reason to be, but chose not to be most of the time. I used to rag him about missing practice all the time. But he didn't need to practice. Practice was just a lot more fun with him there.
We held a fundraiser for Jackie's family a couple days after he passed. That night I found out what kind of man he really was. I knew he was a family man, but I had no idea how large, and close knit, his family was. I knew he worked for the City, but I didn't know how well thought of he was until the Mayor showed up to speak about him. And, God knows, we all understood his musical abilities. But I was shocked when the whole musical community showed up to pay their respects and perform in his honor. We all loved him. But I had no idea how many lives he had touched until we had packed that hall to twice it's capacity, and still had to turn a couple hundred people away at the door. I look back on that night and I'm still amazed. We put almost 800 people; black, white, young, old, into a room built for 400, serving alcohol, and there wasn't a cross word spoken all night. There was a single thread, a commonality shared, that bridged all the diversities of that crowd. And it was Jackie Pittman.
As they say, the show must go on. We've got a great new singer and a new sound. Jan doesn't cry hardly at all anymore. I still dress casually. There's no bickering about money anymore either. It seems so petty. And I think people can tell that when we're onstage we're having the time of our lives. But we will never forget who made this journey with us; who made it possible. And how fortunate we are to have shared a stage, and our lives, with Jackie Pittman.
God Bless you, Jackson
The Band